Close Ups and Close Encounters - Book Tour

My Review

5 stars

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the stories behind the photographs. I need to enjoy nature more and learn about it.
The photos were beautiful, playful and some were really close up. Some were scary.

S.J. Brown talks about how she started filming in her backyard and learning about the cameras, speed & lens by experimenting and trying. She would get down on the ground, on top of her roof and on cars to try and get eye level with the animals and birds. She explored her area, local zoos than branching out to go to different areas and different habitats
to get her photos.

She tells how much her husband would spot the animals for her and watch her back while she had the camera up to her face.
S.J. laughs at some of her mistakes and shares some mistakes she made. It makes the photos more of everything because you find out what she was doing or how she got the shot. I guess what I mean is more personal.

I would love to hang some of her photos on my walls or get the book for the coffee table.(then I would have to get a coffee table. The pictures in the ebook are good but I think this is one book I would prefer hardback copy. You can always flip through and look at the different animals and birds better.

Some of the photos are in so much find details and close. Like the butterfly I think its the second photo. I would like to look at the animals again and again.

I was given this ebook to read as part of Close Ups and Close Encounters book tour. The opinions are all mine they just asked me to post the review on a date of the tour.




Description below taken off of Celestial Book Promotions.
A Crazy Idea Becomes a Passion

On a whim, S. J. Brown decided to embark on a career in wildlife photography. Armed with an inexpensive 35mm camera and a love for the natural world, her adventure began. Accompanied by her spotter and husband, she ventured to a variety of locations.
The couple soon learned that there was more to this than just camera settings, lighting, and getting the right angle. Not all wildlife is agreeable to having their picture taken, and many are not easily accessible.

Camera in hand, S. J. Brown encountered delicate butterflies, bears, birds, deer, wild horses, and more. Along the way, there are successes and failures, cooperative critters, curious subjects, and some close calls.

As a wildlife photographer S. J. Brown took her cues from her subjects. Their body language let her know when to step in for a closer shot and when to back away. When she was out in the field, she strove to observe and record not to interfere. The exception to this rule is when people pose a threat to wildlife; then she will take time to relocate a road dwelling critter to its location. Brown has saved snapper turtles from soup and other creatures from the taunts and teases of unwise humans, but she will not interfere with Mother Nature’s food chain unless it involves a domestic animal pursuing a wild creature. With this in mind, she has sent many a cat away from a bird feeder and saved many a squirrel from a curious canine.

S. J. Brown’s book Close Ups & Close Encounters features over fifty of her wildlife photographs as well as the stories behind getting those images. S. J. Brown's photographs and written words are her way of sharing her experiences. Introducing others, such as her granddaughter, to the field is one of her primary goals and loves. She hopes her work will give others an appreciation for the natural world.

Available through: CreateSpace, Ingram, Baker & Taylor,
Barnesandnoble.com, Amazon.com, and Everywhere Fine Books are Sold

About the Author
Over the years, S. J. Brown has played with a number of artistic venues. Her love of the written word began in high school English class and continues on today, but it is not her only artistic endeavor. Prior to becoming an author, Brown has experimented with sketching, stained glass, and even ran ceramic business for several years.

Her love of wildlife photography began on a whim with an inexpensive 35mm camera, a few rolls of film, and a passion for nature. Quickly, her everyday life and wildlife photography became entwined. Somehow, even with a husband, a job, and household responsibilities, photographing found a place in the mix.

ISBN: 0985726784 • ISBN-13: 9780985726782 Pub. Date: April 1, 2013 • Trade Paperback/Kindle