Leila Jeffreys

A gorgeous book that I'd eyed about a year ago and dismissed as too decadent; coffee-table art books generally don't make it into my book budget. Luckily, I received it as a birthday gift last week, so I could wallow in the beautiful bird portraits guilt-free.

Then, at the end, I saw the List of Works, in which Jeffreys included general information about the species, and almost always, a small anecdote about her experience photographing the individual bird. They were, apologies to Jeffreys and her obvious talent, the best part of the book, because while her photos are stunning, those little anecdotes brought them, and the bird, to life. So much so that at some points, I found myself a little misty-eyed and a lot jealous.

A beautiful book for those that enjoy birds and photography.… (mehr)

While the print quality is not as stunning as I was hoping, it is still a step up from viewing these photos on the web, with the added benefit of superior organization and layout.

The light-box-portrait style is a wonderful idea and reveals so much detail (and at the risk of anthropomorphizing, "personality") compared to traditional photos of birds in the wild. From the bright colors of the lorakeets to the complex patterns of the sooty owls - the effect is to rekindle the feeling of seeing these animals for the first time. Perhaps some "action" shots would be more revealing of the awe-inducing-wingspans of the eagles, or the intense sociability of the parrots - but overall the photographer's approach works well.

The brief stories of each bird, both as a species and as an individual, appear in the back of the book in a sort of visual index accompanied by thumb-nails. This context adds another layer of interest to the project, making this more than just another coffee-table book.… (mehr)