Rating: 
Summary: Whole Truth from a Pro for Aspiring Pros
Review: Ah, the glamorous and exotic life of a professional nature photographer. Wouldn't it be great to give up the daily grind and explore wild places while on assignment for a big magazine? That's the first myth of the business John Shaw dispells in this no-secrets-hidden book.Chapter by chapter, he reveals what has worked for him in his 25 years as a full-time nature photographer. No preaching, no cheerleading -- just the straight scoop on what works and what doesn't from one of the most-recognized how-to authors on the subject. This volume departs from Shaw's photo field techniques advice of earlier titles and dives head-first into the business end of nature photography. It's full of sound advice for beginner or pro. And the information is written in John's clear, concise, clean style. It sounds cliche, but this book must be read by anyone thinking about this business -- preferably before you give up your day job. And if going pro isn't what you really want to! do, then learn nature photography techniques from this expert teacher in his four previous books.
Rating: 
Summary: Know what you are buying
Review: BEFORE YOU BUY THIS BOOK. Understand that this book is nearly 10 years old and focuses on a business model that is near extinct. When this book was first printed in 1996 it would have been considered a basic "seminar in a book" about selling and establishing income from nature photography. While the book does have some timeless information on common sense, it for the most part is archaic in content. There are many fans of John Shaw out there but when it comes to buying a book and expecting content that I can use, my own expectations are to get the product as advertised. If you want a John Shaw book on nature photography, stick to his other publications. This one belongs next to DOS 4 and my Windows 3.1 manuals.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Do you want to catch the difference between a professional photographer and an amateur? Buy this book!
Rating:
Summary: Great, no-nonsense approach with specific recommendations
Review: I am still in the processing of reading, re-reading, and applying what Mr. Shaw wrote in his book--in other words I am not a professional nature photographer...yet! However, I found the information in this book to be extremely informative. He gives great no-nonsense advice about becoming a professional nature photographer. He doesn't give us a pipe dream by saying that it's going to be easy. Like any other business venture, it will take effort to make it work. Very early in the book he establishes what this book is and what it is not. It IS a description of what has worked for him: publishing his pictures in the printed media. It Is NOT a book that describes the technical aspects how to take great pictures (f-stops, shutter speeds, composition, etc.). He has written a number of other books on those subjects. It is also NOT a book on how to sell your pictures in galleries or how to approach retail buyers about ways to display and sell your pictures in stores. One of the things I most appreciated was his recommendations about the equipment you will need. He doesn't endorse any particular brand of camera (though it's rather obvious from his captions that he uses mostly Nikon equipment). However, he does give specific advice on the types of lenses you will need and the features that he would look for if buying a camera. He also gives recommendations on the types of filters you might need. On other (non-camera) items he does, however, give specific name-brand recommendations for such things as tripods, light tables, loupes, slide labels, database software, and other miscellaneous accessories (many of which I hadn't considered before). On most of these, however, he gives multiple recommendations. He even provides a list of manufacturers to contact for more information. I already had a good camera, so I especially appreciated his specific recommendations on accessories. I am quite sure that it has saved me hours of work in looking for and considering what will and will not work. As mentioned earlier he explains what worked for him: getting his images published in the printed media. His general recommendation for beginning photographers is to first approach (low-circulation) magazines to sell pictures with an article. He gives some very compelling reasons why this is a good idea. He also gives numerous examples of the types of correspondence that you can expect when approaching a potential buyer. He also explains a little the type of images that photo editors are looking for. (It's unlikely that they'll need another image of a moose, elk, bear, or deer in Yellowstone!) Another thing that I found helpful was his explanation of his personal filing system. Once again he gives some no-nonsense advice here. His recommendations seem practical but not overly costly. If I have one gripe with the book it's that he doesn't give a complete listing of the categories he uses for his own work. He gives a partial list (which I will probably use as a base) but I wish he would have listed all of his categories. (He indicates in the book that there are roughly thirty.) Aside from all of the above he has some WONDERFUL photographs in the book. Most of the photos are there without being referenced in the text, but just looking at them inspires me to want to become a better photographer.
Rating:
Summary: Buy it. Now.
Review: I had read two of John Shaw's other excellent books, so I was pleased to come across this one just as I began to consider going pro myself. This book was virtually perfect for me. (See Alan Nielsen's review for an excellent summary of what Shaw writes.) It seems I now know everything I need to to decide if this profession is really for me, and, if so, how to go about getting started. My only complaint is that it is already somewhat out of date, as 3 of the 6 books from his reccommended list that I tried to buy here are out of print (Amazon said they would look for them.)
Rating:
Summary: A great book with plane and simple language
Review: I have read and re-read this great book, because of I had an idea on how to run a business like this, however I am amazed with the details on managing in order to get a complete control of your images
Rating: 
Summary: Sane advice from a successful pro
Review: Shaw gives realistic advice on the difficult work needed to make a living as a nature photographer. He conveys a sense of what magazine editors and other buyers of nature photography want in terms of quality, composition and subject through both his writing and many photographs. Practical advice on the more mundane aspects of running a photography business and the submission process is given in a clear and concise manner. Of note is his advice to start out by learning to write well so that you can submit full articles with photographs that are more likely to get published than stand-alone photos. This book is well recommended for people interested in making some money off their hobby, serious about making nature photography their career, or just curious as to how nature photographers earn a living. The only drawback to the book is that it is a few years old and some of the material, particularly on digital photography and manipulation, is a bit dated.
Rating:
Summary: Sane advice from a successful pro
Review: Shaw gives realistic advice on the difficult work needed to make a living as a nature photographer. He conveys a sense of what magazine editors and other buyers of nature photography want in terms of quality, composition and subject through both his writing and many photographs. Practical advice on the more mundane aspects of running a photography business and the submission process is given in a clear and concise manner. Of note is his advice to start out by learning to write well so that you can submit full articles with photographs that are more likely to get published than stand-alone photos. This book is well recommended for people interested in making some money off their hobby, serious about making nature photography their career, or just curious as to how nature photographers earn a living. The only drawback to the book is that it is a few years old and some of the material, particularly on digital photography and manipulation, is a bit dated.
Rating:
Summary: Good Advice from a Pro
Review: So you want to make a living taking nature pictures? John Shaw shows you how in his latest Amphoto book. Subjects covered are getting started, office work, submissions, writing to complement your photography, and money matters. Shaw provides beautiful photos along the way both to inspire and to set a standard for the aspiring photographer.
Rating:
Summary: Great read
Review: This book is full of info. Great for someone just starting out. Well written! I usually struggle through books, but could not put this one down.
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