No comments about Audubon's western journal: 1849-1850;: Being the ms. record of a trip from New York to Texas, and an overland journey through Mexico and Arizona to the gold fields of California,.

5 comments about Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge: 48 Hours of Flight.

1. Jim Jamieson's Bosque Del Apache National Wildife Refuge: 48 Hours Of Flight is a visually captivating photographic gallery showcasing snow geese, sandhill cranes, raptors, and a host of other avian wildlife that winter in the 13,000 acres of marsh and flatlands of New Mexico's Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The uplifting photographs, with brief descriptive captions, make Bosque Del Apache National Wildife Refuge: 48 Hours Of Flight a superb giftbook for birding enthusiasts and nature lovers.



2. Some of the best photography ever taken of this special place. A must have for all birders. This is an awesome piece of work that really captures the essence of birds in flight. Made me feel like I was flying with the birds!



3. This book is a fascinating book for bird lovers, both from
   a Subject standpoint and a Technical standpoint. The photos
   of the Bosque Del Apache birds of all types are outstanding
   and the colors are terrific. Next trip West, I know one of
   the places where we will be sure to stop. Thanks for a great
   book, they made terrific Christmas gifts. Not a single negative
   remark from all recipients....



4. Jim Jamieson's book chronicles the life of birds over 4 days of daylight (the 48 hours referred to in the title). The book consists mostly of photographs of birds with the sparest of remarks about each picture. As a pleasant surprise there are none of the usual essays preaching the virtues of conservation. The author lets the pictures speak for themselves.

   Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico is on everyone's list of the ten best birdwatching sites in North America. Every year hundreds of thousands of Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes make Bosque their winter home, and thousands of bird photographers flock there for the chance to capture exciting photographs.

   Most of Jamieson's pictures were taken in the early-morning and late-afternoon reddish light that photographers call the magic hours. Jamieson fills the frame with pictures of individual birds and presents crowds of flying geese that seem to spill over into the margins. Many pictures are of birds silhouetted against the morning or evening light.

   Twenty years ago, this book would have been awesome, but photographers like Arthur Morris and his friends have raised the bar in recent years. Today's bird photographers emphasize the importance of separating the subject from the background so that the bird really stands out. They do this by a variety of techniques, like reducing depth of field, getting low to the subject and making sure the birds are not close to the background. In many of Jamieson's pictures, particularly of side and front-lit Sandhill cranes, the birds blend into the background, particularly in the magic hours light when everything is bathed by the low sun in the same ruddy glow. The better bird photographers saturate their pictures with color. This book's range of light seems particularly small. Moreover, even though there are exceptions to the rule, bird pictures look more attractive when the natural light reveals a bird's face, rather than lighting its rump and leaving its face in shadow.

   Another problem with the book is the sameness of the pictures. After a dozen shots of front-lit snow geese or back-lit cranes, the pictures get repetitious. Although the book presents about a dozen different bird species, Bosque has dozens on hand that the author has not presented to us.

   Perhaps some of these problems are due to the equipment that the photographer used, although no technical data is presented to help us know. Or maybe the problem is that the author only allowed himself four days to photograph a place that other photographers return to time and again, to explore its full potentialities.

   As a souvenir of a great bird-watching hot spot, this book has a useful place, but it falls short of being an example of the vision that great bird photography can present.




5. This is an amazing book blending colorful photography with artful composition. The author does a superb job of capturing the natural rhythms of the refuge against the vivid New Mexico skies. If you have never been to refuge, this is a great primer.

1 comments about America's Ancient Treasures: A Guide to Archeological Sites and Museums in the United States and Canada.

1. America's ancient treasures (1993 edition) is a reprint of a classic first printed back in 1971. It contains a thorough recounting of every major and most minor Native American archaeological sites and museums in North America, and is an excellent resource tool for those interested in a serious exploration into North America's ancient past.

No comments about Mexico still hot as winter vacation destination; Tour operators turning attention to Jamaica.(Travel): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press.

No comments about Arizona/New Mexico.

1 comments about Cycle of Seasons in Corrales.

1. Cycle Of Seasons In Corrales by freelance writer Ruth W. Armstrong is an inspirational celebration of the turn of the seasons in Corrales and throughout New Mexico. Love of life, memories of the past and keen awareness of the present permeate this spiritual treatise. Enhanced with the photography of Ruth and Ellis Armstrong, Cycle Of Seasons In Corrales an impressive and timeless evocation and well worth the reading by anyone who appreciates what nature offers as the Earth encircles the Sun.

No comments about Festivals of the Southwest: Your Guided Tour to the Festivals of Arizona and New Mexico.

No comments about Four months in a sneak-box: A boat voyage of 2600 miles dwn the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and along the Gulf of Mexico (Travels in the New South I 22).

No comments about The New Holiday guide to Mexico (The New Holiday travel guide series).

No comments about Six months' residence and travels in Mexico;: Containing remarks on the present state of New Spain, its natural productions, state of society, manufactures, ... and antiquities, &c. with plates and maps.