15th June Nature Photography Day

15th June is Nature Photography Day. This artistic genre covers a wide range of photography taken outdoors and focuses on capturing natural elements of the world, wildlife, plants, landscapes, and close-ups of natural scenes. And so, nature photography works often get published in scientific, travel, and cultural magazines to showcase the breath-taking beauty of the Earth. The observance was launched by The North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA).

The children I teach love National Geographic books because of the photos. They constantly borrow Jan Latta books, Steve Parish books, Seymour Simon, Steve Bloom, Carla Litchfield and Suzi Eszterhas books and these too have photographs. The photography in them brings the natural surroundings and wildlife alive.

When I first became the teacher librarian at the school I am now, the library was very small, but there was this big heavy book From Earth From the Air for Children  by Arthus-Bertrand Yann that the children all wanted to borrow. I thought it was because of its size, but when I looked inside I realised it was full of the most amazing photographs with supporting text that reveals the fascinating story that each photograph tells. It is now old and no longer as popular, but the art teacher borrows it so it is still in the library. The photos in this book show that Yann is an outstanding photographer of nature.

These three books show the lives of three pioneering photographers who were determined to photograph nature.

The Bluest of Blues  by Fiona Robinson

A gorgeous picture book biography of botanist and photographer Anna Atkins--the first person to ever publish a book of photography.

Snowflake Bentley  by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

From the time he was a small boy, Wilson Bentley saw snowflakes as small miracles. And he determined that one day his camera would capture for others the wonder of the tiny crystal. Bentley's enthusiasm for photographing snowflakes was often misunderstood in his time, but his patience and determination revealed two important truths: no two snowflakes are alike; and each one is startlingly beautiful.

Imogen: the Mother of Modernism and Three Boys by Amy Novesky

Imogen's family didn't have much, and life was hard atop the wild hill they call home. But when Imogen declared she wanted to be a photographer, her father built her her very own darkroom. Flash forward. Imogen is a photographer and a mother. She has her hands full! How does she do it all? She turns the garden into a wonderland for her three growing boys and a workshop for herself. While she works, her boys play, and Imogen photographs them. Click. Click. Click. Photographing her sons leads Imogen to focus on plants and flowers - most notably her signature magnolia blossoms - for which she will become best known. Here, then, is the story of Imogen Cunningham, one of the finest photographers of the 20th century and mother to three boys.

These books show the life of some current nature photographers.

My Wild Life  by Suzi Eszterhas 

A look at nature photographer Suzi Eszterhas's life behind the camera. As a young girl, Suzi Eszterhas knew she wanted to be a wildlife photographer. But how did she go from snapping pictures of cats in her backyard to taking photos of cheetah cubs in Kenya? In this nonfiction picture-book biography, Eszterhas invites readers to find out what her life is like behind the lens. Spectacular photographs of animals paired with compelling anecdotes will instantly draw readers in. 

Diary of a Wildlife Photographer  by Jan Latta

Jan was inspired to write children's books after coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla in the African jungle. the experience changed her life. Jan has since travelled to Africa, India and China to photograph and write about animals in their natural habitat.

Photograph Australia with Steve Parish  by Steve Parish

Steve shares the wealth of his professional and life experiences, his vast knowledge of the whys, wheres and hows of photographing Australia's built and natural environments on land, in the air and beneath the sea. 

No doubt, there are other books about nature photography and photographers, but these are the books I know about.