Photography, like many art forms, is a broad field filled with specific disciplines and focuses. Mature photographers may dabble between a few different disciplines, but there is usually one or two specific disciplines in which they have chosen to focus their body of work. So as you develop as a photographer and you have learned and mastered the basics, you will find yourself looking to focus on a specific aspect of photography. You will find yourself looking for resources to help you learn. If you don’t have a mentor, the next best thing is a book on that specific discipline. For me, one aspect that appeals to me is close-up photography. So in my quest, I stumbled upon Bryan Peterson’s new book, Understanding Close-Up Photography. I was fortunate to acquire a copy of this fine instructional book from Watson-Guptill, the publisher, for review.

This book examines the origins, development and fate of intelligent species in the observable part of our universe. It scrutinizes what kind of information about extraterrestrial intelligent life can be inferred from our own biological, cultural and scientific evolution and the likely future of mankind. There is emphasis on the geological conditions and consequences of life's conquest of land as the pre-condition for the emergence of life with our type of technical intelligence.