EarthFlight: Breathtaking Photographs from a Bird's-Eye View of the World

by John Downer

A guided tour of the world through the eyes of birds. For his award-winning In-Flight Movie , filmmaker John Downer devised a 61/2-ounce camera that could be carried by a trained buzzard. Eagle followed, for which Downer used a smaller video camera with an onboard transmitter to film a raptor's flight over the Alps. Supernatural continued the pioneering work, using a flock of greylag geese. Flock leader Buff was trained to carry a harness holding an even tinier camera, the "Goosecam," which captured amazing views from inside the flock. EarthFlight , Downer's latest film project, is a six-part series. It uses spycams, microlights, hang-gliders, miniature helicopters and wirecams to give viewers a privileged perspective of birds in flight. Whether soaring 10,000 feet high over the Sahara or skimming yards over the Great Wall of China, EarthFlight the film allows viewers to take part in the miracle of flight. Every page shows us what the birds see--winding shorelines, bustling cities, sunsets and storms, mountains, canyons and roiling seas--and the animals they pelicans diving for fish, a tiger drinking from a stream, migrating reindeer, dolphins playing, and in the desolation of the desert, a nomadic family. The book closes with a "Making of" chapter. EarthFlight truly is a bird's eye view, a pioneering work of genius and a memorable journey around the world like no other.

Genres: Nonfiction, Birds, Animals

240 pages, Hardcover

First published December 8, 2011

Reviews

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een mooi foto boek over vogels in vlucht. Alleen jammer van de beesten die er niks mee te maken hadden. Maar verder wel genoten van de prachtige foto's. Vooral de close-ups vond ik mooi! Je keek gewoon recht in het oog van een vogel!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Earthflight shows incredible images of birds in flight from the birds' point of view. The makers travelled around the world using imprinted birds, ultralight planes, and tiny cameras to capture what it's like to be in the sky with flying birds.

The images are incredible and the text interesting. I gave Earthflight four stars instead of five only because I feel you really need to see the video to truly appreciate the images. Earthflight the book is a tantalizing glimpse at what the video must be like. The DVD is not yet out in the US. I really look forward to watching it once it is available.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book to complement the TV series. Stunning photography. Very little text!

[Amy Derwae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Watch the series AND read this book... if you didn't love birds before, you'll love them after!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bird nerd, so I loved the photographs, and some of the behind-the-scenes info on the documentary. Doesn't compare to the actual footage, of course, so try to catch it on PBS!