Art and Photography Resources

Some visitors to Monticello Park are interested in photography, drawing, and painting.

Monticello sometimes can be a difficult place for bird photography because of poor lighting. This is offset by the fact that photographers can get closer to birds than they can in most other places. The following books provide information about how to photograph birds:

• Bird Photography: A Beginner's Guide to Mastering the Art of Capturing Stunning Images of Birds Mark B. Smith, 2017
• Photographing Birds: Art and Techniques Mark Sisson, 2014
• The Handbook of Bird Photography Markus Varesvuo, Jari Peltomaki, and Bence Mate, 2013
• National Geographic Photographing Birds Rulon Simmons and Bates Littlehales, 2006

These books provide information about how to draw birds and flowers:

• The Art of Botanical & Bird Illustration: An artist's guide to drawing and illustrating realistic flora, fauna, and botanical scenes from nature Mark B. Smith, 2017
• Laws Guide to Drawing Birds John Muir Laws, 2012
• Bird Art: Using Graphite and Coloured Pencils Alan Woollett, 2017
• How To Draw Birds in Simple Steps Polly Pinder, 2009
• Draw 50 Flowers, Trees, and Other Plants: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Orchids, Weeping Willows, Prickly Pears, Pineapples, and Many More... Lee J. Ames and P. Lee Ames, 2012

These two books show works by talented artists — one a painter and the other a photographer:

• Birds Robert Bateman, 2003
• Nests: Fifty Nests and the Birds that Built Them Sharon Beals, 2011