Coral Seas

One of the great photographers to rise out of David Doubilet`s shadow is Roger Steene. I first saw this book in the shop one day,and I thought it was fantastic. The price was very high (I buy in Swedish crowns but let`s say that`s about § 60.00!But I`d bought it and found it terrific!I`d not heard of Steene before but he seems to be quite good. His photography is a little bit similar to David Doubilet`s. Although he does not have the magic light of Doubilet,this is a huge book of 4 pounds and 340 photographs!So there is much to chose from.Often,photo books underwater is very beautifull,but after reading them,I think they are too short. You cannot have enough of these kinda photos. You always want more. This one isn`t that short. It is so long that I can have full enjoyment of it. The photographs are taken from all over the world,but mostly from Indonesia. May be because the author lives in Australia,or may be because that is the most beautifull sea in the world. Over 20 animals have not even been named yet!So it is a treasure both for the naturalists,underwater photographers and may also for the scientists because of the species number covered. It is one of my favourite books and will highly recommend it. Here are some of the highlights : Red Coral crabs,small gobies,surgeonfishes,and not least the bristle worms.

This is a must-have coffee table book for any sea life or aquarium enthusiast. It is packed with spectacular full-color photos of the many beautiful, unusual & fascinating creatures of the reef.A vast array of fish & invertebrates are included. Some of my favorites include a multicolored shore crab, bright red nudibranch & a translucent blue jellyfish. I also love the blue & white aeolid sea slug.The odd-looking weedy scorpionfish, fingered dragonet & snapping shrimps really grab your attention. The numerous corals & octopi are also a treat. All the images are clear & many give very close up looks at the organisms. Captions below give brief information on the creatures, such as defense methods, eating habits & mating rituals. Each is also identified by its both its Latin & common name. This is a gorgeous and informative book.

Steene's photography is some of the best I've seen. I just received my copy of this book yesterday, and the pages are absolutely luminous with color. In terms of composition, artistic sensibility, and scientific interest, this book has to rank at the top of the field. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in South Pacific underwater photography.

Roger Steene is an Ausie and sometimes the way he describes marine life (in person) might seem a little over exaggerated. He told me about the octopi that imitated other marine animals, but I took the description with a grain of salt until I saw the actual photos in his new book "Coral Seas." It is simple fantastic. The full frame, macro shots of rare species photographed on beautiful, complimentary backgrounds show the special skills this man has for illustrating the wonderous living animals that live in the sea. Many people will never get to the distant places where Roger took the pictures or have the sharpness of eye nor the skill in finding these rare marine animals. Therefore this book is a must in everyones library.Wilt Nelson