The book aims to teach readers how to recognize and visually manipulate the patterns of life outdoors and how to make better pictures using these patterns. Gary Braasch's photographs illustrate his belief that "the whole is manifest in the part". Step by step, they show increasing levels of complexity in the process of composing photographs, whether closeups or landscapes. The creative use of basic shapes and lines, common patterns, colour, texture and motion are documented, together with the more abstract and symbolic approaches to nature photography. A final section covers the business of selling nature photographs, from developing assignments to marketing strategies.