When you’re producing a book like Birds of the Tropical Andes, a photographic celebration of one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, tough choices are inevitable. For every beautiful image that made it to the final edit, others just as breathtaking had to be left behind. But don’t make the mistake of confusing their absence for inferiority. The photos we’re including in this article may be the “almost-made-its”, but they’re still the kind of shots most wildlife photographers would frame on a wall. If these are the rejects, just imagine what the finished book holds.
Though this species gets a few mentions in the book’s text as a migrant visitor to the high Andean plains, it doesn’t actually appear in photo form. While this image doesn’t fully display this species’ slender shape and characteristic long wings, it does still capture its presence, telling the story of a traveller pausing briefly to refuel on the páramo as it passes through.
The published image in the book shows the brilliant from the front, with its signature fawn-coloured chest softly glowing. But this outtake, taken from behind, reveals the rich layered browns and golds of the wing and tail feathers, contrasting with the emerald back, often overlooked. It’s a reminder that every angle of a bird holds beauty, even if it isn’t shimmering in plain sight.
Caught hovering in front of a spray of red and yellow Heliconia, the contrast between the vivid blooms and this tiny bird’s shimmering greens and blues creates a visual punch you don’t soon forget. While a different photo of this species was chosen for its textbook clarity, this one pulses with all the colors.
The book’s version of the Gould’s Jewelfront shows it perched facing forward against a taupe and green background, with that eponymous violet crown on full display. But this outtake is different: shot during what looks like a soft downpour, the bird sits against a pale, almost abstract backdrop, the light enhancing the bronze and emerald tones. It feels immediate and unfiltered, and deeply alive.
While it’s tricky to identify individuals in this image, the simultaneously chaotic and coordinated burst of around 250 cormorants headed towards the camera results in a study in chaos and control—wingbeats frozen mid-air, dark forms etched against sea and sky. It didn’t make the book for obvious reasons: no clear subject. But for a moment, it’s undeniably cinematic.
The book features the male of this species, violet bib and all, lit up like royalty. This image instead shows the female: quieter in appearance, but no less elegant with her speckled green and white throat and calm poise; you can almost feel the softness of those impossibly light feathers. In a world where males often steal the spotlight, this image offers a gentle rebalance.
The published photo of this long-tailed hummingbird dazzles with full-body iridescence and rightly takes up a whole page. The outtake, however, does something different: only the vivid green crest catches the light, while the rest of the bird appears more subdued, drawing the eye exactly where the light falls. It’s a glorious reminder of the beautiful science behind these birds’ plumage structure, and how different perspectives illuminate different characteristics.
Every photo here didn’t make the final edit because they lacked impact, but because a book, no matter how expansive, has its limits. We wanted to show you these outtakes as a way of drawing your attention to the upcoming book, of course, but these images are also a celebration of the wonderful birds to be found in the Tropical Andes.
Order your copy on July 8, 2025
