Book Description

Book Description

Pioneering underwater photographer Jim Church offers a clear cut approach to composition in this concisely written manual that will help all underwater photographers get better results. Packed into this book is more than three decades of practical experience making it a must-read for owners of all types of underwater cameras and housed cameras.

Some of the topics covered are: what attracts viewer’s eye; lenses and perspective; finding underwater subjects; basic wide-angle shots; shooting divers; quickie guide to modeling; composing close-ups; when to take the picture; isolating your subject; placing your subject in the picture; working with patterns; special lighting effects. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Start here and you can't go wrong
This is Jim Church's answer to those who say that you must have a "God given eye" to take great photographs. Jim is above all a teacher. His ability to bring complex ideas down to the level where a novice can comprehend is legendary. His method, rather unique in the world of underwater photography and videography, is not to show you great stuff and say "beat this", but to start with basic principles and work you through until you are automatically seeing the right solution to the situation before you. I would bet that any "name" underwater photographer if asked "where do I start?" would answer "pick up Jim Church's books and read them 3 or 4 times then get in the water.". This book, at less than the cost of 2 rolls of underwater film and developing, should be considered mandatory reading for anyone with a desire to take photographs (or video) underwater.

TIMELESS TEACHINGS
When I started in uderwater photography, I was told by a very wise and respected professional, "Composition cannot be taught ... it is not a concept or a method. The photographer is born with an eye for composition and it is an art." To which Jim Church's book has proven that statement to be "Hogwash, INDEED!" Composition may be a gift, but it is a gift that can be honed and trained, just as Jim Church has done with this book. He has given the reader all the tools, tricks and tips to develop that skill into an art. Liberally sprinkled with the Jim Church wit and humour, this book stands up to reading after reading after reading. This book stands alongside his "Guide to the Nikonos" and his "Underwater Video" books as "bibles" for the ardent underwater photographer. As for Jim Church's method of teaching and guidance, I can tell you that nine years ago I was using a disposable underwater camera. I have studied the books and travelled with Jim Church as often as possible and I am now a contributing editor and Photo Pro for an international dive magazine. So, if you ask me if Jim Church's methods work, I would resoundingly answer "YES." If you aks me if this is a book worth buying, I would answer resoundingly "YES!" No matter how many times you read this book and no matter what level of photographer you might be, there is always something new in this book that you can apply in your pursuit of great photos. These concepts of composition are NOT restricted to the ocean floor, either. The methods and concepts explained in this text --- in easy to understand terms --- also apply to land photography. This Essential Guide is exactly that---- ESSENTIAL! I regret that five stars is the highest rank offered for this book. The only thíng wrong with this book ---- it wasn't written sooner! I could have saved a lot of film on badly composed shots!!!!

"Something Here for Everyone"
People come to photography by many strange and varied routes and my own is as different as the next - though I shall not bore you with that particular story here. Suffice to say that, my first photograph was published in 1974, my first underwater photograph in 1980 and, right at this time, my work has appeared (somewhere) every month since December 1998, I am in the process of completing my fourth book and my photography has even been purchased by National Geographic.

The relevance of all this, however, is that I am largely self-taught and that always leaves me wondering if I am missing some of those basic lessons that would have been explained on the very first day of any professionally run photography course. "Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition" goes a long way to fill any gaps there might be.

This book has two outstanding qualities; Firstly, it is written by a man who really does know about every aspect of underwater photography. Secondly, and most important of all, however, Jim Church has the power to explain his knowledge in words we can all understand. In so doing he has produced a book for the professional underwater photographer and the amateur diver alike. If you have just bought your first camera and are about to embark on a very expensive trip to try it out, this is your in-flight reading material. Believe me, you will come home with better pictures - I did.

"Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition" is a 9in x 6in paperback book containing 136 pages, 80 colour photographs and 8 line drawings. Each photograph and drawing serves a purpose and are used to explain each of the many lessons involved with composing underwater pictures and, basically, the difference between taking a good photograph and not. All of which is, of course, supported by the non-technical information imparted in an easy-to-understand style.

The book begins with absolute basics - and what could be more basic than explaining the function of the human eye and then adapting that information in order to provide a better understanding of the function of a camera lens. In short, this is a book about "stepping stones" and each time a relevant point has been explained and demonstrated, the book builds on this knowledge as we step forward onto another stone for even greater knowledge of the subject in hand.

In Summary, this is one of the few books I have ever read which achieves exactly and precisely what it sets out to achieve and is made all the more valuable because the Author is a man who knows his stuff and is able to explain things without getting bogged down in technical jargon.

Five Stars are not enough for this little gem.

NM

Another Good Effort from Jim Church
For all UW imaging systems users, this book is less about the technique (which can be found in Jim's books on Nikonos and Video systems), and more about the art of UW photography. Jim again uses the Situations approach, and helps you develop an eye for good pictures. Really useful stuff on working with models.

A Great Book For Underwater Photography!
Jim Church has written a concise guide to composition of underwater photos. These can be difficult to compose when compared to dry land photos and he simplifies the art well. An essential guide for aspiring UW photographers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Book
If you're a new photographer and you need to know when/how to add color into your photographs, this is the book for your. Tons of pictures, how the pictures were taken, and why the picture is so nice. Written in languag a beginner will undstand, but transforms your photography into something great! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

I LOVED this book...
I was happy to see a book that covered many styles of lighting and styles of photography. As a semi-professinal, i am asked to shoot many types of photographs, and this book has given me excellent tips to "upgrade" my photos. The portrait and fashion section was especially helpful. AA+++

Good photographer... Bad book for the non-pro...
Ok, I'm sorry, but I gotta tell you this book is way out of date and doesn't have very many low-budget ideas. I made myself read this book cover to cover because I really needed to learn some lighting techniques fast. Well, when I was finished, I was impressed with the author and her friend's work, but I didn't know much more than I did before picking up the book.

It's almost as if the author has put together a personal portfolio accompanied with some bragging and some stories. The thing that bothers me is that the title "The Lighting Cookbook" seems to suggest that it's like a reference guide for the average Joe that's easy to use, like a real cookbook. Not so. I don't know how many times I've flipped through this book looking for a "recipe" to use for my lighting needs and I always end up putting it back on the shelf.

The "recipes" are too specific and based on things that most people will never do. When's the next time you plan on shooting some pictures of beakers filled with green liquid on top of a piece of plexiglass? Never you say? Ah, too bad because it's covered in this book.

The reason I said this book is out of date is because most people (that aren't stuck in the past) are moving on to digital. We're not using these insanely expensive "view cameras" that only big companies can afford. I've got a top of the line prosumer digital camera and there's not much in this book that even applies to shooting pictures with a regular camera.

The cameras that they use are not the only rediculously expensive items. The lighting equiptment that they use in all the indoor recipes are equally out of the question for most people. It would cost thousands and thousands of dollars to buy the "ingredients" to these recipes. A photographer like the author probably doesn't have any problem affording this equiptment because she's a pro, but what about your middle class audience?

I'd like to say that I really hate to be negative about anything. I like to give everything I'm reading the benifit of the doubt. That's why I read this whole book. When I finished, I placed it on my shelf and it pisses me off every time I look at it. Today, when I typed in "lighting" and it came up as one of the three most popular, I had to say something because I know that regular people like me are buying this book because they think it has the answers to their questions. Well, my friend it doesn't and I just thought I'd warn you.

As I finish this review I find myself asking a certain question. Who is this book for? It's not for regular people or beginners, because they don't need to take glamour shots of jewelry. So, I started to think that maybe it was for people that own a photography business and own all of this expensive equiptment, but wouldn't a professional photographer who owns their own business already know how to use their own equiptment? I don't know. Maybe it's for rich people that own a hundred thousand dollars worth of equiptment, but don't know how to use any of it and have no creativity.

Since reading this book, I've gone on to learn way more by flipping through catelogs and websites.

Let me say that I do give this book two stars instead of one because it features some great inspirational photography and is probably useful to some small group of people out there.

An excellent starting point
If you are interested in doing mainly portrait photography, but need to learn more about how to properly and effectively do lighting setups, this book is an excellent place to start. The book has several diagrams of exactly how the lights were setup, along with actual photographs that were taken using each setup.

It talks briefly about how to deal with different types of people, and includes a short part on photographing pets as well. There are also sections on lighting still life photography, although this is not the main focus of the book. If people portraits are what you are interested in doing, this book will be an excellent reference. However if you are more interested in photographing still lifes or pets, I'd recommend that you either find another book, or use this in addition to another resource.

SOOOO HELPFUL
It took the mystery out of how pro's do that amazing lighting. I feel like my photographs have improved 100% .

You can't beat it for number of examples
I bought this book while searching for a book that would help me get started in portraiture. Although this book covers portraiture, it is probably not quite what I was looking for, but is good in its own right.

The book begins with the first section, "The Well-Stocked Studio," and describes cameras, lighting, and accessories. This is valuable information for a serious photographer wanting to get more advanced, but is overwhelmed at all of the equipment and what it does. Other sections are "Basic Portraiture," "Corporate and Industrial Shots," "Product Shots and Still Lifes," and "Specialized Techniques." Each section presents about a dozen different examples of techniques in that area, detailing the equipment used. Each technique example is covered in a few pages with excellent photographs, a pretty good diagram of the lighting arragement, and an "ingredients" list. The book is also sprinkled with valuable side notes.

To duplicate every example in the book, the reader will need an extraordinarily extensive studio. However, the book starts with simple techniques involving one or two lights and reflectors, and builds upon that. Even the more extensive lighting techniques are helpful in developing your skill at visualizing how a scene should look and how you would choose lighting to achieve that look. Moreover, the less advanced photographer could duplicate the techniques with a couple of battery-powered flashes, a couple of slaves, and using an umbrella, walls, or poster board as reflectors.

I tend to judge the value of a book by how quickly I read it versus its cost. Unlike "The Photographer's Guide to Using Light," which I read in a couple of hours and cost about as much, I found this book to have excellent value as far as the amount of information for the money. You could probably not sit down in a day and go through this whole book. In fact, I read a little at a time over a few months.

As for portraiture, I'm still looking for a book that specializes in portraiture technique. Even though this book does have a section on it, it lacks information on actually posing the subjects. ... Read more

Book Description

From fundamental principles of photographing marine life to making a living selling underwater photographs, Successful Underwater Photography provides an unlimited wealth of practical advice, surefire strategies, and tested tips for taking extraordinary photos of elusive underwater subjects.Written by two top photographers who specialize in marine photography, this solid, lavishly illustrated field guide provides no-nonsense information on such topics as taking available-light photographs, silhouettes, marine wildlife portraits, close-focus wide angle photographs, and extension tube photographs to name just a few. Readers will also find proven guidance for purchasing underwater photographic equipment, taking photos of shipwrecks, and repairing and maintaining field equipment. Plus, 150 stunning, full-color photos demonstrate the authors’ successful techniques in action. For all aspiring underwater photographers who want to unlock the secrets of how top names in the field achieve spectacular results, Successful Underwater Photography is your definitive one-stop guide. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Impressive and informative
Howard Hall has done it again. For more great undersea video check out - The Living Sea - if you're a little younger, check out Captain Jon Explores the Ocean. ... Read more

Book Description

Photographers learn from a master the impact and drama that can be created through the precise creation of low key portraits-portraits in which the tonal range is primarily dark. While the low key technique lends a classic, artistic, subdued mood to images that may seem relaxed and effortless, creating this style presents significant challenges for the photographer, all of which are addressed in this book. Guidelines for selecting the best lighting equipment and light modifiers for efficiently creating low key portraits are detailed, as are the most effective techniques for measuring the light in the scene for correct exposure. Photographers of all levels learn to consider the impact of creating images in a controlled key. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A virtual textbook of essential information.
Every aspiring nature photographer should consider this book a prerequisite to all others. I have used this book as the textbook for my nature photography seminars, and I have seen John Shaw's instructional style of writing put dozens of photographers on the right track. While this book is directed towards serious amateurs, there are enough technical concepts and real life field examples to make it a good review for seasoned photographers. Using the methods of a great teacher, Shaw begins at the beginning, taking the student, step by step, down the path of gaining complete control over the production of professional quality nature images.

Another John Shaw Book - Excellent
This is another of John Shaw's excellent books on photography. Liberally illustrated with examples and interspersed with his commentary and notes I found tremendously useful.
Shaw covers almost all aspects of photography - from the rule of 16ths, exposure, film, tripods, lenses, closeups, depth of field, composition, backlit photography, etc... Reading this book before you start using that brand new SLR of yours will save you a lot of frustration and trial and error:) A lot of the tips in the book are also equally applicable to people using point-and-shoot cameras also.
A very useful feature in this book is that almost all photos have exposure details listed. Some of his other books do not have these details, which I miss.
This book is highly recommended if you are just beginning photography and are looking for a good introductory book.

a must read for beginners and advanced amateurs
It's usually difficult to write a nature photography book that's useful for the beginners and at the same time gives valuable advice to advanced amateurs, but Mr Shaw has just done that in this book.

This book contains very valuable advice for advanced ones especially on close-ups and flash photography and at the same time he covers the basic rules (thirds, sunny f/16) from an interesting perspective. I found his advice about filters and field gears invaluable.

Read this book if you want to take stunningly realistic nature photographs.

GREAT REFERENCE. WELL ORGANIZED
I doubt if this is the only book that you will ever need on this subject, but it is certainly one that you should not be without. I frequently use it as a quick reference/refresher before "going on a shoot." The topics are organized into 2-4 pages each that provide a lot of explanation without getting bogged down in chemistry and physics. Lots of great photos to illustrate the major points.

A great first book for the aspiring nature photographer.
John Shaw's books are highly recommended by many photography enthusiasts. I bought his "Closeups in Nature" last year, and thought it was one of the best instructional books on photography I've ever read. "Nature Photographer's Complete Guide..." is also a very good a book, I think, but I wouldn't buy it if you already have the "Closeups..." book. I think it is probably better suited to beginning photographers. ... Read more

Book Description

Photographers are guided through every aspect of posing-beginning with the consultation and continuing with specific tips for posing children, high school seniors, wedding parties, families, events, teams, groups, and pets-in this comprehensive manual. Maintaining that good posing is 80 percent mental and only 20 percent technical, this guide stresses the importance of communication between photographer and subject to creating a portrait that not only captures the subject's personality but also makes the subject comfortable, fostering repeat business. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Does its job
Wacker's guide successfully explains the basic geometry of posing people. He discusses orienting individual faces and body parts, positioning the body as a whole, and grouping individuals together. His writing is clear and well organized. However, the book is not very detailed, something I would expect from a book with "Master" in the title.

The guide strongly conveys its upper-midwest aesthetic. This is evident not just in the portraiture, but in his advice on dealing with subjects as well. If your goal is to run a suburban commercial portrait studio, then this book will be of some value to you. If not, I recommend looking elsewhere.

No Explaination about Lighting
The author explained very detail about posing basic. It's good book to learn about posing. This book is good to read for beginner in this business. It's also have posing in practise for Children, High School Senior, Men, Women, Weddings, Models, Couples, Families, Teams, Groups, and Pets. But there are no explanations about Lighting; you must read another book about it.

General topics covered. Simple
This is a beginners book. Giving very general ideas on what type of poses you might use but no specifics. Talk generally about the common mistakes for different situation. Not a bad book, just simple.

A Great Investment
If you've moved beyond the very basic of photography - the rules of thirds, getting on the floor to photograph the baby at eye level, then this book is for you. It explains how to see relationships of the body, i.e. shoulders as a base to head. How to slim down a heavy person by twisting the hip and moving arms away from body. The book covers detail to body parts such as hands, feet, legs, and how to posture them. Author is heavy on the 80% mental / 20 % technical, which is true. Heavy emphasis on communication with subjects - which makes for better posing / relationship with the camera and photographer. Useless are the books with picture after picture of excellent posing. They don't teach you how to look at the person first and then feel out the best poses for person to strike. I found it more effective use of my time to use knowledge gained from this book, rather than trying to copycat poses from other books. Drawback of the book? Doesn't elaborate on technical terms like Rules of Thirds, and at times does not draw diagram to illustrate: "...a line running through the pit of the neck and drawn perpendicular to the floor shows where the feet must be placed in order ..." However there are a lot of photographs that serve as examples - the bad paired with good to illustrate the book's advice / concept .

Not really what I expected
The irony struck me: as I thumbed through the opening words by the author I knew istantly I had not purchased what I intened...that is, a posing guide. While the author markets this book as such and while it does give a few pointers, this book was not a guide to posing at all.

Some of the photographs looked awkward and if Wacker doesn't pose his subjects as he suggests then what exactly is he trying to sell here? A book about allowing people to pose themselves and look gangly and uncomfortable? ... Read more

Reviews (34)

QUICK to read GREAT book
I'm a person who buys a lot of books but doesn't always get around to reading them. It is impossible NOT to read this book. The length and especially the format make it irresistable to read it straight through (in less than an hour). And I had a NEWBORN at the time! The ideas are simple but very helpful and the illustrations completely get the point across. Some of the photos are beautiful enough to justify buying the book and there are plenty of shots which you could replicate before you get in the swing of thinking up your own ideas. Even with the first roll of film, I positively amazed myself with the quality of the photos I took of my new daughter and as I really got the hang of it, I was surprised I could be so creative. I emailed some photos to a friend and her coworkers thought they must have been taken by a professional (or one person thought I must have used a "bluescreen!"). People are asking me to photograph their kids! This is a very basic book written in plain (and sometimes funny) language and the ideas are completely EASY for anyone to follow. There is also an advanced section (which is also easy to read) for when you really get into it -- which is easy with this book. In addition, there are some great suggestions for ways to display your photos. I bought a few other books about photographing children and portrait photography at the same time and while I picked up a few brief ideas, the other books are mostly still lying around, largely unread. This is the only book which I have ever bothered to review (when I went online to buy it for a friend who is pregnant). Whatever the age of your child (or even just to improve your photographs of anyone or anything if you are an amateur) -- I HIGHLY recommend that you buy this book.

A must have for new photographers
Where I'm coming from-- I have an associates degree in photography, and I worked as a photographer through my college years. It's been about 10 years since I took pictures for a living, but I still shoot lots of film and read a couple photo books a year to keep current.

If you are an experienced photographer: This book is NOT a technical guide, it's more of a style guide. I found this book useful for reminding me about the basic principles that make great people pictures--get close, use natural light, shoot lots of film, etc. I'm adding the book to my collection, but you may want to rent it from your library.

If you are a new photographer: I think you'll find this book very helpful. It doesn't dwell on techno mumbo-jumbo, and it explains how to get great pictures without special, expensive equipment. The lessons are also useful for inspiring you to "just do it." Simply put, it is the BEST book I've ever read for baby photography, and I think you'll love it as much as I did!

Perfect Baby Shower Gift
Every new mom and dad should have this book to study before their baby arrives on the scene. It will make a difference in the quality of the photos they take of their baby. Little ones grow so fast!!! The photos we preserve hold a lifetime of memories.

Will help you take amazing photos of more than just babies..
I flipped through this book at a store and was so amazed. Full-color, great presentation of deceptively simple ideas. His premise is this - - Amatuers take medicore photos because they:
**Don't shoot enough film. (Take more pictures!)
**Don't get close-enough to the subject (use your zoom! get close!)
**Use flash (turn your flash off!)

This is a great, easy book with real tips and you will amaze yourself at how much you improve your photos after reading this.

The only shortfall, as I recall, is that he doesn't include tips on photo-finishing. A good picture is dimished with a bad print. Some advice on how to deal with your photo lab, how to find a good one, and how to request different types of boarders and papers would be excellent.

How To Photograph Your Baby
This is an excellent book with excellent ideas written to be understood by anyone. Great book for beginner photographers and even advanced amateurs. I not only got great ideas from the book but it also helped me understand lighting and gave me a better understanding for my camera. Thank you Nick Kelsh! ... Read more

Book Description

Covering all facets of photography and video, this practical guide features step-by-step photography and easy-to-understand information on the basics.

Handy guides that use pictures to give readers the information they need, 101 Essential Tips feature comprehensive coverage, beautiful full-color images, and straightforward, practical information on a wide variety of subjects. Every point can be absorbed quickly and easily with 101 authoritative tips that will make anyone an expert in an instant. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Free your mind and your camera will follow
This is a good book for the beginning to intermediate photographer who is having trouble feeling comfortable venturing out and capturing great photographs. It delves into the Tao mindset; how to co-exist living life to it's fullest and also photographing without discrimination. It's great in that it get's you thinking about not just the way(s) that you take pictures, but also perhaps why you do so.

It is filled with great black and white photographs by some of the greats such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Weston, in addition to the author's own photographic examples. The book is a relatively short and easy read and the photographs take up many of the pages.

1. The size of it is like a coffee table book but paperback. Since there is a lot of text to read, it can be a bit uncomfortable to read (but great to look at the pictures).

2. There isn't really much direct photographic, picture-taking techniques discussed. The book more makes parallels between the Tao philosophies and applies them to photography, but it doesn't outline enough photographic examples of this.

In all, it is a good book however dwells too much on the purely Tao teachings, without providing enough relevant direct examples to photographic techniques and practices.

It did however aid in changing my view of photography and the way in which I photograph now with a very observant, open mind. I did that before, but this book helped remind me to keep on doing it.

Photographers and Spiritual Seekers
I just finished "Tao of Photography: Seeing Beyond Seeing". What an extraordinary book! Filled with tools and tips for seeing the world in a new and profound way, it has greatly enhanced my life.

The book's breathtaking photographs and illuminating text present a compelling philosophy of immediacy, useful to photographers and non-photographers alike. If its suggestions are followed, this book will help readers to see the world with new eyes and to more fully experience the present moment.

For photographers who seek excellence in their craft, for spiritual seekers interested in seeing beyond ordinary reality, and even for folks who simply enjoy looking at beautiful photographs, I highly recommend "Tao of Photography: Seeing Beyond Seeing".

Excellent Book
Excellent book, particularly the first half which discusses principles of taoism as applied to photography. Don't confuse this book with one of the same name by Tom Ang.

Not another book about exposure or Photoshop
If you believe that photography is not just about cameras, lenses, and nowadays Photoshop, this book will inspire you.

Don't get me wrong: in order to free your mind to be creative, you must be expert at using your tools. But there is more to the craft than the tool. This book will show you how to let your creativity express itself, flowing from your mind, to your tools, and to your viewers.

How do I Find the Way?
The Tao of Photography is not aimed at individuals interested in improving their technical photography skills. Rather it is aimed at the photographer who will be willing to consider reorienting the way that he or she views the world to improve his or her photography and to find opportunities for personal growth through photography.

The book does this by outlining some of the principles of Taoism, an ancient Asian philosophy of life, and then drawing parallels to the teachings of great photographers, like Minor White, Henri Cartier Bresson, and Ansel Adams. Taoist philosophy states that, to be a sage (and, by extension, a creative photographer), a person must harmonize Great Understanding and Little Understanding, that is, the open mind and the discriminatory or constricted mind. What the photographer must do is live in the moment and open his mind to the possibilities in the world. One should escape from the state of constricted awareness. Technique is seen as a possible barrier to better photography.

It has been said that the most important tool of a photographer is the mind. One's philosophical approach to the world may indeed affect the quality of the images that one captures. If, as I believe, this is so, a book that suggests an adjustment of that approach is worth consideration by the serious photographer.

This book convinced me that adopting a Taoist view of the world might improve the quality of the pictures I take. However, my complaint with the book is that having created a desire to explore Taoist doctrine, there were no guide posts as to how to incorporate those principles into my photography or my life. The book did suggest several exercises, most of them derived from Freeman Patterson's "Photography and the Art of Seeing", but I've tried them and they didn't lead to the major refocusing that the book suggests. In fact the book even quoted Alan Watts, a commentator on Asian philosophy, who says "there is no way ...to come into accord with the Tao...because...every method implies a goal. And we cannot make the Tao a goal."

So this book got my attention and created a need, and offered no help in satisfying it. Yet it did cause me to examine my own photographic philosophy. Any book that can get a serious photographer to reconsider his fundamental approach to life and its effect on his work is certainly worth reading.

The book itself is quite beautiful. The photographs, by a number of great camera artists as well as author Gross, are all in black and white, as if abstracting color would simplify the world and make it easier to come to grips with. The design is excellent and generous, with plenty of white space, perhaps designed to reflect the serenity of the Way. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Dull technical review
This is a mediocre book that presents a lot of loosely related technical facts but almost no link to the creative side of photography. For example, you learn how aperture affects depth of field but never really get a feel for why you would ever want to change depth of field and what creative control it gives you. The books is full of technical detail but is badly missing INSIGHT. Anyone serious about photography will get a lot more out of Ansel Adams trilogy ("The Camera", "The Negative", "The Print") which is very inspirational and insightful.

A clear guide to B&W photography technique
This is an ideal text for a photographer who wishes to advance his/her understanding of black & white photography methods. Without excessive detail, the steps that go into the making of a print, and the reasons that justify these steps, are clearly discussed. As the author points out from the start (in the subtitle), this is a technical manual. Those who are looking for a book on the "creative" and "inspirational" aspects of photography should look elsewhere. However, a prerequisite to "creativity" is a solid technical background, and you probably cannot learn "creativity" from a book if you haven't got it to begin with. If you think the techniques of photography are "dull", do not try this book. But for a photographer who wishes to understand them, rather than merely follow them as a cookbook recipe, this is a superb intermediate textbook.

Not very Technical or Up to Date
This book is really surprisingly still in print. It's from the 70's and it looks like it. Some useful information can be gleaned from it to be overgenerous. I find it rather amusing in fact. The photos inside are absolutely ridiculous. They are clearly examples of "just let me take your picture for this ass of a book I'm writing..." -- the fat couple in lawn chairs is pretty funny (pg. 21). The discussion of the zone system is laughably short and comprises only 5 pages. Most of the discussion centers around mixing various chemicals in various ratios. I wonder if all of these are still available on the market. The drawings in the text are third grade level, and someone actually gets credit on the cover! This is a very poorly done text and I don't recommend it with so many other books out there on this subject matter.

Great read
As a student of Henry's at the Rhode Island School of Design I read the book BEFORE I attended RISD I was captivated by the simple ways he explained the "sometimes" complexity of photography.

Such as Henry's way - making life easy and fun for everyone.

I suggest checking out his other books too.

very good
When I did my BFA some 15 years ago this was the standard book then. When I did my MFA ten years ago this was still the standard textbook. If you study photography today it is THE textbook. All textbooks by Mr. Horenstein are SUPERB books to teach and to learn from. All four books are excellent, complete, straight to the point, and cheap! ... Read more

Book Description

This complete and easy-to-follow introduction to Adobe Photoshop Elements has been updated throughout to show all the new features of version 2.0, including digital video frame acquisition; the liquefy filter; the selecting/masking brush and the effects browser.

Philip Andrews in his clear, no-nonsense style goes on to set the package in the broader context of digital imaging. He provides you with far more than just an introduction to the software package, giving you everything to ensure you too can achieve professional looking results.

* Save valuable time with this successful, jargon-free introduction to digital imaging
* Real life examples, fully updated to cover all the new Elements 2.0 features, show you how to put each technique into practice
* Full color, high quality illustrations show you what you can achieve ... Read more

Reviews (6)

adobe photoshop elements 2.0 a visual introduction to digita
This book is definitely not an introduction to digital imaging. What it is, a well organized and illustrated book listing the features of Photoshop Elements and what can be accomplished with it. This book is not something you can follow to perform various digital manipulations. In fact I believe that it is no better than using the help section of the program, which comes free with the program! After trying the book I found free material on several web sites that had good detailed steps to follow. this book should offer typical cases with step by step instructions.

Good for Beginners
I am only in my teens but my dad got a copy of photoshop elements, a digital camera and and this book. I found it great to start of with and it has helped me gain great marks on all my assignments. I reccomend to all beginners who are starting of with photoshop elements.

Great Book
It was the second book I had bought to learn elements. It hit the mark. Perfect. Lots of illustrations, lots of color, and not too much verbosity. A picture IS worth a thousand words. A web site provided has all the pictures available to "play with."
This book has given me a tremendous grasp of Elements in an extremely short time. Philip Andrews has done an incredible job. There may be more for me to learn in Elements but this is without a doubt the best introduction I have found. Before purchasing I thumbed through many books which left me cold. Philip's book truly gets you up and going quickly.

Beautifully produced, clear introductory book
If you're new to digital imaging, and trying to get to grips with Photoshop Elements (or any of its relations including its big brother Photoshop) it's often difficult to understand some of the concepts, and how all the different pieces fit together. If that describes your situation, this book is a very good place to start.

The book is beautifully produced, in full colour throughout. This delivers the best of both worlds - clear colour illustrations which communicate most topics as well as good magazine articles, and a book structure which leads the reader progressively through each of Element's concepts and features. The text is well written, clear and concise without being repetitive.

Starting with an introductory chapter on digital imaging basics, each successive chapter takes the reader through a group of related features but these are arranged so that each chapter represents a step up in the sophistication of use. This will undoubtedly work well for many readers who want to assimilate skills at a given level before moving on. However, the short "feature summaries" scattered through the text are no substitute for either a real reference work or step-by-step "how to" guides.

If I have a complaint, it's that the book brushes over some areas which are in great need of this sort of progressive, well-illustrated approach. Good examples are blending modes and filters. My only other real concern is that the discussions on poor practice are sometimes illustrated by examples where the problem is so subtle that an unpracticed eye won't be able to understand the issue, and more extreme examples might have be better. Personally I also found the "real life" examples at the end of each chapter a little simplistic and patronising, but they might work well for readers less familiar with the world of digital imaging, who are the main target audience for this book.

I definitely recommend this book, but be clear what it does and doesn't give you. If you want "how to" articles, hints and tips then the current excellent crop of digital photography magazines is probably the best source. If you need reference material, this won't necessarily be enough. But if you're not sure what Elements does, why you might need it, or what the results should look like, then this is the book for you.

This review was based on the first edition (for Photoshop Elements version 1), but there is also now an updated version for Elements 2.0.

Short and to the point!
I used Adobe Photoshop elements 1.0 as a text for several "Art on your Computer Classes"because it was clear, short and to the point. I am now using the new edition 2.0. As a teacher I love being able to have the class work on the same image while learning to follow the steps given by Andrews to learn Elements. Being able to follow along with the book illustrations (photographs) using the same image makes it easier to learn how to make the changes. You can compare your results with those in the book, and right away know whether or not you are doing it correctly. If not, you can return to the feature summary and try again. If you are learning on your own, this is very helpful. The Feature Summaries give short concise steps to follow, no details to get lost in. A flow chart diagram provides clear overview of the digital imaging process from start to finish. And if you want to expand your notion of what you can do with Elements, Andrews also offers a wide range of projects to try right on his web site associated with the book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Fantastic Book!
This is an excellent book which meets its purpose well: providing all the important information you need to dive into the greatest format there is in photography: the view camera.

It's important to note that this book is not titled "How To Be An Artist" - this isn't at all the point of the book. Too many people are interested in being 'creative' before they have a clue technically as to what they're doing, which wrecks a lot of photography that could be excellent. I teach large format photography, and the skills taught in this book are absolutly essential to the technical aspects of the large format camera as a necessary step BEFORE the creative aspect.

This book explores the endless possibilities in shooting with a view camera; possibilities that are nearly never available to those shooting smaller formats. Everything is covered in the book from shooting to processing to printing, in an easy-to-read fashion, with excellent photos and diagrams along the way to help guide the reader.

I would recommend this book to all those just becoming interested in the view camera, as well as those who have quite a bit of experience.

A brief introduction to the use of view cameras
This is a thin book designed really to introduce the very basics of view cameras. There are sufficient explanations of the various movements and the reasons for using them, but not much that would really make you want to get out there and get creative. A pity really that most beginning books dont seek to be more inspirational. Most of the information in this book is readily available from a number of individual web sites, and delivered in a more inspiring style.

Excellent into to Large Fomat
As beginer to large format, I was looking for a book that would give me the basics of view cameras and their use. I already have a good foundation of photographic and exposure techniques. I found this book to be just right. No time is wasted discussing basic photography (although a nice intro to the Zone system is included, very basic), and very non-technical introduction to view cameras is presented. There is just enough math and science in this book to make you realize how much you may want to learn. After reading this book just once, I feel I can go out and use a view camera to take a picture.

Everything you need to know
This book is well-written and contains everything you need to know to buy and use a view camera. It contains information that I haven't been able to find anywhere else. It even gives the disadvantages of using a view camera over a newer SLR to help a novice decide whether or not to get into medium/large format photography.

Excellent introduction to large format photography
This book is very well organized. Beginners in the large format world will find all the needed info to select and start using their equipment. Intermediate and advanced shooters will appreciate the detailed technical data next to each photo in the showcase section. ... Read more

Book Description

The hottest, most lucrative trend in wedding photography is gorgeously illustrated and explained in this cutting-edge guide that shows professional photographers-and those aspiring to be-how to create the arty, hip, yet elegant wedding albums sought by today's brides. Images that look like they're from magazines or art galleries fill these inspiring pages. Taken by a highly successful specialist in wedding photography, the pictures tell their unique, romantic story with a visual artistry and excitement that differs from staid, traditional wedding albums of the past. The book explains all the creative techniques-including wedding photojournalism-that produce such compelling pictures, and also fully explores the business side of wedding photography. Everything from finding clients to shooting the event and capturing the heartbeat of the day to selling the album and getting referrals is covered lucidly, with wisdom, authority, and humor-adding up to an immensely useful guide that can transform the career of anyone wanting to break into the profitable field of wedding photography. And for future brides, the book will provide visual inspiration on the must-have photography they want for their big day. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Unbelievable!!
I wish Ms. Cantrell would write more books. I loved this book. While I have been out of wedding photography for a few years, this book got me back in with a new, inspired vision. Not only does she cover the basics of how to shoot a great, realistic wedding, she discusses marketing, bridal shows, how to assemble an album, pricing, and equipment. Every one of her photos carries the camera type, lens used, film used and other details. Here's a hint even if you don't buy the book. Keep an antique wedding album in your display at bridal shows. How could you better communicate the value of photography with that kind of display.

Wedding Photojournalism
The photographs alone would be reason enough for anyone to purchase Bambi's new book, "The Art of Wedding Photography". The images reflect a style both exciting and romantic while retaining the unique emotion of each wedding celebration. Her passion for wedding photography resonates throughout the text. As a wedding photographer myself, this book will be an essential companion to creating and conducting my business. Her work inspired me become a wedding photographer and her book has strengthened my committment to creating unforgettable photographs.

Nice Book
I have a stack of similiar style and price wedding photography books and this one is my favorite.

Phenominal
I've been a casual photography for a few years. I was recently approached to photograph a wedding and after much agonizing I accepted. I immediately began searching for books on wedding photography and saw this one. I must say that the reviews are well deserved! The book is fantastic from beginning to end and just what I like, capturing the event as it happens (true photojournalism). The pictures are phenominal and explanations and techniques are very helpful and an easy read. I am now no longer nervous to shoot weddings thanks to this book! Great Job.

The best wedding photography book out there
Excellent editorial, sound advice, breathtaking photographs.

This book is an excellent resource for someone who is just getting into wedding photography, as well as a seasoned pro.

Although the cover features a traditional pose, the book's focus is photojournalism - the "reportage-style" photography brides go crazy about these days. It also has a chapter on posed wedding pictures, because... well... what mom doesn't want a nicely framed, posed photo of her daughter on her wedding day?

Great work and totally worth the $20 investment (it's actually $30 at bookstores, so this is a great deal!) I read it cover-to-cover right after it arrived and would recommend it to everyone. ... Read more

Book Description

Readers will discover Hasselblad's enormous potential and its comprehensive range of lenses and accessories. Presented in an easily accessible format, this book shows not only the working and manipulation of individual cameras, but also provides insight into the ways in which these superb cameras and their ancillary equipment may be best utilized to create professional quality images. Detailed illustrations of the system dissect the equipment to show how it functions. The Hasselblad Manual also includes 80 photographs from well-known photographers, illustrating a variety of photographic techniques using a Hasselblad Camera.

* Covers new H1 camera system, new XPan II camera, new information about all V system cameras such as 905SWC, the El and 200 camera models
* Explains flash and close-up photography, digital imaging, effective use and operation of lenses.
* Shows the operation and best application of the different cameras for producing high quality images in different situations ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The standard Hasselblad book
Hasselblad cameras have good and bad points. The good points are that they are, through longevity and marketing as well as other qualities, the standard in pro medium format photography, and Hasselblad system items can be rented worldwide: they are reasonably durable, have good optical quality, and lots of system accessories are available. No other medium format system boasts a fifth of all the various items available for the Hasselblad system. Because they are the standard most photographers understand them. Because working pros favor them, prestiege buyers, wannabes, and dilettantes do so as well.

The downside is that they are heavy, noisy, expensive (especially for the lenses which are not so much better than their Japanese counterparts), and can be damaged easily by careless or untutored handling: they are somewhat awkward: and their 6x6 cm format is simply out of sync with standard print sizes (with a 1.2:1 aspect ratio) or 35mm practice (1.5:1), leading to never utilizing the whole negative in practice.

This volume is to all intents and purposes the official unofficial Hasselblad manual of practice. You are getting "100% Standard Tech" here:this is the fountainhead of Hasselblad doctrine. If you've committed to using Hasselblad cameras the Hasselblad way, this book shows you how to do it. You won't find any criticism of any current Hasselblad equipment or any objective "vis-a-vis" here.

If you are looking into whether or not you should choose Hassselblad, this book is essential provided you keep the above in mind. Other books will provide information on other systems. Hasselblad is definitely not for everyone, even everyone without financial impediments to doing so. Large format, 35mm, other MF SLRs and the classic twin lens reflex are all better choices for some uses-and users. However, if you want a visually conspicuous status symbol, it's tough to go very wrong with Hasselblad.

Excellent
This is a thorough review of the Hasselblad system and a great book on general photography as well. It is particularly useful for someone who has a basic camera system and plans to rent additional components as needed. The only criticism is that the illustrations (often wonderful color and black and white photographs by Mr. Wildi) are not referenced directly in the captions. Rather than using "Top, Left, Right, Upper Left "etc., the captions state "the other" image. What other image? You can figure it out fairly quickly, but this needs changing in future additions. I blame the editors.

Perhaps Mr. Wildi could write a section on studio lighting, flash metering and the Visatec system in the next addition as well?

Thank you Mr. Wildi for this wonderful book. It serves as a reference manual, is a joy to read, and is aesthetically enriching: A work of art.

Very Helpful Book!
I purchased this book because I had just bought a used Hasselblad that didn't come with a manual, and discovered it wasn't so easy to guess how to use it. I'm glad I found this book because it has been the biggest help to me so far and I'm not even through reading it. Not only does it explain every camera that Hasselblad ever made and what makes it unique, it goes into detail about all the different accessories and what they do also. This book could just explain how things work and leave it at that, but it does go into detail about why certain parts of the camera work a certain way and for what reason. I now know how to use my Hasselblad and I recommend this book to anyone who needs a little jump start like I did with these great cameras.

A great reference book for the Hasselblad system
I am an amateur photographer and a very new owner of a Hasselblad 501CM kit. This was my first purchase of a Hasselblad camera and a dream come true for me. I am now about to finish reading Hasselblad Manual, which I can highly recommend to any present and future Hasselblad users. I think Hasselblad is very easy to use, but it is a camera with a number of special features, which need explanations to beginners like myself in order to draw the camerafs full potentials. The book explains very clearly what a Hasselblad user should know about those special features and what components in the system are most relevant to his/her individual needs. It also contains a lot of practical advice on the day-to-day use of the camera. I presume it is a big decision to pay a Hasselblad price for a camera (it was for me), particularly as there are so many cheaper Japanese alternatives around. For me, it has proved to be the right decision, and reading Wildifs book enhances the joy to use this great camera. The currently available fifth edition has very up-to-date product information. Hasselblad Manual is the reference book I will continue going back to as my photographic skills hopefully grow.

The perfect Manual
This book has become my Hasselblad BIBLE. It goes into everything you need to know about the entire Hasselblad system, and best of all it explains the entire workings of the different cameras, lenses and accessories in such a wonderfully clear matter. Someone new to the Hasselblad system will read this book and be able to answer any question relating to the system. I often refer back to it, and prefer it even to the Hasselblad manual that came with my camera! It also manages to explain things like the zone system clearly in just a few pages - a topic which entire books have been written about.

A wonderful author with a talent for explaining. I highly recommend! ... Read more

Book Description

Focusing on the techniques needed specifically for the use of infrared to shoot landscapes, this book walks the reader through everything form finding the best locations to how to select the best equipment. More than 50 compelling images are analyzed and used to illustrate tips and techniques. ... Read more

Book Description

How do you “freeze” your child in action on the soccer field? People & Portraits, the second in the new, information-packed National Geographic Photography Field Guide series, supplies the answer to this question and much more as readers discover the secrets that have made National Geographic photography so well known.

People & Portraits reveals the best angles, lighting, and lenses to capture candid photos and portraits of family, friends, and everyone else. How to evoke a subject’s true character on film, how to compose a formal family portrait—everything the reader needs to know about photographing people is in this book. Filled with easy-to-understand instructions from an accomplished National Geographic photographer, this guide will be accompanied by specialized volumes on wildlife, black and white, digital, adventure photography, and more. With the National Geographic Photography Field Guide series, novice to professional photographers will take the best pictures of their lives.

Reviews (7)

Good ref
Organization is well above average but it's not a textbook so the index is still not as strong as a textbook.
But, it is a how-to book and chapters are to the point, clearly written. It's sitting with my other reference books, now that I've read it. Very handy ref. book.

Great Overview of Photography with Very Motivating Pictures
This book describes what you need to know to make good pictures of people. The book begins by discussing composition and then turns to equipment and lighting. The book then focuses on various types of people photography: street photography; people in action; portraits; familar subjects (family members) and the photographic essay. The book includes a list of useful web sites and explains how three professional photograhers work. They are Cary Wolinsky, Sisse Brimberg and Lynn Johnson. I love these different viewpoints because they provide food for thought.
The photographs leap off the page. They are stunning and make me want to get out and photograph. I highly recommend this book. It also is of a size that will easily fit in your camera bag.

Delivers as advertised, pretty good book
I bought this book along with the companion book on Landscapes. A lot of the same material is covered, and in both cases I think does a pretty good job. The material is dealt with systematically, discussing both machinics, technique and composition.

Like other books that survey a broad subject, I think it tends to miss some specifics that would be necessary to really learn at a detail level. For example, the discussion of flash photography discusses built-in flashes, dedicated flashes, and studio lighting all in one short chapter, but in not enough detail to help you make much progress with any.

I did like the sections by other National Geo photographers who wrote a couple pages describing their thoughts and delivering advice.

So this is a pretty good book and is one of those things you should read even if you know most of what it has to say.

Picture This
Hello All,

Ok, so I needed some help to shoot a few pics of family and friends so, I picked up a copy of this book. My first impression was that it seemed to have some good tips and techniques but, upon reading it thoroughly, I have to say folks, this one falls a bit short. I have made the move into the realm of digital media and as such, am hungry for help IN THOSE AREAS. This book just doesn't go there enough for me. Sure, you'll get plenty of tips pertaining to FILM media but, what I want is DIGITAL!

Would I buy this book again, probably not BUT, if I was still using film, then this book would fill the bill.

Ciao All!!

Compact and Informative
The People and Portraits Field Guide continues along one branch of the first NGS field guide. Somewhat more advanced composition and technical advice is provided, tailored to the specific art of capturing people in their environment. Caputo writes a book that is not only succinct, but also enjoyable to read.

Continuing with the format of the original are the profiles of National Geographic photographers, each with their own set of advice. This is a primary strength of this set of field guides and something that separates them from other books. The bios are interesting reading in themselves and give a brief glimpse into the work and vision of different artists. ... Read more