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Title: National Geographic Photography Field Guide 2nd Edition : Secrets to Making Great Pictures by Peter Burian, Bob Caputo ISBN: 0-7922-5676-X Publisher: National Geographic Pub. Date: 01 June, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.67 (81 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Great Pocket Reference!
Comment: The authors present a great deal of practical information in a handy, easy to digest form. For a photographer with basic skills and understanding of the roles of aperature and exposure time, this book will open many new doors of creativity. Through the experiences of National Geographic staff photographers, we learn what techniques contribute to successful travel, candid, landscape and other photographic genre.
The book contains useful chapters on equipment, film selection, film formats and digital photography. All around, the Handbook is an indispensable addition to anyone's photography library.
Rating: 5
Summary: One of my very favorites
Comment: This book in concise, well-written, and inspirational. Don't think this is only a book for beginners, though it would be my number one choice as a gift for someone interested in starting a serious approach to photography. It's full of clear explanations of what are often misunderstood concepts (e.g., perspective), useful tips, and, best of all, the wonderfully interesting and inspirational "World of Subjects" section where we learn about some NG photographers. They vary widely in style, subject, and equipment choice, but every one is worth reading about and their tips alone are worth the price of this book.
Highly recommended for both beginners and experienced photographers. This is a book I return to again and again.
Rating: 3
Summary: Lots of Details but Little Help
Comment: This book is aimed at the photographer who is making the transition from a point and shoot camera to a full featured camera with controls for aperture, shutter speed and focus, and lens focal length selection. The authors start out with what they call the "basics": cameras, lenses, composition, light, exposure and other building blocks of good pictures. They then present a "World of Subjects", that is, a look at pictures by content. After talking about "Making Pictures under Pressure", they finish up with a brief section on computers and photography.
The chapters on the basics are both highly simplified and boringly detailed. At the same time they leave out critical information about the basics. For example, in the chapter on film, they spend a few pages discussing the difference between "pro" films and amateur films without saying very much except that there may be a difference. For the average photographer, who may be unable to find pro films in his local outlet, this certainly doesn't merit the lengthy discussion. However, the comparison of slide films and print films leaves out any mention of the wider exposure latitude of print films. The fact that print films can take in a greater range of light, so that bright tones are not burnt out, while shadows show detail, is an important consideration for many serious photographers.
I suppose the discussions of subject matters might prove helpful for an inexperienced photographer going out to shot a new kind of subject, but many of the specialty books dealing with subject matter will prove far more helpful.
This book advertises itself on the cover as "Revised & Updated with the latest in digital technology" but there is no mention of digital cameras until almost the last thirty pages of the book. Given that digital cameras now make up close to half of all camera sales, this is ludicrous. It feels like the chapter was added when someone suggested that something had to be said about digital photography. My litmus test for whether a book deals adequately with serious digital photography is the handling of white balance. This book makes no mention of it.
But my biggest complaint about this book is that after discussing the details and the subjects, the authors never really tell you how to make the transition from equipment and technique to taking pictures. Serious photography involves capturing a photographer's vision (which can be as simple as recording how cheery Aunt Tillie is or as weighty as considering the destruction of the environment). All the technique must be tied to this goal. The authors never get there.
As a general introduction to serious photography, this volume falls short in several areas. On the other hand, it might prove an occasional useful reference. I haven't read many comprehensive introductory photography guides lately. However, although it dealt primarily with nature photography, I think John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide would better serve someone just getting into serious photography than this book, and I'm sure there are many similar volumes available.
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Title: National Geographic Photography Field Guide: People and Portraits by National Geographic Society ISBN: 0792264991 Publisher: National Geographic Pub. Date: 01 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson ISBN: 0817437126 Publisher: Amphoto Pub. Date: November, 1990 List Price(USD): $22.50 |
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Title: National Geographic Photography Field Guides: Landscapes by Robert Caputo, Peter K. Burian ISBN: 0792264983 Publisher: National Geographic Pub. Date: 01 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: Kodak Guide to 35mm Photography: Techniques for Better Pictures by Eastman Kodak Company ISBN: 087985801X Publisher: Sterling Publishing Pub. Date: May, 2000 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Complete Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography by Lee Frost ISBN: 0817450416 Publisher: Amphoto Pub. Date: 15 March, 2000 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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