The Art of Photographing Water: Rivers, Lakes, Waterfalls, Streams & Seashores [Paperback]

Cub Kahn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

The field techniques photographers need to photograph water with pleasing results—including motion control when photographing running water, lighting, shutter speed, and framing and perspective—are explained in this guide. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts of all abilities, ages, and experience levels, five major photographic themes are presented through clear instruction and series of photographic comparisons that illustrate the varying results of decisions photographers make. The creative process, equipment, and techniques by which each photo is produced are described, and film and exposure information is given throughout.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cub Kahn is the author of Essential Skills for Nature Photography. His photos have appeared in numerous publications, including Audubon, Backpacker, National Wildlife, Sierra, and the New York Times. He lives in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Amherst Media, Inc. (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584280603
• ISBN-13: 978-1584280606
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,723,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book for beginers, ok for the more advanced, January 13, 2002

By 

"emneilson" (Post Falls, Idaho United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Photographing Water: Rivers, Lakes, Waterfalls, Streams & Seashores (Paperback)

This book is a good reference for beginers, with some helpful hints for the advanced. The photgraphs used to illistrate the text are good and he gives the reasoning behind why the shoot was taken. I will probably glance through this book from tome to time just to get general ideas durning those times when I start going stale looking for shots.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Poor Choice for Photographers, April 4, 2005

By 

Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Art of Photographing Water: Rivers, Lakes, Waterfalls, Streams & Seashores (Paperback)

There are two different approaches authors take to photography instruction. In the first, which I call narrative, the author tells you about the topic and provides pictures to illustrate the teaching points. In the second, which I call exemplary, the author provides a picture and then tells you what considerations went into the choices that he made in taking the picture.

When I first read this book, I thought that I was dissatisfied with it because it followed the exemplary style. Then I looked at two of my favorite books that use the exemplary style: Art Wolfe's "The Art of Photographing Nature" and Tony Sweet's "Fine Art Nature Photography." Wolfe's book uses examples but presents them in a well developed, logical order, from fundamental to complex issues. Sweet's book, on the other hand, does not provide this structure but is aimed at photographers who know how take pictures but want to go further in their art; his pictures are truly magnificent and his explanations of his goals in taking the pictures are insightful.

Kahn on the other hand appears to have taken whatever photographs he had in his files on water, without regard to quality, mixed them up so there was no logical order of presentation, and then written inane comments.

As I read the book, I felt that it was aimed at inexperienced photographers, but failed to develop the subject logically. For example, in photographing moving water one of the first choices to be made is whether to shoot at a fast or a slow shutter speed. Fast speeds freeze the water while slow speeds create a silken blur. This isn't even mentioned by Kahn until late in the book.

But there are many more weaknesses. For example, he has several pictures where the sky is overexposed because the water he was photographing was in a dark area. One way to deal with this is by using a graduated neutral density filter. Kahn doesn't mention this anywhere in his book. He also excludes any reference to full neutral density filters which are used by water photographers to lengthen exposure time to achieve water blur.

People interested in photographing water would be better served by Heather Angel's book, "How to Photograph Water." Aside from a more logical, comprehensive presentation and better photographs, Angel also deals with water in all its forms, like fog and snow, which Kahn ignores. Neither book mentions digital photography, but I believe that a competent digital photographer will be able to apply the material presented in either book.

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money, October 15, 2011

By 

granths - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Photographing Water: Rivers, Lakes, Waterfalls, Streams & Seashores (Kindle Edition)

I bought the digital version of this book in hopes of having a guide to take with us on our holiday. I wanted to take some fantastic water shots while I was gone. This book fails on so many levels:
1 The pictures should be in colour to truly illustrate techniques
2 The photographer should demonstrate the techniques used more clearly - very poorly done
3 This book is archaic in technique
4 It is designed for the very basic and beginner photographer

There are many book out there better than this one. Don't waste your money - I wish I hadn't.