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54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A hidden flower..., November 29, 2000
This review is from: Basic Photography, Seventh Edition (Paperback)
This book is a little asset... under-sold by stating "First published in 1965, this time-tested textbook, now in its sixth edition..." should read the other way around "Now in its seventh edition, this time-tested textbook, first published in 1965..." I have compared various titles regarding 'basic photography'. but this is the best I have read so far. If you really want to know how to get there, to understand basic photography, then this is the book you should consider seriously, not to say a must. Why is it so? First of all the title is 'basic photography', but a very rich 'basic'. It covers the lot from light rays to dark room, from Advanced Photo System (APS) to Digital Photography. There is no shortcut if you want to know the basics: depth of field, focal length, etc. Michael Langford put this nicely in words: learning photography is like learning to write; you learn the characters and building the words, the sentences; you can write, but will you ever be a poet? In is book, Michael gives you the characters, helps you building the sentences. It's up to you to become a poet. The style of the book is very helpful. A chapter starts with an introduction, followed by a thorough explanation (with references pointing to other chapters for more detail and to draw out the big picture). The chapter concludes with a summary about what has been discussed, and -- and this is the bit I appreciated most -- a projects section, encouraging you to do your own 'homework' in form of practicing and testing the theory... which in return will help you to understand the topic. I have become a novice again in regard to photography. I haven't really used a camera during the past ten years and utilise(d) this book to re-build my knowledge from ground up. This again, is possible with this book (I will read it many more times; and I have read it multiple times, targeting specific chapters to answer my questions in depth). The author provides facts, with a hint here and there, to allow you to make your own judgement and to allow you to grow in your field of preference. There are many photographs of renown photographers, not to make you look small, but to highlight how virtuous the reader can develop his/her skills, explicitly asking you not to copy style, but encouraging you to develop your own. With (t)his book, Michael Langford gives you the 'basic' on 360 pages in a very detailed, thoughtful and versatile course book (how I would call it). All I can say is "enjoy" ... I am sure I will refer to this book in years to come.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Photography... where it all begins, March 13, 2005
This review is from: Basic Photography, Seventh Edition (Paperback)
Basic Photography is a book explaining the basics of photography, technically as well as creatively, in a clear and easy to understand way. If you want to know how a camera (35mm SLR, medium-format, large-format, digital) or f-stops work, this is the book for you. It is a good book for beginners just starting out in photography as well as advanced photographers who just want to fill in the gaps of technical understanding.
Although this book does contain some mathematical equations, you do not need to know mathematics or physics to understand the concepts explained in the book. Here's an excerpt from the book's introduction: "It is intended for students of all ages and, beginning at square one, assumes that you have no theoretical knowledge of photography, nor any scientific background."
It won't teach you how to shoot beautiful pictures, but rather tell and show you what it takes in terms of photo equipment, working with photo equipment, light, and technique to produce photographs from exposure to final print. This book is not specific to any type of photography, but deals with photography in general and is basically a 'how photography works' kind of book. "In short, Basic Photography is planned as a primer for professionals which will interest and inform amateur photographers too."
Basic Photography is the kind of book I should have read when I was first starting out in landscape photography; it would have definitely made my life and learning easier.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Decent, Well-written Book, May 9, 2007
This review is from: Basic Photography, Seventh Edition (Paperback)
When I bought this book I was fully aware that the latest edition (8th) was available to ship immediately while this previous 7th edition will still be ordered. Yet, I stuck to this older 7th edition as I wanted a book that was written solely by Michael Langford before he died. The 8th edition is a collaborative work based on his previous editions and written by several authors.
What I like most about this book is the more dogmatic approach to the basics of photography. That's the way I wanted it. No funny anecdotes, no jumping and bypassing guidelines. Just straighforward discussion of the fundamentals with awareness of what is possible when you intentionally disregard the rules.
For example, Langford explicitly states that the best place to learn lighting is in a studio. I can imagine some people would argue with it, but I take it at face value. This is what I mean with "dogmatic" teaching. I shall let experience teach me otherwise when I have shot thousands of pictures already. For the moment, I want to learn the rules and internalize them. This is not to say the author advocates strict complaince alone. Not at all. He emphasizes the basics. Creative licence is up to you.
Again, veterans may say, there are no "rules" in photography; only good pictures. It's easy to say that IF you knew those "rules" by heart to begin with and can make contrary decisions for your own creative purposes. But as an amateur or a novice, my belief is following guidelines is still best. Following, even copying what the teacher does is still valid. Individual creative decision will come on its own time.
This book is about basic photography yet it is generously illustrated and very revealing. The principles (equipment, techniques, lighting, etc...) were illustrated using mainly film, understandably. But the author also discussed digital cameras and digital manipulation which are outdated now owing to the technology available when the book was written. But his teaching is right on the money, including the ones on digital ethics. The author shows you the basics, shows you where you stand in relation to the big picture out there, and gives his opinion on where photography is going and where you might be depending on your options.
No doubt as you gain more experience you will drift towards more specialized photography books. But if you are totally clueless about photography and want to learn, if you want to know its very basic principles, then I highly recommend Michael Langford's 7th Edition Basic Photography as a very useful reference. All the accolades he got for this book were well deserved! I have several other photography references like John Shaw's Nature Photography and Lee Frost's A-Z of Creative Photography, for example. But I put them all aside for the time being and concentrate instead on Langford's Basic Photography.
This is a very decent, well-written book for those willing to spend the time to educate themselves on the basics of photography- whether you shoot film or digital.
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