Customer Reviews

Bill Fortney's Great Photography Workshop

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Excellent, well written. This is definitely a photo course in book form. From the inclusion of amateurs' work to the use of a pleasently large font this book does exactly what it sets out to do- improve your photography. The self assignments (of which I have already done some and do without realising it) , which are easy to do are instructive and provide immediate feedback in many cases. The tone of the book is straightforward, informative, humorous and down to earth, a rarity. At the worst the pictures will inspire to get up and go shooting, at the best after trying the assignments and treating it like the text it is, your photography should improve.

If you have the chance to read the introductory pages or if you will read the recommendations from other readers - for sure you will get excited about this book. And you will feel proud for your choice in buying it:-)) For sure Bill Fortney is a good manager for the business he runs (including good knowledge of promoting his book), he may be a good professional photographer but this book could be better. Interestening details are extremely poor or just mentioned in hurry. This is why I believe beginners could find much better books and advanced amateurs either. Try "John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide" and you will have a *****book!

A short flip through the pages of this book and it soon becomes obvious that Bill Fortney is undoubtedly a master photographer. Inside "Bill Fortney's Great Photography Workshop" you will find page after page of sound photographic advice complete with illustrations and examples. While it is a technical presentation in many aspects, he also clearly shows that great photography is every bit as much an art form as it is a technical knowledge. Besides discussions of such things as shutter speed and aperture and how they affect the picture he delves into the importance of the right light, composition, seeing with an artistic eye, and using filters (especially the effect of a good polarizing filter). If you like photography you will leave the book excited about the possibilities before you as you apply what you have learned. This is a highly recommended read for any photography enthusiast.

This is an average book similar to so many photography books that give you an introduction to/overview of landscape/outdoor/nature/whatever photography. Nothing in this book sets it apart from the crowd. The "workshop" part is almost non-existent -- just a few brief, vague "self assignments" at the end of each chapter.

This book will get you started right, keep you going, and coming back for more!

I've been reading about exposure (Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure - MUST HAVE), composition (Michael Freeman: The Photographer's Eye - MUST HAVE! And pixelatedimage.com recommends it, too, I've found out subsequent to getting the book.) and various topics such as off-camera lighting (strobist.com - for fun for now, but I desparately STILL need a basic approach to photography) and portrait/group photography. In all of this, I understand the need to know basics such as composition, exposure, HOW-TO get the shot (Scoot kelby's digital photography series is phenomenal), but I still need to know the proper APPROACH when I place the viewfinder before my eyes without getting into the nitty-gritty of what makes a superb image.

THIS BOOK PROVIDES the BIG PICTURE needed to approach the art of photography. I feel the title is somewhat of a misnomer in that it makes it seem it's just about outdoor photography alone. It does in this regard, but the book also spends a large portion discussing proper technique and things that should be going through the mind before one takes a snapshot.

He begins the book by showcasing amateurs' journeys and their works, demonstrating that anyone with determination can do this (motivating!). He then tells you the 4 things necessary for a great image:

1. Appropriate light
2. A clearly defined subject
3. Effective foreground and background
4. Proper conditions for a photo to work that matches your intentions

He doesn't mention the word "vision" per se yet it is what he talks about. He directs you to craft an image based on your motivations and ideals, he has good sample images to illustrate his points, he gives big picture guidance mixed with technical how-to's and he gives plenty of self-assignments to help you internalize the lesson. He also discusses composition, exposure, pitfalls, gear, and yes, outdoor photography!

His writing style is very readable as well.

I highly recommend this book for novices and quite possibly for seasoned photographers as well. This book serves as a more than wonderful guidebook for new-found knowledge and for reminders.

I also suggest that the publishers republish this book with a new title, new front cover and have the author update his images!

BOTTOM LINE: GET THIS BOOK TODAY!!!

If you could only buy one book to improve your photo skills, this would be the book to purchase. Clear and consise as it delivers principles that apply to the pro and amateur. One of the best things I liked about Bill's work is that he points to the good work of others rather than just show his own stuff. It's a great attitude. Thanks Bill.

Here's a great book at a good price. There are thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for all levels of photographers. The author's lists of ten are good to put on note cards and either put in your camera bag or post near your computer as you do your post-production work.

Bill Fortney's Great Photography Workshop: Getting Serious About Outdoor Photography is a simply brilliant guide to improving techniques of outdoor photography, and ranges in subject matter from making the most of creative controls; to keeping a close eye on exposure; to selecting the right equipment; to choosing between film and digital media. Jaw-dropping full-color example photographs illustratively pack the pages of this enthusiastically recommended resource for students and practitioners of the art of photography.

This book is a class act by Bill Fortney. Bill has learned
well from the "big name experts" he has worked with over the
years. He has distilled this knowledge and put the best of
it onto paper. The illustration photos are magnificent. I haven't done all the exercises yet, but there isn't any question
that by doing so,my production will improve.

ordered this book from local library and glad i did not pay for it. although mr. fortney chose all the right chapter headings, their honestly is not a lot of technical information in this book. a beginner would get no information of value in really learning photography; an intermediate photographer might get some help from the "exercises'; if you are beyond these levels do not buy this book! you already know much more than is offered. although there are a few good photos, many of them have already been done (much better i might add), by other renowned photographers. i'm sorry but the digital examples are-well-bad. if you really want to learn nature or landscape photography don't bother with this-get ANY of john shaws books-they WILL make you a better photographer. also for sheer inspiration check out art wolfe. too many of the photos in this book are plagiarized from others works-see for yourself...check out the original work of the people he mentions on p184...