Customer Reviews

The Complete Guide to Night and Low-Light Photography

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have to admit that I was very disappointed by this book. The information contained in it (the tips, tricks, equipment suggestions) can be found at various place online with only a little bit of research. For my money I was expecting something a bit *more*.

What this book is, is a show case of the authors (often breath taking) low/no light photos. He has many impressive shots mixed in with the text of his documents, but sadly does not include any information about these shots other than "Location". No film speeds/type/brand, no shutter or aperture settings, not one bit of useful information about them other than "I was here".

What the book isn't is complete (far from it). Aside from the photo's lacking any information that could be of use to the reader, his discussions are not detailed. He seems to prefer to gloss over his points with out sharing with you the why you should so something "this way" vs. "that way" (an example is his discussion on shutter speed vs. aperture settings he seems to prefer longer exposures than larger apertures but never fully explains why).

Don't misunderstand me either. I'm not someone with a lot of experience with 35mm SLR photography (low light or otherwise). My Canon ELAN II is so loaded with features it might as well be little more than a glorified point and shoot. And I still found this book too basic.

If the author wanted to show case his pictures he would have been better served to do as at a gallery than an "instruction" manual.

I get the distinct impression that writers with a great deal of photography knowledge/experience found this book too basic/elementary. However, from my perspective (a novice photographer whose preparing to make the step up from P&S cameras to 35mm SLRs), I have not found a more clear, informative, resource than this. What has proven so invaluable to me is not only the endless list of tips and suggestions for successfully shooting in night/low-light situations, but also the 66 pages dedicated to equipment selection. If you have not already purchased equipment and are first learning about it before purchasing like me, then this book will prove invaluable to you. Mr. Frost gives a wealth of information on equipment, from camera bodies to lenses to flashguns to tripods. It's wonderful (albeit basic) for helping decide on equipment, ESPECIALLY for learning about which specific accessories will most benefit you in night/low light situations (e.g. film and filters). For those who are already well-versed in equipment or already have their own equipment, I can see how you would find the first 1/3 of the book less useful.

Even if you can't use the equipment section, though, I still can't see how anyone cannot love just to see his prints. I know little about photography, unlike some of the other critics, but I think the pictures are absolutely stunning. Admittedly, my primary interest in photography is in night/low-light situations, so perhaps I'm unduly biased. Nonetheless, his photographs are so exceptional, they actually motivate me to go out and start shooting! Perhaps more importantly to novice learners, he often thoroughly explains how each photo was taken and/or shows side by side comparisons to demonstrate how different equipment/techniques affect output.

Finally, unlike some other photo books I own/have read, this book publishes full-color prints (or B&W, if shot on B&W film) on high quality paper. As such, you can appreciate the quality of the examples. This alone is a great advantage over some books that choose to reproduce the prints in B&W on low quality paper.

To sum it up, I love this book. The only thing I don't like is that it's too big (A4 size) to carry around to all my shoots! Thank you, Mr. Frost. I'm going to come to the UK and thank you personally one day!

Man was this book ever helpful to me! I bought this book because I went to Europe almost 2 years ago and came back and developed rolls that didn't produce a single usable picture. I was planning another trip to correct my photo mistakes (I wanted the Eiffel Tower and London's Tower Bridge at night). I bought the book, read it and applied the SIMPLE steps during my last Euopean trip (aug 00). Not only did each of my night rolls (24 exp) produce at least 23 usuable pics, but 3/4 of them are professional/identical to the examples in the book. I was also able to help my friend take great night shots as well. BUY THIS BOOK and use that 'AP mode' as he said! Both will help you.

When this book was written, digital cameras were still a new technology that couldn't match the quality found in film cameras. Lee Frost acknowledges digital cameras, but when written accurately dismisses them as a quality tool for low light photography. I remember my first digital camera, a Sony Mavica, I bought in 1999 with an incredibly large 0.3mp resolution that recorded on floppy discs. The pictures were small, and subject to noise issues and pixilation. It was a fun digital camera, but could not come anywhere close to the quality of the pictures from my Minolta Maxxum SLR.

Because digital cameras were not as advanced when this book was written, it is full of tips regarding equipment and film selections that are useless for digital photographers of today. There is a section devoted to equipment that could be somewhat skipped over, but film options or darkroom techniques are integrated into most of the chapters. This made the book a hard read for me.

That being said, this book is full of useful information for the digital photographer. True, the supplied images do not include step by step instructions and camera setting details. I don't want to create images identical to Lee's, so I'm fine with that. Lee does give ample instruction how to take all sorts of low-light images and discusses the techniques involved. Choosing an aperture or speed is a person's creative choice. When Lee gives an aperture range to work with for example, I take the range as a guide for my creative desires.

I currently use a Canon 20D and enjoy low-light photography, so this is one book I really wanted to read. Since my interests lie with digital photography, all the film based discussions just bored me and dragged on. With film cameras the type of film is integral to the process, so it's difficult to just skip over these points. However, this book is full of relevant and useful information on night and low-light photography technique. Plus, some film based points translate over to the digital camera such as ISO selections. I can see where I will use this book as a reference source for future projects.

PROS:
Inspiring color images
Complete guide and valuable reference source

CONS:
Too much discussion of film for a digital camera user

I picked up photography approx. 2 years ago. I have always had trouble getting the right exposure for my night shots. After reading Lee Frost's book, my pictures have improved tremendously. Lee covers everything, from shooting indoor to outdoor. It's well worth the money. Stop wasting film and get this book!

I must say, this is one of the best books I have ever read on photography! This book completely changed my views on the nightlife and low light subjects. Lee Frost is a great teacher, never missing a detail and explaining everything with expert precision, wonderfull language and slight humor that you will appreciate. After about half of the book I was outside shooting after dusk and before sunrise. Most importantly, Lee Frost inspires and encorages you like no one else! I loved it. A picture of mine taken with his techniques was an honorable mention in a contest with over 10,000 entries. If you want to give your pictures a new edge and new look, buy this book t.o.d.a.y. !!!

Lee Frost gives detailed descriptions of how to create unforgettable photographs in low light conditions. The accompanying photographs show just what can be done in low light, and each picture gives a detailed explanation of how it was created. He gives full explanations of how every feature of a camera can be manipulated to create different effects in such clear language that a beginner can understand yet the techniques and tips are just as useful for the professional. This book will open your eyes to new ideas and techniques.

The book itself is really not too bad. The writing is good and he explains himself ok, but if you've allready read one guide book on photography and you're looking for more in dept information, you're not going to find it here. The book starts out with general info on different cameras and equiptment, then moves on to telling a bit about light and exposure and finnishing of with a lot of exampels, though the pictures are ok, it dosen't inform you about what kind of films, filters, exposure etc. that has been used for each picture. Bottom line; A general GUIDE book like the others.

This is a superb guide for non-professional photography aficionados who want to improve their work. Frost covers a variety of topics: push processing, filters, flash photography, color temperature, florescent and tungsten lighting, reflected vs. incident light metering, reciprocity law failure, film, as well as a variety of chapters on different subjects and techniques.

The prose is chatty and informal, often to the point of being corny (the same applies to some of the photos). American readers will note the frequent British idiomatic expressions. But overall this book is packed with useful information and photos which illustrate the concepts being discussed.

At one point the author comments: "It took several hours of watching and waiting before this stunning picture was taken." And a stunning picture it is (a sunset shot of a seaside town) but hobby-level photographers might find somewhat daunting the idea of waiting all day for clouds to break. Nonetheless, there is a lot in this book for enthusiasts who use photography to document their travels, instead of traveling for photography.

Summary: very useful, lots of charts and information, a good guide that will inspire you to go out and try some of the ideas presented. A good overview of night and low light techniques, aimed at amateurs who are interested in learning more about the subjects and themes I listed above. If you fall into this category then you'll benefit from this book.

I did enjoy this book, but I can't say I share the enthusiasm of other reviewers. Don't get me wrong; it's a pretty good book and there are several low-light tips and techniques to be picked up here. There's also a fairly good balance between truly natural light (sun afterglow, moon) and artificial light (flood lights, street lamps, neon signs).

That said, I found the photos to be only fair to good and the level of technical detail a bit lacking. I'm not a pro, but much of the book read like an introductory level primer. Overall, it left me wanting just a little more meat.