Customer Reviews

Creative Exposure Control: How to Get the Exposure You Want Everytime

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The 'review' by Mark is highlighting one of the banes of an author, the typographic error! Yes, the shutter speed/aperture combo is incorrect but this is not my error but the publishers. He makes much of this but it is the only error in an otherwise very practical and useful book aimed at those people wanting to improve their picture taking. It is also one of the few books on the subject that is easy to follow and understand, and it has enough detail to make you a better photographer.
I am trying to balance what is obviously an unfair review.

This book is superb! It avoids a formulaic approach to achieving "good exposures" (whatever they are) that many books offer. Instead we get a masterly exposition of how to use exposure controls creatively to achieve your OWN personal interpretation of a scene. Along the way we get excellent tutorials in how to understand film contrast, evaluate a subject, use a light meter (camera or handheld varieties), and many other key issues.

Mark Nelson is right about the ONE typo - where is the book without typos? Furthermore, he is also right that this book will teach you everything you need to know about exposure. The lack of detail is surely due to the fact that author's write to contraints imposed by publisher's.

This book is a God send. Rather than trying to tell you how to take so called 'good' exposures (like many other photo books), this book explains the techniques of exposure control and how to evaluate a subject so that you make more informed exposure decisions. This way your exposures will achieve your preferred creative interpretation of a scene. In other words, not a formulaic approach but an attempt to open up possibilities for the thinking/creative photographer.

As Mark Nelson says in his review, the book has everything you want to know about exposure - a testament to the author who has packed the book with hundreds of useful insights written in clear prose.

(Mark is right about the ONE error. But where is the book without typos? As for the lack of detail, books are written to a publisher's brief so it is a bit unfair to bash an author who was doubtless working to a publisher's word limit.)

This is the Book that helps me to control exposure. I have not attend to any course, no tutor. But this book gives enough theory and more interestingly practical home works of exposure control and using it for my creative ideas.

This is a great book. Lots of good ideas presented in a logical sequence. The book consists of short chapters that introduce you to each concept you'll need to master to achieve the exposure you want every time. Indeed, there is much to be found here that is not presented in less profound 'how-to' books: this is really the ultimate presentation of this topic. I especially like the sidebars that suggest photographic tests that illustrate the point of what the chapter is driving at. I do wish that more detail was given to graduated neutral density filters and how to choose the correct density and use them. I really enjoy this book and highly recommend it to anyone wishing to learn more about exposure.

Though I've purchased the book, and find it excellent after a brief read, I'm now looking for the "typo" so I can correct it before I start implementing Les Meehan's teachings. I can't find Mark Nelson's original review so I don't know if its pin-pointed there rather than just indicated as in these reviews. Someone should have posted it, the page number and the correction here.

Oh well, off to search for it, and read in more depth what seems to be an excellent, informative, well written book.

Scott

This is an easy to read and very practical book for anyone who want to know and practice zone system theory of photography. After reading this book I finally have a better understanding in exposing my pictures according to my camera meter readings. And I couldn't wait to get my camera for taking pictures outdoors. The author also provide some useful tools for readers to make their own for practicing in pictures taking. Recommand this great book to everyone intrested in photography.

(Ching-Hwang Tsai -from Taiwan)

The reason people might think this is an easy read is because the author lacks detail. I have more questions now, than before I read this book. On page 13 under Standard scales he writes, "1/125th second at f/16 produces the same amount of exposure as 1/30th second at f/8." 1/125th second to 1/30th second is 3 stops, but f/16 to f/8 is only 2 stops. The correct aperture would be f/5.6, 3 stops from f/16. To get the same amount of exposure as 1/125th second at f/16 you would use 1/30th second at f/5.6. Everything I want to learn about exposure control is in this book, but the author doesn't go into detail about anything. There's just not enough information. I'm left asking myself, WHAT, WHY, & HUH?