Creative Landscape Photography [Paperback]

Niall Benvie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2002

Beautifully photographed and wonderfully presented, Creative Landscape Photography is a never-ending source of new insights and fresh possibilities. Illustrated with more than 200 extraordinary color photos of exotic international locales, this remarkable volume emphasizes all the creative aspects of landscape photography, covering everything from photographing epic panoramas to intimate details of nature.



Packed with practical pointers and tested techniques, the guide first examines such basics as film choice and exposure; composition; natural and artificial lighting; and night and low-light techniques. Next, readers explore the creative considerations regarding various subject areas, including the wilderness; people in the landscape; man-made environments; and close-up images in nature. Finally, readers will find a fascinating overview of such often-overlooked aspects of landscape photography as story lines, new locations, informative vs. aesthetic content, and much more.



Suitable for the dedicated amateur as well as the veteran photographer, whether working in traditional film or with a digital camera, Creative Landscape Photography is a remarkable, up-to-date source of comprehensive information and unlimited inspiration.





• First in a new series of Amphoto books focusing on the best of modern, stylish, and creative photography:
Includes special section on digital equipment, finishing, storage, and output

• Suitable for both dedicated amateurs and professionals seeking ideas and inspiration

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Niall Benvie is the author of The Art of Nature Photography. He is well known for his landscape and nature photography and writes frequently for a number of American and British publications. He lives in Angus, Scotland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Amphoto Books (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817437290
• ISBN-13: 978-0817437299
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,892,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, But Not for Everyone, February 8, 2002

By 

Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creative Landscape Photography (Paperback)

Creative Landscape Photography is an excellent book, with a specific audience that does not include the rank beginner or even someone who is just comfortable with the controls on a single lens reflex camera. If you fall into that category I suggest you read John Shaw's Landscape Photography or, if you want something a little more up-to-date and covering almost the same ground, Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide. Benvie presumes you know about technique and tries to develop your creative side so that you can put your opinions, beliefs and experiences into your landscape pictures. He believes that while great pictures can be found, many others must be intended.

The first things he examines are some of the concepts that are critical to understanding what can be influenced to convey your vision: exposure, space, light and darkness. For example in his discussion of light he talks about the nature of fog and some of its different forms and how this can be used by the photographer in creating his image.

He next examines the environments of landscape: wilderness, land dominated by people, city and garden and what he calls the intimate landscape, that is, the detailed view or close-ups. In discussing the city he talks about both iconic scenes and the incongruous. His views of each of these environments in terms of photographic vision reflect his feeling about man's relationship to the landscape. Benvie say "I have merely recounted my own response to environments and suggested that we should think about what we are looking at, rather than taking it at face value."

Benvie discusses the hardware that he uses for landscape photography in a chapter that seemed to say, "my editor said I have to talk about equipment". Although I'm sure, for a committed professional, a one-yard square softbox may be essential, most readers will not be inspired to make such an investment.

A chapter I particularly liked was devoted to digital finishing. Few photography authors acknowledge that the digital darkroom is rapidly replacing its chemical predecessor. Benvie takes several photographs and shows how he adjusted them in Photoshop. This in no way constitutes Photoshop instruction (for that, I'd recommend Barry Haynes' Photoshop 6 Artistry to both novice and experienced photographers). But it is interesting to see how a particular artist approaches his work and uses his photographic intentions to select digital tools.

This book operates in the overlap between photography and philosophy. Ultimately the question the reading photographer must ask is whether he (or she) is at the stage where he needs to develop his photographic vision. If one is, there is no clear or easy path to that development. Benvie may or may not work for you. You might benefit from Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography. Or you might need to look afield to something like Simon Schama's Landscape and Memory. I believe that this is the most difficult step for a committed photographer and that it takes a combination of many different tools to develop vision. Some tools will be more helpful for a particular individual. But I think that Creative Landscape Photography is well worth the try.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book - not for beginners, March 16, 2006

By 

D. Evans - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creative Landscape Photography (Paperback)

No need to write a full review here Conrad J. Obregon has said it all perfectly in his review below.
This is not a book for beginners, if you do not have some experience with Landscape Photography the value of this book will be lost on you. However, if you do have some experience this book is an absolute joy. If you wish for your photo's to convey the 'feeling' of the landscape, this is the book for you.
As for the the negative and silly comments in other reviews .... ignorance is bliss !

6 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant and thoughtful., June 27, 2002

By 

Bruce A. Olsen (Eagle, ID USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creative Landscape Photography (Paperback)

I like this book, but I don't feel inspired by it. Benvie's photographs and text tend to be low-key and thoughtful, but they don't send me out in the field to make my own.