Fine Art Nature Photography: Advanced Techniques and the Creative Process [Paperback]

Tony Sweet (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

A gallery of the author's best work complemented by concise instruction and advice from a master

This book of nature photography instruction and inspiration features striking full-color images and concise, informative text. It includes the author's stunning nature images from across the United States. The text offers specifications on equipment used, when and where the photos were taken, details on why the image works, what the photographer was looking to accomplish, how the image was shot, and unique lighting or compositional challenges the image illustrates.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tony Sweet is a professional nature/fine art photographer, lecturer, workshop instructor, and author of many photography books. He lives in Eldersburg, Maryland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811727505
• ISBN-13: 978-0811727501
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #736,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tony Sweet is a professional nature/fine art photographer, lecturer, workshop instructor, and author of several photography books. He is a Nikon "Legend Behind the Lens," a nikSoftware team member, a Lensbaby Guru, and a Bogen Mentor. Tony has written columns for Nikon World and is a contributor to Shutterbug and Rangefinder. He teaches online classes at betterphoto.com. Tony's work is represented by Getty Images. He lives in Eldersburg, Maryland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Form, Form, Form!, August 19, 2002

By 

Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fine Art Nature Photography: Advanced Techniques and the Creative Process (Paperback)

One way to analyze any piece of art is from the point of view of form and content. Photography usually seems more concerned with content. Music, on the other hand, having fewer formal counterparts in the real world, seems to place greater emphasis on form. Thus, it came as no surprise to me that the work of Tony Sweet should be a lot more about form than other photographs, because Sweet is a former musician.

Sweet's pictures are wonderful. They are rich in color arranged in ways that you rarely encounter in photography. He loves to play with early-morning and late-day light, and mist seems to call him to his camera. His subject is outdoor photography but that just seems to be a carrier for color. Occasionally you will have to look at a picture for a while before you distinguish the content, but while you are looking you will probably be absorbed by the intense tones. You may even look at a picture and say "I never realized the world looked like that!"

Each picture is accompanied by a little blurb that tells you what Sweet was trying to capture and the tools that he used to accomplish it. Not all of these tools worked for me. I didn't particularly like the photographs made by making multiple exposures on a single frame and moving the camera slightly between each exposure. On the other hand the greens and blues reflected from a long exposure of falling water made me realize that I ought to be concentrating more on the color in the world around me.

If you buy this book hoping it will make you a more creative photographer, then a lot of work will be required. This book notes what the photographer was looking for in his pictures but does not tell you how he got there. You will have to examine the pictures and extract the principles on your own. If you want to develop your creative instincts you will probably be happier with something like Freeman Patterson's "Photography and the Art of Seeing"

In today's world there is a tremendous amount of argument about the manipulation of photographs in computer programs. Well, these photographs have been manipulated just as much, but in the camera, through the use of long exposures, light-enhancing filters, and selective focus. If you disapprove of such manipulation, then you may not be interested in these pictures. If on the other hand, you believe with Picasso that "Art is lies that tell us the truth", then you will enjoy this unusual exploration of the visual world.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not very informative., February 26, 2007

By 

Ricardo (New York City) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Fine Art Nature Photography: Advanced Techniques and the Creative Process (Paperback)

The shots are nice enough and Sweet certainly has his technique down pat. However, I really learned nothing from the book.

Perhaps I was expecting too much. I've been a serious photographer for nearly 40 years. Not to pat myself on the back, but I know the basics as well as anyone and was hoping for a bit of insight into Sweet's reasons for making certain shots.

All this book provides is an explanation of what equipment was used. If you're into using filters for every shot you might learn something here.

I think that the money would be better spent on one of John Shaw's books. "Focus on Nature" comes to mind as Shaw really explains his thinking behind each photo and doesn't just list the equipment that he used to make it.

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Photos, Short on Instruction, September 1, 2003

By 

Bruce Appelbaum (Yorktown Heights, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fine Art Nature Photography: Advanced Techniques and the Creative Process (Paperback)

Sweet's book is basically a portfolio of about 50 images, with camera, lens, filter, and exposure information.

The photos are great, but the explanations that go with them are fairly terse and could provide more instruction.