Fine Art Photography: Water, Ice and Fog - Photographic Techniques and the Art of Interpretation [Paperback]

Tony Sweet (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2007

Streams, lakes, rain, ice, mist, and fog provide the photographer with a wealth of opportunities to make great images. In this inspirational how-to book illustrated with some 70 stunning color photos, master photographer Tony Sweet explains how to make the most of those opportunities. With a focus on sharpening the skills of interpretation, he shows how to create beautiful photographs of water in all its forms.

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 (January 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811733491
• ISBN-13: 978-0811733496
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,116 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

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More of the Same (and that's Good), March 5, 2007

By 

Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fine Art Photography: Water, Ice and Fog - Photographic Techniques and the Art of Interpretation (Paperback)

In his three published books, Tony Sweet has hewed a constant course. On the left hand side of the fold is a beautiful picture. On the right hand side is a description of the considerations that ran through Sweet's mind in making the picture.

The pictures themselves are quite lovely. Sweet specializes in nature scapes of both the close-up and the long variety. But in these pictures the photographer comes close to abstraction in almost every shot. At first glimpse his work looks like the paintings of Arshile Gorky or Helen Frankenthaler with nary a straight or hard edge. Then suddenly it resolves itself and you realize that you are looking into the heart of a flower or a dew drop with almost no depth of field, or at a fog-filled forest, or onto a frozen river.

Although Sweet claims "there is very little in the way of specific instruction in this book", I thought him mistaken. The descriptions of what he was trying to achieve and the approach he took for each subject seemed to me even more instructive than his first two books. It was not like an explanation of how to pick a proper exposure (although when he tells you to open the aperture wide for a particular effect, that seems pretty specific.) Instead he emphasizes the importance of visualizing what you want to capture and then selecting the tools to achieve that goal. I was particular struck by his regular use of colored filters to achieve a certain tint in his photographs.

After my first reading, I felt that much of the instruction was similar to the material he presented in his other books, with just a slightly different perspective. But half way through my second reading I came across something Sweet suggested that seemed new to me, stopped reading and got my photography equipment, took a picture using a technique I had never tried, and was well pleased with the result.

Because I am such a fan of Sweet, several of these pictures reminded me of pictures in his earlier books and indeed when I looked at the other books I could see great similarities in the treatment of subjects, while also noticing different results. Sweet advocates going back to subjects and places you've already photographed and photographing again and demonstrates how effective this can be.

I suspect that readers who have looked at the photographer's work before and learned nothing about seeing will also be disappointed by this book. Those who learned to see a little better will probably learn to see even more by reading this volume.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A permanent addition to any collection., February 2, 2007

By 

Mark Menditto (Dunellen, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fine Art Photography: Water, Ice and Fog - Photographic Techniques and the Art of Interpretation (Paperback)

"Fine Art Photography: Water, Ice and Fog" is a definitive guide to image design for this subject.

The elements of image design are a cautious balance between capturing the spontaneity of the moment and the careful placement of subject, line and form. Breathtaking images are no accident. The author, Tony Sweet expresses his vision of water with a distinctive visual simplicity. Having had the pleasure to shoot a scene with Tony, I know that he is a tremendous talent, who quickly isolates and simplifies a scene into images that are evocative and singular.

This book is unique for its beautiful images, but more so because the author provides ample prose to describe his thoughts in that moment. "Fine Art Photography: Water, Ice and Fog" is a permanent addition to my collection of texts on the art and technique of photographic interpretation.

I highly recommend this title for any photographer.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars review water,ice,fog, October 25, 2007

By 

C. Rudlin (Richmond, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fine Art Photography: Water, Ice and Fog - Photographic Techniques and the Art of Interpretation (Paperback)

This and his accompaying books in the series are superb. He not only provides an explanation of the technique he employed to create the image, but often also explains the composition or artistic "merit" of the photo. This particular book helps you transcend from mere "photo realism" or "documentary" photography, to the "abstract" where you can look even at the mundane with a new perspective, a new vision and a new appreciation. The world becomes more "fun" and perhaps more emotionally evoking. While most of the photos were created with film (vs. digital) the instruction is such that translation to the digital world is straightforward, and effective. As you read the text and study the photos, Mr Sweet encourages you to think of why, when and how you would apply the techniques to your own photography. I know that my own skills "jumped" a level after even the first
reading of this book.