How to Photograph Absolutely Everything [Hardcover]

Tom Ang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 2007

Whatever you want to photograph, discover how to get it right every time. 'A digital imaging bible.' - "Outdoor Photography on Digital Photographer's Handbook". From still life to children's parties, make sure you're picture perfect with this concise guide from expert photographer and bestselling author Tom Ang. Follow straightforward photographs and instructions to discover what equipment you'll need, the best approach for each subject and to compose, light, frame and take shots. Checklists give instant advice on getting results, while tricks of the trade show you how to turn a good picture into a great one. Plus, pick up valuable tips on everyday photography, including passport shots and displaying items on eBay. Get clicking and get outstanding results every time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

... a wealth of tips and tricks Digital Photographer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Presenter of BBC's A Digital Picture of Britain, Tom will be back on TV in Feb 2007 for a follow-up. He is lecturer at the University of Westminster, and has won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for his coverage of the Marco Polo Expedition. Tom lives in London

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Dorling Kindersley H/B (April 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405319852
• ISBN-13: 978-1405319850
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,754,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I call myself a photographer, writer, and broadcaster. If I'm forced to say what I like to photograph most, I'll say it's travel photography because that includes people, landscapes, buildings, nature and the rest. I've had some 20 books published on photography and video. The popular Digital Photographer's Handbook has been translated into about 20 language. My latest, "Digital Photography Masterclass" has proven popular with readers and reviewers: it won the Library Journal's 'Best How-to Book of 2008 and was chosen by Shutterbug as its 'Créme de la Créme' of Top Digital Imaging Books of 2008.

I won the 1988 Thomas Cook award for Best Illustrated Travel Book for my coverage of the Marco Polo Expedition. Goodness knows how; there were very strong contenders that year. I presented two ground-breaking six-part series 'A Digital Picture of Britain' and 'Britain in Pictures' for BBC. And an eight-part series for Channel News Asia Singapore was broadcast in August/September 2009 and is being distributed in DVD.

I've worked as magazine editor, picture editor and was senior lecturer in photographic practice at the University of Westminster for 12 years. I led a Know How Fund project that reformed the journalism curriculum for a university in Kyrgyzstan, as well as photographing extensively in Central Asia. I was chair of the Arts Council England organization for Chinese Arts in Britain and am a founding member of the World Photography Academy, where I helped initiate and led the Student Focus program for its first two years.

My current interests include documentary film-making, high-definition video, fine-art photography, writing fiction and poetry. I was born in Singapore and now divide my time between UK and New Zealand.
My own website is at www.tomang.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of workable tips and tricks for novice photographers, August 13, 2007

By 

Julius Kusuma (Cambridge, MA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Photograph Absolutely Everything (Hardcover)

Tom Ang's credentials as a photography instructor is unquestionable. In this book, he managed the tricky balance between appeasing the novices and keeping the veterans interested. His goal is simple but ambitious: he wanted to make a book full of tips to at least get the newbies started in as many photographic settings as possible.

This book is full of examples of how to take interesting and good photos in all sorts of situations, well-illustrated and narrated to give a decent sense of why and how. It is also full of useful little tricks that are wonderful to learn, that one usually has to luckily discover oneself, or hear from a more experienced photographers.

The unfortunate thing about this book is that it does not cover enough technical details. In many cases I wish that Ang had said more than just "high ISO, wide-open aperture." I realize that numbers are just numbers, but some instructions leave me wondering what range of numbers he is talking about.

There are plenty of things to benefit the novice and intermediate photographers alike, although the value diminishes with the reader's expertise, as expected. For the newbies, this book is especially appealing because Ang took most of the photos with a simple digital point & shoot, again highlighting that it's the technique and art that matter most, not the gear.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for hobbyist, October 29, 2007

By 

BakariC (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Photograph Absolutely Everything (Hardcover)

I plan on using this book as part of a digital photography workshop I'm conducting next month. The best thing about this book are the hundreds of photos the author includes. The photos are of the type of subjects most any serious photographer can find, and they are captured with a point-and-shoot camera which is what most people shoot with. I agree with previous reviewer that Ang could have included more detail about the exposure settings. This would have been very useful in helping readers understand better shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings for particular types of shots.

I also don't particularly like the layout of the book. The size is pretty awkward. The paperback edition will I think make a better choice because it won't feel so weighty like this one. This book should be more than a coffee table book; it should one that serious photographers use almost like a manual for getting ideas about what and how to shoot in everyday situations. It's a great resource for picking out one or two types of shoots (like night or animal photography) and practicing the suggestions that Ang provides. Overall, great book, but if you don't like heavy hardback books, wait for the soft-bound edition.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent if you know the basics, February 23, 2009

By 

Carlo R. Montoya "Toy photographer" (Cebu City, Cebu Philippines) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures From Your Digital Camera (Paperback)

While it is not absolutely necessary, I'd still recommend you (1) learn how to operate your camera beyond its automatic settings and (2) learn basic photography before you buy this book.

I've seen the hardcover edition of this book locally but read here in Amazon that it would be available in paperback so I opted to wait. When I revisited Amazon this month, I saw that the paperback is out and when we went to the bookstore, I was suprised to find it. I didn't hesitate to buy it because of the positive reviews here. I'm glad I did.

Do not expect the book to teach you the details of "how to photograph absolutely everything". If it did, then the book would probably be 10x heavier (it's heavy enough as it is). What is there is worth every penny. I've been a serious hobbyist* for less than a year but learned fast so some of the contents of the book aren't new but it still offered plenty of ideas that I'd like to explore further either by learning from online tutorials or by buying specific books, e.g., if you're interested in portraits, then get a good portrait photography book.

Warning: This isn't a book for advanced hobbyists (2+ years experience) and certainly not for professionals.

* http://www.flickr.com/photos/carlo_montoya

Get the paperback book. It's relatively lighter (but not light) than the hardcover.