Customer Reviews

How to Photograph Absolutely Everything

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Like other reviewers have noted, this book is primarily for beginners or advanced beginners in teaching them how to set up/compose pictures effectively. Using a point and shoot (P&S), Ang does do a good job in presenting 95% of the situations that 95% of the population will be in. What he does well is show the reader what happens in Situation X if you do this or if you do that.

However, it's a double-edged sword because with a point and shoot, let's say there are 5 possible results. But with a DSLR using multiple lenses and external flash, the possibilities go exponential. And to just show examples from a P&S doesn't do justice to the scenarios. Even really good photographers that have a P&S will, for the most part, only be able to take pictures that are good but not of the caliber if they were armed with DSLRs/L lenses.

So while I thought the book was okay, if I had known that the examples used in the book were taken solely using a P&S, I wouldn't have bought it.

If you're looking for a more advanced book, I'd recommend Tom Ang's Digital Photography Masterclass, which I thoroughly enjoyed and is for the more experienced photographer.

Tom Ang is the man. The thing about most photography books is that they take a chapter to explain what can & should be done in a few sentences or a paragraph. They also suffer from a dearth of photos illustrating the concept they are trying to teach. Tom Ang really does teach how to photograph absolutely anything. Every two to four pages there is a new concept with at least a dozen photos illustrating the technique. There are bullet statements on steps to follow and what to look for when setting up the shot. I love it: one page, one technique, several pics. That's the way a photography books should be done. I also enjoy the fact that he doesn't get involved with any computer software or digital editing. All of his techniques can be done in camera. Tom Ang also uses compact or point and shoot cameras without any fancy lenses or accessories. This book is for beginners and hobbyists, not for professional photographers. Buy this book and several of Tom Ang's other publications. You will not be disappointed.

I own a lot of photo books and this is certainly one of the best. This book has info for beginners, novices and advanced photographers--so anyone wanting a guidebook to use as your skill level improves will value this book. I enjoyed it so much I took it to our local camera club for show and tell. I think some of the other members planned on buying this book as well. One thing I particularly like about this book is that the text approaches "bullet point" or outline format. There is not a lot of extraneous verbage, just interesting and valuable snippets of information with photos to illustrate. I highly recommend this book!

I am a beginner enthusiast and really have enjoyed Tom Ang's book, actually all of his books, but this one has been the most helpful for where I am right now. It's geared towards using the built in camera settings (ie portrait, landscape, sports etc). I have been going out to take pictures and am usually stumped or intimidated on what to photograph. I've used Tom's book as an assignment book (and yes, I have several others that send you on aperture or shutter speed, or creative vision-type assignments). But for his, I'll say I'm going to photograph architectural features, or flowers, or a cityscape, and I flip to the corresponding pages for review And I use his guidance when I start taking shots. It's an easy to read, beautifully photographed book. And as I'm waiting for my first DSLR to be delivered, I love that his shots are shown being taken with a point and shoot or super zoom (which is what I have been using).

I have read many photography books. This book is packed with his breathtaking photography and he shares exactly how we can achieve the same results. For each shot he maps out what is needed. An example: "Misty Woodlands: For this shot he set his Camera Mode to landscape mode; Lens Setting, zoom to normal; Sensor/Film Speed, use a Low to Medium ISO setting; Flash, force the flash Off." Armed with that information he goes on to show us how to scout out the shot. With step by step instructions like that it is like having him right next to me telling me how to get the shot. I have found the book unlike any other. I give this book my highest recommendation.

I loved this book - easy to use, understand. And instead of making things complex (f/stops, etc) he uses the settings that you now find on all the digital cameras - landscape, portrait, etc. Thanks Tom you did what you said you were going to do - teach me to use my digital camera!

For me, the real value of this book lies in the suggestions and examples given for taking creative shots involving a wide variety of subjects. The book is clearly aimed at photographers using point and shoot cameras, as each section will give you camera mode, lens zoom, ISO, and flash settings. While I wish he had included DSLR camera settings, I found more than enough helpful information to make me glad I purchased the book.