To start out, I am writing this review as a beginning/ameteur photographer with aspirations of becoming a professional landscape photographer. That said, I was hard-pressed to find a book that explains landscape photography that was either written at a level that I could understand or had sufficient examples and photographs to supplement the explanations provided. Then I stumbled upon this beauty.
First off, this book is well written. I found it easy to follow with thorough explanations and examples. Don't get me wrong, it is not "dummed down" for beginners, as I still do not understand all of the concepts/explanations Fitzharris provides, but I am sure that someone with more experience and knowledge would understand readily. The book is split up into chapters that make sense and flow seamlessly from one to the next, making it easy to read cover to cover but also easy to come back and find something specific if need be. Topics include everything from exposure and composition to proper equipment and digital retouching. The book does cover a broad range of information which makes it perfect for someone looking into landscape photography or wishing to build upon their landscape photography skills, but in covering such ground topics are touched on albeit for only a page or two. The concepts/explanations are by far sufficient for the purpose, but not very in-depth if one is looking for something specific on a particular subject/chapter within the book.
The second thing that impressed me about this book was the photographs. I have searched through a lot of books about photography and found it difficult to find one with photographs that not only exemplify the concept being explained, but also inspire the reader. The photos in this book are absolutely amazing. I would even recommend this book if you just like to look at pretty pictures. However, to the reader the photos are beautiful yet not intimidating since Fitzharris provides photos that exemplify the concept on the page and includes the camera used and all settings in a footnote near the photos, the photos serve to inspire the reader in a "yes, you can do this too" sense.
The thing I liked best about this book was that it was written FOR the reader. Fitzharris never says things like "for this photo I did this" in a self aggrandizing way, but phrases things towars the reader in more of a "to acchieve this effect you would need to" sense. I found this refreshing, as many photography books I have found are more about the author and his photos than helping out the reader. The book is not written dryly with explanations only, but the way Fitzharris writes inspires and encourages the reader while offering examples and explanations. I found this book very enjoyable.
The bottom line for me is that I have not been able to find a better book on landscape photography. I am still looking, but nothing speaks to me the way this book does. I would recommend this book to anyone from the beginning to professional photographer, or anyone that just wants to take better pictures in general. This book was beautifully illustrated, reader friendly, and truly inspiring.
