Customer Reviews

National Geographic Photography Field Guide: People and Portraits

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

 

 

This book describes what you need to know to make good pictures of people. The book begins by discussing composition and then turns to equipment and lighting. The book then focuses on various types of people photography: street photography; people in action; portraits; familar subjects (family members) and the photographic essay. The book includes a list of useful web sites and explains how three professional photograhers work. They are Cary Wolinsky, Sisse Brimberg and Lynn Johnson. I love these different viewpoints because they provide food for thought.

The photographs leap off the page. They are stunning and make me want to get out and photograph. I highly recommend this book. It also is of a size that will easily fit in your camera bag.

The People and Portraits Field Guide continues along one branch of the first NGS field guide. Somewhat more advanced composition and technical advice is provided, tailored to the specific art of capturing people in their environment. Caputo writes a book that is not only succinct, but also enjoyable to read.

Continuing with the format of the original are the profiles of National Geographic photographers, each with their own set of advice. This is a primary strength of this set of field guides and something that separates them from other books. The bios are interesting reading in themselves and give a brief glimpse into the work and vision of different artists.

Photography buffs take heed, this is a book you will definitely want to add to your library. While master photographers may not learn anything dramatically new, amateurs and novices will find tons of useful and helpful information among these pages by an expert in the field. Ever wonder how to "freeze frame?" This book will tell you how, along with providing guidance in taking those wonderful family portraits under all types of conditions. The section dealing with various lenses was of particular interest. The book is well organized and the instructions are clear and easy to understand - that in itself is a major plus over other books in the marketplace. If it's National Geographic, it's bound to be good!

This book describes what you need to know to make good pictures of people. The book begins by discussing composition and then turns to equipment and lighting. The book then focuses on various types of people photography: street photography; people in action; portraits; familar subjects (family members) and the photographic essay. The book includes a list of useful web sites and explains how three professional photograhers work. They are Cary Wolinsky, Sisse Brimberg and Lynn Johnson. I love these different viewpoints because they provide food for thought.
The photographs leap off the page. They are stunning and make me want to get out and photograph. I highly recommend this book. It also is of a size that will easily fit in your camera bag.

I bought this book along with the companion book on Landscapes. A lot of the same material is covered, and in both cases I think does a pretty good job. The material is dealt with systematically, discussing both machinics, technique and composition.

Like other books that survey a broad subject, I think it tends to miss some specifics that would be necessary to really learn at a detail level. For example, the discussion of flash photography discusses built-in flashes, dedicated flashes, and studio lighting all in one short chapter, but in not enough detail to help you make much progress with any.

I did like the sections by other National Geo photographers who wrote a couple pages describing their thoughts and delivering advice.

So this is a pretty good book and is one of those things you should read even if you know most of what it has to say.

Maybe I read too many of their photography how-to books, but I don't find this book that useful. Basically, if you read their "Secrets to Making Great Pictures" book, this is a repeat of that book and half the size. It's short, but it kinda wasted like a day or two of my life - the time it took me to finish the book.

While the book is filled with lovely photos, and you can learn something from looking at them about composition and lighting and choice of subject matter, there is very little technical detail about what the reader must do to even begin to approach the same. The book was published in 2002, so there is no consideration of the huge leaps in digital photography that have occurred more recently. But even so, many of the basics of how to use an SLR camera are similar, and there is really nothing here, below a very high level of abstraction, on that --- f-stops and aperture, ISO, shutter speed --- and how to coordinate their use. Ditto re lighting and flashes. Ditto re different types of lenses --- exactly what they are and how to use them. I want to learn how to use my new DSLR to take really good pictures, and this book does not help me do that. The stiff, shiny, heavy paper shows the photos to good advantage, by the way, but despite its relatively compact size, the book's relative weight and inability to open wide, lay flat, and stay open would make it a pain to carry out of the house or to use while taking pictures.

I own many of the National Geographic Photography Field Guides and this is another one to add to the collection. Easy to get through and plenty of good tips for shooting people.

Organization is well above average but it's not a textbook so the index is still not as strong as a textbook.
But, it is a how-to book and chapters are to the point, clearly written. It's sitting with my other reference books, now that I've read it. Very handy ref. book.

A great deal of information packed into a small package. These are the people who give you the incredible National Geographic images explaining how they do it. From equipment, to brief explanations of the masters like Cartier-Bresson, they set forth their approaches to portraits,lighting, street photography, action, environmental and groups. Well worth the price and several reads. The equipment sections have lightened my load and my back is greatful. Remember, these people are often traveling alone, carrying all their gear, yet producing those memorable images. You might want to see the National Geographic Photographers dvd and watch them in action.