The New Manual of Photography (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "In comparison with much of the equipment that is used in the modern world, the camera is probably among the simplest..." (more)
Key Phrases: zoom bursts, format format format format format, zoom compact, Photoshop Elements, Kodak High-Speed, High Creative (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The most up-to-date, comprehensive, and practical guide to the art of good photography, this book teaches every skill a photographer needs to take great pictures, from the most basic to the most advanced. Authoritative and easy-to-understand, John Hedgecoe's New Manual of Photography features practical advice on every element of the photographic process, from how to choose the right equipment and specialist techniques to inspirational guidance on the art of creative composition.

About the Author

Internationally acclaimed photographer John Hedgecoe has shared his methods with millions of readers since his classic, The Book of Photography, was first published in 1976. In addition to his distinguished career as a teacher, his photographs have appeared in countless newspapers and magazines around the world. He published John Hedgecoe's New Book of Photography with DK in 1994.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT; Revised edition (November 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789496372
• ISBN-13: 978-0789496379
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #308,473 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for beginners. Insipiring for everyone., February 28, 2005

By	Terry Smith "http://terrysmith.net -- http:/... (Little Rock, AR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

John Hedgecoe is a great and thoroughly proven photography teacher. I have been shooting for many years now and relied on his books when I first got started. I still love going back to them to be inspired by the amazing breadth of his work. I can recommend this book to anyone looking to learn the basics of photography, and I also recommend it to anyone looking to take their photography in different directions.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Addition to the Photographer's Bookshelf, May 22, 2006

By	Edward P. Matos "edmatos52" (Laredo, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The New Manual of Photography (Hardcover)

"The New Manual of Photography" by John Hedgecoe is another winner in a long line of books that have made picture-taking more enjoyable, satisfying, and fruitful. Whether you are a total beginner interested in learning photography or an advanced amateur, John Hedgecoe's book will serve you well as a reference and learning tool.

John Hedgecoe is a renowned photographer recognized internationally for his photography skills, teaching ability, and writing style. Like all his books, "The New Manual of Photography" is profusely illustrated with photographs and drawings that give beginner and amateur photographers a clear, practical, and concise guide to better photographic techniques. What makes John Hedgecoe's books so great is that they are easy to read and follow. "The New Manual of Photography" does not target any one specialized field of photography, but it does give the reader an overall idea of what he or she can accomplish with their camera and equipment.

Hedgecoe's writing is practical, with a gift for making even some of the more complex photographic concepts seem simple to accomplish - it is amazing how much information he is able to store in a 399-page book. Hedgecoe covers everything a beginner needs to know to make his or her picture taking experience more enjoyable. This is a treasure trove for beginners who can jump right into topics such as what a camera is, the differences between film and digital cameras, the differences between SLRs, rangefinders, twin lens reflex, small, medium, and large format cameras, and so on. He then zooms in on using aperture and shutter speed settings, film, filters, flash, tripods. . . . Hedgecoe devotes a good number of pages to what I consider some of the most important aspects of photography: lighting, color, and composition.

Hedgecoe discusses natural and artificial light, changing light, white balance, and color temperature. Hedgecoe states that "[e]quipment and techniques . . . are just the beginning. It is the photographer that matters most of all". With this in mind, Hedgecoe writes about developing the creative eye - one of the most important aspects of photography after learning the fundamentals. He talks about looking at the subject from all angles, how to compose or frame the subject, how to control the lighting, background and foreground using depth of field to emphasize the subject, and much more.

Again, "The New Manual of Photography" is not meant to be an all-encompassing work on photography; it is, however, a very worthy book for beginners and advanced amateurs. It gives the reader a taste of just some of the many fields in photography like portraiture, nature, animal, still life, architecture and so forth - Hedgecoe even lays out the foundation for a well-equipped studio.

As all his books, John Hedgecoe`s, "The New Manual of Photography" is a worthy addition to anyone's photography book shelf.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book and a great reference tool, January 28, 2006

By	GTJill "Jill" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

If you already own one of Hedgecoe's previous books, you will find lots of repetition in this one. However, this one is well organized and is a good reference book when you need to go back and read up on a particular topic.

If you don't already have a Hedgecoe book, THIS is the one to have. It is the best photography book on my bookshelf! Be careful to get the right one, many of his books are named very similarly.