Customer Reviews

Outdoor Glamour Photography: The Complete Digital Guide to Taking Successful Outdoor Glamour Photographs

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you're interested in outdoor glamour photography, this could be one of the most useful books you'll ever read. Lemon's book is packed full of specific and practical tips for experienced photographers alongside beautifully artistic sample photographs taken by Lemon himself.

Lemon opens with a brief introduction that gives an overview of some of his general techniques: he details how he uses his light meter, how he measures and perfects white balance, and why he shoots in fine JPEG as opposed to a raw format.

The rest of the book consists of photos accompanied by information about how Lemon set up and achieved various effects in the shoot. For each photograph, Lemon explains the lighting used, why the location was chosen, and information about the pose chosen for the model. A small sidebar box gives the camera, lens, shutter speed, and F-stop used. Woven throughout Lemon's descriptions are helpful tips on every imaginable aspect of photography from how to best use a polarizing filter to how to take into account texture and color when choosing a background for a model.

The photos included in the book are spectacular. All feature female models in various stages of undress (from completely nude to fully clothed) posed against every possible background--woods, grassy fields, old logs, rusted pick-ups, barns, haystacks, and corrugated metal walls. Most of the pictures are a full page in size; a few are impressive two-page spreads. Some of the photos may strike photographers as a bit too Playboy in style, but for the most part, they are tasteful and quite artistic. Lemon is clearly a talented photographer and Outdoor Glamour Photography gives enough information to help aspiring photographers benefit from his wealth of experience.

When I first acquired this book, I thought "Heh, this will prove to be an interesting photography album, a nice collection of outdoor glamour shots". As the reading progressed, that first initial thought was more and more challenged. As an amateur photographer myself, and interested in all things beautiful to capture on camera, that would have sufficed. But as luck had it, I've stumbled upon not only a tasteful nudes book, but a guide to creating outstanding outdoor glamour photographs, as proven by the hefty amount of skill involved in creating the book. Here's why.
Shot with Nikon D200, Nikon D100 and Nikon D300, the photographs are taken with absolutely no artificial lighting, using only natural light. Each photograph is accompanied by a page detailing the time of day and year when it was taken, the equipment used and tips and tricks in taking such an image. So not only do you get to enjoy art at its finest, but you also learn the tricks from a master of his trade. Practically, you'll learn everything you know in creating a photograph such as the one you've just admired. The book even talks about the special relationship between photographer and model, and how to get your models to do outstanding things. In some rare instances, Bill Lemon even talks about the mistakes of that certain photograph, and what could have been done to make it even better.
All in all, I'm giving Bill Lemon's "Outdoor Glamour Photography" a solid rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The reason for this has mainly to do with my own tastes, as I prefer shots taken in a more urban or surprising landscape, and all of the photographs in the book are taken in a rural, idyllic setting. That is not to say that they are boring, far from it, as their composition and location are outstandingly beautiful, but more that they don't suit my current photography pursuits.

Bill has produced his best work in this volume of photography. Bill continues to dazzle his audience with his posing and shooting techniques.
This is a must have book, loaded with a vast quantity of posing ideas, following Bill's tutorial will enable the photographer to see light in a new way. Learn from one of the best with Outdoor Glamour Photography. Copy the posing and lighting ideas to create your own dynamic portfolio of sensational images.

I just received this book and have been reading through it. It's not really what I expected.

These are the things I didnt' like about the book.

First, the book is less of a "how-to" and more of a "how-I-did-this". There's very little meat. There aren't any real chapters. There is an introduction but it's only a few sentences. This intermediately follows with light meter use and white balance all on the same page.

Bill Lemon then goes on to justify shooting in JPEG rather than RAW because of the small file sizes. The book was published in 2008 so hard drive storage was reasonably cheap and generous. Products such as Adobe Lightroom were available back then also which allow a photographer to import and convert photos to DNG format decreasing storage requirements and allowing "virtual copies" to be made. I don't share his belief with JPEG shooting but each to his own I guess.

The book's layout and design feels cheap. There's text that extends almost to the edges of the pages without a any amount of gutter so you really need to fold to book open to read the text that flows into the pages folds. The layout is cheap as I mentioned.

Also, the fonts used feel like they've been pulled from a Windows 3.11 computer. Script fonts are used for sub-headings and there's no real consistent design other than the script-type font and italics here and there. I'm no graphic designer but to me it doesn't feel like a well-published book.

Lastly, there's some weird fold-out thing in the middle of the book. It's almost like a centrefold-type fold out except it's printed on some weird gold-reflective card which really, I don't understand why it's there. It makes the text difficult to read due to the paper's reflective properties and the photos look plain weird.

The whole book in general has a the feel of a magazine "annual edition".

But, the book does have excellent pictures each of which have a box with the camera used and its settings. There's also a small write-up for each picture detailing how the shot was set up, tips on lighting and posing as well as composition and texture. I have indeed gained something from this aspect of the book and it will definitely improve my photography in this area.

Overall, I wish this book was more in-depth with discreet chapters providing more substance with accompanying photos rather than a whole book of photos with some text with each picture.

Would I buy it again if I could do it again? Yes, but it it would have to be priced much lower.

What can I say; Bill has outdone himself this time! Having owned each and every book Bill has produced, OUTDOOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY: The Complete Digital Guide to Taking Successful Outdoor Glamour Photographs this is his best by far. Not only do his images exceed the beauty of those in his past books, but, his instruction and tips are written in a clear, cohesive, and comprehensive manner that will inspire photographers of all levels. Whether you're just discovering the world of outdoor glamour photography, or are a seasoned pro, Bill Lemon's newest book will certainly teach you a thing or two.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Bill Lemon and reviewing his outstanding glamour books for years. His latest contribution `Outdoor Glamour Photography' is a wonderful addition to my library. Bill's photography, in this new book, is all about texture, shapes and colors while showcasing beautiful models in unusual locations. All of his images are magnificently crafted, well posed and lit to perfection. But there's more! The instruction he gives with each digital image is as captivating as the images themselves. From lighting and background tips to posing and composition hints, Bill instructs the reader on his approach to each outstanding setup. If your planning to buy any book, video or DVD on model photography, start with Bill Lemon's new book `Outdoor Glamour Photography.' It will treat your eyes as well as your mind! Brian Ratty

OUTDOOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY: THE COMPLETE DIGITAL GUIDE TO TAKING SUCCESSFUL OUTDOOR GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHS, by Bill Lemon
COPYRIGHT © 2008 by Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

One of Ernest Hemingway's most celebrated stories begins: "This is a clean and pleasant cafe. It is well lighted. The light is very good and also, now, there are shadows of the leaves." These words came to mind over and over as I perused the pages of Bill Lemon's absolutely gorgeous book, Outdoor Glamour Photography.

The book is a collection of lovely models, nude or partially clad, against a backdrop of varied settings, ranging from wheat fields, haunting forests, railroad tracks, and beat-up trucks. The facial expressions, the lighting, the contrast between the background and foreground, the composition, the choice of clothing--all are perfectly planned and lovingly explained in language accessible to an amateur or even an inexperienced photographer. The specifications of the camera and settings used are highlighted for easy reference. The results are stunning! Here is the life's work of a professional and teacher who knows what he's doing and shares how he does it. His appreciation of nature, the female body, and the technique of his trade all blend into an artistic masterpiece that must be seen and savored like a delicate soufflé.

What Hemingway is to fiction, Bill Lemon is to reality--without the angst of the proprietor of "A Clean, Well Lighted Place. "Nada, y pues nada" is replaced by Keats' "thing of beauty" - a "joy forever." This book would be a welcome addition to any coffee table and any photographer who wants to explore the feminine mystique.

The book is simply a portfolio of the authors work. Gorgeous work... without a doubt. The title says, "COMPLETE GUIDE" yea... right! Honestly... I would wish I could get my money back. If you're looking for instruction of what the title claims - LOOK ELSEWHERE! SAVE YOUR MONEY!

Doug Martin
Twin Cities, MN

The book contains lots of helpful information regarding this type of photography. Photos and actual camera settings are listed for every image. He also reveals the equipment he uses. Mr Lemon also goes into detail regarding his philosophy on natural light photography. It's a very informative book for anyone wanting to develop their skills as an outdoors portrait photographer.

I have heard for sometime of this book's author, glamour photographer Bill Lemon's reputation as a world class photographer and teacher of the glamour art form. With the purchase of this book, Mr. Lemon's work was brought to life for me through his stunning glamour images on each page and simple to understand description of his basic concept, lighting, and exposure techniques. One must see the full page images contained within this publication to fully appreciate this master photographer's skill.