Perfect Exposure: A Practical Guide for All Photographers [Paperback]

Roger Hicks (Author), Frances Schultz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

Exposure is one of the most demanding aspects of photography. It is not always easy to get it right, and achieving the perfect exposure requires a thorough knowledge of theory, materials, processes and equipment. In this comprehensive new book well-known authors and working photographers Roger Hicks and Frances Schultz draw on many years of experience to present authoritative information on all aspects of exposure, both in theory and in practice. They begin by looking at the perfect exposure and then move on to explore characteristic curves shadows, highlights and speed and subject and image brightness. Chapters on film testing and the Zone system are followed by full explanations of all types of metering, and the book is completed by detailed sections on printing for the best pictures in both monochrome and color. Illustrated with a stunning selection of black and white and color photographs demonstrating technical points or simply standing alone as inspirational examples of the photographer s art, this will become an essential work of reference for both those fascinated by exposure theory and practical photographers who simply want to take better pictures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Amphoto Books (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817453989
• ISBN-13: 978-0817453985
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,776,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Too much information that is not usable, March 2, 2001

By 

Stephen McHenry (Olney, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Perfect Exposure: A Practical Guide for All Photographers (Paperback)

There is too much information in this book that is way too technical or simply of no use to me. Here is a quote from the book: "With a spot meter, you can measure the log brightness range of the subject; you know that you need a log density range of around 1.1 to make a contact print on grade 2 paper: and armed with the film manufacturer's gamma/time cures, plus a good guess at the flare factor for your lens, you can select the appropriate development time."

The photographs in the book are average to the point that when looking at them I'm thinking, "I can do better than that."

The authors have a converstaional style in writing, and if you want ALOT of detail on exposure, maybe this is the book for you. There is 20 pages devoted to the chapter on film testing alone, a couple of paragraphs of which are devoted to describing the example negatives that are over/under exposed. The problem is, the negatives they are describing are in one of their other books! You would think that at 192 pages, they could at least include the examples they are refering to.

The key concept in the book is ". . .think hard about how you want a given tone to 'read' in the final picture, and adjust your metering technique accordingly."

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for my needs, January 15, 2000

By 

Frank Paris (Beaverton, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Perfect Exposure: A Practical Guide for All Photographers (Paperback)

This is exactly the kind of photo book I've been looking for: lots of technical information on film characteristics, theory of density, printing, how lighting and filters affect exposure, technical details on the various kinds of light meters and what they're good for, etc., etc., etc. All too many photo books of this form factor are pablum. This book really gets into the guts of film exposure and all of the factors that affect it. If you want to go beyond the basics in understanding how film is exposed and such things as the difference in characteristics between slide and negative film, this is a great book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Thick, Gluey Muck!, August 9, 2003

By 

Gordon, Kim, Josh & Shay (High Point, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Perfect Exposure: A Practical Guide for All Photographers (Paperback)

Don't let the beautiful cover fool you, this book contains dreadfully complex, dry text that confuses rather than enlightens. Unless you are enticed by topics such as, "Interpreting the D/Log E Curve" or "Converting Log Density Ranges" there are easily better choices. If you're looking for clarity - whether novice or advanced photography skill - buy Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure." Its simplicity is effective and refreshing.