Customer Reviews

Photographing Weather

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

 

 

This book is good if you want to know lots about clouds and a little bit about other types of weather. It also contains a very basic section on photography. But, where this book is lacking is in the link between learning about weather and photography. These two weren't really put together at all. I was hoping to find tips on when to expect what kinds of weather, how to predict if the sunsets will be great, and how to capture lightning. These weren't there. Really, this is a book about weather with a little section on basic photography so they can call it "Photographing Weather".

I never review books or music, because it is dependent on personal taste. But this is one of the worst books I ever read, so I had to comment.

The book is titled Photographing Weather. Well, the book is about photography + weather, which are 2 distinct topics. It does nothing to help the reader about actually improving weather photography.

Couple chapters on photography equipment that can be found in any introductory book and not specific to weather. The bulk of the book (3-4 chapters) is purely about weather. This might be of interest to someone who want to learn about weather; maybe meteorologist, weatherman, or students learning about weather. But there is no info on how to advance your skills on photographing weather. Then book has a chapter on post processing; again, something that can be found in any photography book and not specific to weather.

Basically, after reading the book, I did not learn one single new information on how to better include clouds, fog, mist, rain, and sun in photography; or how to reduce haze or glare.

Don't waste your time with this book.

This book is just right for what it is and needs to be. Other photography books should take a page from this book as well.

The Good

-Short and easy to read if you are even the slightest technically inclined
-Easy to carry around because it is maybe 5x8 inches.
-Printed on nice paper
-Everything is very specific... no vague what ifs, just possibilities

The Cons

-Can be too technical for some.
-Doesn't dabble in how tos as much as some would like.

All in all, this is not a 'I want to photograph weather so I buy a camera and this book and go to Alaska!' This is what I would consider a tier 2 book for a profession. It does not include the usual 'turn camera on and click shutter button' type stuff. If that is something you are looking for you might not find this book useful.

To those saying it's just a weather book, that is partially true. The difference is it focuses heavily on the weather and it's relationship to photography. Big difference. If you are an architectural photographer or a type of photographer that does anything outside this book is guaranteed to be useful to anyone. The information is full of 'stuff you should know and if you don't know you will learn the hard way over the next 5 years.'

I have an interest in both weather and photography, and am kind of a beginner with both. I was surprised to find this book written by an obviously well-educated man who knows his Latin and certainly knows his weather. Storm Dunlop's explanations are concise and absolutely packed with information. I like how he tries to keep information grouped on similar topics across a one or two-page spread. This man clearly knows his weather - after a few pages I found myself thinking, "This guy does not write like your average photographer." In fact, he writes authoritatively as one who is highly educated and experienced at observing weather phenomena. The irony of the author's name is also not lost on me.

I am fascinated by science and by photography, but not by technological lingo about cameras. I had a hard time muddling through the equipment and photography explanations at the beginning of the book, in which some mention is made of how all this relates to weather, but for the most part, the author sticks to describing the basics of a camera, what you can make the camera do and what kind of equipment you may find helpful.

I think it must be hard to write a book on this topic because so many people want different things from a book on weather photography. The bulk of the time, I felt like I was reading a superbly photographed science textbook, and I was fascinated. It is a science textbook, in a way, but it is written specifically with the photographer in mind. This book is written for the photographer who is first and foremost an observer (which ought to be all photographers, right?), so that he can set about observing things knowledgeably. Really, even though the tips one needs for making particular types of photos might be lacking, as one reviewer has pointed out, as a beginner in weather photography all I am looking for is an understanding of what I am seeing. The fact that these explanations are made clearly, concisely and thoroughly by someone with knowledge in the sciences and a passion for photography makes the book a perfect place to start. If you have an inquiring mind, you will want to know what you are photographing anyway and what the value of your photos could be to meteorologists and weather enthusiasts. I especially appreciate that the author outlines the rarity of certain events, so that I know exactly what to keep an eye out for and what is going on in the atmosphere when I see it.

I think it was Mark Twain who said that a river would lose its beauty the longer you worked on the riverboats, as you came to know the meaning of each swirl in the water and adjust accordingly for what might be endangering your boat. After hearing this I had a fear that the more I learned about things like clouds, the more I would see them with a cold scientific eye and the less I would be able to simply enjoy them. The mixture of science and beautiful imagery in this book erases the chances of that happening in the hands of this particular author. In fact I feel armed and ready to go out and find all sorts of beautiful things to photograph now that I understand what they are and how they occur.

The photos are beautifully done and inspiring. I loved the addition of a short section on stereoscopic photography, something not often utilized these days. The author has challenged me to see not just the aesthetic and entertainment value of this charming photographic trick, but the value of it as a serious tool for modern-day weather enthusiasts. My only problem is that I can't figure out how to cross my eyes. Other than that small disappointment, I really enjoy the book and can't wait to see what will be in the sky tomorrow! Thank you, Mr. Dunlop, for your wonderful book!

4 stars, due to the fact that my anti-technological mind refuses to digest the opening chapter.

*****Edit******

I have a few more comments to add now that I have completed the book. First, I should say that after carefully reading and rereading many parts of the book, looking at the sky is a completely different experience for me. I take far more cloud pictures than I used to, and I notice far more phenomena in the sky than I ever imagined were there before. It is really a treat now just to look up and more deeply enjoy what I am seeing. Sometimes I feel like the only person around who is bothering to observe the sky in this way. I honestly wish others could know the same joy.

Second, I now feel that the book has a few areas in need of improvement. As I was reading, I noticed two things in particular: The author has a habit of mentioning special cloud types without explaining them or providing photographs. It was very frustrating to have a phenomenon named but not properly described or pictured.

And second, the captions of some very basic cloud type photos show cluds that are borderline or atypical for their type in some way. These examples should not be the main ones in an introductory text.The photos were merely confusing and left me having to guess at what was normal. A beginner needs to know what is ordinary before they can appreciate what is unusual or extraordinary. Of course, some photos are meant to show things that are very atypical, and these photos certainly belong in the book, but not to the exclusion of images that teach us to identify the normal ranges of cloud types. The interplay of photos and text ought to make more sense.

I also felt that the method of introducing the names of various cloud "subspecies" could be much better organized, on top of lacking photos and proper descriptions. They could and should be introduced more systematically, not simply sprinkled here and there without much rhyme or reason.

I hope that the author has a chance to release another edition of this book. Despite its shortcomings, it certainly was fascinating and inspiring. It gave me a joy and an appreciation for the sky that I have not known for a long time, and it has given me the impetus to start becoming a better photographer and observer of the sky wherever I go.

I did NOT get this book from Amazon, I got it localy, but its the same one here on amazon. I seen this book and flipped through it mostly because I am into this type of stuff. Cloudscapes, Atmospheric / Optical phenomena such as Halos and Rainbows. The book is full of cloud types and discriptions and this is good. Also included is some wonderful photos. The book does go into some camera basics, but I felt as if there is missing information. I would have loved to see settings for many of the photos in the book such as halos. Some of the phenomena don't last a whole lot of time so it would have been nice to be given a "baseline" setting for said phenomena. I don't want to go out and guess what aperture to use and shutter speed while trying to shoot something that I have not seen before or being in a rush trying to get good shots of something dangrous like a Tornado. Though it is hard due to lighting to set a "standard" setting on a camera for say a halo. f/8 for 1/320 sec may do it for one image, it may not work in all cases. I still would like to know what setting where for many of the photos in the book

I am sure someone really good with photography who knows how to meter the scene right would not have much of a problem nailing down the right exposure.

The plus side of things is you get a basic weather primer. Where clouds are located in the atmosphere.

The bottom line? I got the book its going to stay on my book shelf. Its not too bad, I don't find much wrong with it, the camera settings would have been a plus. If you see the book localy pick it up and have a look see if it suites you. Personaly, I think the book is good for the 20 bucks and tax I paid for it, I will keep looking through it for ideas and cloud IDs

This book outlines most common weather phenomena, and details how to find and photograph it. Full of very nice photos, has small sections on camera basics, and composition, buy most is on cloud types, and how to photograph rarer weather.