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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wide angle view of photography, July 17, 2007
This review is from: Photography (Eyewitness Companions) (Paperback)
I was pleasantly surprised that this book was able to cover a number of aspects of photography, both historical and technical. As always, do not expect a 340 page book to cover everything, especially if it is taking a wide-angle view of photography.
The book starts with a 40-page chapter spotlighting some of the most famous photographers, spending 1 to 2 pages per photographer, in alphabetic order so as not to appear to be a ranking. The usual names are there: Ansel Adams, Anne Leibovitz, Raghu Rai, R. Capa, Cartier-Bresson, Haas, List, Bourke-White, Diane Arbus, etc.
Another 40-page chapter tries to cover the history and the story of photography. In text and in pictures. Again, do not expect a comprehensive history in just 40 pages of text and pictures.
Next there is a big 80 page segment covering photographic tools. It covers cameras of all sorts (film, digital, etc), lenses, computer software, basic coverage of image manipulation and post-processing, darkroom, and more equipment and technology related topics.
For those who want to time the book based on the cameras pictured in the magazine here they are: Olympus E20, Minolta G600, Ricoh Caplio RZ1, Fji F810, Olympus C70 (I think UK model #), Sony CD500, Pentax *ist D, Leica Digilux 2 (Leica version of Panasonic LC1).
Following up is a 45-page segment that talks about the photographic aspects of learning, such as composition, exposures, filter effects, lens effects, color, light, etc. Again, do not expect a thorough explanation of each topic. For example, Exposure alone has a whole book devoted to it by Bryan Peterson Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition).
Following that there is a 70-page segment covering most of the common photography tasks: travel, portraits, pets, landscapes, kids, gardens, nude, art, architecture, etc, etc.
The book ends with a 20-page chapter that I call "Taking it to the next level" (going pro, exhibitions, commercial photography).
On the resource segment of the book there is a glossary (6 pages), a diagnosing problems segment (5 pages) [eg why did i get a thin flat negative?], and an 8-page directory of photography clubs around the world, various websites divided by topic, along with photographic competitions.
The book ends with the obligator Index (6 pages) and 2 pages of acknowledgements of the pictures used in the book.
Overall I must admit I was pleasantly surprised that such a tiny book (344 pages but smaller size) was able to offer such a wide-angle view of photography. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn as much about photography from a single book. This is not a step-by-step how-to book however, and if someone wants a more step by step how-to book, the Dummies or Kiss type of books may be more helpful and less intimidating for them. However as a general introduction to photography this is one of the most nicely composed (pun intended) books.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Photography, October 28, 2009
This review is from: Photography (Eyewitness Companions) (Paperback)
This is one of one of Dorling Kindersley's "Eyewitness Companions" series. The cover says that it covers equipment, techniques, digital imaging, and projects. Actually, that is only the second half of the book. The reader receives a bonus in that the first half covers the history of photography and the elements that separate good photography from snapshots.
The publisher has managed to package over 340 very nice looking pages into a remarkably small volume. There are a great many photos, well presented on slick paper. The book is only 4 ¾ inches by 8 ½. That limits the size of the prints, but still the detail is sufficient to illustrate the points that the author is making.
And there are many such points. The book covers a broad range of subjects and often goes into considerable detail. Admittedly, there are limitations. A good photographic shop will offer several books covering any one of the Tom Ang's seven chapters. However, he has done a noteworthy job of efficiently packaging information. All but professional photographers should find sufficient new ideas to inspire them in experimenting and seeking other sources to improve their skills.
The book starts by introducing the reader to some forty of the world's most influential photographers. Some readers will find that a little dry, but by the end of the book they will understand the value of starting with the various skills, creative thought, and viewpoints that expert photographers (actually, photographic artists) bring to their work. The book concludes with suggestions for selling your photographs and gives us pointers on what sells in various markets and what may limit success.
Most amateur photographers work in color and the coverage is strongest in that area, although there is some information on digital and black and white photography as well. In particular, the digital coverage is the weakest. That is understandable since the digital world is so broad and is still changing rapidly. Even so, digital photographers like me will find useful information on what constitutes quality photographs and how they are achieved in the field. I found the book valuable on the first reading and it will be useful for future reference.
The book covers a broad range of photographic types; portraits, animals, events, documentary, children, travel, landscapes, plants and gardens, nudes, architecture, and photographic art. In each case, the author suggests techniques for getting quality results. Often he leads us through a point-by-point analysis of an actual photograph.
This is a good book for the photographic hobbyist, or the aspiring professional. The author tells us that; "There is no doubt that reaching the top in the world of photography calls for total dedication (if not obsession), hard work, true creative talent, plus a good dose of luck. But there are plenty of ways in which you can get more satisfaction out of your hobby that do not require quite the same level of endurance and investment in effort." I have known that my knowledge of aperture, exposure, and composition needs work. This book gives me a boost toward accomplishing that effort. Hopefully, the book will give other readers the incentive and information to get greater enjoyment from their work as well.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book for new lovers of photography..., April 25, 2009
This review is from: Photography (Eyewitness Companions) (Paperback)
Fascinating and instructive on so many levels. This is more like an encyclopedia on photography - a survey book that is chock full of ideas for further exploration.
My favorite sections were:
"Gallery of Photographers"-- I loved reading about the photographers Ang selected for his gallery - there is considerable diversity in his choices - nature photographers, documentary photographers, fashion photographers, etc....
"Story of Photography" --fascinating, not just the technical history but also the history of how photography has been used...
"Elements of Photography" -- standard advice about composition, color, light, exposure, etc..., but what makes this section particularly interesting are the two page spreads of a single photograph that has 5-6 sections highlighted and analyzed. There are a handful in this chapter. I would love to see an entire book with Ang's commentary like this, of his own photos, of amateur photos, and even of some of the photographs in the gallery...
and "Taking Successful photographs" - Advice about how to take certain types of pictures, portraits, travel, macros, nudes, landscape, etc... I know there are whole books about how to take macro photographs, for example, but this survey approach will be very helpful to those who want enough information to feel confident exploring multiple genres. This chapter also contains a handful of photos with analysis.
Finally, there are hundreds of incredible, inspirational photos in this book. Highly recommended for general browsing.
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