Customer Reviews

Stephen Johnson on Digital Photography

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have worked alongside Steve in Ireland, California and Antarctica and having this book is like having the Master at your side. Steve is the consumate teacher. He has a unique gift of making the complex simple. As a teacher myself, I understand the challenge. In this book, Stephen Johnson takes the reader along on his own personal journey of discovery, dealing with the birth of Digital imaging and the transition from film to silicon in a way that is both history lesson and photoshop primer. The key feature of this book over most others on similar topics is that it is aimed at photographers who are passionate about making beautiful images and not obsessed with the latest filter or gimick. Steve's approach takes you through the process from visualisation to fine print stopping along the way with tips and advice on how to maximise the quality with the minimum of intervention. The book is beautifully written, designed and produced to a standard we have grown to expect from Stephen Johnson. I am making it a mandatory purchase for my Fine Art Media students. As a photographer and teacher for 30 years and working digitally for the last 12 or so, I still could not put this book down. I learnt something from every page. I cannot reccommend it highly enough.

Anthony Hobbs

This is a book for anyone who is a photographer, either professional or amateur. It is also the photography book for the 21st century. Now that film is pretty much dead, both for the camera and darkroom, this book is essential for understanding the new digital technology. Stephen Johnson was there at the creation, and this book takes you through all of the necessary steps for understanding and working in the digital format.
The book is extremely well written. The language is clear, the illustrations are beautiful. I have taken several workshops with Stephen, and as others have said, he is superb teacher. In fact he is responsible for getting me started on the path of digital photography, and teaching me how to scan and print some my old black and white negatives from Appalachia. This has resulted in several exhibits, including a major one at the University of Kentucky next year. In the last few years, I have bought several books on digital photography, but this is the one I will keep close to my computer. A final note: I used to teach photography at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, if I were still teaching (now emeritus), this would be my textbook of choice. It is simply superb.

This is a truly fascinating book. Rather than just another How-To book on digital photography, the author takes the reader on a journey through a history of "digital imaging", shows how the same principles of "classic" photography apply to digital photography today, and examines what the future may hold. According to the author, we are still in the stone age of digital photography--we are only now becoming aware of some of the tools that are available. He speculates, "just imagine what the future holds".

Digital photography actually has its ancestors in the cathode ray tube, the television, and even radar. Rudimentary sorts of digital cameras were used in the Voyager space programs. In any case, the digital camera you use today owes a great deal to these early ancestors. Understanding this history is important, so that the workings of modern digital cameras is understood.

While digital photography does not use a darkroom per se, as in classic photography, a computer running Photoshop can act as a digital darkroom. In this section, the author discusses some of the common techniques used in a "digital darkroom". Interestingly enough, many of these techniques have a direct counterpart in classic photography. It is fascinating to see so many similarities.

Finally, there is a very interesting discussion on photo doctoring, ethics, and what the future may hold in this regard for digital photography. In this section, the author shows a doctored photo of President Clinton shaking hands with an alien (courtesy of the Weekly World News), and even more insidious, a doctored photo of John Kerry and Jane Fonda together at an anti-war rally (the photo of John Kerry was taken in 1971; the photo of Jane Fonda in 1972). Through these examples, it becomes clear what a huge moral responsibility photographers shoulder.

This was a great book--not only to read about some of the history of photography, but to also see a master at work on his own photographs. This is one of the most insightful, interesting, and educational books I have read on digital photography, or even photography in general.

Stephen Johnson on Digtal Photography is the beginning of our digital photography education. There are way to many "Tip's and Tricks" books out there on cute little Photoshop ideas. This book is not one of them! What has been needed for so very long is an start to finish book on digital photography that talks more about the process rather than Photoshop, Stephen's book does that. If you are on the fence about this book, fall over into the pasture and get it, there is even an ethics section on digital photography, long overdue.
Richard Newman
Education Coordinator Calumet Photographic

Unlike any other book on digital photography I've read up to this point. Part science class, part history lecture, part art lesson, all education. Not the read if you're looking for a "rules for taking good digital pictures" book. However, if you're looking for an intelligent discussion on all that goes into a digital image, this is the book. Details on how digital cameras and scanners work; how light is transformed into a digital image.

I found the section titled "Photography, Art and the Future" a very interesting opinion piece on a variety of subjects in the news that are obviously important to the author. It covers topics facing photographers in general such as ethics, ownership, copyright, professional respect, social concerns and environmental work.

A unique at digital photography, smart and well written.

Reviewing Steve's new book on digital photography is like standing with your camera at the rim of the Grand Canyon...where do you start? His book is a comprehensive and artful blend of the technical history behind the electronic communication technology that led to digital image capture; essential information on digital imaging technology and its benefits without "tech speak"; a compendium of helpful hints for beginning to advanced photographers; a practical guide to the commonly used Photoshop features and their application; the essentials of color space and color management; an introduction to image restoration; grounded advice on composition and creating strong images; his quintessential philosophy on image manipulation; the challenges that face photographers in the digital age; and a finish that leaves the reader with a small piece of his passion for the photographic arts.

This book is destined to be a reference book for anyone serious about digital photography. It creates a step-by-step pathway for anyone to follow leading from "seeing" the image, capturing the image, and on through the entire technical process of realizing the final print. It is written in simple, easy terms and steps. Steve is thought-provoking on some controversial topics, yet gentle in how he presents his style and philosophy behind his vision. Anyone, whether beginner or advanced, in photography can learn something valuable in this work. Those new to digital photography will find this book extremely helpful.

This book is particularly poignant for me since being one of his students in three of his workshops during the past two years. His passion is genuine both in the field and throughout this book. Steve is instrumental in helping me "see" better and this book further reinforces the precepts of a gentle teacher. Stephen Johnson is the father of digital photography. Thanks, Steve. I highly recommend this book.

The real title of this book should have been The Digital Photographer's Bible as it starts with why you should switch to a digital camera as they are changing the photographic world.
This image rich book is full of everything a digital photographer needs to know from working with color to archiving of images. The captions are unassuming and clear and make extremely technical information easy to understand.
-Bill Owens

I have known Stephen Johnson for about six years, have studied in his workshops and from time-to-time have have acted as agent in business dealings on his behalf. Of all of his works, this book is one of my personal favorites. I have no stake whatsoever in the success or failure of this book other than wanting the best for Stephen as a fellow photographer.

In my opinion this book does for digital photographers what the Ansel Adams series "The Camera", "The Negative" and "The Print" did for traditional film-based photographers.

Stephen Johnson is an acknowledged expert in the field, widely regarded as one of the world's premier digital photographers and a pioneer in the art of making exceptional photographs using digital techniques.

This book demonstrates also Johnson's ability to share with others what he knows in a down-to-earth and highly readable style.

Regardless of what you think you know about digital photography - you need this book! It's a masterpiece.

Stephen is a great photographer. He is a pioneer. He has written a tome on digital photography, its history, its technology, its ethics, its art, its....its...too much! I agree with one of the other reviewers that it would make a great textbook, but like many textbooks, they bog down in their "universality." They cover too much. They are more suited for the classroom so as to spark discussion and research on a broad range of topics as does this book. There are better "how to" books on Photoshop. There are better books on artistic technique. There are better books on the ethics and legality of photography as well as books on photographic art form and the photojournalist genre. No, I'm not going to list all those "better" books here because this is a review of one book, and I don't want to start a debate over what's better. I read the book. It is very interesting and has some magnificent examples of Stephen's work and how he creates. But much of the book put me to sleep and caused me to say to myself, "this is all very interesting, but is it something I really need to know or care about to do fine art printing, or, be a better photojournalist, etc." He does do a really good job explaining the intricacies of digital sensors and how they all work, if you're interested in that sort of thing as well as the history, advantages and disadvantages of the scanning back. Ho hum! I don't care about sitting on an iceberg making a 5 minute exposure, but I do appreciate the effort and the result. In addition, Stephen does wear his politics and ethics on his sleeve a bit. For example he goes into whether or not to edit out a Coke can in a landscape photograph. Of course, he wouldn't, but many would. Who cares. It's not important, what's important is the photograph. And including rude caricatures of the President, references to bogus Lee Harvey Oswald pictures and a nit-picky criticism of Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother left me scratching my head as to why he would stoop to such political-social issues in a book about digital photography. See, there's the "textbook" angle I was talking about. Great for discussion in the classroom course, Digital Photography 101, History, Art, Ethics and Society. Snooz! Well, anyway, my point is you could write a whole book on photographic history, or art, or ethics, etc. if that is your interest. And if that is what you are interested in reading, you should buy each one of those books. I have several of them. So, should you buy the book if you are serious about photography? Probably. You probably already have 10 or 20, books or more if you are serious about photogrphy, and you probably only refer to 3 or 4 of them on a repeated basis. I'd look at the book in a store somewhere, first. Then if you like it, buy it at Amazon (How's that for a plug!), or if you're overcome with guilt, buy it at the store you're in (remember, I'd edit out the Coke can). Stephen is a 5-star photographer and a pioneer in the field. His book gets 3 stars. His photgraphs get 5 stars.

This is, quite simply, a gorgeous book. Filled with amazing photos by Stephen Johnson, it provides a wealth of information for photographers of any ability.

The book starts with a history of digital photography from the early days to present day. His chapters on Photoshop are second to none, with lots of clear explanations and photos which show exactly what he means. Where other photography manuals fall down by being too technical, or expecting too much background knowledge, Stephen's book actually shows you what the effect of changing this, or tweaking that will do. As a Photoshop manual, it is worth the cover price alone. Coupled with the background to digital photography, it's an absolute bargain.

A must for photographers, professional and amateur.