Techniques of Natural Light Photography [Paperback]

Jim Zuckerman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1996

Renowned photographer Jim Zuckerman shows how to read the light and capture magnificent images.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What makes or breaks a picture? Composition, of course, and perhaps less obvious but equally fundamental--light. "Subtle or dramatic, the impact of light on an image completely alters how that image is perceived," asserts Jim Zuckerman, who discusses the qualities of light--direction, diffusion, harshness--and how to use them as creative tools. There are many impressive color photographs (including twilight panoramas of Rio de Janeiro and interiors of Spanish architectural wonders), but few illuminate Zuckerman's text like his multiple images of a bikini-clad model on a beach, taken during a rapidly-changing sunset. While he is generous with technical details and data, he does not cover black and white photography.

Product Details

• Paperback: 134 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books; First Edition edition (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898797160
• ISBN-13: 978-0898797169
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #615,404 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book plump with tips and techniques., October 31, 1999

By 

Carl R. Evans "herbie" (Lawton, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Techniques of Natural Light Photography (Paperback)

Mostly I've been disappointed in the pictures I've taken outdoors. The colors were never quite right and my subjects didn't seem to be as impressive as I imagined them to be at the time. Mr. Zuckerman's book helped me understand why. His sharing of the intimate details of each of the spectacular shots in the book provided insight to the thought process of a master photographer. His simple approach took the complications out of the process and gives a feeling of confidence for even an amateur's next attempts. Beautifully written, one can sense his excitement and passion on each page. A job well done!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, worth the money...., December 2, 1999

By 

Ahmed Badr - See all my reviews

This review is from: Techniques of Natural Light Photography (Paperback)

This book was written in my favorite format: A great picture followed by a text describing the technique used. You are expected to know your way around the camera as well as different lens characteristics so there's not a lot of repetitive text found in other books. I would have preferred that more technical data and technique descriptions were included but what's there is quite enough. The pictures are quiet inspiring. And the techniques explained helped me a lot to produce better pictures. I highly recommend this book. Worth the money.

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Look elsewhere, May 15, 2001

By 

Marius S. (San Jose, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Techniques of Natural Light Photography (Paperback)

The book is divided into 'Sunrise', 'Early Morning/Late Afternoon', 'Midday', 'Sunset', 'Twilight', 'Overcast Conditions', 'Interios' and 'Special Conditions'. Each chapter has a series of photographs with describing text and technical details for each shot. Zuckerman is using medium format (and almost exclusively Velvia), although the book is by no means restricted to any particular format. If you have some other book describing exposure, there's not much new in here. The text feels very repetetive, saying the same over and over again only with different words.

This is the first book I've bought by Zuckerman and it will most likely be the last. I didn't even feel like finishing this one. I find his photographs mostly boring, soulless, stereotypical and unimaginative. Some are so clichés it's almost funny, yet also demotivating. But what can you expect from a photographer that studies "postcards in book stores or gift shops" as the "first things I [Zuckerman] do when I'm shooting the scenic highlights of any city, whether foreign or domestic" (p. 82).

I also have John Shaw's "Nature Photography Field Guide" and it's definitely better on the text side. Zuckerman's book adds little to what you can get from Shaw's book, and the latter is far more comprehensive. Shaw's photography is better than Zuckerman's too.

I give this book one star as it gives so little, both in terms of text (there are far better and more comprehensive books) and pictures (postcards).