Customer Reviews

Understanding Digital Photography: Techniques for Getting Great Pictures

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Reading "Understanding Digital Photography" by Bryon Peterson is a bit like being at a family get-together, and being given a lot of good advice by friendly Uncle Phil over a couple of beers. Then you later discover that friendly Uncle Phil didn't know what he was talking about! It does mar what was otherwise a good experience.

What makes me think of a family get-together is the folksy, jocular tone and the amusing comparisons between technical subjects and familiar things. Here are a few of Bryan Peterson's more colorful attempts at making digital photography understandable:

- The pixels on the sensor work together like a family, like socialism, and it's too bad Stalin and Mao Tse-tung couldn't see this (pg 16).

- JPEGs are like amnesia or like AM radio or like prepared meat loaf (pg 18, 20).

- TIFFs are like elephants (pg 19).

- ISO is like caffeine, and high ISO is like bloodshot eyes (pg 22).

- Long exposure times cause the pixel family to fall apart and have a nervous breakdown (pg 78).

- Checking the background is important, although typically not done regarding the person you're going to marry (pg 96).

- Over-sharpening a picture makes it glow, which could be used to guide Santa Claus and Rudolph (pg 129).

This style of writing may appeal to some people, but it's definitely not my cup of tea.

The book is richly illustrated with a lot of photographs taken by Bryan Peterson. These pictures do a good job of presenting the various techniques being discussed, and they are all good pictures from a purely technical point of view.

However, my aesthetic opinion of most of the pictures is fairly low, i.e., they are not the kind of pictures that I'd like to be able to make someday.

Bryan Peterson favors very colorful photos, and he admits that he pushes the color saturation up on most of his pictures. The composition and subjects of many of his pictures leave a kind of artificial taste, as if the pictures were being made just for the sake of making pictures that will impress.

Of course, taste is something that is very individual, and Bryan Peterson is a successful professional photographer so there are obviously many people who like his pictures.

The most serious problem with this book is the large number of technical errors concerning digital photography. Here are some of the more serious examples:

- "... the more pixels the merrier" (pg 16). Only true up to a point.

- "Every time you open and close a JPEG file on your computer, the file degrades due to data being lost..." (pg 18). Not true, and Bryan Peterson's warnings against using JPEGs are mostly incorrect.

- White balance should always be set to "Cloudy+3" (pg 26). Poor advice, especially when photographing people because of the need to get skin colors correct.

- Landscapes should be shot at f/22 (pg 34) and macros at f/32 (pg 118). This doesn't take the light diffraction problem into account.

- Depth of field properties of a lens are independent of sensor size (pg 39 and 119). Not true.

- Noise reduction should be done last in post processing (pg 57). No, it should be done first.

- Clean the sensor with compressed air (pg 127). No, this can damage the camera.

- Take pictures under-exposed by 3 stops in order to stack 8 of them in Photoshop (pg 148). Crazy advice, you should change the opacity of the layers instead.

- "The output size of that file ... will be around 2048 x 3000 ppi (pixels per inch) ..." (pg 156). Meaningless statement.

Bryan Peterson tells us that he shot film for many years and only recently switched to digital. This book was obviously written before he had learned enough about digital photography to explain it properly.

So, I don't like the tone of the writing and I don't particularly like the pictures and I don't think Bryan Peterson's knowledge of digital photography was up to the task. What did I like about this book?

Actually, the basic concepts regarding photography that Bryan Peterson describes are good. The importance of getting the picture right when shooting it (as opposed to Photoshopping it later), the way in which aperture and shutter speed affect the picture, the importance of how a picture is illuminated and composed, the value of using a tripod; all of this material represents the core concepts of photography that need to be learned in order to be able to consistently take good pictures.

Another thing I appreciated was that Bryan Peterson says that understanding the technology isn't the most important aspect of being a good photographer. "... 99% of all successful photographic images have relied on ... setting a creatively correct exposure and ... creating a well-balanced and compelling composition" (pg 10). This book is inadvertent proof that a lack of technical knowledge does not prevent a person with the proper basic knowledge of photography from taking good pictures.

Still, for a book that is targeted at those who want to learn about digital photography, the many errors disqualify it.

Rennie Petersen

Digital photography is not yet second nature to Peterson as is film SLR photography. For example, Peterson writes "2048 x 3000 ppi (pixels per inch)" instead of "2048 x 3000 pixels"--he just doesn't speak the language yet.

Below, Rennie Petersen on May 19 gives the definitive criticism of this book. I own this book as well Peterson's other two books Understanding Exposure, which I highly recommend, and Learning to See Creatively, which I like having but is second to Understanding Exposure. So my review is really summed up in the title.

I like Bryan Peterson's other books (Learning to see Creatively and Understanding Exposure) and I was guessing that this would be a combination of the two with some additional tips towards digital photography. I expected a lot out of the book, and it didn't come out.
First of all, the 'photography' part of the book is good. Many examples and tips on how to make better pictures.
But the 'digital' part of the book is bad, really, really bad. Virtually every advice Bryan gives is wrong, or given for the wrong reason. You get the idea that mr. Peterson wanted to jump on the digital bandwagon without knowing anything about digital camera's in the first place.
I bought the book to give it to a friend who just got his first digital camera, and I wanted to see if it would be a keeper for myself. I'm keeping it, but only because I'd be ashamed to give it to somebody.
Again, the photography tips are good, and if it wasn't for the author, I would have given it three stars. But I was expecting something better.

I used to have some faith in Bryan Peterson's work when I first started learning photography in earnest, but this book is full of errors...Either he has failed to take the time to fully understand digital cameras and their sensors or he never knew in the first place and/or was given bad information...

A few of the errors as I see them...

1...He is using a Nikon with a 1.5x sensor...This sensor is diffraction limited at f/14 and above...Which means the detail and resolution suffer greatly above those apertures...Bryan continues to take these landscape shots at f/22 and up just like he did with film, not realizing he is losing detail and resolution...At least he could mention diffraction differences bewteen full frame 35mm and a 1.5x sensor, but he doesn't as I can only guess he is unaware...No other supposed professional I have ever seen takes a 1.5x-1.6x sensor above f/14-16...Let alone f/22 as he does on at least 15 shots in this book...

2...He also fails to realize that a 1.5x sensor exhibits a different depth of field than a film or full frame DSLR at the same aperture...(IE)A 1.5x sensor with a f/2.8 aperture has the depth of field of a f/4 aperture on a film or full frame DSLR...The focal length multiplicaton factor applies to the focal length as well as the depth of field...He flatly states this not to be true...

3...He highly recommends not using the histogram as a digital camera cannot expose enough stops anyway...Any true professional realizes the histogram is one of the primary advantages of instant digital feedback...Again, he is stuck in the film rut without much of a clue about true digtal photography and it's advantages...

4...He recommends using compressed air to blow off the sensor for cleaning...Almost all experts highly discourage this...First of all, you're not cleaning the actual sensor itself, but instead the anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor...There are air gaps between AA filter, IR filter, and the sensor itself...Using compressed air has proven to force some dust particles behind the AA filter and between these other layers while then becoming impossible to remove...

5...Then he claims to be a new found Adobe Photoshop CS expert while stating how to use ND filters filters and then manually layer them together for better dynamic range...Obviously if he really had used CS2 he would know it contains a new function called "Merge to HDR (higher dynamic range)" which automatically merges all same size images that are opened in that function...No filters and no manual layering...

The list just goes on...Frankly I think Bryan Peterson was rushed into coming out with a digital book while he was obviously ill prepared to present...He hasn't spent the time to learn about digital, let alone enough to write a book about it...

I firmly believe if anyone truly reseaches these above items you'll find the errors I have mentioned...

As I stated, I used to be a big fan of Bryan Peterson, but no more...

This book is a definite non buy...Even some of the pics were from past publications...I would have given it 0 stars but it wasn't allowed...

I really wanted to like "Understanding Digital...," after loving "Understanding Exposure" (a must for anyone learning photography), and learning so much from "Learning to See Creatively."

HOWEVER, despite this book's many positive attributes, such as Peterson's illustrative use of good photo / bad photo juxtapositions to illustrate his points and his sound advice on composition and exposure, this book is unfortunately fraught with misinformation about the capturing and processing of digital images.

There are many wonderful books out there on the digital process. Unfortunately, this is not one of the best. Peterson's strengths lie in his eye for graphic composition and color and his ability to explain the sometimes confusing concepts behind exposure in an accessible manner. By all means, every beginning SLR photographer can and should learn from Peterson's classic "Understanding Exposure." It is truly fantastic! However, when it comes to explaining digital technology, there are better books available.

[...]As a new student of Bryan's online courses at Better Photos.com, his way of teaching is remarkable. I had been seeking somewhere that I could take an online course and really be able to grasp the concepts of taking great photos and being able to succeed. After taking several other photography courses elsewhere, I can say that I've finally find someone who can break it down simply...which allows me to have more time doing what I love ... taking photographs. [...]

I received your new book yesterday from Amazon.com (I also had to get Learning to See Creatively so I could have the whole trilogy!).

I've made it about half way thru the new book and it is really terrific (as I knew it would be). I've only been obsessed about learning photography for the past nine months, so I'm pretty much a beginner. I always loved photography, but never did much more than take the "snapshot" approach until my husband bought me a Canon A95 for Christmas. By our anniversary in March, he was handing over the 20d .... sad but true :)

So when it comes to the things in your book, I really learned alot of pretty neat things I had no clue about before (already changed my Adobe Color Workspace to Adobe RGB 1998).

Your examples of the Pixel Family and describing ISO as caffeine made me laugh and also made it finally sink in and make sense...excellent combination. I have more reading to do, but cheated and had to glance all the way thru. Showing how you took the shot of that lemon was amazing to me and I can't wait to try that when I'm confined in the winter. Learning to isolate by shooting numbers for a week is a great idea and would be really good practice for me.

And finally, I don't know a whole lot about Photoshop Elements 3, but I'm reading and learning, so I've already found several things in the book that I definitely want to try out. I really like the approach of getting it right in the camera (I work all day on a computer, so the last thing I want to do is spend hours in the "body shop" with my photos!).

The best thing I like about the book was the photos included of your family. I think it really shows folks that they don't have to settle for the typical snapshots everyone takes ... they can photograph their own family in really stunning photos just like you did.

Nice job ... congratulations!

Nancy

Digital cameras of all "colors and strips" exist today and it has never been easier for anyone to pick up a camera and take pictures, lots of pictures. In fact, without having to worry about the cost of film, it's even easier. One of the joys of digital photography is that we can literally take as many pictures as we want and most people do just that. Unfortunately, though, the new technology doesn't necessarily make it easier for the photographer to take consistent compelling pictures that are well exposed, but Bryan Peterson's new Amphoto volume, "Understanding Digital Photography," will.

Peterson takes you through the world of digital photography beginning with some definitions and basics and rambling through aperture, shutter speed, light, composition, and the digital darkroom. He covers every important aspect of these factors from a digital point of view, with the emphasis placed on helping readers to "see" and "avoid the most common pitfalls" that prevent us from taking great pictures. Peterson not only teaches us how to "see," he teaches us what we "don't see" and how these failures impact on our art.

The volume is full of Peterson's wonderful photos, which illustrate each topic of discussion, and he gives a full description of how each was composed and exposed. These are lessons in and of themselves, but you will also appreciate Peterson's ability to make difficult concepts easy to understand and enjoy his hearty sense of humor. Tips are littered throughout the book, as are suggestions for trying out some of the techniques on your own.

There is something here for all levels of photographers and Peterson's refreshing attitude towards "getting it right in the camera" before moving on to your computerized darkroom will endear many. There is a time and place for everything and he'll show you how to put the computer in its place so that you'll have more time to shoot. Bryan Peterson is not only a gifted photographer, but is also a sensational educator. You'll love reading this book and you'll become a better photographer, too.

Peterson gives you a good basic tour of Photoshop. He explains the most common and useful features that are likely to appeal to your needs, as someone relatively new to digital photography. It's a very useful package to learn, if you are at all serious about maintaining a collection of digital photos. Simply for an education on Photoshop, the text may be worth your time.

More broadly, the book discusses how to take good digital photos. Some of these principles are of course just as relevant for traditional photography. But the sheer flexibility of using a digital camera [or even a camera phone] is perhaps more compelling to you.

If you've read his other two books "Understanding Exposure" and "Seeing Creatively", you'll feel that much of the book is a rehash of old material. After all, exposure, composition, light, shutter speed aren't "digital" topics, but are discussed at length in this book. I think the advantages/disadvantages of digital vis a vis film would have been invaluable along with a discussion of whether digital is appropriate for the kind of pictures one will be taking. He does cover digital-specific topics such as ISO (what it means in digital), white balance, infrared, and the last section of the book is devoted entirely to digital photography including some basic Photoshop techniques and the digital workflow he uses. So this book is half photographic techniques in general, and half digital photography. I still recommend it, but be advised that much of its content applies to film photography as well.

This book is dangerous for those who don't understand the computer side of photography as it is rife with errors. The most painful is in the first chapter where he attacks the JPEG format with unfortunately no understanding of why to use it and how it works claiming simply viewing a JPEG causes it to degrade. Calculations are wrong in terms of how many images of size x will fit in y MB. The list just goes on and on. I am trying to get AMPhoto to allow me to exchange this book as I have appreciated other books of theirs but this one is just horid.