Mastering Landscape Photography: The Luminous-Landscape Essays (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Thirteen essays on landscape photography by master photographer Alain Briot. Topics include practical, technical, and aesthetic aspects of photography to help photographers build and refine their skills. Also covered is how to be an artist in business.

Alain Briot is one of the leading contemporary landscape photographers. He received his education in France and currently works mostly in the southwestern part of the United States.

This book starts with the technical aspects of photography; how to see, compose, find the right light, and select the best lens for a specific shot. It continues by focusing on the artistic aspects of photography with chapters on how to select your best work, how to create a portfolio, and finally concludes with two chapters on how to be an artist in business.

About the Author

Alain Briot is one of the leading contemporary landscape photographers. Originally from Paris, France, he attended the Academie Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris where he studied drawing and oil painting. Briot began studying photography in 1980. Currently living in Arizona, his favorite photographic locations are in the southwestern United States. Briot's goal is to create the most exciting photographs possible. His equipment, be it cameras, software, etc., is chosen for the ability to make this possible. Alain Briot is a columnist on the highly respected Luminous Landscape website.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Rocky Nook (December 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933952067
• ISBN-13: 978-1933952062
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #125,219 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creating beautiful images, December 25, 2006

By	David C. White (Grass Valley, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mastering Landscape Photography is a masterful work by Alain Briot. In this volume Alain presents the result of years of experience and deep thinking about how to visualize, create, present and even market fine-art landscape photographs.

If you are looking for a book to tell you how to use your digital camera or how to use Photoshop to create images, this is not the book for you. However, if want to learn the art of creating beautiful landscape images and expressing how you feel about and perceive a landscape location, this book is a must have. Alain will take you through all the steps of image creation from visualizing, composing, exposure, lens selection, and creation of a portfolio, to marketing your images.

Alain has a very straightforward way of explaining things. You will find that Alain has no secrets and is very open about the creation of his work. He has obviously given a large amount of thought to the process of image creation over the years. His initial training as an artist in Paris has given him a unique perspective into creating beautiful landscape photographs which he shares in this book.

In addition to the writings on each topic, the book is beautifully illustrated with many of his photographs which are used to illustrate the points that he makes.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to achieve better results from their photographic endeavors.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars for the information, another five for the photos!, December 26, 2006

By	Matthew M. Miller "dasmegabyte" (Wynantskill, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Besides his eye for breathtaking composition, Alain has a real talent for instruction. He writes passionately about landscape photography, without the pretense that anything other than hard work and readily attainable knowledge led to his creations. This book has a real easy read and a solid "you can do it" feel to it. It makes you want to get up and start taking more photos!

Keep in mind: this is not a book on how to create photos from a technical standpoint, not a book offering a series of technical rules to follow to compose a scene well. There's advice on how one MIGHT approach a shot, some possible techniques to improve the interest of a scene, and some examples on how Alain himself has done this. But the crux of this book is its assertion that artists must find their own style, their own way of composing that matches their personality and philosophy, and that any photographer, no matter how "amateur," can become an artist. And that's precisely what endears it. I consider this an essential companion to the more technical primers on photography, such as Tom Ang's great books on Digital Photography. The technical works will teach you how to shoot a scene. This book helps you learn for yourself what the scene is, when to shoot it for the best effect, and why you shoot it in the first place.

50 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Wordy - Doesn't Say Much!, July 13, 2007

By	Iain Williams "Iain D. Williams (www.anaspide... (Hobart, Tasmania Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was initially offered this book sometime back when it was much more expensive. After seeing it on Amazon considerably cheaper I decided to purchase the book.

I was under the impression by the title that it would cover off on technical and artistic recommendations for landscape photography.

I found the book to be relatively well written, however, very wordy! The author is not succinct and to the point, but rather very long winded. Much of the text is repeated throughout the book as the writer becomes sidetracked - yet again. Therefore, approximately 30% - 50% of the book is extra words and duplicated information. Furthermore, the images in the book do not teach you anything. Many of the images are duplicated in each chapter.

The book is divided into roughly two sections - technical aspects and artistic aspects relating to landscape photography.

I found the technical aspects to be a little lacking. If you are already versed in the basic technically knowledge of photography, you do not require this book. Everything written can very easily be gleaned form other "free" sources. If you are searching for technical aspects - purchase another book.

Art by it's very nature is highly subjective, and it's very difficult to put into words as this author has demonstrated. There are literally pages and pages in which nothing is actually stated - just "mumbo jumbo". Briot goes on endlessly about his success and the reasons for his success. Although interesting in its own right, the book is a photographic book on the technical and artistic approach to landscape photography - not an autobiography! When reading his book I kept thinking to myself, when will it end, what is this guy trying to say, when will he cease to `blow his own horn".

Many reviewers have mentioned that the book was inspiring, and I must agree with them. Briot makes you want to "get out there and give it a go". But this is what autobiographies do - inspire. I bought the book for information which is sourly lacks.

I have a PhD in earth science which focuses my thoughts to the technical side of photography (science is basically technical). I often feel I lack the artistic side required to make images which is why I bought this book. Unfortunately, the book did not convey the information advertised. After reading the book a month ago, all I can remember is the author's personal history. I should be remembering photographic points - not whether he lived in France, Arizona or Colorado, or whether he hired a removal van for 3 days or 6 days, or whether he moved into a house with 3 or four rooms!

I'd suggest borrowing the book from a library rather than purchasing it.

I rate this book as follows:

Readability 2/10
Information 3/10
Biography 9/10
Imagery 3/10I

I suggest you read the follow up comments as well.....