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Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs by [Henry Carroll]

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Henry Carroll

Holly Carroll

Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs Kindle Edition

by Henry Carroll (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

2,010 ratings

Part of: Read This (3 Books)

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Photography is now more popular than ever thanks to the rapid development of digital cameras. Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs is ideal for this new wave of snapshooters using DSLR, compact system and bridge cameras. It contains no graphs, no techie diagrams and no camera-club jargon. Instead, it inspires readers through iconic images and playful copy, packed with hands-on tips.

Split into five sections, the book covers composition, exposure, light, lenses and the art of seeing. Masterpieces by acclaimed photographers – including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Fay Godwin, Nadav Kander, Daido Moriyama and Martin Parr – serve to illustrate points and encourage readers to try out new ideas.

Today’s aspiring photographers want immediacy and see photography as an affordable way of expressing themselves quickly and creatively. This handbook meets their needs, teaching them how to take photographs using professional techniques.

Print length

129 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Laurence King Publishing
Publication date

March 3, 2014
File size

6135 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs is] easy-to-read [with] vital info for the guy or girl new to their DSLR or compact system camera." - HiConsumption.com

"Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs goes beyond typical technical jargon.and should you master.composition, exposure, light, lenses, and seeing you will indeed be making great photographs." - Uncrate

"Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs is the perfect quick reference for photographers to toss in their camera bag for a bit of inspiration and reminder of the basics." - GeekDad

"Amateur photographers will love this practical and accessible guide; it will be appreciated by anyone who enjoys photography. Highly recommended." - Library Journal

"If you have always wanted to take good pictures but shun away from photography books filled with incomprehensible jargon, then this book may be for you." - Design Taxi

"We've read and studied all the diagrams, manuals and jargon out there for our DSLRs, but none of it is as easy to remember or recall as the information Carroll throws down in this tome. If you're serious about being a better photographer, do what the title of the book tells you to." - Cool Material --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

Henry Carroll studied photography at the Royal College of Art and his work has been featured in a number of international exhibitions and publications. Building on his experience teaching aspiring photographers of all ages, Henry founded frui.co.uk, one of the UK's leading providers of photography holidays and courses. Henry's clear, jargon-free style of teaching has demystified digital photography and inspired thousands to get creative with their cameras. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00KS1QM0S
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Laurence King Publishing; Illustrated edition (March 3, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 3, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 6135 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 129 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #264,023 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #13 in Individual Photographers eBooks
- #49 in Individual Photographer Books
- #79 in Photography Reference (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
2,010 ratings

Customer reviews

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3 star		6%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Why the inappropriate photos? Creepy. Not for kids (or others who don't like disturbing photos)

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2019

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Due to some of the disturbing photography, I would NOT recommend this book. There is NO reason why these photographs needed to be used.

44 people found this helpful

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Gracie2018

The photos are disturbing, not for children or anyone who is not okay with those things.

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2018

Verified Purchase

I couldn't get past the disturbing photography. It's not art it's trash.

65 people found this helpful

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Bryan B.

Not Bad for a Beginning...

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2017

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If you're going to get into photography this book isn't bad for a beginning. I was disappointed though that with all the great photographic examples that none of the photographs had any information on how they where shot, what shutter speed, aperture etc. I think that information would have elevated this book to something that the next level photographers would have been able to get something out of it too. I would highly recommend that if you're going to purchase this book then also purchase Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peters, these two together will definitely light a fire for the photography bug in you.

37 people found this helpful

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Chris B.

Easy to understand, beautiful pictures.

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2017

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Im just getting started in photography, but right now its just a hobby, nothing too serious but I still love taking pictures. What I really like about this book is that it teaches you how to take certain types of pictures while showing you exactly what those words mean. I started reading today, Im not halfway done but I've already learned some cool stuff, plus the example pictures are really beautiful. For beginners like me this book is as good as it gets in my opinion. Its really simple and easy to understand.

13 people found this helpful

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BallroomPadawan

Whether you use a phone or DSLR, you need to read this

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2021

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I can’t say enough good things about this book. I wanted to learn how to take better pictures once my daughter was born, so I spent a lot of time on Pinterest reading blog articles about it. Then I found this book and realized I wasted a lot of time. Everything I needed to know was right inside.

If you have a DSLR, he explains how to use something other than your “auto” mode in simple, easy to understand language. You actually UNDERSTAND how a camera works.

The bulk of the book is about composition, or how tot ale a good picture in general: Lighting, poses, general rules (and how to break them effectively). Each concept is illustrated with pictures. While you might think this part isn’t important, it absolutely is. In fact, it’s the most important thing you’ll learn about photography. Yes, knowing how to use your camera is important, but your pictures will stink if you don’t know how composition works.

One person found this helpful

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R. Eason

Awfully expensive for a big leaflet

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2020

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I won’t rehash the subject line of the review which is self-explanatory. I will add that you shouldn’t buy this if you even know the most rudimentary things about camera operation and composition. And if you are really new to photography there are much better books. So who should buy it? No idea. I can’t think of anyone it would be useful for that couldn’t get the same information for free online.

3 people found this helpful

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beachhawk

The Basics

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2017

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This book explains the basics of taking photographs, how the camera and photographer become a team to make a photograph that people will actually want to see. The author begins by explaining how the camera and lens work and them he discusses what the role of the photographer is to make the photo. All this is done in lay terms without long technical dissertations. This is a very good book for beginning photographers who want to move beyond taking snapshots. It is a very short book and I would have preferred a more detailed discussion and more examples to study, but overall I think the author nailed it.

3 people found this helpful

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jedi008

Nothing new, but then again cameras are not new!

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2017

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While there is nothing new in this book that you cannot find with a basic internet search, the author does provide an easy to understand, no non-sense and clear walk through the basics of photography. The book is rich with example pictures from renowned photographers (such as Ansel Adams...) and the author uses these examples to help understand the technical side of the camera.

No book is going to make you a professional photographer, but if you want the basics to give yourself a running head start, this book is it. The best advise the author gives is to PRACTICE!!!!

7 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Woolly The Wombat

Read this if you want to know the basics of photography.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book is great if you're just starting out in photography and feel a bit overwhelmed by your camera and the technical aspects of photography. The explanations of the raw ingredients that go into making a photograph are very clearly communicated, and the supporting images illustrate each point quite well. The page layouts and overall design of the book is also very good. It's short enough to read the entire thing in an evening, and its small enough to take in a bag, making it handy to dip in and out of when out and about.

The bit that concerned me was that the author is worryingly dismissive of 'manual' mode. Whilst I agree that it's perhaps a bit too complex if you're just starting out, I would not go as far to say that it's, and I quote, "a complete waste of time."

Overall this is a decent little book and it has given me some good ideas, as well as firming up my grasp on the technical aspects of photography. The section on the artistic side or "seeing" as the author puts it, could have done with being a bit longer but was good food for thought nevertheless.

Whether it will indeed allow me to take great photographs is yet to be seen, but it has definitely given me a good handle on the basics of photography.

14 people found this helpful

Jl Adcock

Direct, clear and thought-provoking

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 10, 2017

Verified Purchase

Basic, yes. But Henry Carroll's book is both a useful primer for anyone starting out who wants to know how to take interesting photos, and it is also a good refresher for more experienced photographers. Shelving technical details and looking more at the what makes certain photos work, Carroll's guide is easy to flick through. Photos from masters such as Cartier-Bresson, Martin Parr and Ansel Adams act as a kind of visual tutorial, with Carroll addressing composition, lighting, framing, format, colour and other essential issues. The book is a useful reminder that great photos tell stories, and that what the photographer leaves out is as important as what they include in the shot. Attractively presented, uncluttered and aimed at a range of photographers who might be using anything from a smartphone to a DSLR, the book does something that lots of other instructional guides on the subject don't. It gets you seeing things in new ways, and it gets you thinking.

21 people found this helpful

Bass Man

Inspirational but short

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book inspires, there is no doubt. However, it is very short, not technical at all really but more like a very informative discussion with a professional photographer in a pub. The good thing is that you wrote down everything she/he said so you can read about it again. Not sure it is worth the money but these things are hard to quantify.
One of the chapter headings is that 'it's all about the timing'. Couldn't agree more, isn't everything in life about timing when you think about it. Talking photos again, even a static landscape is completely different at different times of the day, season etc. Street photography is totally reliant on capturing the moment. You are where you are now reading this because of timing, either good or bad. There you go, that will be £1 please.

7 people found this helpful

Taught me more, in 10 minutes and as many words, than any any other book on photography.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2015

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This book taught me more, in 10 minutes and as many words, than any any other book on photography. I was feeling a bit fed up that I couldn't get my shiny new compact system camera to do what I wanted it to. Carroll's easy writing style, great graphics and the photographs helped me to understand what I needed to do. I would recommend it to anyone. I'm smiling again and I have some great photographs! I've also invested in another lens and I'm confident that I've made the right choice because I now understand!

42 people found this helpful

Paul D

I wish there were more books like this.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2020

Verified Purchase

I bought this book because of the positive reviews it had received. I didn’t know what to expect really but this book really delivered. Reading the book is like having your own private tutor. The author shows you a photograph, explains its framing and what makes it a good photograph. Then gives you advice and instruction on how to take achieve similar results in your photography. Each photo in the book helps you to understand the art and the science of photography without being wordy or boring. I wish there were more books as good as this.

2 people found this helpful