Customer Reviews

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film Or Digital Camera

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are those photographers who understand exposure and those who do not. Whatever your own level of experience with either (or both) digital or film camera, this book will, at one of the scale, teach the novice a great deal about the subject. At the other end, there will be few professional or highly competent amateur photographers who could fail to learn something from this excellent work. In short, there is something for everyone in this book and, even a brief flick through the pages, is enough to generate ideas.

I particularly like the way in which the book is laid out. A great deal of thought went into a design which allows readers to build on what has been covered so far as they progress through the work. Beginning with; Defining Exposure, the author devotes considerable time to each of the main headings which also include; Aperture, Shutter Speed, Light and penultimately; Special Techniques and Filters. Finally, there is a discussion on Film vs. Digital which might be useful for those photographers who are still not convinced by the new technology.

Speaking as a self-taught photographer whose own pictures have been widely published for over 30 years, this book has explained much that I did not previously understand as well as, perhaps, I should have.

Approx. A4 size, with one of the nicest dedications I have ever come across, there are 160 pages containing 150 colour illustrations which cover just about every spectrum of the subject. These include sport, natural history, portraits, people at work, landscapes, close up, mood shots - and a great deal more. As I said, something for just about everyone.

NM

If I had to credit one single book to developing my photography skills the most, it would be this one by a long shot. This book taught me how to get out of Auto mode on my rebel xt and into Manual mode where I have much more creative control.

Learning to shoot in Manual (M) mode can be a long a drawn out progression for the beginner/amateur photographer but this book teaches you how to do it very simply, quickly and effectively. It is an easy read and very well presented. I could notice huge differences within a few days of reading it, and this is after doing photography for a year.

See for yourself:
www.billmartinphotography.ca

There are over a hundred full color photos inside the book where each shot tells you the camera's setting so you can go out and try it yourself.

I would reccommend this book to anyone from the creative "point and shoot" users to the advanced professionals.

Enough talk,
Just go buy it.

Bill

Although this book may at first be intimidating for someone who has never handled a SLR Camera, it is actually a thorough beginner's book. It is not overly "technical", although any book on exposure will be full of numbers when talking of aperture, shutter speeds, ISO settings, etc. Once you begin to get a grasp of these concepts, the reading is easy and enlightening. (no pun intended)

For those with a little experience, this book will clear up many of the exposure mysteries that you may have faced. I think it is a "must read" for beginner to intermediate shutterbugs.

I love photography. However, up to a few months ago I have really been shooting in automatic and "P" priority mode; even though I used a digital SLR. I wanted to be able to to make more targeted, creative pictures. I needed to attain a better grasp on "exposure" and how to use aperture and shutter speed in a more controlled manner to shoot better pictures (in manual mode). I reviewed, and purchased a number of books that I thought could help. But most of them, while great books, where not from the ground up (they implicitely assumed that I had the knowledge I was seeking) i.e. not the comprehensive primer I was looking for. This book, starts from the beginning, and takes you from concept to execution in a very clear, consise and digestible manner. He describes what setup should be used, under what conditions, and with the output objective in mind. He then provides the resulting image based on his selection of lense (and focal length), ISO, shutter speed and aperture; and how he uses his light meter. You can actually take that information and practice (after each page).

After I was half way through the book and starting leveraging what I was learning, my family and friends were actually asking if it was me that was taking those pictures or whether I copied them from someone else. With the exception of candid shots, I cannot see myself ever going back to shooting in automatic mode after this.

There are a number of great books out there, however if you are in a position where you are shooting in automatic and want to tap into your creative side and shoot in manual or as I would like to put it making the shift from taking pictures to photography. This is the first book I would invest in (and quite affordable).

I bought this book because of the reviews on Amazon, and I wasn't disappointed. I agree with reviewer Bill Martin -- this book has helped me improve my photography more than anything else I have read. (Thanks for that recommendation, Bill.) It has helped me make much better photos with my DSLR. I would also recommend the same author's "Understanding Shutter Speed". (His "Understanding Digital Photography", however, is not as good and I would pass on it.)

I am only two chapters in so far and already feel completely comfortable with shooting in manual mode all the time. Topics I thought were confusing now seem so easy to understand. The picture illustrations are excellent and convey the principles of the chapters perfectly.

very nice deals on most stuff related to the subject (ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture)... Good examples illustrated un photographs (some have a lot of grain in them but you can still get the idea). I hope the author also explain other similar subject in other books because I'd like to read them!

You need this book whether you use a film camera or a digital camera. In either case your success in photography depends on manipulating light. That's what this book is all about. You will learn that not all light is the same. When is the best time of day to take pictures. What those numbers on your lens mean. And so much more. If you can only buy one photography book, this is probably the one you should get. The book is clearly written and profusely illustrated.

good book, lots of info. pretty concise and goes through most of what you need to know to further your photography. Nice color photos throughout the book and for the price you can't go wrong.

I'm a beginner and I bought this book because of the good comments.

Let me tell you I was not disapppointed! In the very first pages, I got answers to a few questions I've been asking myself, like: "Why does the "f" value go down if we're getting MORE light?". It's all in there.

I'm taking a 12 hour photo course with a Pro and this book is on his "must-have" list.

Well worth the money spent!