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explanation on
why those apertures were useful. There is a short section on just that in
this book and suggestions on when to use them.
Full color photos are used throughout the book, and are a great help in
understanding the concepts that he talks about. Each picture has a caption
with the information used to take the exposure. He shows you the same
picture with different settings so you can see the effects the settings
have on the exposure.
I find the book pleasant and easy to read. The tone and writing are very
agreeable and easy to follow. While some aspects are technical, they are
written in a manner that makes them easily understandable.
This is all about how to capture the image, not processing of the image
after it is captured. There is brief mention of pushing or pulling film
and the effects it can create, but in general, this is about how to get
take a proper picture. If you are looking for a book on how to process the
picture after you have taken it, this is not the book for you.
I can not recommend this book enough if you are
interested in photography. I don't know how useful it would be for
professionals, but for the person just starting out or serious amateur, I
can't see how you could go wrong with this. While all of the information
can be applied to SLR cameras (film or digital), the majority of it can be
applied to the point and shoot cameras of either variety as well.
________________________________________________________________
Outstanding Information for Photographers, October 26, 2004
Reviewer: T. Cochran "tlc2j"
If you are trying to learn more about how to properly use exposure (i.e.
aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) this is a fantastic book to begin with.
It informs for the film and digital photographer. I have been taking
photos for many years, but it has only been over the past couple of years
that I became more of a professional. Despite this, I still struggled to
understand some of the concepts such as the difference between a good
exposure and a "creatively correct exposure" and what options I had.
You learn how to expose for front-lit, back-lit, side-lit scenes, overcast
skys, macro photography, motion, stationery objects, how to expose for
bright scenes such as snow (grey card & 18% grey) and dark scenes such as
night photography...you name it. Then Bryan Peterson tops it off with a
sections on metering, special techniques and filters, and an analysis of
film vs digital cameras.
Understanding Exposure not only explained the basics in a conversational
manner, but is also informed me of how the pros work and how to step up my
photography to a higher level.
This book has hands-on exercises that anyone can go through so that the
reader has experience of all of the methods explained. Along with this,
the book is FULL of color photos that show exactly what the end result
could be. Where applicable, there are comparisons of before and after
exposure adjustments so the reader may understand WHY they should make
such changes.
Where there is a difference between adjustments for digital versus film
cameras, Bryan Peterson gives you the specifics of the difference and haw
to adjust for it.
It is a book every photographer should have!
________________________________________________________________
A MUST HAVE for constant quest towards a creatively perfect exposure,
June 2, 2006
Reviewer: Emile D. "
Emotions, Resonance, Security ... are all attributes that Bryan invite us
to pass-on/convey/reach in every exposure we take, in a very insightful,
hands-on, (no show off), and revealing way.
The final quest is a creatively perfect exposure - not just a perfect or
right exposure.
Content is V A L U A B L E and the way it's put forward, is just so
inviting.
i have been recommending this book to most the people i know and would
look forward to meet Bryan in one of his workshops.
________________________________________________________________
informative, though quirky, May 7, 2006
Reviewer: chris romano "toonlets.com"
UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURE offers a solid introduction to principles for
creating informed exposures. I've been taking photographs for years, but
everything I've learned I picked up from experience. I thought, for the
heck of it, I'd buy a book and see if I was missing something. In the end,
it was worth the read, I learned a few tips, and found some inspiration to
experiment.
The book, however, is not without its quirks.
On the positive side, the author does a curiously good
job offering advice on formal decisions. While I don't agree with all of
his judgments, I certainly applaud the effort and feel his comments are
completely appropriate for the general public. Aesthetics can be tricky.
The book is filled with the authors photographs,
ranging from the amazing to the sappy. I enjoyed his descriptions and
explanations, telling how he took many of the shots. I just wish he left
out his licensing fees. Pointing out how many thousands he made from the
various shots is really crass. I already bought your book... you don't
need to show-boat. Strangely, a handful of pictures are of his wife, and I
found myself wincing at most of them. Particularly given his descriptions.
Sadly, we're obviously not looking at the same woman.
Lastly, for all of the author's thoroughness, his
explanation and discussion of ISO, in my opinion, is lacking. At the start
of the book he explains that ISO is one of the three main parts to taking
a correct exposure. Aperture and shutter speed get their own sections, but
for ISO the author only offers a condescending "busy bee" metaphor...
until 5 pages from the end of the book where he finally gives ISO a page.
He explains the ISO value is the light sensitivity, but I don't remember
him mentioning anywhere at what -cost- that sensitivity comes. For
instance, it should say the faster the film and more light sensitive, the
grainier the resulting image. There's a very grainy, low-light example in
the book but grain itself isn't addressed.
How could anyone leave that out?
Back to
Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or
Digital
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