John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide
by John Shaw
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Book Reviews of John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide
Book Review: A Beautiful book.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the of the best Nature photography books I have read and used. It covers so many things like, Exposure, equipment, film, lenses, composition, close-ups, portraiture, sunny 16, lighting, use of flash equipment, weather conditions, manual focus, auto focus, working in the field, action shots, stills, lens type, apertures, shutter speeds and so many other topics.
The book goes into detail in each of the subjects as far as how he got the shot, what he used and the thought process that went into selecting the equipment and deciding on what shot to take. The book provides beautiful photographic examples. There are multiples of some shots but with different settings to show how the same shot can be so dramatically different in terms of what it captures visually and emotionally.
The book is clear and concise. Readers that are beginner to intermediate photographers will gain a lot knowledge and understanding from this reading this book and keeping it as a reference book.
This is the first John Shaw book I have used but there will be others. The only slight draw back is that the book was published in 2000 and doesn't cover digital photography but everything in the book except for the section on film types is applicable to digital photography. You can't go wrong with this book.
Book Review: Exposure problems? Read this book!
Summary: 5 Stars
John Shaws' recent up-to-date revision of his excellent 1984 best-selling how-to book on nature photography is, if possible, even better than the original. Mr. Shaw, a master of the art and science of nature photography, is also an uncommonly good writer and has a capacity for explaining hard to grasp subjects such as the theory of exposure in a sensible way that is unmatched in this field. Shaw does not simply give you his own intuitive version of how to master this aspect of photography, but teaches you how to logically think through the process of arriving at the exposure you want (the "correct" exposure) in all situations and with any modern camera so that the guess work is eliminated. This is a very freeing thing and is a cure for the anxiety that overcomes many photographers as they fumble to get that shot of a lifetime. This book is a best buy for that reason alone. The original book was the very best book available at the time to learn the techniques of one of the best professionals in the field; this one is even better. You should read it many times until the thinking behind the exposure process makes sense to you and is an ingrained part of your being so you can act quickly and reflexively when the big chance comes. This is a thinking persons book. It will help you see the light.
Book Review: Professional Help for My Amateur Obsession
Summary: 5 Stars
I find little more frustrating than downloading a series of photographs, only to find my "masterpieces" will serve as examples of mistakes to avoid.
Over-exposed. Under-exposed. Poor f-stop selection. Vibration. You name the problem; I have a "masterpiece" to illustrate it.
This book of beautiful nature photographs was written for me. It promises to teach me to shoot impressive results every time my camera is focused in the great outdoors. Using his own exceptional work as examples, John Shaw discusses natural subjects and how to approach photographing them. He offers specific advice on equipment and lenses selection; shot composition; close-ups. The range of techniques to enrich various nature photographs makes for great reading and dreaming.
My hunch is this field guide will serve any photographer -- beginner, serious amateur, semi-pro, and pro--who encounters field challenges. John Shaw is an internationally acclaimed nature photographer. His work has been published in Outdoor Photographer, National Wildlife, Natural History, Sierra and Audubon.
Only time will tell, however, if it has the desired effect on my photographs.
Book Review: Excellent book for the intermediate to advanced photographer
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is an excellent resources on equipment and techniques for nature photography. The book is detailed, in-depth, and thorough in covering the major aspects of importance to a nature photographer. Unlike most authors, John Shaw provides specific information rather than vague suggestions. For example, when discussing equipment, he advises the reader on which specific tripod to purchase and what lenses to avoid. It should be noted, however, the books seems to be geared more toward professional photoghraphers rather than amateurs. This is probably most noticeable when he discusses equipment because he gives the impression than anything less than top-of-the-line is a waste of money and will not result in good photographers. His equipment recommendations are sometimes out of the price range of most amateur photographers. In addition, he does not waste too much time on the basics of photography and presumes that the reader has at least some grasp of concepts and techniques.
I would recommend this book for the intermediate to advanced photographer. Beginners would be better served focusing on more basic texts rather than delving into this specialist book.
Book Review: This is the one that made it stick
Summary: 5 Stars
I've got a half dozen photography books on the shelves, and it wasn't until I read this one that things began to fall into place. Shaw's discussion of exposure in particular was enlightening. So many authors simply burp up an aperature and shutter speed, toss in the obligatory depth-of-field and moving subject discussion, and leave the aspiring photographer flapping in the breeze. Shaw's common sense approach and excellent teaching skills get you in tune with the scene and what your meter is telling you in a way that will make sense.
The sections on composition and equipment are excellent too. One drawback is that the book is from the era of film, so there is a lot of material devoted that that topic. But, I'd say there's a lot to learn throughout, and the film portions are not necessarily a waste of time for a fully digital photographer - becuase it will drive home the point that you're still placing an image on some form of a media, whether it be film or a chip (or printer, monitor, slide), and while different media all produce different results, there are many more things in common than there are different.