Black and white photography offers an alternative way of seeing reality, a different mirror on the world, a powerful means of artistic expression. ...
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Jan 11, 2010
Julia
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A true teacher and entertainer, Bryan Peterson writes as if he were walking students through a fun lecture course on photography. He introduces phrases that he uses again and again so that you, the student, start to fill in the answers before he finishes; he explains tricky technical details through memorable metaphor; he ties theory to his own photography, showing us just where he took his metering, and why. Halfway through the book you feel like a second semester student filling in all the jok
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Jul 09, 2009
Meghan
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I couldn't put this book down! I read almost all of it in one sitting. I am a very amateur photographer and I learned so much from this book. I learned the value of the manual setting and how to properly use it. I learned from where to meter light. I had no idea there was a problem metering light from black and from white images. I learned many insights into creatively composed images and how to make them. Very informative and well laid out. Easy to understand.
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Oct 31, 2011
Kae
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I purchased Understanding Exposure from a book catalog to which I subscribe. I have a small collection of photography books, mostly information-related, and this seemed like a good one to add to the shelves.
This is Bryan Peterson's Revised Edition, with the subtitle of "How to Shoot Great Photographs with A Film of Digital Camera." I shot film for many decades, and switched to digital just a few years ago; I was ready for some more tips on how to get the best from my pixelated (maybe p
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Sep 18, 2008
Kerry
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One of my favorite photography books, this one taught me to venture into the world of manual camera settings and forget the A, S, and P modes. I've never looked back.
It's written in a clear, engaging style, and the author's examples and photos are fabulous. He's also got a sense of humor. His photographs hold up well even today and I love his style.
I think this is an essential for anyone who wants to learn the basics of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
It's written in a clear, engaging style, and the author's examples and photos are fabulous. He's also got a sense of humor. His photographs hold up well even today and I love his style.
I think this is an essential for anyone who wants to learn the basics of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
Nov 15, 2009
Jcorbman
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I think this book was too basic for what I already know. Peterson does a very good job explaining f-stop, shutter speed, and ISO. He begins to go a bit beyond and explain some of the WHY behind the HOW. However, he doesn't go very far beyond. Also, I found much of it marked with his hokey sense of humor, which was kind of irritating. Some of the pictures are beautiful, and he does write about how he made each image, but that isn't entirely useful to learning about the craft of photography.
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Dec 16, 2009
Adam
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This is easily the best introductory photography book I've ever read. It was a great refresher for the photography stuff that I've forgotten over the last 15 years, full of concise, easily understood explanations of useful photographic techniques. Some of the writing is corny, and the mnemonic devices get old pretty fast, but I'd still recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the basics of shooting with an SLR.
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May 20, 2011
Vivian
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Took a break from reading novels to immerse myself in some meaty nonfiction, and this book wins the prize! I received a Digital SLR camera last year, and tried to take some photos on the "intelligent auto" mode; the photos didn't turn out very well, unfortunately. I knew that meant I'd have to spend some time with a good book, and devote lots of time to taking pictures.
Well, I've had a first read through this book, and have taken some photos. And while it will take me a bit More...
Well, I've had a first read through this book, and have taken some photos. And while it will take me a bit More...
May 07, 2011
Nicole
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This book provides the basics of shooting in manual mode and getting good exposures in a consistent fashion. Peterson clearly explains how the elements of your camera work together to produce different kinds of "creative" exposures, rather than the "correct" exposure you would get if you left it in Auto mode all the time. I did learn quite a bit from the book, and several things were clarified and I am no longer clueless about Manual mode.
However--
Pet More...
However--
Pet More...
Aug 02, 2011
Mark
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This was a pretty decent book which, while I already knew a fair bit of this info regarding exposure, did provide me with some useful tips and techniques.
It does contain a couple of minor editing/typo issues in the first few pages but then I didn't notice any more after that. Of far more consequence, the images on p. 23 in support of "Understanding the Exposure Info in Your Viewfinder" are a complete mess. It took me a minute or so to figure out what the problem was and I u More...
It does contain a couple of minor editing/typo issues in the first few pages but then I didn't notice any more after that. Of far more consequence, the images on p. 23 in support of "Understanding the Exposure Info in Your Viewfinder" are a complete mess. It took me a minute or so to figure out what the problem was and I u More...
Apr 09, 2009
Marcie
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Truly the BEST photography book I have ever read. If you feel even a little unsure about how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work together then you MUST read this book (well, that is, if you WANT to know all that :) His explanations are so clear and easy to follow. This book taught me how to shoot in manual with confidence and ease. This book will allow you to explore photography with more creativity than ever before.
I was amazed at how much I learned, or understood more clearly, after re More...
I was amazed at how much I learned, or understood more clearly, after re More...
Aug 24, 2009
Jake
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Everything I've learned about pitcher takin', I learned from this book. I've read ten photography book in the last year, and this is the only one that spells things out to a dunderhead amateur like me while not talking down or starting with things like 'This is the lens. Be sure to take the cap off.'
Peterson talks a bunch of gobbledygook, but than he shows an example of what all the gobbledygook produces. He even tells you the exact settings for evey photo he took for the book, so y More...
Peterson talks a bunch of gobbledygook, but than he shows an example of what all the gobbledygook produces. He even tells you the exact settings for evey photo he took for the book, so y More...
Feb 22, 2011
Blog on Books
rated it:
What separates good photos from great photos? More often than not, the answer is exposure. Not just whether a picture is too dark or too light, but the way exposure settings can affect things like composition, movement or even getting the shot at all.
Fortunately, there’s Bryan Peterson. In his best-selling guide “Understanding Exposure,” Peterson ‘exposes’ (sorry, we couldn’t help it) the secrets of obtaining the best, most impactful photographs using exposure, lighting, shutter spee More...
Fortunately, there’s Bryan Peterson. In his best-selling guide “Understanding Exposure,” Peterson ‘exposes’ (sorry, we couldn’t help it) the secrets of obtaining the best, most impactful photographs using exposure, lighting, shutter spee More...
Nov 23, 2010
Crystal
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This book is awesome. My understanding of photography has grown leaps and bounds since reading it. The author gives the perfect balance of technical jargon and metaphor to explain how things work and why you would do something so that those going into the book with absolutely no knowledge of what an aperture is, how shutter speed works, and what ISO means can understand.
I'm so glad my friend recommended this to me. I'm really excited to try out what I've learned. I've been going More...
I'm so glad my friend recommended this to me. I'm really excited to try out what I've learned. I've been going More...
Jan 27, 2008
Dan
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My young friends don't know what f8 means, and they have no interest in finding out. Their automatic cameras set the exposure, so why would they want to study such a dismal subject as exposure, depth of field, and so on.
This book will not appeal to those folks, but if you shoot photos with the intention of displaying them, you should make it a point to understand everything in this book, if you do not already.
I have a lot of photography experience, and this book didn't sh More...
This book will not appeal to those folks, but if you shoot photos with the intention of displaying them, you should make it a point to understand everything in this book, if you do not already.
I have a lot of photography experience, and this book didn't sh More...
Sep 28, 2008
Bruce
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Until a couple of years ago I seldom took photos at all, leaving the task to my wife Carla when we were on vacation, or on special holidays or occasions. Then she gave me a fancy (at least to me it's fancy) Sony digital camera for Christmas. It's not an SRL, but it takes great pictures in auto mode, and I now take lots of photos. But I've never dared to try any of the many other features the camera has, never having quite understood aperture and shutter speed and all that. So some of my atte
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Apr 07, 2010
Brian
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Peterson's books are top notch for learning about photography... and he lives or at least use to live in OR so that is an added bonus. This book is a pretty fast read, but it is chalk full of great info.. I had to read parts of it a few times to let it all sink in and I am sure I will buy it soon and reference it all the time.. I own two more of his books also .. reading one now.. and am looking to buy the rest of his collection as I continue my quest for photography knowledge.
Jan 02, 2011
Laura
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Excellent book for the novice shooter: I'm a relatively new photographer, with a pretty good grasp of the technology behind it all. Even so, this book really crystallized some of the concepts that I had learned, but which hadn't become very clear yet. This book is probably not recommended for the advanced novice, and certainly not for the photographer, as this may already be stuff they know.
I'm not sure how useful this book would be to the very brand new beginner, as it gets into quite a bit o More...
I'm not sure how useful this book would be to the very brand new beginner, as it gets into quite a bit o More...
Jun 23, 2009
Sarah
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While I found this book helpful, I'm not sure why there are so many raves from other readers. I did take away a better understanding of the fundamentals of a good exposure, but the advice was fairly basic, serving primarily to refresh my limited knowledge. I paused several times to look for an online tutorial with more information than what Peterson provided here.
Most useful were the examples of a single scene captured with several different combinations of aperture and shutter speed More...
Most useful were the examples of a single scene captured with several different combinations of aperture and shutter speed More...
May 06, 2008
jeano
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A very intuitive introduction to exposure, the book goes over 7 basic creative exposures: 3 with aperture-priority (to control depth of field), 3 with shutter-priority (to control motion), and macro (extreme close-ups). The prose is fluid, and analogies about buckets and bees are used to explain the mathematical relationship between aperture, shutter speed and film speed. Tons of photographs are splattered throughout, captioned with how the author got each shot. There's also a brief discussion o
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Jan 09, 2012
Emilee
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Read this to supplement the photography classes I was taking. It is a good book on how to use an SLR camera. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much and learned as much without taking other classes. I think you MAY learn how to use a camera manually by reading it but to really understand your camera and know what you are doing, it takes a lot more than solely reading this book.
Dec 14, 2008
Jason
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One of the best introductions to exposure out there. The key to understanding how to actually use a camera. Peterson writes in a very clear, easy to understand way and uses lots of examples and excercises. This book will vastly improve your skills as a photographer. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to become more than a point, shot and hope photographer.
Dec 20, 2011
Heidi
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I really liked this book and learned A LOT. I understand much better now how to properly expose photos, how aperture and shutter speed work together, and how to take a picture in manual mode. This book does a great job explaining all of those things in a way that is easy to understand for someone who is a beginner at photography. There were only a few things in this book that I didn't quite understand and that were a little over my head. I think the biggest downside to this book is that this
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Jan 10, 2010
Taylor
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Bryan Peterson is the consummate photographer. He explains a variety of esoteric and complex topics with ease, translating what used to be for me a confusing hobby into an enjoyable one. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in brushing up on their skills, and learning more about the art and science of photography. Bravo!
Aug 06, 2011
Jordan
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The perfect introduction to the world of the SLR/DSLR for anyone taking up photography. Written in a very accessible non-technical style, covering the main topics involved with taking professional looking exposures. What I really like about the book are the examples included and the technical information provided about how the exposure was captured. For someone trying to get to grips with taking 'manual exposures' (any that does not involve the camera's preset modes) this really is an essential
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May 31, 2008
Dale
rated it:
Understanding Exposure starts with the basics, describing the concept of 'exposure value' and explaining the relationship between aperture and shutter speed. The author, Bryan Peterson, then moves on to talk about exposure under various lighting conditions (front-lit, side-lit, back-lit, low-light and night). He gives excellent tips on how to meter (use the sky, usually).
He also talks a bit about aperture and depth-of-field. In fact, depth-of-field is the backdrop to much of his disc More...
He also talks a bit about aperture and depth-of-field. In fact, depth-of-field is the backdrop to much of his disc More...
Jul 13, 2009
Martin
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A good basic introduction to the basic concepts of photographic exposure, however, for me it provided no new insights, and I found the general tone somewhat irritating. If you're a beginner then I would recommend it as a solid introduction, but if you're already beyond that stage, look elsewhere.
Mar 16, 2009
Gail
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An absolute must read for anyone wanting to learn how to properly expose their photography. Decidedly non-technical in his writing, Bryan Peterson takes you through various conditions and helps the newbie photographer understand how camera settings + lighting = good or bad pictures.
Oct 22, 2011
Amanda
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I learnt an incredible amount from this book which I think has helped me with getting better photos each time. It was really easy to understand and provided some great tips. I loved that some of the more difficult things were repeated to help jog my memory and to make sure it all sunk in.
Aug 12, 2009
NTE
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I was really hoping there'd be some sort of magic that would help to make this whole F stop business make better sense to me, but I'm not finding that to be true. I suppose I'll have to give in and take an actual, physical photography class, because I am just. not. getting it.
May 13, 2010
Allsmiles
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Very good book for beginning photographers. A great reference guide for future. Read it chapter by chapter and really learn how to apply what he's talking about to your camera before moving on to the next chapter. It's like a textbook with homework in that sense.
