The Landscape Photography Field Guide

by Carl E. Heilman II

Landscape is perhaps the most enduring photographic genre, and, as we travel, we are always encountering new and exciting scenes we'd love to capture. The Landscape Photographer's Field Guide provides a complete pro reference in a compact book which can be carried in even the most compact camera bag, always at hand. With his extensive experience of shooting from remote locations, Carl Heilman II has established himself as one of American's leading National Park photographers. Every word in this book, and all of the inspirational photography, all draw from that experience and make that craft accessible to enthusiasts looking for a professional advice, wherever and whenever they need it. With sections on core skills, shooting for digital, and even advanced techniques like 3D, this book is everything a photographer on the move could need.

Genres: Photography, Reference

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2011

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though Heilman is writing this for real photographers with dedicated digital cameras, there is a lot that will help the rest of us with taking better pictures of “landscapes.” I admit to using a wide variety of devices from my phone, to a pocket-sized camera with a great lens, to a big camera with multiple lenses. There is no doubt that when the picture quality is most important and when I intend on enlarging the image significantly, the latter camera is the choice.

But that isn’t all the time --- nor even most of the time. So, the rest of this review is going to point out what Heilman offers to the casual photographer. Landscape photography covers a lot of ground from many of the shots we take on a special vacation to the desire to capture a particularly beautiful sunset or fall color display.

Heilman covers it all with his book that is a sturdy paperback of small format. The basics of visualization and composition are nicely handled. There are plenty of composition tips.

Some of the key concepts he shares include:
Balance
Foreground subject
Background detail
Contrasting tones and elements
Color and tone
Leading lines and patterns
Symmetry
Viewpoint/perspective
Framing
Crop to the essentials
Eliminating distractions
Mood and emotion
The examples are well-chosen and well-displayed.

To call this book recent you have to be willing to say that anything after 2010 is “recent.” Yet, in even grudgingly going along with that premise, most of us would agree that photography is now, not only digital, but often (usually?) for most of us something we do with our phone or some “point and shoot” device. Even in this context it isn’t a hard to understand what Heilman is suggesting. This book has less than 150 pages of information and that includes charts and tables for those who want to go beyond the basics. It’s both a quick read that offers a great deal of immediate benefit and a book that you can easily take with on a photographic vacation when you will want to refer back to some of his suggestions.

[Mel Raschke]

Great information about getting the perfect picture every time.