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I have no formal training in photography
in the form of courses or workshops. The closest I’ve come to such a
thing was perhaps a brief stint doing photography in high school for
the school paper and a two-day session of the Nikon School hosted by
Larry Frank. All that I know, which is so little, has come from books,
magazines and the Internet. I’ve spent a small fortune on books and
magazines and without them I would not have progressed.
More often then not the how-to or technical
books go over the same basic information but I don’t feel that to be
redundant though as I find refresher readings to be helpful in keeping
that knowledge in my head. What I seek nowadays though is not so much
the technical but the inspirational and motivational from the photographers
writing the books. To try and infuse myself with their enthusiasm and
knowledge of the hobby and profession. In the beginning I sought the
technical but as I gained greater knowledge I looked for the artistic
and expanded the book and magazine buying for different horizons.
The journey has just begun in my own
development as a photographer and now instead of snapping everything
in sight I’m trying to actually do things with a certain personal meaning.
By continually exposing myself to other people’s work then I feel that
will help me to grow too.
One last note, I have the bad habit of
buying a number of books and then not getting to read them until well
after I’ve purchased them. Not only photography books but literature
too as I have shelves of novels from some of the finest writers in the
English language that I can’t find the time for. So you will see quite
a few Not Read Yet lines below and it may take a long, long time before
they will be.
The
Kodak Series
These series of books are for the starting
to intermediate photographer. I don’t find myself being too impressed
with them but exceptions are found here and there that may be worth
buying or at least reading. Take a very good perusal through any of
the Kodak books to ensure that you will actually gain something out
them instead of having them gather dust on the shelf very quickly after
the first read. The mark of a good book for me is if I continue to go
back and go through the information time and again. With the Kodak books
generally I don’t find that to be the case.
 Kodak
Advanced Black and White Photography
Martin Taylor et al
I thought this book might have been a
sleeper book that would provide me with good information like the Kodak
Portrait book but unfortunately, this book is typical of the very basic
and banal information provided in the other Kodak books. Pass on this
one and buy a book truly dedicated to the craft of black and white photography. |
|
 Kodak
Electronic Flash
Jack Neubart
Not a lot of useful information for the
intermediate or advanced photographer. Beginners need not waste their
money for this book either as they can obtain most of the same info
in other more comprehensive how to books. |
|
 Kodak
Existing Light Photography
Hubert Birnbaum
Not read yet and probably not worth reading
for me anymore. |
|
 Kodak
Joy of Photography
Kodak Editors
A decent book for the beginning photographer
and one of my firsts to get me started. One quickly grows out of it
though in search of more advanced material. Borderline recommendation. |
|
 Kodak,
The Portrait
Kodak Editors
One of the few Kodak books that I liked
and found useful to see how studio photographers setup for a portrait
session and we’re not talking cheesy Sears’s portrait sessions either.
Can be pretty technical for a beginner, as I was unable to understand
what the writers were talking about when I first read it due to a complete
ignorance of studio photography. Recommended. |
|
 Kodak
Professional Photoguide
Debbie Cohen, Editor
A good book on technical basics but seems
a bit dated though, as everything seems oriented for manual cameras.
But this is actually a good thing, as every budding photographer should
get a solid grounding in basic, technical information with a manual
camera before advancing to modern day super AF SLRs. |
|
 Kodak
Using Filters
Kodak Editors
Forget about buying this book as it just
regurgitates what other how-to books have to say. Even the photography
chosen to illustrate the book is uninspired and very dated. |
Basic
How-To Books
 The
Photographer’s Handbook
John Hedgecoe
Along with the Joy of Photography, this
was my other staple in the beginning. Hedgecoe packs in a lot of basic
information in this large digest including the basics of a home darkroom.
The information is plenty but because Hedgecoe tries to cover so much
he gives short thrift to many of the topics. The photography is also
a bit dated. |
|
 New
Book of Photography
John Hedgecoe
A rehashing and toning down of the original
handbook in a larger coffee table size volume. Photography is more up
to date and it showed a little more behind the scenes look at studio
style photography, which I’m trying to develop my own limited skills. |
|
 Tips,
tricks, and Hints; 101 Secrets of a Professional Photographer Magic
Lantern
Steve Sint
By the Popular Photography Magazine Contributing
Editor. I can’t find myself recommending this book as many of the tips
and hints are included in his Wedding Photography book and one shouldn’t
buy the same thing twice over. Some of the hints are helpful but most
are mundane and are just Sint’s own way of doing things. Every photographer
has to develop his/her own style and way of doing things. Doing things
Sint’s way is no guarantee of being as successful as he had become.
Pass on this one. |
Technical
How-To Books
 Lighting
for People Photography
Stephen Crain
An interesting book in the way the author
has chosen to present the material. It is like a textbook with a topic
being discussed first and then an exercise after each chapter for the
reader to gain a hands on feel for the material. Unfortunately the material
is not all that compelling. I’m sure there are better books available
then this one. |
|
 The
Photographer’s Guide to Using Light
Ted Schwarz and Brian Stoppee
I found this book to be better then the
one listed below because it covers a variety of subjects and talks about
light in general from basics to studio to outdoor. Not a bad book but
nothing that hasn't been covered in other photo books. Borderline recommendation. |
|
Pro Lighting Special Effects
Roger Hicks and Francis Schultz
Interesting book in seeing how studio
photographers create an image from a behind the scenes overview. The
book is a bit dated so the images are not exactly cutting edge but for
their time I'm sure they were impressive. Hell, who am I kidding, I
couldn't even recreate one image from this book but unless you're really
into studio techniques this one is a pass. |
|
 Understanding
Exposure
Bryan Peterson
A very good book for the beginner and
intermediate and one that I sometimes still come back to for ideas and
refreshers. Very simple to read and easy to understand as the author
explains the role of Shutter, Aperture and Film Speed to work together
to create an exposure. The one book that made me think about all three
factors for an exposure. Recommended. |
|
  Wedding
Photographer’s Handbook
Robert and Sheila Hurth
Wedding Photography;
Art, Business, and Style
Steve Sint |
I bought the Hurth book first before
also buying Steve Sint’s book and found it enlightening to see how high
level wedding photographer run their business. My own experience in
Vancouver is quite different from the manner of business found in the
Hurth and Sint books.
The Hurths and Sint describe a business
in which the photographer is paid to show up for a wedding and reception
but no package has been negotiated or established. The photographer
does his thing and shoots through as many rolls as required to cover
the day. Only after all the film had been developed and proofs printed
will the decision be made by the couple as to what type of package to
buy and how many albums to buy for, as in main album and parents’ albums
and then enlargements. Both authors talk about getting must have shots
to ensure sales in as many albums as they can sell to the couple.
Perhaps it’s just my ignorance of the
nature of the wedding business that made me surprised at this style
of business. Also, most of my experience comes from Chinese weddings
and boutiques and they have their own way of doing business. Most Chinese
couples preselect a package offered by the photographer or boutique
with some negotiation going on to see how much the couple can get of
the photographer or store. My own wedding photos and a few other friends
or acquaintances were done this way and we went over the proofs to select
which ones would go into our preselected package which already included
enlargements and an album.
But if I think about how my western friends
had their photos taken I would have to think that they were similar
to how Sint and the Hurths do their business. My good friend Ted had
to pay a minimum charge to have the photographer show up at the church
and then do some posed formals at another location. Ted and Doreen then
received the proof album some time after the wedding to decide which
ones would go into their album and for any enlargements with the final
cost being determined by what and how many pictures and albums they
ordered.
Both books offer a good basic look at
the equipment required for a successful wedding photography business
and a number of photos showing various standard poses required for the
album sales. Both recommended but if you only buy one get Steve Sint’s
book.
 Wedding
Photography
Ian Gee
This book takes a different approach
to wedding photography than the two book above. The first two are similar
in style and content but Ian Gee's book introduces a piece of advice
or technique one by one for every double page spread in the book. An
example image or two is shown of a good pose as well as examples of
what to avoid. More of a quick and dirty how-to instead of the more
detailed Hurth and Sint books. Not bad if you want more creative ideas.
The author is English and the photos seem slightly different in style
compared to American wedding photographers. |
Landscapes
and Outdoors
Nikon Guide to Wildlife Photography
B. Moose Peterson
A basic look at how Moose Peterson goes
about obtaining the wildlife images he’s known for. Techniques, equipment
and their usage in the field as well as how to get close to the subject
are all offered in the book. After going over equipment and lighting
basics Moose has a look at some specific animals and how to get the
best shot for each type. A good read for the wildlife enthusiasts. * Now out of print,
but an updated version is available
Mountain Light
Galen Rowell
One of Galen’s earlier books from the
mid 1980s with a number of wonderful images as well as a description
of how he obtained those images and the type of equipment used. A very
good book that reveals a bit of Galen’s mindset as well during the picture
taking moments and less pretentious then subsequent books, see below.
 Galen
Rowell’s Vision
Galen Rowell
One of my first "inspirational" books
that seemed so wonderful at first read but less so, as I go back for
an occasional refresher. A bit of the West Coast "granola-hippie" new
age way of thinking seems to make its way through most of Galen’s essays
and this is what this book is really about, Galen’s own musings at his
personal photographic process.
There is a Guru-like status that has
been given to Galen Rowell over the years and when I scratch my head
at something he has written, I go to his images and take them in for
they are simply wonderful and leave the words for another time when
I am more philosophic. |
 Galen
Rowell’s Inner Game of Outdoor Photography
Galen Rowell
This is Galen Rowell's latest book and
is another collection of essays, this time from his columns for Outdoor
Photographer magazine. I don't connect with everthing he has written,
but whenever I visited the magazine rack at Chapter's and pick up Outdoor
Photographer, I flipped through to Galen Rowell's column first to see
what he has to say then browse through the rest of the magazine. Usually,
I put the magazine back on the rack after reading Rowell's column because
it will have nothing more meaningful to offer, as the equipment reviews
are little better than Peterson's Photographic and the other columinist
usually offer little for me.
It's good to have such a large collection
of those columns in one volume and the photographs are again, outstanding. The
man was a fantastic photographer and artist and his writing was meant
to share how he looked at the world and to pass along a lifetime of
experience and seeking of knowledge to others. |
 Close
Ups in Nature Photography
John Shaw
There is little for me to say except
that this is perhaps the finest book on outdoor macro photography there
is. You want to know about macro, buy this book, period! |
 Landscape
Photography
John Shaw
Another technically oriented landscape
photography book without the philosophical style of a Galen Rowell.
Good, solid useful information for the beginning landscape photographer. |
 Nature
Photography Field Guide
John Shaw
An updated book on landscape techniques by Shaw that goes into detail
utilizing more advanced technologies than had been available since Shaw
wrote his earlier Landscape Photography and Close Ups in Nature
Photography. I would suggest new readers of John Shaw books to buy
this book instead of his earlier books. But if Macro is your thing then Close Ups in Nature Photography is still worthwhile to buy for
the basic technicalities involved with this type of photography.
|
National
Geographic Books
 Photography
Field Guide National Geographic Society
Peter K. Burian and Robert Caputo
Another technical digest that covers
photography basics that I just had to order as I’m a big fan of NGS
but in truth, I didn’t need this book as I already knew the material
or had it in my other books. My major reason for buying it was for the
very short biographies of various Geographic photographers and some
of their experiences in the field. The mailing advertisement emphasized
this heavily but it really only is a but a small portion of the book
and I dearly wished that they had more to this section. Oh yes, you
also get a small NGS micro fibre cleaning cloth with the book and this
is worth all of $2-3. The $36 I paid for this book is difficult to justify
after everything is said and done for me, but for the beginner, it is
a good book to read and is the one I recommend to them. |
 On
Assignment National Geographic Society
Prit Vesilind
This is an anecdotal look at National
Geographic writers and photographers and the way they went about getting
the story on print and/or film. Unfortunately restricted to only American
stories but still a very interesting and motivational read and a rare
glimpse at a little bit of the life of the famed Geographic correspondent,
which is not all glamour and fame. |
 The
Photographs National Geographic Society
Leah Bendavid-Val
Some of the greatest images ever captured
for the National Geographic masthead. Some technically spectacular others
technically horrible but all of the editorial photography having a sense
of humanity that make for powerful and moving images. Some notable ones
are the cover shot by Steve McCurry of the Afghan refugee girl with
the haunting eyes that pierce into your very soul or the shot of a Peruvian
shepherd boy in tears because of a taxi hitting and killing six of his
sheep. This one shot had me close to tears because of the rawness of
the shot of a boy in rags and the injustice of his situation as the
taxi driver fled from the scene. And the images go on and on. Truly
compelling with images that are the equal of fine literature in the
way they move you or provoke you into thought.
The other images in the book are fine
as well but I really go for the editorial and photojournalistic shots
because of the human element. An excellent book and worth every last
expensive dollar. Highly recommended. |
 Restless
Earth National Geographic Society
More fine images from the grand old Society.
This one of natural disasters and phenomena with accompanying text that
reveal a little bit of the awesome powers of nature and how truly insignificant
we are even with all of our technological marvels and our own destructive
capabilities. A humbling look at what potential Nature has to offer
and perhaps in a subliminal way a warning to humans and what we happen
to be doing to the Earth. Global warming, acid rain and foul air are
a but a few of the consequences of destructive practices such as logging
and burning down of our rain forests We have gone on to raze the world’s
oceans of fish, altering the ecosystem perhaps beyond our comprehension.
Heady stuff to deal but unless we tackle such issues there may not be
much left to explore of the Earth as we know it. |
Picture
Books
 A
World History of Photography
Naomi Rosenblum
If you want a basic look at the development
of photography from its earliest stages to relatively recent times then
this isn't too bad a book to read. More for the photography historian
but many photographers like to immerse themselves with the history of
the craft to allow for a greater appreciation of the technique and the
art. Personally I could have and should have passed on this one BUT
the short bio's on some of the great figures and photographers since
its beginnings in the mid 19th century was an interesting read. Additionally,
the book of course has some images of very early photos and it's interesting
to see how the masters of old were able to work within the limitations
of the medium to still produce and create some intriguing images. |
 20th Century Photography
Museum Ludwig Cologne
A digest sized but very thick volume
with some famous images from some famous photographers. A look at many
varying styles from the early days of the century without too many very
contemporary images. Beckons of the days of yore when Leicas and 50mm
lenses were the photographer’s choice of equipment and not high tech
frippery to clutter up the photographer’s mind. Just him/her and the
subject. |
 A
Guide to Photographing the Canadian Landscape
Daryl Benson and Dale Wilson
A picture book mostly with some brief
technical overviews at the end chapter. Fantastic images of my home
country and made me realize that I really don’t have to travel to exotic
locals to capture fantastic images. Humour is apparent throughout the
book as anyone who reads Daryl Benson on a regular basis in Photo Life
Magazine will know of his style of writing. It seems that the book is
mostly Daryl’s when dealing with the western provinces and then becomes
Dale’s when the eastern provinces are covered. I noticed that both photographers
make liberal use of the Cokin 173 Blue/Yellow filter and praise it for
the color it adds to a scene. Good enough to make me buy one for myself
and try it out. Other Cokin filters are noted in the technical line
accompanying each photo.
For fans of Canadian landscapes or wanting
a guide to some spectacular areas, this book is highly recommended. |
 The
Sacred Earth
Courtney Milne
A personal pilgrimage by another excellent
Canadian photographer, Courtney Milne, as he travels the earth for sacred
landmarks, natural or manmade. |
 Daybreak
2000
Roger Tefft - Project Director
I like this book quite a lot. The world's
best outdoor photographers participated in this project by Roger Tefft
to take a photo on January 1, 2000 and submit it for this collaborative
effort. Some stunning images and very strong Canadian contingent as
a number of well known photographers from the Great White North participated.
Photographers such as Daryl Benson, Dale Wilson, Freeman Patterson and
Graham Osborne among others. Other notable names are Galen Rowell, Art
Wolfe and Moose Peterson. |
 Spirit
of Place
Bob Krist
Bob Krist was a contributing editor to
Popular Photography magazine who specializes in travel photography.
He has some interesting images but since they are mostly travel related
they don't have the same impact on me as other photographer's images,
but man would I love to have travelled to all those places. He does
provide some helpful tips and hints on how to do effective travel photography. |
 Moments
- The Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographs
Hal Buell
A collection of all the Pulitzer prize
winning photos since they were first awarded in 1942 to 1999. Some criticism
has been leveled towards the awards committee in recent times for their
lack of objectivity or their disregard for some truly compelling images.
For example a photo of Boris Yeltsin dancing with some young girls during
his last presidential campaign won over other images detailing the tragedy
in Bosnia. I don't try to second guess the committee, I'll just marvel
at the incredible and sometimes heart wrenching images in the last fifty
years. |
 World
Press Photo 2001
World Press Photo is the prestigious
award given to the photojournalist who took the most captivating image
of the year, as chosen by an international jury. For 2001, the award
went to Lara Jo Regan for her image of a Mexican immigrant family living
in poverity in the large and rich state of Texas. The other award winners
are also incredible images of the past year and the turmoil that troubles
the Earth. This collection of images is the type of photography that
can do much to alter people's perception of the world they live in.
It reveals the power of photography as a social statement. |
 Odysseys
Freeman Patterson
Freeman Patterson is one of those photographers/artists who are very
spirtual and look within for much of their inspiration. Mr. Patterson
discusses dreams and their meaning and potential for photographic pursuits.
The discussion is sometimes a bit more than I can take as I am a very
direct sort of person who looks without instead of within for most of
my photographic pursuits.
What Mr. Patterson offers though, is another road to creativity, one
that every photographer can benefit from when we take the time to slow
down and reflect upon life and the world around us. The images found
in the book are all from his visits to a ghost town in Southern Africa
and truth be told, they are interesting but not quite what compels me
as an amateur photographer, however, his newest book below is something
else...
|
 Photo
Impressionism
Freeman Patterson and Andre Gallant
This is a wonderful book from first time collaborators, Patterson (very
well known) and Gallant (not so well known). The first half of the book
is devoted to the textures derived from multiply exposures and slide
montages (sandwiching two or more slides together) while the other half
explores impressionism from the use of film grain and filters among
other techniques. The images created with such techniques are truly
artistic and mimic painting and even brush strokes in some examples.
To be certain, this type of photography is not the "straight"
approach espoused by Ansel Adams but it is no less creative and no less
inspirational for me. It rewoke certain techniques in my mind while
exposing me to new ones. Big time recommendation!
|
 Man
Ray
Icons Series by Taschen
A small digest size book with many of
Man Ray's best known images. Provocative and avant garde for his era.
Not many of his images are to my taste but it is important to view the
works of key figures in photography's past in order to understand the
medium and the craft better. |
 Edward
Weston
Icons Series by Taschen
Another digest size book of the Icons
Series and what an incredible glimpse at Edward Weston's photography.
When viewing his work singularly, there is an appreciation for his work
and his craftsmanship, however, when viewing his work as a whole body
of work from a lifetime, greatness! There seems to my eye, an erotic
charactor to Edward Weston's work that permeates itself through his
images from the earliest through to the last images he created. His
bell peppers, the nautilus shells, to the tree trunks are all so similar
despite their disparate nature. And of course his nude profile is for
me the embodiment of all that is Edward Weston. An incredible body of
work that I came to appreciate only recently. Although Man Ray's work
is also highly erotic, it is so direct and in your face that there is
nothing left to the imagination whereas Weston is so subtle. |
|
 Bill Atkinson
Within the Stone: Nature’s Abstract Rock Art
Bill Atkinson is making quite a name for himself in the world of fine art photography. Many know Atkinson as a color management guru who has generously offered, free of charge, his very highly regarded custom profiles for the Epson 7800 and 9800 printers. Atkinson is also a very respected photographer and instructor, often partnering with another highly regarded fine art landscape photographer and instructor, Charlie Cramer.
Now, Atkinson seems poised to change the way photography books will be published. His book, Within the Stone: Nature’s Abstract Rock Art, is making waves with the way it was published in an entirely color managed process.
To over simplify what Atkinson did, he took the principles of color management that most serious digital photographers know about and applied them writ large in a professional press/publishing house instead of trusting to the time-honoured tradition of letting the printer make adjustments by eye and a prayer that the printed book will bear some resemblance to the proofs created by the photographer.
It seems like one of those, why didn’t they think of this before kind of situations, but no matter. We can only hope that Atkinson’s tenacity and perseverance will pay off as color management spreads out to other printing houses. It would seem like a good business choice too, as Atkinson suggests that printing houses will save much money from not wasting time on print runs for testing and adjusting.
His book has been discussed by Ctein on the TOP website, but I first heard of Atkinson’s book via the recent Luminous Landscape Video Journal. In this video, we get to see how Atkinson made his photographs and appreciate just how much effort and precision detail that Atkinson brought to his photographic work.
You would expect no less from a person who in his earlier life, was a key member of the Apple programming team in the 1980s. Ah, yes, that Bill Atkinson, who made his fortune and more or less retired in the 1990s to pursue his passion for fine art photography. And if those are not enough accomplishments, Atkinson originally started off as a neuroscientist at the University of Washington before being recruited by Steve Jobs to join the Apple team in California
I’ll be honest with you, I bought his book more for hype and technical reasons, to see just how good the reproductions are rather than for the subject matter. However, being a technophile myself, I much appreciated his efforts in producing this book. The book definitely opened up a new world of macro photography to me and I won’t be so casual the next time I see a rock with interesting colors.
The photos are abstract and otherworldly with some rocks bearing much resemblance to abstract paintings (or, is it the other way around) and others being akin to the majestic colors of the planet Jupiter. Some formations are random and others are geometric; it's a wonderful hodge podge of nature's art, or Forest Gump's box of chocolates.
Tech geeks will rejoice at all the details of the rocks themselves, as well as how the rocks were photographer and how the book was designed and printed.
For those of us in Canada interested in the book, there’s the expensive way and the cheap way to buy the book.
The expensive way is to buy the book directly from Bill Atkinson, which I did and for which you will receive a book personally signed by Atkinson. However, it will cost you $40, plus another $20 for S&H and after currency conversion (thank goodness for a nearly par Canadian $) your final bill will be closer to Can $70.
The cheap way is to just buy from Amazon Canada for a mere Can $27, and if you buy another item to push the total purchase price to over $35, you’ll enjoy free S&H and only have to pay GST on top. Add in another worthy book such as Vincent Versace’s Welcome to Oz: A Cinematic Approach to Digital Still Photography with Photoshop, or Scott Kelby’s Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers (or Martin Evening’s Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book) and you’re laughing. Your wait time will be 4-6 weeks though via Amazon Canada for Atkinson’s book. |
|
Ansel
Adams
 Ansel
Adams - An Autobiography
Ansel Adams
A helpful understanding of the life and
times of Ansel Adams. What I found interesting, as an historian, is
the use of more formal language in the various letters and notes that
Mr. Adams included. It made clear what a different era Mr. Adams lived
in compared to my own and our very informal manner of communication,
especially with the advent of e-mail. Only a few personal photos of
Mr. Adams, something that could have been better fleshed out. What was
sad for me is realizing that Mr. Adams only lived a short while after
completing this autobiography, it seemed like he wanted to lay out his
life in his own words before being reclaimed by Nature. This book breaks
down the wall of mythical proportions that Mr. Adams gained during his
life and especially after his death to reveal the man who cared passionately
about Nature and trying to balance humankind's existence with it. A
liberal for sure but not a tree-hugger extremist as so often found these
days, especially in my province of British Columbia, Canada. |
 Ansel
Adams - A Biography
Mary Street Alinder
A biography
written by Ansel Adam's last executive assistant before he died in 1984.
More than the romanticized recollections of Ansel Adams autobiography
and of the PBS American Experience documentary of his life, the biography
provides the fullest glimpse of this great photographer's life. Where
the PBS video only hinted at some of Ansel Adams' less than perfect
personal life, the biography fleshes out the details and revealed how
estranged Adams had been with his wife Virginia and his two children.
It is ironic
that his senior citizen children would speak glowingly of their father
in the PBS video when in truth, they did not even see fit to remain
with their father in the hospital during his last days, a result of
decades of indifference on both parties part. Such was the sacrifice
of this photographer, that he forsake the family life to pursue his
art.
It is also
interesting to note the ubiquiety of Ansel Adams from postcards to calendars
to posters and numerous books "by" Ansel Adams, a result of
his publishing trust running amok and commercializing the man into a
pop culture icon that they had no shame in using his images to sell
military weapons or in selling books of his dismal color images. This
is not to say that the biography is negative, far from it since it is
a sympathetic review of Ansel Adam's life, but it seems to me, to be
a fair review, one that faults him for some of things he did when he
could have done better, such as playing a larger role in his family
life and for having a roving eye towards women.
For the
Ansel Adams fans, this book is a definite must for the collection, to
obtain a truer sense of the man and how he lived his life. |
 Our
National Parks
Ansel Adams
A brief glimpse of some of Ansel Adam’s
images taken at various national parks around the US. St. Ansel’s images
are always of such technical perfection that we sometimes lose sight
of the subject itself. When we look further into the image we get drawn
into a timeless realm. I consider it very tragic that I have not seen
any of Ansel’s work in museum quality enlargements because from what
I have read of them they are of such magnificence that the small digests
or coffee table books of Ansel’s work do them no justice whatsoever. |
 Yosemite
Ansel Adams
Yosemite will be forever tied to he myth
of Ansel Adams and all that he has done in his life. Most of the images
in this book were taken during Ansel Adam's period of glory, before
he turned 60. They are stunning and striking and there is something
about the landscape in B&W that is prevasive in their appeal. The
details revealed are incredible in the prints and would embarass many
modern photographers using the latest and greatest 35mm equipment. No
collection of Ansel Adams' work would be complete without his Yosemite
images, a place that had an incredible impact on the man all of his
life. |
 Ansel
Adams at 100
John Szarkowski
A most remarkable book of images by Ansel
Adams taken during his most creative years. Although an expensive tomb,
Ansel Adams at 100 is remarkable in its high quality production values
with its hard linen cover and slipcase and thick, high quality paper
for the images inside. The essay by Mr. Szarkowski is a very good if
brief look at Ansel Adams' life and it does help to fill in some details
that Ansel Adams gave short thrift to in his autobiography.
The one detail that struck me is that
Ansel Adams was very nearly the starving artist for much of his working
life, always looking for fellowships, sponsors or patrons to help him
survive and take care of his family. I wonder what would have become
of Ansel Adams if his wife, Virginia, did not inherit her father's gift
shop and studio in Yosemite Park and provide the family with at least
a stable income.
Ansel Adams is synonymous
with American landscapes but I would not suggest his early work as presented
in the book is at all remarkable but that is to be expected when a photographer
is learning the craft. The years from the 1930s through to the end of
the 1950s were when Ansel Adams was at his most glorious in which all
of his powers were present and represented themselves in his images.
I found it surprising that
Mr. Szarkowski considered Ansel Adams more or less washed up in the
1960s onwards until I realized just how old Ansel Adams would have been
at that time. Ansel Adams was born in 1901 meaning that by the time
his photographic artistry had waned, Ansel Adams was at the age that
most would have retired at. His most widely regarded image, Moonrise
over Hernandez, was taken when he was already 40 years of age. By the
time he turned 60, he had nothing left to prove to the photographic
world, his reputation and skills cemented into the foundation of photographic
posterity.
In perusing the book, I
noticed that some of the images that I found inspiring had not been
included in the collection and this reveals that as much as the images
are Ansel Adams', the book is the work of a man with his own ideas and
interpretation of what Ansel Adams means to the world of photography.
One last comment about
the book, I was surprised that most of the images were printed at or
very near the original size of Ansel Adam's original prints. His earliest
images were shown as small 4x5s and the other images also indicate the
film size of his large format cameras, either 5x7 or 8x10 (i.e. a contact
print). |
 The
Camera
Ansel Adams
I hesitated before buying two of the three books in this series by Ansel
Adams. I thought that these books had more to do with viewcamera techniques
and darkroom processess than I would want to know about. I was wrong
and although The Camera does have a fair bit about viewcameras, I found
the technical explanations for various lens artifacts and other considerations
to be quite helpful. The book and demo shots may be dated but the basics
never are and every photographer needs a grounding in the basic technical
parameters of photography.
|
 The
Negative
Ansel Adams
Not read yet and given my lack on interest
in the chemical darkroom, no idea when I will. |
Medium
Format Books
 Medium
Format Advantage
Ernst Wildi
A very good book on the technical advantages
of medium format but also a very good intro into photography in general
too and can still be relevant for the 35mm user. Hasselblad oriented
to a degree as the author works for the famed company but Wildi is very
objective when mentioning other companies. Recommended. |
 Medium
Format Photography
Leif Erickson
Don’t bother with this book if you already
have the Medium Format Advantage. If you’re choosing between various
Medium Format photography books again, don’t bother with it again as
there just isn’t much good information to be had. |
Digital
Imaging Books
 Silver
Pixels - An Introduction to the Digital Darkroom
Tom Ang
My first book dedicated to the topic
of the digital darkroom and quite frankly I wasn't particularly impressed
with the overall quality of the book and its contents. There were a
few ideas here and there that were interesting and gave me some things
to try out but I was really hoping to bought a "how to" style
book that goes into great details about specific techniques. Ang's book
is a broad overview of the digital darkroom and is meant for the person
knowing next to nothing about digital and Adobe Photoshop. Intermediate
and advanced digital imagers need not bother with this book. |
 Adobe
Photoshop Master Class
John Paul Caponigro
The book that I thought Tom Ang's Silver
Pixels was going to be. A must have book for any Photoshop user and
fully deserving of all the fine praise received. |
 Adobe
Photoshop 6 for Photographers
Martin Evening
Adobe Photoshop 6 for Photographers is
an excellent book for those desiring a Photoshop how to book oriented
for them. There isn't much more to say other than buy it, read it and
use the knowledge you gain from it. A bit pricey at around $60 CAN but
far superior to Tom Ang's book above and cheaper and a bit less esoteric
than John Paul Caponigro's book.
Other books about Photoshop I have, but
have barely gotten into are:
 Photoshop
6 Artistry
Barry Haynes & Wendy Crumpler |
 Real
World Photoshop 6
Bavid Blatner & Bruce Fraser |
|
 Nikon
Books/Manuals
|
 Nikon System Handbook
B. Moose Peterson
One of the key books to
have for the Nikon aficionado as it covers all of the SLRs since 1959
and the lenses and accessories for those bodies too. All major production
bodies are mentioned but for the collector of the rare and expensive
some notable bodies are missing such as the Year of the Dog FM2 body
and various military and NASA bodies. For this type of info other resources
will have to be sought for relevant details. No information on the Nikon
rangefinders or any other product for that matter prior to the release
of the Nikon F body in 1959. But for a description of some older lenses
and whether or not they are worth buying the Nikon System Handbook is
well worth the cost. |
 The
Complete Nikon System
Peter Braczko
If you thought Moose Peterson's Nikon
System Handbook had a lot of Nikon gear listed and shown, Peter Braczko's
book has just about everything Nikon has ever made for photographic
use. Although the commentary is not as detailed as Moose Peterson's,
Mr. Braczko makes up for it in terms of sheer volume of images and brief
history or every lens and every body as well as all the accessories
made by Nikon. A must have resource for the Nikon afficionado. |
 The
Nikon Field Guide
Thom Hogan
A small digest that incorporates the
basic manuals of most of the current Nikon SLRs and other pieces of
equipment. If you already have an extensive collection of Magic Lantern
Nikon books then this Field Guide is less important to have but if you
have no technical Nikon books then the Field Guide represents a very
good book to have. Not only about Nikon equipment but also a bit about
technique in the field and even a bit of first aid information for the
outdoor photographer. |
 The
Nikon Flash Guide
Thom Hogan
An excellent reference book for all those
Nikon Speedlights you bought over the years and forgot how to operate.
A good introduction to flash basics too and really, a must have for
the Nikon user for a quick and easy reference for seldom used flash
features. Much better written than any of Nikon flash manuals I have
had. |
 Nikon F90x/N90s Magic Lantern
B. Moose Peterson and Michael Huber
Ironic that this technical manual should
be written by a man who despises the camera. Moose has gone public with
his denunciation of the F90/F90x recently after the F100 body was introduced.
It caused a bit of a stir that a dedicated Nikon man could condemn one
of the staples of the Nikon lineup. But when the F90x is compared directly
with the F100, Moose’s rantings can be put into a bit better context
but still ethics comes to mind about how he praises it in the book that
he received money for and then dismisses well after he’s written it.
Ah well, the manual is still a good book
to have for understanding the full capabilities of the F90x and especially
the MF26 databack. |
Nikon F70/N70 Magic Lantern
Gunter Richter and Peter K. Burian
An easier way to understand the workings
of the F70 body and its non-traditional accessing of features. To some
the embodiment of all that went wrong with the crazy movement to buttons
and control wheels instead of easy to use dials. Love it or hate it
the F70 is packed with features and the book allows for an easier intro
to learning those features. |
 Nikon Lenses Magic Lantern
B. Moose Peterson
Only a few of the many lenses are mentioned
as Moose sticks with the current ones up to the publishing date. If
you already have Moose’s Nikon System Handbook you needn’t bother with
this book. |
Nikon SB 26 Magic Lantern
B. Moose Peterson
Another book that lays out the sometimes
confusing features of the Nikon flash system into an easier to digest
book. Another case as well of Moose writing a book on a product that
he doesn’t really care for as his favorite flash up until the SB28 was
introduced was the SB25. The SB26 simple altered the Red Eye reduction
lamp a bit and added in a manual optical slave, for which Moose never
felt compelled to buy into, preferring to work with the SB25s until
the SB28 took over top spot. |
Magazines
 National
Geographic Magazine
The magazine that has allowed countless
millions to visit new lands and understand new cultures, still going
strong after over 100 years of existence. A nice escape as well as a
decent science journal for the technical articles. The writing is good
and the photographs can be excellent but I will not suggest that every
last image is remarkable with many images that border on the merely
average and sometimes banal that I think that even I could have taken
the photograph.
The criticism to NGM nowadays is that the golden age of photography
has passed and where once it stood for photographic excellence, the
magazine and Society as a whole has become too corporate and too relentless
in counting its pennies. For me, I look forward to each issue but admit
that there are some articles that are yawners and do not keep me rivoted.
Michael Yamashita and Annie Griffiths-Belt
are two photographic favorites among the current many the magazine hires
on a contract basis. |
 Camera
Arts Magazine
An "art" magazine that looks at photography
as an art form but with a bit of the technical as questions about what
equipment is used by the various featured photographers is always asked.
Inspirational and motivational as it compels the reader to try and go
beyond the equipment and into the picture taking or rather image making
process of the artist. Expensive and less accessible on the newsstands
then the mass-market rags with a terrible equipment review section but
often compelling for what it does best. |
 If you follow world politics you'll know that the
situation in the Middle East is controversial and fraught with politics
that inflame both sides of the debate. I deliberately avoid discussing
politics at CameraHobby because this website is about the process and
technique of photography, not about the politics of photography.
However,
I was provided with an opportunity to review the current Spring issue
of Daylight Magazine, which took on as its major subject, the conflict
between Palestinians and Israelis.
Daylight
Magazine is a documentary magazine and according to the introductory
editorial comment, this particular issue took one-year to develop and
produce photographic and written essays showing the lives of people
in the middle of the conflict.
The photography
is documentary-style that seemed familiar when I looked over the photo
essays. Reading the included bios of the contributors made sense of
that familiarity as some of the photographers have worked for Magnum,
the famous French agency that includes Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson
as founders. Some of the notable photographer within Magnum's current
ranks are Steve McCurry and Alexandra Boulet, both contributors to National
Geographic Magazine over the years and both photographers of compelling
images.
Contributors
to the Spring issue of Daylight Magazine include insiders and outsiders
to the conflict and each provided a snapshot of time from a particular
perspective or particular segment of the population. Segments that do
not come immediately to mind or have never been discussed in the mainstream
news.
These include:
Bedouin tribes
trying to live a traditional life in the Negev Desert in Israel,
- A boxing
community made up of Arab-Israelis and immigrant Jews from the former
Soviet Union. These communities live otherwise separate lives, but
meet head-to-head, fist-to-fist inside the boxing ring in an analogy
of the conflict in the region,
- A
displaced Christian returning to visit and photograph old refugee
settlements,
- A
traditional Arab soap factory in the West Bank and its workers making
soap in largely the same manner as a 100 years ago.
Most of
the photography and writing is not overly political, but there are some
elements that are a little stronger in their commentary, where the writer’s
words rises a little further away from objectivity, but this is a region
with centuries old conflicts and it's hard to keep emotion in check.
Since the
photographic process was invented, photography has been used to editorialize
and reveal what goes on around the world. There’s no doubt that
photography has been used to marvel as well as to shock its viewers
and that it is one of the more powerful ways of revealing the human
condition.
Even in
the earliest days, photography stirred controversy and photographic
historians probably still debate the merits of a US Civil War era photographer
moving the bodies of dead soldiers to get a “better” shot.
But the end result is still shock and horror in seeing war dead. It’s
one thing to read about war or conflict, another to actually see the
results of war and conflict.
There are
never any easy answers, but with good documentary photography, it not
only makes you aware of what’s happening, it also provokes thought
and reflection on the subject no matter which side you stand on a particular
issue.
Daylight
Magazine’s website |
 LensWork
Magazine
A magazine that is about photography
as art and not about equipment reviews, a most refreshing change. A
more detailed look here. |
 Outdoor
Photographer Magazine
I find myself indifferent to this magazine
even though it has a number of big name outdoor photographers contributing
to it. Equipment reviews are barely more then regurgitated product brochures
and the writers are not particularly good (fine photographers though)
as writing effectively is a different beast to taking photos effectively. |
 PDN
Photo District News Magazine
I’m not sure why I bought issues of this
magazine, as it really seems more like a newsletter for the working
pro, commercial and editorial especially. The only parts I found interesting
were tidbits of news at the beginning detailing how another magazine
or publishing group was trying to rip off photographers and steal the
rights to their images. The other part would be the section on how a
photo was created by a photographer for a client. Simple images would
take days if not weeks of preparation to ensure all the elements were
in place. Fascinating and I wished that most of the magazine was devoted
to this type of coverage because then the high price would be more palatable. |
 Peterson’s
Photographic Magazine
This is probably the worst photo magazine
on the market and I wish it would simply fold and go away as it represents
the worst of the mass-market culture of playing to the lowest common
denominator.
Peterson bought Stereophile Magazine
a little while a go and it does seem like a lessor magazine than its
glory days when Larry Archibald owned it. Now even magazine founder
J. Gordon Holt has left his baby for the only high quality audio magazine
left in the US, The Absolute Sound. Holt states that TAS has become
what he had hoped Stereophile would become and since the Peterson buy
out of Stereophile, I couldn’t agree more. |
 Photo
Life Magazine
The best Canadian magazine about photography
and probably the only Canadian magazine about photography that I can
see on the newsstands. More emphasis on style and content of photography
then about technical reviews with some fine photographers contributing
to the magazine. |
 Popular
Photography Magazine
The king of all the photo magazines in
North America whether you like it or hate it. The biggest in publication
and I think the best in product reviews. Their full-blown equipment
reviews of cameras are very detailed and weak points are noted but they
still do seem to like everything that comes their way. Lens reviews
are a bit weak but the SQF graphs are useful in determining the relative
merits of a lens for enlargement capability.
I do find the reproduction of the various
images to be deplorable though. Cheap paper and poor post production
printing but then PP is but a small part of the huge Hachette Publishing
empire (another suffocating publishing giant) but the much smaller Photo
Life Magazine shames it in production/publishing values. Mass market
yes but still enough packed in that it can be a useful purchase from
time to time. |
 Photo
Techniques Magazine
A curious magazine that is heavily technical
yet seems so artistic at the same time. Very much oriented to the home
darkroom crowd, traditional chemical and digital too. Equipment reports
have more user-review meat to them rather then the Pop. Photography
orgy on technical features
Not every issue is a winner though so
like most of the other magazines, I cherry pick the most relevant ones
for my interest. |
 Practical
Photography Magazine
This magazine
seems to get the dander up from Nikon users in North America. Many Nikon
fans believe this British magazine to a be a closet Canon advertisement
that masqerades as an actual technical publication. Actually, if this
magazine is guilty of favoring any brand it would be Sigma given the
prominence of the lens brand in its pages.
It makes
no difference whether the editors of the mag are users of one brand
or another, what is important is the quality of the articles and reviews
and frankly the reviews give short thrift to all the products, being
simple half pagers. The articles are a bit better but this is another
one of those pick and choose publications, especially at $10 a pop. |
Professional
Photographer Magazine UK
A British magazine that offers a nice
mix of photographer profiles and equipment reviews that seem more honest
and forthright than US magazines are willing to provide (for fear of
advertisers leaving perhaps?) A bit pricey to buy in Canada at $10 per
issue but I buy the occasional one that has an interesting review or
article. |
 Shutterbug
Magazine
A magazine that is about how to take
better pictures as well as about equipment reports and regular coverage
of the digital aspects of imaging too. Tons of advertising, which makes
it annoying to have to flip through pages and pages of ads to get to
all the hidden articles in the back pages of the magazine. The stable
of writers are mostly working pros, so you get a more interesting perspective
for product reviews and photo how to's than Pop Photos stable of full
time magazine writers/editors. A generally superior magazine to its
stablemate Peterson's Photographic, but some reviews are at the same
level. |
