This book is ideal for anyone who has bought a SLR and wants to know what all the seemingly incomprehensive terminology means – and who wants to make images that look impressive.
The book is printed of high-quality art paper. It is beautifully presented with stunning images, but unlike many photo books, the author explains in very practical ways how they were made. If you didn’t know whether to set your aperture to f4 or f22 before you read the book – or if you hadn’t the foggiest what aperture means – you would understand after reading this book.
There are particularly good sections on getting the best results from different types of light, blurring action (such as crashing waves), and intentionally pushing backgrounds out of focus. There is also useful section on using filters, such as the polarising filter, that most essential item of kit for landscape photographers.
Importantly, Bryan Peterson has an easy-to-follow writing style and his obvious love of photography shines throughout the book. I’ve read many f photography books and this is head and shoulders above the rest for those wanting to jump from merely passable Auto mode creations to more advanced photography.
Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera
By Bryan Peterson
Amphoto Books
ISBN: 0817463003