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| John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide | 
| Author: John Shaw
Publisher: Amphoto Books
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $14.06
You Save: $10.89 (44%)
New (35) from $14.06
Avg. Customer Rating:  80 reviews
Sales Rank: 11551
Media: Paperback
Edition: Rev Sub
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 0817440593
Dewey Decimal Number: 778.93
EAN: 9780817440596
ASIN: 0817440593
Publication Date: October 31, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 This is the one that made it stick March 12, 2005
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
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.
Excellent Book February 27, 2005
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
Quick summary: excellent - buy it. For more detail, read on.
Possibly the best book about photography I've ever read. It doesn't just describe nature photography, but also goes into many technical details about how to obtain the picture *you* want to obtain. Many of these details are fundamental to all types of photography (exposure, lighting, etc.), so there is something to be gained for everyone.
However, as the title of the book clearly indicates, the bulk of the text is dedicated to photographing in outside lighting - it *is* nature after all - so you might want to consider another book if your primary interest is indoor studio photography.
In terms of experience level, I think anyone from an amateur photographer just starting out to the seasoned pro will find useful tips and anecdotes in this text. I've been using an SLR camera for many years but I'm amazed at how many things I've learned from this book.
One small drawback is that the author only uses Nikon cameras and hence most of the equipment related advice is for Nikon branded equipment. He does occasionally mention Canon equivalents, although the charts and comparisons of sizes, weights, etc. are only for Nikon. Still, I use a Canon camera and found this to be only a very minor annoyance.
The book has so many excellent photographs (185) in it that it would be worth buying for the pictures alone. However, as long as you're buying a book of pictures, why not throw in an excellently written text describing in great detail how the pictures were taken and how to obtain similar results yourself?
It also has all sorts of interesting mini chapters - one is even included on how to take aerial photographs and includes advice on the types of planes and pilots to rent! A section I think I'll find especially handy lists some of the author's favorite shooting locations and what you can find there by month of the year (mainly in the United States).
The book was published fairly recently (2000), but still deals exclusively with film (mostly slide). So those of us using the newer digital SLR's will want to skim past the sections on choosing a film type, push processing your film, etc. However, it's kind of fun to read over these sections and realize how much easier things are now with digital. No more waiting through a whole roll of film to change your ISO, much faster ISO speeds with good results (I frequently use 1600 for macro work with no problem), no need to *buy* film or process, etc. After you've read the book, go out and buy yourself a Canon EOS 20D or equivalent and you'll see what I mean. ;-) The only time I wished the book discussed digital is with regard to the number of stops film can accurately reproduce (about 5). It would have been nice to see the equivalent information for digital, and some sections on digital exposure tips and tricks - but I suppose this is for the next version of the book.
Highly recommended.
 All good things end February 16, 2005
26 out of 43 found this review helpful
This book was in it's day a great book worthly of a 5 star rating but time has a way of making material irrelevant. Probably half the book deals with photography lessons that time won't change but the other half deals with equipment and how to use it. Having been published in 1984 all the equipment information in it has become outdated.
The book was written before digital photography was even a dream,eg: TTL flash metering was the new thing, but we have gone through D-TTL and now have I-TTL flash sysems out.
There is simply no reason to purchase a book that is simply so far out of date, a great book in it's day, but that day and come and gone.
 Excellent Introduction to Photography January 17, 2005
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
Although written for film photography rather than digital, if you need to learn the basics of exposure and lenses and the general process a photographer must go through to take great photographs instead of just snapshots, this is an excellent guide.
The basic fact of the matter is that good photographs are produced in this order
1. Photographer's "eye"
2. Good equipment, handled expertly
3. Post processing
Digital photography differs from film primarily in the last category. This book's focus is on the first two, without which good photography is not possible. Look elesewhere for books on Photoshop, but look here to learn how not to need it so much.
The book that has become my mentor.... October 6, 2004
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
Since getting into photography about three years ago; I have read a dozen books that supposedly taught me exposure, aperture, shutter speeds; in other words the fundamental basics of all photography. This book is the only one that actually made me see what everyone else was awkwardly trying to say. I don't know John Shaw's work or if he is even a decent photographer but I can tell you if you need a mentor in this art we call photography; buy this book, curl up and prepare to open your eyes to the building blocks of all photographers. I refer back to this book every couple of months and I am always surprised at how much I still learn from this one simple book. When we start off in photography many of us think we're a great photographer, but I am just now beginning to learn why some pictures are great and what will enable me to take my pictures from privately loved to accepted greatness! Thanks John Shaw for all your work, it has truely helped me!
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Wildlife, nature and the Environment
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