Confession: this book has been sitting on my shelf for awhile. It’s been winter, and there’s not really any nature to go out and shoot in southern Wisconsin in January. Things get a little, well, buried. So, I’ve been putting of reading it, thinking I wouldn’t really get a chance to put any tips into practice anyway.
John Shaw’s Guide to Digital Nature Photography is all the photography advice I’ve been looking for in one, concise place. I read articles and blogs and such, but so often they are drilled down to the most concise topic possible – a side effect of our desire to get the most clicks or page views per site, combined with writing for SEO. It was refreshing to have all the details from lens choice to priority modes to editing all in one place, and from someone who really, truly know what they are talking about from a technical perspective.
For instance, I love that Shaw doesn’t address composition until more than halfway through the book. He wants readers to understand their camera first and focus on taking pretty pictures second.
Favorite Quotes from John Shaw’s Guide to Digital Nature Photography:
“Photography should be both a process of discovery and a procedure for recording that discovery.” – p. x
“Which Camera? Short answer: the one you have with you. Long answer: it all depends.” – p. 3
“A word of caution about software: Be judicious. I see far too many photos that seems to have been taken on a different planet from the one where I live.” – p. 33
“You want to be in control of your equipment. You want to make the decision as to how the photograph looks.” – p. 62
“A histogram has no perfect shape. Each subject you photograph will have a different histogram.” – p. 86
“Notice that I said what lenses you need, not what lenses you want.” – p. 105
“All field nature photography involves compromises.” – p. 118
“Light is what makes photography possible… Light has a direction, a character, and a color.” – p. 155
Should you buy this book? If you are serious about improving your nature photography and haven’t found all the answers online yet, I say yes. Or if you just want the topic described in one, cohesive voice that uses the same vocabulary throughout, definitely yes.
Saving up to buy your next piece of gear and don’t want to spend money on a book? You’re in luck: I’ve got an extra copy and you can enter below to win it!
I can’t wait until the weather warms up and dries up and I get outside and practice a few of these new-found techniques!
Enter HERE to win a copy of the book!
I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. And they sent me a second copy to share with a reader for free!
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