Rating: 
Summary: The gold standard in educational tools for a photographer!
Review: ...and don't just take my word on it. The entire photojournalism department at Ohio University (one of the best in the country) uses this book. I have used it in almost every class I took while studying for my degree and have found it invaluble as a reference since then. I have not yet "grown out" of this book; it continues to provide information as I learn. My only complaints are about the size (not exactly backpack-friendly for students) and the price (as with everything in photography). Without a doubt, this is the best photography book out there for students.
Rating:
Summary: The gold standard in educational tools for a photographer!
Review: ...and don't just take my word on it. The entire photojournalism department at Ohio University (one of the best in the country) uses this book. I have used it in almost every class I took while studying for my degree and have found it invaluble as a reference since then. I have not yet "grown out" of this book; it continues to provide information as I learn. My only complaints are about the size (not exactly backpack-friendly for students) and the price (as with everything in photography). Without a doubt, this is the best photography book out there for students.
Rating:
Summary: Great.
Review: A great manual for beginners. Attention is given to just about all areas and techniques of photography. Nice layout and pics.
Rating:
Summary: The 3rd edition was nicer
Review: After reading the third edition of Photography by the Uptons, Idecided to buy the sixth edition. There are new things in this editionnot found in the third but I was quite unimpressed with the mediocre graphics. Some of the illustrations look like they were done by a high school student learning how to do airbrushing. In this the third edition is far superior. I liked the profiles on living photographers in the third that is not found in the sixth. However, the section on problems with developing black and white film is exceptional. If you have any technical struggles this section can pinpoint immediately what the problem is. Also the book always has one entire theme or idea on the two full pages in front of you. It is an easy book to find your way around in and it really is one of the very finest books on photography available. It would be good of them to update some of the older photographs. I am tired of seeing models from the 70's in an almost year 2000 book. The book also is pricey. It should be available in hardcover for those who use it as a teaching manual or textbook. It would certainly last longer. I do recommend every student who enters college and majoring in photography to add this one to their library. This edition is also 28 pages shorter than the third edition. Why? It shoud have been longer!
Rating:
Summary: unbelievable
Review: After reviewing all of the major photographic textbooks, I have chosen this one due to its total inclusion of all the major areas of photography. It deals with digital images as well as traditional darkroom techniques.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!!!! A Must Have!!!!!!
Review: An absolutely excellent book. As a serious amateur photographer, I particularly enjoyed the detail and the degree to which photographic procedures/processes were explained. For all those seeking an all-around how-to book, this is it!
Rating:
Summary: A STELLAR GUIDE TO THE CRAFT AND ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Review: As a child, I was surrounded by cameras and photographic equipment. My mother was an amateur photographer and had a healthy love of art in all its forms. She imparted this love to me, though somehow I learned more about the art and theory of photography than how to actually use a camera. And even more unfortunate, when I became ready to pick up a camera, most of the "how-to" manuals I encountered were utterly indecipherable-as both text and resource. Authors Barbara London and John Upton understand that a photography text has to have a double-edged value: as an accessible instructional tool within the (home) classroom and as a reliable reference beyond it. PHOTOGRAPHY is the resource many of us need-and have waited a long time for-in order to develop the skill to use the camera effectively and with confidence. PHOTOGRAPHY fluently guides the burgeoning photographer through some familiar and not-so-familiar terrain: clear, thorough discussions of everything from aperture and depth of field to using filters and lighting; alternative processes such as multimedia and hand coloring; a chapter on digital imaging; and beautiful "Photographer at Work" interviews that go inside the many worlds of photography and the photographer's craft. And topics are clearly cross-referenced. (Something often lacking in certain other photography texts.) But learning to control the photographic process is only part of it. The book emphasizes "visual awareness" and how to make informed visual choices that result in good photographs.
Rating: 
Summary: Overpriced
Review: As a college teacher I have used this book for two decades and watched it's price go up and up. Obviously, I think it is a good book.
However, the camel's back has finally broken at the current 74 (!) dollar paperback price.
I cannot justify asking intro students to pay this much.
I will find a suitable, less expensive alternative. The price difference will be best spent on film.
Rating:
Summary: MUST be on your bookshelf.
Review: For those impatient enough: if you are to buy one book that would teach you photography - this should be the one. This book has survived seven editions and it has enough information to make your head hurt. Needless to say, this book does not offer a silver bullet that would make you Ansel Adams, but it has enough information to build a solid technical foundation upon which you could leverage your creativity. Make no mistake: this book is first and foremost about film photography. While there is a somewhat obligatory chapter on digital photography, it is hardly more than a very brief introduction. The rest of the book implies film photography (needless to say, that information on exposure and lens is generally applicable to both film and digital photography techniques). Furthermore, the book is seriously geared toward black and white photography. There is plenty of information about the color process but it feels complementary to the narration. On the negative side, there are only a couple things to note:
- Having so many precise instructions, this book ought to have an appendix containing all data in one place (from reciprocity failure correction numbers, to N+2 development time increase, to film processing checklists). It is a shame, the book doesn't have such a reference chapter.
- The price of the latest edition is way too steep. While I am far from suggesting sacrificing quality for lower price (as unfortunately so many other books do), I still think that the price has risen way too high compared to older editions. All in all, it is an excellent basic reference. It is unlikely to be the only book on your shelf, but it will definitely be an extremely useful one while you are mastering advanced photography. Bottom line: buy this book now.
Rating:
Summary: Ground Floor
Review: I have greatly enjoyed the 20 year old version of this book I purchase ...at a used book store. It provided me with a comprehensive first look at many photographic concepts with enough detail to put my newfound knowledge to practical use.
I highly recommend this book for people interested in a detailed overview of photography.
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