Rating: 
Summary: Exposure problems? Read this book!
Review: John Shaws' recent up-to-date revision of his excellent 1984 best-selling how-to book on nature photography is, if possible, even better than the original. Mr. Shaw, a master of the art and science of nature photography, is also an uncommonly good writer and has a capacity for explaining hard to grasp subjects such as the theory of exposure in a sensible way that is unmatched in this field. Shaw does not simply give you his own intuitive version of how to master this aspect of photography, but teaches you how to logically think through the process of arriving at the exposure you want (the "correct" exposure) in all situations and with any modern camera so that the guess work is eliminated. This is a very freeing thing and is a cure for the anxiety that overcomes many photographers as they fumble to get that shot of a lifetime. This book is a best buy for that reason alone. The original book was the very best book available at the time to learn the techniques of one of the best professionals in the field; this one is even better. You should read it many times until the thinking behind the exposure process makes sense to you and is an ingrained part of your being so you can act quickly and reflexively when the big chance comes. This is a thinking persons book. It will help you see the light.
Rating:
Summary: The book that has become my mentor....
Review: 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. I am sure many of you think you're a great photographer, so did I. 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!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Superbly photographed and written to inspire with humor and panache.
Rating:
Summary: Effective "how I did it" book
Review: The burning question in my mind as I look at a stunning photo in a calendar, postcard, or coffee-table book is "How did they do it?" There are just certain details about a photo that stand out and scream "professional". Many photography guidebooks tend to fall into two camps: those are little more than glorified list of equipment you likely wouldn't ever buy or be able to afford, and those that are a showcase for the photographer to expound on his experience and philosophy. This book, by well-known landscape and wildlife photographer John Shaw, will tell you exactly how _he_ did it. In clear and concise prose, he explains in details his system for getting the exposure you want (as distinguished from simply determining the correct exposure). While this may not be earth-shattering or even entirely novel, its simplicity and ease of use will make you wonder why you didn't think of it before. It obviously works beautifully for Shaw. For me, this was the single most useful thing I got out of the book. The rest of the book is geared more toward the beginning photographer with extensive coverage of basic principles of exposure, lens selection, composition, flash photography, etc. There is a surprisingly large section on close-ups, usually not the most well expounded topic in a general photography book. There are some advices on field gear and locations that a veteran photographer may find useful. Shaw does cover enough gear (mostly Nikon) to keep an equipment junkie happy. In all, true to the book's title as a "field guide", the predominant theme is practicality, and you can actually put many of his suggestions to good use right away. Lastly, the book also has enough beautiful photos to be an impressive coffee table book. I find Shaw's prose to be efficient and direct, not condescending or ingratiating as how-to books tend to get. The book is logically organized and compartmental; you will not have to read cover to cover to benefit from it. If you're interested in nature photography, this book would be a worthy addition to your shelf.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, very thorough nature guide
Review: The information provided on exposure alone is worth the price of admission as it were. Personally I use a Pentax Pz-1p and have no problem with the discussions when he refers to Nikon or Canon, admittedly the Pz-1p doesn't have mirror lockup (the MZ-S, and the *ist do) but I manage just fine! The book is very thorough in both technical and artistic considerations and I have seen a definite improvement in my Photos since using it (although i shoot print and never have shot slides and that just goes to show the power of this book) I would go further to say that while all of Mr Shaw books are great if you had to pick just one this should be it. I would also advise those now getting into SLR photography that before you buy a camera but this (or borrow it from a library) and read the section on buying a camera system, very useful!!
Rating:
Summary: Good Book For The Beginner!
Review: This book greatly increased my knowledge withing a few hours. If you are a beginner, or are intimidated by all the features of an SLR camera, then this book will make you feel at ease. I recommend reading this book once or twice before taking pictures with your new camera.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for the intermediate to advanced photographer
Review: This book is an excellent resources on equipment and techniques for nature photography. The book is detailed, in-depth, and thorough in covering the major aspects of importance to a nature photographer. Unlike most authors, John Shaw provides specific information rather than vague suggestions. For example, when discussing equipment, he advises the reader on which specific tripod to purchase and what lenses to avoid. It should be noted, however, the books seems to be geared more toward professional photoghraphers rather than amateurs. This is probably most noticeable when he discusses equipment because he gives the impression than anything less than top-of-the-line is a waste of money and will not result in good photographers. His equipment recommendations are sometimes out of the price range of most amateur photographers. In addition, he does not waste too much time on the basics of photography and presumes that the reader has at least some grasp of concepts and techniques. I would recommend this book for the intermediate to advanced photographer. Beginners would be better served focusing on more basic texts rather than delving into this specialist book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book for the budding photographer
Review: This book is excellent for those dabling in photography who want to improve. His coverage of basic photo techniques is very good. The discussion on exposure is the best I've ever read. The techniques worked perfectly the first time I used them. There is also excellent information on what equipment to buy. Some of it is too expensive for me to buy now, but I can save for the future. In summary, great book, well worth getting, reading and saving for future reference.
Rating:
Summary: Creative and Mathematical
Review: This book is the best I have read. It reviews the basics to get you up to speed, and then dedicates a good ammount of time to the sicence and art of what YOU call a good exposure. The author effectively relates f-stops, shutter speed, and film speed in the math of stops. He also goes into how your camera sees the world by default (18% grey) and teaches you how to alter that default setting to what your subject really is using TTL metering. I shot full manual at Death Valley this summer, and my first ENTIRE roll of expsures (Fuji Velvia) was DEAD ON!!!
Rating:
Summary: recommended
Review: This book was highly recommended to me by two professional nature photographers. It is a grand book for the brginning outdoor photographer. It stsrtds with the basics but concentrates on the art of photography
| 
