Product Details
Understanding Close-up Photography: Creative Close Encounters with or without a Macro Lens

Understanding Close-up Photography: Creative Close Encounters with or without a Macro Lens
By Bryan Peterson

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Product Description

In Understanding Close-up Photography Bryan Peterson turns his attention to a topic that is an ongoing favorite with photographers. But where most macro photography books focus on capuring subjects in nature, Peterson promises to go beyond, teaching you to photograph a range of subjects from animals and plants from the garden, beach, or mountains to objects found in the kitchen, supermarket, even the junkyard. In addition to information on equipment, exposure, light, and composition, his book will feature elements of technique that go beyond the norm, teaching you to shoot not just what is generally considered close-up, but to go even closer to the point of abstraction. He will also show you how to produce the intimacy of a close-up within a larger shot--how to capture the look in your subject's eyes without compromising the clarity of the surrounding scene. And as always, Peterson offers his signature touch with his personal terminology: in what he likes to call "Pop Junk" he shows how combining creativity with the right digital technology can turn close-up photos of the most ordinary objects into surprising pieces of art.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #4615 in Books
  • Published on: 2009-03-31
  • Released on: 2009-03-31
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 160 pages

Features

  • ISBN13: 9780817427191
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bryan Peterson is a professional photographer, an internationally known instructor, and the best-selling author of Understanding Exposure, Learning to See Creatively, Understanding Digital Photography, Beyond Portraiture, and Understanding Shutter Speed. In addition, he is the founder of the online photography school The Perfect Picture School of Photography (www.ppsop.com). He divides his time between the United States and France.

Customer Reviews

Good Book for Beginner or More Advanced5
Peterson's books on Shutterspeed and Aperature are among the best I've ever encountered so when I saw this book in the soon to be released section I ordered it immediately. After waiting three months, it finally arrived and although I would not put it into the same category as the Aperture and Shutterspeed books, it is certainly a worthy addition.

First, I'm not a pro but enjoy close-up and macro probably more than any other type of photography. This book strikes a solid balance between buying advice and explanations sufficient for newbies wanted to get started in close-up or macro and a few creative ideas or style for others with more experience.

The emphasis is certainly on close-up above macro but with sufficient appeal to keep both happy. Ample explanations, nice use of comparative photo's and Petersons exceptional style of casual communication that provides insight into the shot itself.

Also, he includes wide angle, fish-eye and other less common lens types outside of just the macro itself...for that he gets an extra star as it is a topic rarely included in most close-up discussions. Not every photo is of stellar quality - although there are some beautiful examples.

Briefly, topics include equipment, depth of field and aperature, general tips, home studio, framing, magnification ratios, depth of field preview, and other essential information.

To sum it up...a worthy addition but not of the same quality or caliber as exposure and shutterspeed. Newbies will benefit the most while more experienced users may pick up a few worthy ideas.

Excellent book if lacking some depth4
The newest book from Bryan Peterson, released in March 2009, it cannot help but come in direct comparison with John Shaw's primer on macro photography.

However, this is a book on CLOSE-UP photography and that should be kept in mind when reading it. While macro is covered as much as close-up photography, both are given strong emphasis and many techniques can be applied to either situation.

This book goes into good detail about nearly every aspect of close-up and macro photography you might want to know a bit about: equipment, lenses, filters, diffusers, reversing rings, good point and shoot cameras, tripods, reflectors, ring flash, etc. However this will be a 'bit' about each one. On some, such as lighting topics, there are entire books out there written just on those subjects.

Depth of Field is covered very nicely and in more detail than Shaw's book, tying it in with composition, lighting and artistic decisions.

Overall, this is an excellent book and very up to date, printed March 31 2009. The cameras, lenses and other items mentioned are ones we are all using today or might buy. Artistically, the ideas are presented in a way that make you want to pick up your camera and go see what you can find. Readability wise, Peterson is an excellent writer and teacher which make this book very accessible to photographers at any level.

Another good photo technique book from Brian Peterson4
I have taught photography for the past 20 years and for much of this time I have been relying on Brian Peterson's ideas to help make many photo concepts more interesting going back to his original "Learning to See Creatively".
I found this book to be particularly worthwhile because it isn't limited to extreme close ups and, thank heavens, isn't filled with insect photographs. Rather, Brian suggests a number of approaches to the subject and shows wonderful examples.
If you are interested in close up photography, this is a Very Good Read!