Learn Landscape Photography from the Great Master
Written: Jul 14 '03 (Updated Jul 14 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Exposure theory, lens selection, camera choice, tripod, stunning photo illustration, and more
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: This book must be read by anyone who is interested in landscape photography. Anyone interested in the fundamentals of exposure control can benefit greatly from this book, too.
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| paulphoto's Full Review: John Shaw - John Shaw's Landscape Photography |
INTRODUCTION
If I have to name one book that is responsible for my engagement in photography, it has to be John Shaw’s Landscape Photography, published in 1994 by AMPHOTO. It was the first book that I actually sat down and read (studied) from page one all the way to the last page. This is a complete book containing comprehensive discussion of exposure techniques as well as aesthetic and artistic approach to photographing landscapes, when and where to photograph them. The level of the book is suitable for anyone who wants to know everything about landscape photography. It is presented in a style that makes someone new to photography feel comfortable reading. Shaw’s approach is to address and convey his ideas at a personal level to an individual rather than to a group of people.
It was this book that I actually learned and understood the theory of exposure. It was this book that I for the first time learned how to take complete control in the making of my photographs the way I wanted it, rather than relying on my camera’s automation. It was also this book that got me involved in nature photography.
JOHN SHAW’S LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
Table of Contents
Introduction
Exposure
Equipment and Film
Lenses
Light Upon the Landscape
The Landscape as Design
Problems and Solutions
On Location
Index
The book begins with a discussion on the theory of exposure. In chapter one, you will learn the fundamentals of exposure control that is associated with camera’s shutter speed, lens’ aperture (f-stop) and film sensitivity (its ISO speed). The relationship between these three characters (a terminology known as “stops”) is presented in great detail. Here, John Shaw will take you to an in-depth discussion how to control your exposure the way you want it, regardless of lighting conditions or locations. Having mastered your exposure control, you will be able to repeat your results with precision every time and everywhere without relying on luck.
I recently met someone who owns the finest camera equipment, but has very little or no knowledge of exposure control. He owns a digital camera Nikon D1X and uses it in program mode (P) almost all the time. In fact, he has admitted to me that he does not understand the relationship between shutter speed, f-stop and ISO rating, not to mention that there is a lot to learn about the camera’s functions and its capabilities (since D1X is quite a sophisticated camera). The point is that he has not taken the time to learn and understand the exposure theory. (I had offered my assistance a couple of times). So he in effect becomes a slave to his equipment. I personally think the best way to learn photography is to begin with a 35mm film format.
A thorough understanding of exposure control is vital in all aspects of creative photography, which is not limited to landscapes. Say, for example, a correct exposure for a particular photograph is 1/125 sec at f/16 (with film sensitivity ISO 100). Now if you want to take the picture using a different aperture other than f/16 (say, f/4), based on the notion of stops (opening up or stopping down), you can immediately figure out what shutter speed to use. Here, by shifting the aperture of the lens from f/16 to f/4, a shallow depth of field is achieved, which is excellent for portraiture.
After an in-depth discussion of exposure theory, Shaw moves on to talk about calibrating the camera’s built-in light meter. He insists that we should not trust the light meter in the camera. We should test it against the “sunny f/16” principle. (He talks a lot about this principle in the book). He also suggests a procedure how to calibrate the camera’s built-in light meter by choosing a medium-tone subject and make a series of photographs with varying ISO settings.
Shaw also explains how to use the camera’s built-in TTL (Through-The-Lens) exposure meter to obtain proper exposure every time without relying on the use of a gray card or a handheld light meter. This method involves the use of exposure values. Shaw provides a little chart that consists of exposure values based on the exposure latitude of a slide film. Slides have exposure latitude of about 5 stops, about 2 and ½ stops each side, from detailless black to textureless white, with medium tone at the middle. Based on this method, “the best procedure is to meter any part of the scene you’re actually shooting, and then work in stop values on either side of middletone” [page 26]. This has been the method I have adapted in my nature shootings.
He ends this chapter with a discussion on the use of depth-of-field in relation to lens’ aperture and different focal lengths.
In chapter 2 (Equipment and Film), Shaw talks about what features to look for in a camera, such as a range of shutter speeds, depth-of-field preview, mirror lock-up, remote release, interchangeable viewfinder screens, metering system (spot, center-weighted, multi-evaluative pattern or matrix), manual override, autofocus. Camera’s brand name is immaterial insofar as that camera has most of the features listed above. Therefore, any 35mm camera, be it Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Pentax, etc., will produce great photographs; but Shaw encourages that you should get the best equipment you can afford. In fact, only the top-of-the-line 35mm camera has a mirror lock-up feature. Most cameras are in vibration-prone in the range of 1/8 – 1/25 sec. In macro photography (or when using a long telephoto lens), this vibration problem is quite pronounced. A mirror lock-up feature will be very useful, because it can reduce or completely eliminate vibration.
Shaw briefly talks about the choice of film: transparency films or negative print films. If you are serious about photography, Shaw suggests that you shoot using slide films. Throughout this book, more than 80 percent of the 195 photographs were shot with Fujichrome Velvia slide film. Therefore, Velvia seems an excellent choice for landscape photography. But ultimately, you should choose a film that you like best in terms of colors and its interpretation of the real world, such as how it reacts to a certain lighting condition, etc.
A discussion of tripods and tripod heads is given in great detail. In landscape photography, you will soon learn that some of the best times to photograph are at dawn and sunrise, at sunset or dusk. In these situations, you are inevitably forced to shoot at slower shutter speeds ranging from around 1/30 sec to several seconds. Therefore, a good sturdy tripod is an essential photographic accessory in order to obtain sharp images. Shaw explains in detail what to look for in a tripod and tripod head and his recommendation on a good sturdy tripod. He also talks about quick-release systems and why they are so important.
In the section on filters, Shaw shows what filters are important for landscape photography. There are three filters that he mainly concentrates on, namely, polarizing, warming and graduated neutral-density. His explanations include stunning photographs to illustrate the use of each of these filters and how they affect the final images.
In chapter 3 (Lenses), a comprehensive discussion of how lenses work in terms of f-stops (aperture) and focal lengths, perspectives relative to focal lengths, etc, is presented. You will also learn which lens is considered “slow” and which lens is “fast,” the advantage and disadvantage of a prime (fixed-focal length) lens versus zoom lens, tilting lenses, mirror lenses, macro and normal lenses, wide-angle, short and long telephoto lenses.
Shaw warns us not to get too obsessed with wanting to own the lens that we don’t have, and avoid a misconception that photography will greatly improve if we have that lens. We should therefore learn how to use the lens by being familiar with its operations and performance. He claims that “what makes someone a good photographer is not a special lens, … it is the use of good photographic technique and a thorough knowledge of exposure control” [page 16]. This brings me back to the story of my new friend with the Nikon D1X. He believes that if he could own all the best lenses, his photography will improve greatly. He has an impressive collection of lenses in the Nikon line (most of which are on a wish list of some serious photographers like myself) such as 80-200mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S, 105mm f/2D DC AF, 300mm f/2.8 ED-IF, 400mm f/3.5 ED MF. He also has a complete set of excellent teleconverters: TC-14E, TC-20E, TC-14A, TC-14B, TC-201. In addition to these fine optics, he already owns 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye, 18mm f/3.5 MF, 50mm f/1.2 MF, 135mm f/2 MF, 180mm f/2.8 MF, Sigma 17-35mm f/2.8-4, 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5, 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6D. I, on the contrary, only have a modest collection of lenses that I need from 17-300mm (namely, 17-35mm, 35-70mm, 80-200mm, 300mm and a macro-zoom 70-180mm).
He is now looking to get a Nikon 200mm f/2 ED-IF, 300mm f/2 ED-IF and a 600mm f/4 ED-IF. Apparently, he is an extremely rich amateur photographer, because these three lenses can easily top $10,000. I asked him what he wanted to do with these lenses, especially the 200mm f/2 and 300mm f/2. His reply was that they are the fastest lenses; and he might need them for sports or wildlife. I thought to myself “why?” since he already has the 80-200mm f/2.8 and 300mm f/2.8 in his collection. With the teleconverters that he currently owns, he does not even need the 400mm f/3.5 or the 600mm f/4! With the teleconverter TC-14E, his 300mm f/2.8 becomes 420mm f/4. With the TC-20E, it becomes 600mm f/5.6. The shocking part is that he does not yet know how to use these teleconverters on his lenses. Worse yet, the teleconverters TC-14E, TC-14A & B all yield the same effect on the focal length by a multiplication of 1.4. Why a duplication? I don’t know. One of these days I will ask him.
In this chapter, Shaw also shows you how to use the lens to its fullest, such as paying attention to lens flares or ghosting (particularly in a wide-angle lens), selecting an aperture for its optimum performance, etc. We do not need to get the best optics in the Canon, Leica, Nikon or Zeiss line to produce outstanding images. A simple understanding of lens operation and exposure control is usually more than enough.
Shaw offered his opinion that any lens with a focal length of 135mm or longer and with an aperture of f/2.8 should have a tripod collar, and therefore they all should be photographed from a sturdy tripod when possible. Going back to the story of my new friend, I told him that he might need to get a sturdy tripod for the large lenses that he is planning to get. His response was that he does not need one (other than the one he now owns, which is a Bogen 3021) since he seldom uses it. I was surprised to hear that! According to Shaw (and I have learned that now), if you want your super sharp lens to reveal its super sharpness, a sturdy tripod will help achieve that (in addition to a super fine-grain film). Actually, a tripod does more than support your camera and lens. It helps free you from getting stressed trying to compose an image by handholding the camera. In the process, it will slow you down and allow you time to carefully examine and study your framing in detail.
In chapter 4 (Light Upon the Landscape), Shaw moves on to discuss the important aspect of the art of photography, that is, learn how to see light and its characters—quantity and quality. “Being aware of the light and how its quality affects perception of any subject is one of the things that sets the professional photographer apart from the amateur” [page 74]. He explains how frontlighting, backlighting or sidelighting can affect the overall subject or scenery. He also talks about the impact of the changing light, such as that on the edge of light between darkness and daylight. Sometimes, the best time for nature or landscape photography is during a dramatic lighting condition in a bad weather, such as a rainstorm.
In this chapter, Shaw also talks about the concept of reciprocity failure of a film. Reciprocity is related to the concept of stops associated with shutter speed and f-stop as exposure values. Most films fail to maintain this relationship at long exposures, and therefore the final photograph will result in an underexposure. To correct this failure, compensation in exposure value is required. Shaw provides a table with a list of films and their recommended reciprocity compensation, based on the films he had tested, that we should use in long time exposures.
In chapter 5 (Landscape as Design), Shaw talks about the artistic approach to making interesting photographs. Here, compositional techniques are discussed in great detail with stunning photographs used as an illustration. For example, he gives a poorly designed photograph and points out what makes it less interesting. Then he compares it with other good designed photographs and points out what make them look appealing. Simplicity is the key to making successful photographs. What about subject placement or framing—vertical or horizontal? And what about perspectives, foreground or background? Which one is more important? In this chapter, you will learn all that.
In chapter 6 (Problems and Solutions), you will apply all that you have learned in chapter one, that is, put the theory (exposure control) into practice. Shaw begins with an example of photographing sunset or sunrise. He explains how to meter the scene and use the concept of stops to determine the final exposure value. In addition, Shaw also talks about paying close attention to the entire image when framing. One of the many challenges in landscape photography is keep the horizon leveled; we should make sure the horizon is not tilted. There are many other aspects of photographic design that we should be aware of. For example, we should not place a large portion of the white or gray sky in the frame that might create distraction and therefore ruins the main focus of the subject in the scene. A good photographer knows when not to press the shutter release button. Shaw also talks about how to prevent lens flares.
If your camera’s viewfinder does not have 100% coverage, you should learn to recognize and control the subject placement so that no tree branch or unwanted elements creep into the scene (those that you may not see in the viewfinder but will appear on film). How about photographing in twilight? In this chapter, Shaw also gives some helpful hints how to make beautiful photographs of the twilight, such as a double exposure with the moon superimposed in the frame.
In the last chapter (On Location), Shaw provides quite useful information about when and where to go for a photo-shooting trip. One good advice in this chapter is that we should try not to fall into the habit of always photographing in the same way. This is very hard habit to break that I often find myself doing. Therefore, we should learn to be creative every time we go out to photograph. Shaw also talks about planning to arrive at a shooting location at the right place and at the right time. He also touches on the techniques of photographing wildlife.
He concludes the chapter, and, therefore, this book, with a list of his own photo gear. Even though he advises against us copying the equipment he owns, I think his list is quite helpful in that it gives an idea what a photographer might need. He also lists a number of his favorite places to go during a certain season. Shaw’s closing statement is a constant reminder—an advice that my friend with the Nikon D1X, who craves to get the best optics in his lens collection, should take—that “to shoot good pictures, all [we] really need is one lens, one camera body, one tripod, and a good light” [page 142].
CONCLUSION
The topics in the book are presented in a very logical order. In my opinion, the first chapter is probably the most difficult but a very important one, especially for those who are trying to learn the concept of exposure control for the first time. Believe me, it is well worth it to digest all the information in that chapter. And I believe that is why Shaw makes sure that we fully understand the fundamentals of exposure control before moving on to other things. When I first read this chapter, I had to read and study it again and again for a number of times, until the concepts become second nature to me. I have read many books on photography, and I am convinced the first chapter of this book is one of the best and most useful. If you aspire to be a proficient photographer (in any aspect of photography—portraiture, sports, landscape, nature or wildlife), exposure theory is the first and most important thing to master.
Therefore, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about photography. In fact, by browsing through this book, the stunning photographs will get you motivated to make better pictures. If you are at a point where you feel that you don’t want to simply “take” pictures anymore but want to creatively “make” them, this book will be the answer to your call.
Recommended:
Yes
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