"Rules" of photography/advanced technical books ?

[marion]

Hi,

while exploring the forum here a little, I've discovered there were some rules/guidance to learn like which aperture and shutter speed and iso in which light condition and these are things I really would like to learn. It seems one used to learn hyperfocal distances by heart or something too ? Hey I want to do that .
I've searched amazon, maybe not with the right keywords but did not find this kind of info (either books covering basics, either scientific approach but not direct application kind textbooks).

Could someone give me some references ? I guess it should be argentic photography books ?

A good advanced book about composition would help too, even if it's about paintings, anything to go further .
Well any other book you find really enlightening for learning is welcome too .


I've already read
Maîtriser le Canon Eos 40D by Vincent Luc and Benjamin Effosse
Canon Eos 6D user manual
Photographically Speaking: A Deeper Look at Creating Stronger Images by David duChemin
CiC tutorials (edit : not all it seems ! Back to reading )

and am currently reading Ben Long "Complete Digital Photography" but it doesn't seem to add much to previous readings.


The list of future books I'm thinking to read after some researches on the net/amazon :
For pp, Vision & Voice: Refining Your Vision in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom by David duChemin as someone advised somewhere here (sorry don't recall where and who ).
About light, maybe Capturing Light: The Heart of Photography by Michael Freeman ?
For night photography Photography Night Sky: A Field Guide for Shooting After Dark by Jennifer Wu ?
And for studying, maybe finding Magnum Contact Sheets book ?

You can go on with a huge list of books, I'm a bookworm and would definitely feel better with my camera if I feel I'm "ready" theorically speaking .
Thanks a lot in advance ,
Marion

[Shadowman]

Cheapest route would be to visit the public library, that way you can sample until you fine exactly what you are looking for.

[Manfred M]

Based on your questions; I would assume that you are looking at nature and outdoor photography, more than studio portraiture.

Three books that I have found most useful (all are considered classics in their own right):

1. The Art of Photography by Bruce Barnbaum is probably the most important book I have read. It stems from the film days, so there is still a lot of discussion regarding shooting on film, but it has been updated for digital photography as well.

2. Creatiuve Nature and Outdoor Photography by Brenda Tharp - considered by many to be the definitive work on the subject. Again, it stems from the film days, but has recently been updated to the digital world; and

3. Light Science and Magic - Fil Hunter, Steven Biver and Paul Fuqua - this book is now into its fourth edition, so that should tell you about its relevence and popularity. Photography is all about light, and this book is definitely true to its title. In my view, a "must read" book.


As for hyperfocal distance; in the old days, this information was etched into the lens barrel, but modern autofocus zoom lenses rarely have this information any more. That's the bad news; the good news is that there are many iPhone and Android apps out there that can supply you with this information.

[LocalHero1953]

You are going to receive SO much advice, and everyone will contradict each other. The best you can do is read it all, and make your own selection and judgement.

On technique, I am happy to be a heretic and suggest you use auto exposure and autofocus until you find that doesn't produce the results you want. I think it is much more important to get out and enjoy taking pictures and learning what makes a good picture, rather than getting hung up on exposure and ISO. When you find you are limited by auto, then is the time to think about why that should be. So I have no books to suggest, except for your camera manual.

On composition, I have no rules to offer, and no books either, I can only offer my own experience:
- Get out and take photos. Do you like them?
- Look at other photographers' work, including, but not only, famous ones, old and new. Decide what it is you like about them, or not. What's the difference between theirs and yours?
- Go out and take more photos?
- Have some coffee.
- Go out and take some more photos.
- look at some paintings, film posters, advertising images, anything that catches your eye. NOW, what do you see in them, and what makes them work (or not) for you?
- Go out and take some more photos.
- ask people if you can take their photo.
- Think about the photos you've taken. But not too long.
- go out and take some more photos, then....
- Go out and take some more photos.

You get the picture. The times my photos have improved fastest have been when I have been taking photos at the fastest rate (and thought about the results). Practice is the best way forward IMHO. YMMV etc etc.


Edit: my photography books are almost all books of photographers work. Those on technique were all given to me as presents.

[IzzieK]

Google Exposure triangle and start from there.

[LocalHero1953]

But I have gained a lot by reading both CiC and a couple of other sites, including www.strobist.com

[Acorn]

Hello, Marion,

There's a lot you can learn from this website's tutorials. However, make local enquiries to ascertain if there's a camera club, photographic society that meets regularly near to where you live. There's little to beat one-to-one tuition.

Best wishes,
Barry

[pnodrog]

Ultimately you need to learn from experience not books. Take lots of photographs of all sorts of subjects in all sorts of conditions and then evaluate them objectivity. Then just seek the solutions to the both the technical and aesthetic short comings by reading/researching the numerous amount of information available on the internet.

A few good books are a good start but nothing beats practice.

[chauncey]

Maîtriser le Canon Eos 40D by Vincent Luc and Benjamin Effosse...Canon Eos 6D user manual

Assuming that's your gear...read and watch any video available on their use and best lenses for various scenarios.

[dabhand]

Marion,

I'd just like to add to the 'heretics' contributions, Youtube offers a wealth of stuff and I'd like to suggest two:

Scott Kelby - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpHMuK7Htic - especially around 5.30 mins
David Brommer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtcD84l9eUw

Scott's is 1hr long, David's 2hrs - but I think they will give you some context within which to work.
then take some photos etc etc

Paul - post #4 - you need to add more coffee breaks ;-)

steve

[Mark von Kanel]

You are going to receive SO much advice, and everyone will contradict each other. The best you can do is read it all, and make your own selection and judgement.

On technique, I am happy to be a heretic and suggest you use auto exposure and autofocus until you find that doesn't produce the results you want. I think it is much more important to get out and enjoy taking pictures and learning what makes a good picture, rather than getting hung up on exposure and ISO. When you find you are limited by auto, then is the time to think about why that should be. So I have no books to suggest, except for your camera manual.

On composition, I have no rules to offer, and no books either, I can only offer my own experience:
- Get out and take photos. Do you like them?
- Look at other photographers' work, including, but not only, famous ones, old and new. Decide what it is you like about them, or not. What's the difference between theirs and yours?
- Go out and take more photos?
- Have some coffee.
- Go out and take some more photos.
- look at some paintings, film posters, advertising images, anything that catches your eye. NOW, what do you see in them, and what makes them work (or not) for you?
- Go out and take some more photos.
- ask people if you can take their photo.
- Think about the photos you've taken. But not too long.
- go out and take some more photos, then....
- Go out and take some more photos.

You get the picture. The times my photos have improved fastest have been when I have been taking photos at the fastest rate (and thought about the results). Practice is the best way forward IMHO. YMMV etc etc.


Edit: my photography books are almost all books of photographers work. Those on technique were all given to me as presents.

And this is the guy who wants a program on lighting rather than getting out and shooting ....

[marion]

Thanks so much for all the helpful advises !
What made me search for more technical books was this quote from William W here :
Dealing With Bright Midday Sun

One does not need to use the TTL Meter. That "scene" is EV 15, meaning for “the scene” the “correct exposure” is F/16 @ 1/200s @ ISO200. So therefore I calculate that for “the scene” you are about 1 stop UNDERexposed.

I do understand exposure triangle but all I did manage to do was compensate for the camera calculated exposure when needed (and very clumsily) so I wanted some guidance not to be in the dark too much in manual. Aaaaand I just found what I was looking for after finding the quote again, searching "EV15 photography" in Google (why didn't I try Wikipedia first )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_value

And there is plenty more starting from there so it should be ok now (I will go to the local library to check for more and I'll concentrate on books on photography masters I guess, thanks John and Paul ).

This week-end I tried to take as much photos as I could in San Francisco (it's so amazing -hey, I'm from a little town in France -) but being with my little boy, I had very limited time to get the shots I wanted so I ended up relaying on Program mode most of the time but found it frustrating (I hate not being in control , yeah yeah I know , no seriously I've been relaying on auto mode for years and decided it's enough ). I didn't have the time to change metering mode when needed and my exposures are mostly not what I wanted (thankfully, I have the raw files so I might be able to do something about it*).
I did remember something about Sunny16 from William W quote but not enough to do something about it .
Now I have found some mathematical guidance for this kind of quick photo shoots, I feel a tad bit better .
I learned about hyperfocals only after getting back home as I was completely unable to know what would be blurred or not when shouting at f2,8 (and I didn't like that ).
Next time will be much better then .

I'll try to go out (or stay at home, why not ? ) and shoot as much as possible now (and more, but I don't drink coffee, can I manage with chocolate ? ), thanks ! But as I still want to study when I can't take pictures as I'm a tad bit obsessed lately (ok very obsessed, I can't help it ), I'm happy to have new books to add to my list as well , thanks a lot Manfred !

I'l watch the videos asap, thanks a lot Steve .

Thanks again to everybody, I wrote already too much so I'm not detailing everything but I'll follow each advise heartfully.

edit : oh wow, I did write way too much, sorry ! I should definitely find a photographic club to learn and talk about photography (my husband is already fed up with the subject ), thanks a lot for the advise, Barry !

*edit 2: I'm reviewing the pictures on my computer now and exposures are actually good, ah ah, 6D knows better... well this can't hurt learning a little more...

[LocalHero1953]

Paul - post #4 - you need to add more coffee breaks ;-)

steve

I couldn't decide if I needed more coffee or a glass of wine

[LocalHero1953]

And this is the guy who wants a program on lighting rather than getting out and shooting ....

Look, I can't be consistent all the time

[William W]

. . . What made me search for more technical books was this quote from William W here :
Dealing With Bright Midday Sun

"One does not need to use the TTL Meter. That "scene" is EV 15, meaning for “the scene” the “correct exposure” is F/16 @ 1/200s @ ISO200. So therefore I calculate that for “the scene” you are about 1 stop UNDERexposed."

I do understand exposure triangle but all I did manage to do was compensate for the camera calculated exposure when needed (and very clumsily) so I wanted some guidance not to be in the dark too much in manual. Aaaaand I just found what I was looking for after finding the quote again, searching "EV15 photography" in Google (why didn't I try Wikipedia first )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_value
. . . I did remember something about Sunny16 from William W quote but not enough to do something about it .

Now I have found some mathematical guidance for this kind of quick photo shoots, I feel a tad bit better . . .

A few comments:

Wikipedia – I think is pretty good for a first glance resource and also for a quick search to find related subject phrases to research but I would warn about taking what is written as absolute without checking the references and footnotes and if not referenced to a primary source then I am certainly circumspect.

When a scene is EV 15, I use that information to make for working very quickly especially when shooting on the hop and covering weddings was my staple income for many years.

Most of the technical and/or mathematics information that I provide on forums comes out of my head but was originally sourced from TEXT books, TECHNICAL MANUALS or Photography Theory course work from my own College training and subsequent course work which I have written.

You might find that a second hand book shop has items that are valuable to you. As already mentioned a Library (a big one) is a very good idea – if you do follow that lead then seek out these and similar:

KODAK “TECHNICAL MANUALS”
KODAK “PROFESSIONAL HANDBOOKS”
ILFORD “MANUAL of PHOTOGRAPHY”
TECHNICAL books by: Michael J Langford

All of the above will be quite old.

WW

[marion]

Thanks so much for your reply, Bill. I'll look for these this week-end hopefully. This is exactly what I was looking for, thanks again .

edit : found Kodak Professional Photoguide on Amazon.com .

[Peeshan]

I you have the possibility, read something - or better, follow a class - about colors. It doesn't matter if it's originally intended to fine art, photography or whatever, it can seems boring or overtechnical at first but it's incredibly useful in fact.