Book Description
•Many digital cameras come equipped with close-up features—but few users understand them •Combines two of the hottest topics in photography today: digital and nature •Perfect companion to Digital Nature Photography. Some 59.3 million digital cameras will be sold this year—and most come fully equipped with close-up features that let users get up close and personal with all the wonders of nature, from birds and trees to flowers and insects to underwater plants and fish. But few buyers know how to get the most from these exciting features. Digital Nature Photography Closeup lets everyone—from amateurs on up—harness this new macro power to create truly breathtaking nature photography. The author offers advice on purchasing and using all manner of special macro equipment, i.e., lenses, extension tubes, teleconverters, microscopes, etc. In this logical follow-up to his best-selling Digital Nature Photography, author Jon Cox uses doszens of full-color examples and clear explanations to illustrate exactly how he got that shot—and how other photographers can, too. From basic techniques, to action shots, aquarium and underwater photography, even shooting through a microscope, Digital Nature Photography Closeup is the perfect guide to exploring the fascinating world of nature.
Customer Reviews:
Expecting too much!.......2007-04-28
Maybe I was expecting too much from this book based on a fairly excellent customer reviews at amazon. I maybe expecting too much cause because to my surprise, the book dealt with point and shoot aside from DSLR cameras. I was kind of disappointed with that. I own a Nikon D200 and a Nikon 105mm f2.8 macro lens to learn the art of macrophotography and to my surprise coolpix camera shots were there....honestly i was turned off with that! If you are expecting a purely DSLR macrophotography on this book you may have to look elsewhere! I felt that there was something missing in this book. I know some of you out there knows what I mean...it lacks some oomph!!
Digital Nature Photography Closeup.......2007-04-02
This writer put some very nice photos into his book. He lists the camera and lens that he made the shots with but not the camera settings he used, which would be helpful to someone learning the art.
This is a beautiful book.......2007-02-16
This book is exactly as it says on the back cover....A Complete Guide to Macro Digital Nature Photography. And well done. Well worth my investment.
Polished, but basic.......2006-10-30
I've noticed a problem with specialized photography books: not enough specialized information. Digital Nature Photography Closeup is well organized, clearly written and very attractively designed with some striking photography. Unfortunately, more than half of the book is devoted to basic photo equipment and concepts.
What I've wanted - and have yet to find - is a book on macro photography that assumes I have basic or intermediate photo skills and want to extend them into a new space. The chapters of the book are:
- Equipment
- Camera features and techniques
- Light & Color
- Composition
- Flash
- Working with Histograms
- The Digital Darkroom
It could be the outline of almost any photo book - and much of the content in each is applicable to any photography, not macro in particular.
If you're relatively new to digital SLRs and have an interest in closeup photography, you'll probably get a full meal here. If you're beyond the basics, it's not much more than a light snack. Well presented, but not very filling.
Digital Nature Photography Closeup.......2006-08-29
This book only covers the basics of macro photography and is suitable for 'newbies' at photography. Book and pictures are average quality. Experienced (macro) photographers should look further for technique and inspriration.
Book Description
Go beyond the familiar--into the hidden world of pattern, texture, and detail that only comes into focus when you go close-up. Every breathtaking color photograph of such glories of the natural world as shimmering ice crystals, the rough flesh of a baby Chinese Water Dragon, and the translucent, colorful wings of a monarch butterfly will inspire you to try some new techniques. All the up-to-the minute information on close-up technology and style is here. Learn about all the tools of the trade, from camera to film to the all-important lenses; exposures; lighting; the range of subjects to choose from (even familiar household items!); and eye-grabbing compositions. You'll want to pick up your camera and start shooting immediately! 160 pages (all in color), 8 1/4 x 11.
Customer Reviews:
Insightful and Elegant.......2005-03-04
I've read many books on close-up and macro photography. This one is different from the others, and perhaps the best of the lot. The stunning features of Davies' book is the author's compositional skill (the photos are fabulous), and his ability to relate the technical aspects of macro and close-up photography to the reader. Among his artfull techniques is his extensive use of wide-angle lenses for close-ups. How many other works on the subject explore this possibility? This alone justified purchasing the book for me, since I now make frequent use of the technique.
Though he doesn't mention it in the text, notice how often he under-exposes slide film by about one stop in many of his images. This is one other useful technique I picked up from the book.
I really reccomend this one.
An excellent book.......2004-08-29
This book got me into the world of macro photography. It's mainly directed to the 35mm owners, explains all the basics - DOF, depth of focus (did you know it's not the same?), diffraction and many more.. How to reverse a lens? What can you do with an extension tube? or a converter? How to correct exposure? All answers inside, illustrated with stunning photos. Under every photo in the book you can find all the required details, including the gear used. Really practical, highly recomended.
A decent one for a beginner.......2004-08-08
This is a good book for people interested in close-up and macro photography, its advice is helpful and clear. However, you should consider the volume by Ronan Loaec and Gilles Martin instead. It is somewhat deeper into the subject, but the main reason I recommend it is because Davies' photographs, while perfect, look amateurish compared to Martin's ones, especially judging the artistic aspects.
excellent detail! Excellent book.......2003-03-05
I must say i am completly satisfied with the book. It cover all aspects of macro fotography,hardware, lighting, aperture,flash etc. It also goes into extreme detail in explaning other factors including exposure, calculations and so on. It tells you how to do macro photo in different scenarios.
Amazon just happen to have this book in stock cheaper than my local bookstore.
The Complete Guide to Close Up and MacRo Photography.......2002-10-08
If one wants to explore and record the beauty of close up objects, this is one anyone should have. Interesting, educational, inspirational and beautiful, this book deserves the praise it is receiving. From the author of Nature's Palette: There's More to See, Michael Impellizzeri.
Book Description
An acclaimed professional photographer, with a display of more than 400 beautiful color images, shows how to get close-up and personal with a digital camera. Michael Freeman teaches amateurs how to meet the challenges of this very special type of photography, with plenty of information on the ins and outs of magnification, parallax control, and depth of field. See how to apply selective focus to enhance the subject and make it stand out from the background. Such issues as using found and commonplace objects and capturing the beauty of shadows, all receive detailed attention. With technical tips and software retouching projects too, this guide is simply an indispensable resource for the avid digital photographer who wants to take great close-up shots.
Customer Reviews:
Good overview. Too general as intro. instuctional resource. .......2007-07-30
As another reviewer who gave it 2 stars, I agree that this is more of an "overview of the field" than a practical "how-to" book. For example, I picked up this book to find info about choosing the best macro lens(es) for flower close-ups, and to learn about the differences among most popular options (50 mm vs. 100 mm. macro properties); instead, the author goes into detail about using elaborate setups with lens extension rings (p. 14-15) and even provides a table with extension types and magnification each provides, but does not discuss the basic macro lenses available on the market to advanced amateurs and professionals alike...
The diagrams that explain different lighting setups are helpful, but much of the book deals with setups and types of photography that will only interest specialized professional studio photographers (e.g. sections on museum reproduction and cataloging photos of coins, shells, gemstones and pearls, and reproduction of manuscripts / prints and paintings). Even in those cases, it seems that this is way too complex for an amateur, and yet not specific / detailed enough to be of use to an experienced (or aspiring) specialist. I was hoping this would be the same level of detail and quality as the same authors excellent book on black and white photos (in the same series), but it's not even close. It is certainly worth a look, if you can find it at the local library, but not something I would recommend buying.
Far Off.......2005-02-09
This is a book that attempts to cover the entire range of close-up photography from close-ups of gems to close-ups of insects. As I read this book I kept wondering what audience the author was trying to reach and what he was trying to teach that audience.
The book is laid out in individual sections of two facing pages. Each page contains text and photographs or diagrams. The layout resulted in beautiful typography but almost seemed to interfere with a coherent development of any subject because of the desire to shoehorn the material into the two-page format, when clearly some subjects required extensive development that couldn't be so limited.
Moreover the level of detail was not enough to help a beginning close-up photographer in the basic tasks or an experienced photographer in complex tasks. Instead the book was most useful as an idea book about what is possible in close-up photography.
Often the author offered opinions without any substantiation. For example, he regularly indicated that single lens reflex cameras were best for close up work, but never explained that that was due to the difficulty of framing a close subject due to parallax errors with a camera whose viewfinder is not on the lens axis.
There is also a lot of bad information here. For example at one point he suggests manually calculating exposure for a flash picture. I found this incredible given that fact that most digital cameras provide for some sort of automatic, through-the-lens, metering of electronic flash.
But then I should not have been surprised. Undoubtedly every publisher now wants photography manuals pitched at digital photographers. Indeed the title of this book is "Digital Photography Expert Close-up Photography", and the cover states that it is the "definitive guide for serious digital photographers". And yet there is not a single mention of what I consider to be the most useful tool offered by digital cameras, a histogram of light values to aid you in calculating exposure.
Finally, much of this book is devoted to something other than close-up photography. For example, the discussion of rocks and stone features pictures of a slot canyons and petroglyphs all of which appear to be at least 10 feet distant from the camera.
I don't want to suggest that this book is totally without merit. Scattered throughout the book are tips that a close-up photographer might find useful. For example the author suggests it may be possible to achieve depth of field by compositing several pictures of a small object in editing software, each with a different focus point, to create the appearance of sharpness where a single image would not succeed. But for someone looking for a well-conceived, total approach to the art of close-up photography, using a digital camera, this book is not a help.
Close Up Work is a Different World.......2005-01-16
Cameras and lenses are normally designed for and indeed used for standard photography at standard distances. When taking pictures at normal distances standard equipment, standard techniques work well. When you move into pictures where the image is the same size or larger than the object being photographed the whole picture changes. The equipment, the lighting, and the techniques are different.
Michael Freeman is a consummate master of close work. In this book he goes into the equipment and more important the concepts that become important in photographing things may be too small to be seen through the naked eye. He is a professional photographer and has had numerous difficult assignments to photograph. In this book he discusses several of his projects and the extraordinary efforts he had to go through to get the final result.
The book is less a tutorial than a series of examples of pictures and the detailed setup required to produce them.
A Great Reference & Learning Tool.......2004-09-19
This book has examples of any type of close-up photography you can imagine, plus tips on how to take pictures of each type of object. It also reviews some of the basics of the techniques behind it. It is very light however on talking about the tools, especially the lighting tools.
Book Description
121 color photos, 7 x 9
Guide to macro-photography gear and techniques
How to recognize and compose intimate natural scenes
Stunning small-scale images await the photographer with the eye and skill to capture them images that exist virtually anywhere. Master photographers and veteran teachers of close-up photography Nancy Rotenberg and Michael Lustbader explain the equipment, techniques, and aesthetic principles needed to create personal masterpieces. Macro lenses, extension tubes, close-up flash techniques, lighting, exposure, composition all are explained in lucid text and illustrated with dazzling color photos.
Customer Reviews:
Very beneficial.......2006-08-14
Although I've been taking pictures for a long time, I've recently started taking photography classes. Macro photography is of great interst to me. This book has been very instrumental answering questions and giving pointers for the macro photography.
My favorite book on close-ups!.......2006-06-15
This is one of my all time favorite books on close-up photography. Nancy and Michael's work is wonderful and I enjoy reading this book often. Their work shows us a whole new world that we may have never realized was there. Their love of the beauty found in the smallest details and the tiniest of creatures shines through in this book. It inspires me to do better photography. The book is well thought out and put together, as well as beautiful to look at. It covers not just the technical aspects of photography, but also the creative process required in this art. It is a very worthwhile purchase. I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to take their photography to the next level. Between this book and John Shaw's "Closeups in Nature" you are set to go!
How To Photograph Close-Ups in Nature.......2000-07-08
I love this book! I love Nancy's approach to her craft! She knows how to shoot beautiful images technically but she also helps you to see and experiance what is going on around you. Michael and Nancy present information that is understandable, usable, and motivational. The book is filled with inspirational images that make you want to pick up your camera and experiment! A very worthwhile book that will sit well next to the John Shaw classic, "Closeups in Nature".
how to photograph closeups in nature.......2000-03-08
I believe anyone interested in close-up photography will benefit from this book. It is well written with many good ideas, not only technical, but also ethical and inspitational.I have read many nature photography books and this rates right up there!
Book Description
Close-up photography is used in a variety of areas such as nature, medical and forensic, instruction and training, archiving, and the arts. The first part of the book is dedicated to the technical side of closeup work, including the equipment required, how to meter in close-up work, special problems, magnification and methods of achieving it, lighting, and electronic flash. The second part is the practical side of close-up work with an introduction to elementary composition, photographing mechanical subjects, crystals under polarized light, and nature photography. Heavily illustrated with diagrams, tables and color throughout, Close-up Photography also includes mathematical formulas that have been simplified and explained with examples.
Many photography books have some information about close-up work, but usually the subject is not treated in-depth and the variety of problems likely to come up when the photographer begins magnifying are not addressed. Most often, other books seem to deal with the use of a macro lens and ignore or gloss over other methods. This book weeds out the misinformation and the over-complication of technique to give the reader a real understanding of the field.
Practical 'how to' advice covering the many different areas of close-up photography
Beautiful color photographs throughout the book
A reference guide for anyone interested in learning the tricks and tips of close-up photography
Customer Reviews:
Thin book but much ideas.......2001-04-09
I photograph almost 45 years and now is photography as my job and I am as a member of The Royal Photographic Society in England. I had bought the photographic books as new one and in the secondhand bookstore. I have at this time maybe 2 meters long a queue of these photographic books in english, german and czech language. I know, what is important information for photographer and what is the value the information in the proper time. Okey. The book "Close-up Photography" has two parts: 1) Technical and 2) Making the Technical Practical. In total has 18 chapters. Every chapter open very interesting view at the various problem of this branch of photography. I can list e.g. chapter 3: Focusing Screens, Focusing Rail and Cable Release. Very important but very ignored theme in other books. Very interesting paragraph in this famous book is theme Lens Faults, Diffraction and Lens Flare. You can read in chapter 6 (Exposure) which is exposure compensation when you snap on film area a Dandelion Yellow or Cedark bark. The paragraph "Exposure Correction for Extension" very precisely explains exposure correction with mathematical formula. An instruction how use the second lens with special adapter for macro-photo explains the chapter 8 too. The paragraph "Exposure with Flash" in chapter 10 explains two flashes with different GN by using in shorter distance. You can see more different setups for photographing coins, plastic models of airplanes, what prepare for polarized light photography (chapter 14). Very nice chapter is chapter 18 "Nature Subjects" with 26 unique photographs. I summarize the impression from this book: I can very hard recommend this book not only for beginner but so for advanced photographer with very strong interest ybout close-up photography.
Close-Up Photography by Alan R. Constant.......2000-04-17
Close-Up Photography by Alan R.Constant
Every few years, someone authors a work involving the photography of (mostly) small things: insects, wristwatch gears, flower pistols and stamens, etc.
In 1999, Mr. Alan R. Constant took his turn at bat with the above titled effort. And a good turn it was, resulting in what can only be described as a home run for the lovers of macro-photography.
In any such subject, it is necessary, indeed mandatory, to delve just a little bit into the geometry of optics, such that various points may be understood as to just WHY something must be done in certain ways so as to result in a useable photograph. Mr. Constant accomplishes this both adroitly and painlessly.
The occasional formula is laid out at the appropriate time and place, and with the naturalness of a skilled photographic professional. The art of explaining without glazing the readers eyes, or occasioning a mathphobic reaction, is just one of the many virtues of the relaxed and homey style of Mr. Constant.
Beyond that, the text progresses in a smooth and natural rhythm from subject to subject, each layer building upon the previous examples and explanations. And indeed, one of the major strengths of this work, is that NOTHING is left to the reader's guesswork or imagination. Whenever a point is made or a procedure explained, Mr. Constant always goes on to show exactly WHY such-and-such is necessary, or why compensating approaches often result in what is desired, simply because a direct approach would fail and why so.
Finally, this book pretty much travels the entire gamut of macro-photography, from just getting a pretty flower to remain looking pretty when on film, to more esoteric (but always common sense) items such as his "Bug Box". All in all, the book is worth more than just the purchase price. It is a good piece of work, well done, and far more enlightening than many of the preceding volumes over the last several decades.
Book Description
This comprehensive guide to the latest techniques in close-up nature photography makes compelling, one-of-a-kind photographs possible for thousands of ambitious amateur photographers. The author of sixteen books of photographs and photographic techniques, Tim Fitzharris provides the most up-to-date information on how to photograph plants and animals using existing light in the beauty of the natural environment.
Illustrated with 100 color images, the book's chapters - "Terms and Tools," "Field Techniques," "Artful Approaches," and "Subjects in the Wild" - provide complete coverage of their subjects, with technical specifications, insightful tips, and detailed explanations of how each of the featured photographs was taken.
Techniques for achieving maximum sharpness, brilliant color, and greater than life-size magnification are explained alongside detailed information on lenses, camera supports, electronic flashes, reflectors, automatic exposure procedures, and optimum shutter speeds. A "Sources" section includes information on digital imaging and where to buy equipment, as well as a bibliography of photographic books, periodicals, and newsletters.
Customer Reviews:
Lots of digital manipulation and some shocking advice........2003-01-02
I borrowed this book from a local library because it was from the Sierra Club. However it was a disappointment. In a book on nature photography from the very well known Sierra Club, one would expect more on field techniques, pointers and tips on photographing your subject.
There is some sound advice, but it is surprising to see so much emphasis on digital manipulation. Even the front cover is a fake, two images combined to look like one. This does not depict nature as one sees it, rather, the book tells you how to produce eye catching images. Not something I expected from Sierra Club.
The author makes a shocking suggestion - refrigerate your subjects (animals / insects etc) till they can't move, so that they are easy to photograph. It is well known that some people do this, but photographers with any sort of consideration for the environment or their subjects abstain from such methods. As John Shaw says "Imagine refrigerating your kids till they are too cold to move, then photographing them." I find it incredible that someone like Fitzharris would suggest such a thing.
The book is worth a read if you find it at your local library, but I wouldn't pay any money for it.
Nature photography or digital manipulation?.......1999-02-26
This is a decent book if you are new to the world of macro photography. It certainly doesn't cover in-depth aspects of shooting macro and even devotes a large portion of digitally manipulating images on Adobe Photoshop. For example, the cover is composed of two separate images, the flower and the frog. There's a place for digital manipulation, but I felt disappointed after finding out that some otherwise beautiful images (that would have been spectacular to capture in the wild) were faked. I had higher expectations coming from the Sierra Club.
Customer Reviews:
Still the Classic .......2006-09-23
This is a terrific book. Much of the material in the Manual of Close-up Photography is still relevant. Although camera bodies have gone digital, the equipment for getting close to subjects has not, including focusing rails, extension tubes, macro lenses, reversed lenses and plus filters, ring flash, etc., all covered by Mr. Lefkowitz.
While some of the subjects are complicated, Mr. Lefkowitz writes in a way that even novice photographers can understand. Reliance on math skills is minimal, and those sections that don't interest the reader can be skipped over. Some material will be, for some photographers, revelatory, such as the section on choice of lens and perspective.
Anyone who is interested in learning more about close-up photography should find a copy of this book.
Outdated? Not where it counts!.......2006-08-17
I've owned my copy of The Manual of Close-Up Photography since 1981 and it has served me well from film -> to computer -> to digital age. Sure the concepts surrounding film are no longer valid in the digital world, but macrophotography is a science in its technique and an art in its acquistion. Niether of these items are bound by time. Each is timeless and so is this definitive manual for Close-Up Photography.
The art of photography is built upon certain basics which are not bound by technologies; only augmented. To say this book in irrelevant to our digital age is to misunderstand the need for basics - regardless of media used.
Lefkowitz is an optical engineer and a darned good one at that - not to mention a gifted photographer. He is also able to bring a very complicated science into the realm of the practical photographer and the scientific photograher as well.
Read the book without looking for comments on your 'digital understanding'. Read the book for the science - and thereby understanding - of the principles surrounding macro photography. Then you will come to see this is an indespensible resource that will last as long as the science of light and optics itself. That will no doubt be a long time.
A Different Perspective.......2005-06-09
Much of the information in this book continues to be very relevant to close-up photographers. For example, the basic principals of magnification, lighting and exposure have not changed. Although cameras have advanced, it is very difficult to use auto-focus for real close-ups. Lefkowitz covers bellows, marco lenses and extention tubes well. He also privides great insights into how to construct and use a close-up studio.
On balance, a very worthwhile book for anyone interested in understanding close-up photography!
Interesting, but very dated nowadays.......2003-02-18
The book is a look into the "old days" (1970s!) of closeup photography. The equipment advice given is hopelessly obsolete. None of this is the book's fault, of course. Most of the techniques described are similarly old-fashioned, but they are still fundamentally sound in most cases.
Unless an old-fashioned book of this type really interests you, I'd pass on the book. Nothing wrong with the book, just that this day is past. John Shaw's book on closeup photography may be a better choice, though it is (unlike this book) specialized towards nature photography.
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General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Digital Nature Photography
Fine Art Flower Photography: Creative Techniques And The Art Of Observation
John Shaw's Closeups in Nature (Practical Photography Books)
Macrophotography: Learning from a Master
Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)
