Books by Michael Freeman

Someone recently recommended "The complete guide to light and lighting in digital photography", by Michael Freeman, in the context of my first brush with studio work.

Since it's my birthday soon, with great restraint, I added it to my Amazon wish list, rather than ordering it straight away.

I notice there are a number of other books by him, including one on macro, one on people, and one on colour.

Does anyone know if any of these are any good too?

It was I who metioned the lighting book which I bought off the shelf in Waterstones. On the basis of it, I would imagine all his books might be excellent.

Ken

I have read a few of freemans books (amongst many others) all were informative and helpful with technique and the "mechanics" of photography. I've even attended a few courses on photgraphy over the years.
OK, so I learned the basics of photography, I learned all about light and exposure, but it didnt make me a better photographer , what started ME on the road to half decent picture taking was a tutor at one of my night classes, she insisted we look at other photographers work and study it, she even made us write a 1500 word essay on our chosen photographer (I chose Weston) after that my photography started to improve, after a while though I felt I was going nowhere......untill I joined a camera club since then my photography has come on leaps and bounds, listening to your peers and inpartial judges comment on yours and others work teaches you what to look for in an image, how best to expose for it, how to compose it, what elements to include or exclude, vantage points, how to break the rules and get away with it, etc etc etc.

My advice, throw away the "teach you how" books and join a camera club

Well it's funny you should say that - I'm considering doing just that. My interest in the book on lighting came about because the club I'm thinking of joining has some studio lighting equipment, and sessions with a model from time to time.

But it's basically a ten minute slot to take pictures on the night they meet, which at my level of experience is nowhere near enough - I need time to experiment and practise.

And sadly, there's no facility for club members to use the lighting kit on their own. So I need to figure out a way of learning - and the cost of the studio lighting course at my local adult college is as much as the cost of buying some kit of my own.

So I thought I'd teach myself the basics from a suitable book.

I agree about the 'teach you how' books in general - all the ones I've found are far too basic.

I do find that books can be a useful starting point for technique and are better for the technical stuff. If you have looked at a book with basic lighting set ups etc, it gives you an understanding of what someone is talking about if they are "coaching" you and could give you ideas to try if you are experimenting. After that, it is down to practice.

As for the technical stuff, the books are invaluable. If you can gain a basic concept of the optics etc, it can help a great deal in understanding lens errors and trying to analyse why a shot went wrong etc.

Kim

I have to agree with impotentspider, I've got about 6ft of shelving cramed with all kinds of photography books, joining a camera club has helped me come on leaps and bounds that books will never do. Critique from a respected tog or judge on your master piece really does get your brain thinking, the trouble I have is trying to remember it all and put it in to practice .

Chris, if its a half decent club the members should be most willing to help out and share their knowledge and experience on ANY aspect of photography, and if they dont then the club isn't worth joining.

I'm sure they are - they all seem very nice, and refreshingly not bothered about makes of camera (not a single one has asked me what camera I use).

The only thing I'm hesitating about is the not being able to, say, book the room in the church hall they use, and then as a member be allowed to get the lights out of the cupboard where they're kept, and use them myself with my tame model.

Even the most helpful types will doubtless tell me all the things I'm doing wrong, but in 10 minutes a month I'm not going to get much chance to develop.

I went to one of their "Digital Group" meetings. It was an interesting, convivial, and perfectly good series of short talks on a few aspects of PhotoShop. But it remains the case that I learn more every time Matt posts something.