Rating: 
Summary: Most Useful Photo Book I Ever Bought
Review: I bought this book and have already read it about 4 times (there are chapters that have had less and more attention than others). Not only do I find Mr. Norton's photos to be outstanding, and his explanations clear, but I photo-copied his charts and carried them with me when taking photos for the first couple months after reading the book, first. I credit Mr. Norton with saving me from several photo mistakes (in great locations) and instead providing me with the results I wanted! If only other photo how-to books included such great VISUAL examples (after all, photography is a visual art!)
Rating:
Summary: Most Useful Photo Book I Ever Bought
Review: I bought this book and have already read it about 4 times (there are chapters that have had less and more attention than others). Not only do I find Mr. Norton's photos to be outstanding, and his explanations clear, but I photo-copied his charts and carried them with me when taking photos for the first couple months after reading the book, first. I credit Mr. Norton with saving me from several photo mistakes (in great locations) and instead providing me with the results I wanted! If only other photo how-to books included such great VISUAL examples (after all, photography is a visual art!)
Rating:
Summary: Goes Beyond the Vast Majority in this Class
Review: I had considered buying this book for a while and finally got around to it recently, and I wish I had not waited so long. So many books look promising, but end up being repeats of the same old photography 101 stuff with some pictures thrown in. If you're past that point and want something that goes beyond the basics, this book is for you.Norton spends little time on how what to metered to get the right exposure and lets you into his thought process in isolating elements and building strong compositions from them. I was especially motivated by the short section on impressionistic photography. Also plenty of no-nonsense PRACTICAL considerations on specific films for certain occassions, lens selection, etc. In short, buy this now and read it several times!
Rating:
Summary: Goes Beyond the Vast Majority in this Class
Review: I had considered buying this book for a while and finally got around to it recently, and I wish I had not waited so long. So many books look promising, but end up being repeats of the same old photography 101 stuff with some pictures thrown in. If you're past that point and want something that goes beyond the basics, this book is for you. Norton spends little time on how what to metered to get the right exposure and lets you into his thought process in isolating elements and building strong compositions from them. I was especially motivated by the short section on impressionistic photography. Also plenty of no-nonsense PRACTICAL considerations on specific films for certain occassions, lens selection, etc. In short, buy this now and read it several times!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic book!
Review: I just can say the same things as others - this is wonderful book, and it is must-have for everybody, even for those who think they are the best in outdoor photography. Lots of ideas, rich language, B. Norton speaks to reader as to a friend of him. This book made me think before pressing shutter release.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Inspiring photography book!
Review: I just wanted to echo what others have said so far about this book. To be honest, I had never heard of Boyd Norton until Amazon recommended the book to me when I purchased another photography book. But I decided to try the book out, based on the previous reviews and the inexpensive price, and I'm sure glad I did! It's very well written and I can relate to the author's challenges of long-held photographic beliefs. He seem to state that, as long as the end result is pleasing, go ahead and break all the rules! I agree, and he offers many ideas and methods of coming up with unique perspectives and images that do just that. I find most photography books I read to just re-state what others have already said, but this book continually gave me new ideas and fresh insight into different techniques and subjects. I'd be surprised if even an accomplished and seasoned photographer didn't get more than a few things out of this book. Thanks, Boyd Norton, for putting together a very informative book with amazing pictures and descriptions of the processes used to create them!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent photo book
Review: I only just started reading this book about a month ago, and instead of reading it all the way through cover to cover, I've been dipping into it here and there at random. I've discovered that no matter where I start reading, Norton offers valuable advice that will be useful to relative neophytes such as myself as well as the more technically experienced photographer. Soon I will read the book from cover to cover, after which I'll write another more comprehensive review. For now, I just wanted to echo the other reviewers' comments here and say this is an excellent book that is well worth the money, considering it's only about ... ... ... It's definitely the best of 3 or 4 books I've bought recently on the subject of outdoor photography.
Rating:
Summary: A great book, even for beginners like me
Review: I'm scared some novices will be daunted by the subtitle of this book: "Techniques for the Advanced Amateur and Professional". Perhaps advanced photographers are the target audience, but as a beginner, I still find it informative to read and inspiring to look through. I do recommend that you take the time to read some other basic books first so that you understand basic photography jargon (e.g. f/stop, depth of field, lens aperture, shutter speed, etc.). However, once you're confident in your ability to understand this esoteric vocabulary, you'll be fully armed to appreciate the significance of this book. In addition to covering information like lighting and composition (the two keys to quality photos), he also breaks down various outdoor photographing opportunities into separate sections (e.g. wildlife, travel, landscape, closeup, etc.) and explains in detail how to compose and take great shots in each. Finally, as I've written in other reviews about photography books, the quality of the enclosed prints is a big factor in determining how much credence I give the author's ideas. This book does not disappoint. It not only prints all full-color photos on high quality paper, but it more importantly shows some spectacular outdoor shots, both skillful and creative in nature. It also fully explains how each shot was captured and with what equipment. Excellent. I highly recommend this book, not only to advanced photographers but also to beginners like myself. I'm not sure if I have the ability to implement all his ideas(!), but even if it takes me time to learn, the information contained within is marvelous. Incidentally, if you're looking for a great beginner's guide that includes more detail about equipment and terminology, I strongly suggest you look into Lee Frost's "The Complete Guide to Night & Low-Light Photography". The enclosed 66-page section on equipment is wonderfully helpful when you're trying to get into your first 35mm SLR system. Good luck!
Rating:
Summary: The best I've found!
Review: I've looked very hard for books that can help me be a more creative photographer, and almost all have fallen short of the mark. This is the ONE book that has helped me the most. Besides being a superb photographer, Norton is one helluva fine writer. In fact, one reviewer suggested Norton try his hand at writing fiction and I agree. Like a great novel, this book was engrossing from the start - hard to put down. He conveys useful information with a blend of humor and anecdotes that I've never found in other photography books. And in a down-to-earth way, the book is inspiring. It encouraged me to try new things and to look at photography in a more creative way. Thanks Boyd Norton. I hope you do more books like this.
Rating:
Summary: a must own for my personal library
Review: I've renewed this book from our public library so often it's shameful. It's a book I can't stop referring back to. I'm excited to finally own it.
| 
