Three Books on Nature and Landscape Photography

Reviewed by Geoff Wittig

John Shaw's Guide to Digital Nature Photography (Amphoto Books, published March 2015) (other links)

Landscape/nature is by most accounts the second most popular photographic genre, after people and portraits. It’s a boundless field that rewards any level of participation, from offhand snapshots to week-long wilderness treks with a heavy pack of gear. The range of books on the subject reflects this great diversity. If you’re starting from scratch, almost any book on the subject will have something to teach you, and there are many general titles out there, some much more helpful than others. As you delve more deeply into photographing the natural world, your interests will evolve and mature, focusing on what most appeals to you.

Like many landscape/nature hobbyists who started in the film era, I learned much of the craft from John Shaw’s classic 1984 title, Nature Photographer's Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques. The combination of technical knowledge, crystal-clear exposition, spare prose and lovely photos was magical. A completely new edition in 2000 was somehow a bit less magical. Obviously a lot has changed in photography since the turn of the millennium. New this year is John Shaw's Guide to Digital Nature Photography, and it’s a worthy addition to your bookshelf if you’re getting started in landscape/nature photography, or if you want a single compact reference. The book is a bit smaller than 8x10", with a water-resistant cover that’s more durable than most paperbacks. Shaw’s writing is admirably clear, concise and straightforward. The opening chapter on gear is refreshingly skeptical on the value of buying more stuff versus learning how to use what you have, yet still provides clear guidance on necessary camera/system features, tripods, filters and flash equipment. There’s an excellent review of optimizing your camera’s menu settings, from exposure to autofocus to recording and viewfinder options, for outdoor subjects including wildlife and landscapes. It bears noting that Shaw’s discussion of gear is notably DSLR-centric, making no mention of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras.

The second chapter explores exposure and metering, with a very clear explanation of the interaction between aperture/shutter speed/ISO, and the virtues of various exposure modes. The discussion may seem a bit involved when it’s so easy to take a shot, look at the LCD and histogram and adjust as needed, but the importance of aperture choice to the look of the resulting image is properly emphasized. The intent is to get the photograph you really want, not leave it up to the camera.

Subsequent chapters are equally lucid. Shaw’s discussion of lenses and how they influence the photograph is a model of clarity and concision. His review of the pros and cons of various long lens choices for landscape and wildlife subjects is spot-on. So is his explanation of the often misunderstood relationship between focal length, subject distance, and depth of field. And his discussion of the less than obvious nuts 'n' bolts of getting accurate focus is worth the price of admission all by itself.

The last few chapters address composition and graphic design, closeup/macro photography, and field craft. My only complaint is that each of these chapters, though well written and concise, warrants a more extended treatment. The discussion of post-capture processing is less than perfunctory. Another 30 pages or so would have yielded an even more useful reference.

Illustrated throughout with John Shaw’s poetic photographs, this book leaves you wanting more.

Experienced landscape/nature photographers may not find a lot of new revelations here, but it’s probably the best all-around reference guide in print, especially if you’re just starting to explore the subject.

The Art, Science, and Craft of Great Landscape Photography by Glenn Randall (Rocky Nook, published April 2015) (other links)

More Than a Rock: Essays on Art, Creativity, Photography, Nature, and Life by Guy Tal (Rocky Nook, published September 2015) (other links)

There are many different facets to landscape photography and a correspondingly wide range of conceptual frameworks to organize it. One I have found useful for my own work is the dichotomy between nominally objective, subject driven photography on one hand and more subjective, exploratory, personal and interpretive work on the other. (Think Ansel Adams versus Minor White.) There is obviously a continuum between these two poles. I often head out to catch sunrise at a specific location with a particular photograph in mind, allowing for the vagaries of weather and light. The resulting photographs can be beautiful, even spectacular; but there are generally few surprises involved. At other times I go hiking with no particular preconceived image in my head, instead marinating in the environment to see what happens. Trying to capture the flavor of the experience in an image feels very different from constructing a preconceived photograph from nature’s raw material.

Glenn Randall’s book falls solidly in the first camp. In his introduction Randall plainly defines landscape photography as “the pursuit of visual peak experiences”. He then asserts “master the science and craft, and the art will follow”. The remainder of the book goes into explicit detail explaining the nuts and bolts of this approach.

Chapter 1 analyzes how viewing a photographic print differs from viewing reality, from dynamic range to color constancy to focus, helping the reader understand how to compensate for the intrinsic limitations of the print. Chapter 2, "In Search of Extraordinary Landscapes," reviews the process of analyzing the landscape for photographic potential—for example, using software to map sunrise/moonrise against the landscape to determine where and when to be standing for a potentially dramatic photograph. Chapter 4 delves into the physics of rainbows, alpenglow and other beautiful natural light phenomena. The author highlights what he considers most poetic lighting of all: when the landscape is illuminated by predawn or post-sunset light reflecting off of overhead clouds. It’s impossible to guarantee the arrival of these unusual but lovely forms of light; but understanding what creates them at least gives you a chance to be there when they happen. This can mean showing up an hour before sunrise on multiple consecutive days for a chance at that perfect light, and still coming away empty-handed; them’s the breaks.

In the meat of the book Randall goes into great detail on the dilemma presented by the vast exposure range between sunlit sky and shadowed ground, how to capture high quality image data from both, and how to massage the resulting file into a form that overcomes the limitations of the print to create a beautiful photograph. From graduated neutral density filters to manually blending several exposures using layer masks to HDR processing, it’s all discussed in great detail.

Subsequent chapters provide rigorous discussion of stitched panoramics and the challenges of night photography, specifically capturing star trails or the Milky Way while holding detail in the landscape.

The final chapter discusses the "psychology of the compelling landscape," reviewing research from advertising and perceptual psychology exploring why certain landscape image motifs are generally more appealing to viewers than others.

Randall’s book is illustrated with many of his spectacular photographs, most from the mountains of Colorado, along with a smattering of lucid charts and diagrams. His approach to photographing the landscape may seem a bit deterministic or even "canned," but the visual impact of his photos speaks for themselves. What you do with this "toolkit" is up to you.

Guy Tal’s More Than a Rock is a very different kind of book, approaching landscape photography from the diametrically opposite direction of Glenn Randall’s work. Rather than a set of formulas and tools, it’s a collection of essays exploring nature, artistic license, solitude, visual expression of abstract concepts and living the artist’s life. It is somewhat incidentally illustrated by some of Tal’s poetic photographs, which tend toward quiet, softly lit "zen" moments. The essays are grouped into collections titled "Art," "Craft," "Experiences," and "Meditations," but there is plenty of conceptual overlap. "Artistic Promiscuity" discusses studying the work of a wide range of artists and being open to their influence, the better to open new avenues for your own photographs. "Breadth and Depth" delves into the difference between wide and stimulating but superficial work (such as travel photography) and narrower but much deeper investigations, such as an extended exploration of your own region. Tal argues that neither approach is better nor worse, only that it may be more fruitful to choose the direction with which your personality and vision resonates. The "Explorations and Meditations" collections explore a wide range of artistic notions, from psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s theory of "flow" (a great concept; you should look it up) to the virtues of solitary work in genuine wilderness, to the humbling perspective provided by the visual exploration of geologic time.

Nowhere does Tal mention gear, f-stops, sensor size or Photoshop. In their place is the smell of a campfire and hot coffee on a cold morning.

Physically it’s a modestly sized, durable paperback; the photo reproductions are small but very nice. I’m not a fan of the digital slab-serif typeface chosen, but it’s readable enough. Tal’s prose is admirably clear, though just a bit verbose; not as distracting as (say) Alain Briot’s baroque paragraphs.

More Than a Rock is a great read if you’ve grown beyond technique and gear discussions.

Geoff

TOP Contributing Editor Geoff Wittig is a rural family physician with interests ranging from health care quality improvement, medical informatics, and integration of health care delivery to photography and landscape painting. Photo books are a particular area of interest; he admits he has far too many for his own good.

©2016 by Geoffrey Wittig, all rights reserved

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Daniel: "You might check out the new offering from Wyoming/North Dakota shooter Chuck Kimmerle: Black & White Artistry: The Creative Photographer's Guide to Interpreting Places and Spaces. He works in B&W and the book is a good treatment of thought and process, not formulas."

Geoff replies: Agreed! Very nice book I have sitting on my pile. I may publish a review shortly.

Kev Ford: "Hi Geoff, how do I get started with Minor White?"

Geoff replies: The best current title on Minor White is probably Minor White: Manifestations of the Spirit by Paul Martineau. Decent reproductions and a good review of White's immense influence as a teacher as well as photographer. Peter Bunnell's Eye Mind Spirit: The Enduring Legacy of Minor White is beautifully made but small and a bit pricey; good if you are a bibliophile. And Minor White: Rites & Passages, the Aperture paperback volume from 1976, is still widely available and a good starting point. White's preferred presentation of his own work is Mirrors, Messages, Manifestations, an Aperture volume from 1983 which is pricey used, but very nice. Finally, there is a limited edition volume scheduled for release in March, The Time Between: The Sequences of Minor White, that looks promising, addressing his work as he intended, as sequenced photographs.  

Comments

[Kev Ford]

Hi Mike, how do I get started with Minor White?

[Herman]

I'll stick to cityscapes. Being tone deaf, most waterfalls look and sound alike to me.

[Dave Raboin]

In my circle of friends and coworkers I'm known as "the photography guy" and people are always coming to me for camera buying advice. I never give them an exact camera choice but I always tell them to buy John Shaw's book. Even for people not interested in nature photography, John's Guide is, in my opinion, the most concise, informative, and inspiring introduction to photography available.

[Remi]

I agree about the John Shaw books - I loved the first one (and the second one was only an update) but there was a lot of passion.

He sounds a bit jaded in this latest one. He's still the same down to earth guy but it left me a bit cold whereas I read the first two many times over - maybe we all got older and jaded too...

[Daniel]

You might check out the new offering from Wyoming/North Dakota shooter Chuck Kimmerle: Black & White Artistry: The Creative Photographer's Guide to Interpreting Places and Spaces.

He works in B&W and the book is a good treatment of thought and process, not formulas.

[Bill Pelzmann]

I have both Randall and Guy's books. Inspirational photography and great reading. Geoff's review is right on target.

[Geoff Wittig]

Regarding the Chuck Kimmerle book-
Agreed!
Very nice book I have sitting on my pile. I may publish a review shortly.

[Geoff Wittig]

The best current title on Minor White is probably Minor White : Manifestations of the Spirit, by Paul Martineau. Decent reproductions and a good review of White's immense influence as a teacher as well as photographer. Paul Bunnell's Eye Mind Spirit is beautifully made but small and a bit pricey; good if you are a bibliophile. And Minor White: Rites and Passages, the Aperture paperback volume from 1976, is still widely available and a good starting point.
White's preferred presentation of his own work is Mirrors, Messages, Manifestations, an Aperture volume from 1983 which is pricey used, but very nice.
Finally, there is a limited edition volume scheduled for release in March, The Time Between: The Sequences of Minor White, that looks promising, addressing his work as he intended, as sequenced photographs.

[Terry Letton]

5 comments on this article. But 51 for Fuji vapor ware ??
The Online Gear Junky? I am sure the title said The Online Photographer

[Paul Nakroshis]

My favorite photography books are by Freeman Patterson (also one of my favorite photographers): I'd recommend Photography of Natural Things, Photography and the Art of Seeing. They are all wonderful books about visual design. I believe that Freeman Patterson coined the phrase "the camera sees both ways" --- meaning that the camera is not just a tool for making images, but the images you make are a reflection of who you are---we can learn about ourselves by examining and thinking deeply about the images that we make.

[Aditya Rathi]

Wow!! Awesome photography. Excellent and brilliant work.

[Doug Thacker]

I know next to nothing about landscape photography, but I feel about it the way Mike feels about street photography: you could devote much of a lifetime to getting good at it, as some already have, and not have time for anything else. (One landscape photographer I'm familiar with whose work I love is Eliot Porter, although I'm not sure his work really qualifies as "landscape" proper. Another is Masao Yamamoto. Also, some of the work on this list I just found, 100 Landscape Photographers Worth Knowing, looks pretty interesting.)

I think if I were to devote myself to landscape photography, all concerns about portability would fly straight out the window. I'd want to use 8x10, or else the new Phase One XF camera, with either an IQ3 60MP or 80MP back for color work, and an IQ2 60MP Acromatic for black & white. Instead of an XF body, though, I might go for the new A-Series, which looks pretty interesting.

Once I'd settled on a system, then I'd want the heaviest tripod I could manage, and a mule to carry the tripod, and a barn to keep my mule in. Or I might take a page from Ansel Adams. I believe it was he who had a special roof rack made for his car, so that he could use his automobile as a tripod (making it, presumably, the second-best tripod imaginable - the best being, according to him, having your camera permanently embedded into a block of granite).

All of which explains, perhaps, at least in part, why I don't do landscape photography. I do like entertaining the idea, though.

[tex andrews]

+1 on John Shaw's original book. What I most vividly remember from it was his demonstration of how unstable 1/125 hand-held was. I also remember his judicious use of filters. Glad to see he's still at it.

[marcin wuu]

Are there any books on portrait photography that are worth reading?

[Michael]

Beautifully written and informative reviews Geoffrey. Thank you.
For the last week we have been choking on the smoke from 80 fires currently burning the Tasmanian landscape. Thursday was so bad ones eyes instantly teared after a few minutes in the smog. So reading about mornings and the aroma of coffee on a clear day in the wilderness was literally a breath of fresh air and a one click kindle purchase. I love the printed page as much as anyone but shipping dead trees around the planet looks like part of the cause of these insanely large fires.

[Geoff Wittig]

Paul-
Freeman Patterson's many books are wonderful, consistently embracing the aesthetic and creative approach to photography rather than gear 'n gadgets. I'm especially fond of the autobiographical "Shadowlight" and and the lovely "Embracing Creation".

[Matthew C.]

Guy is a great talent in both photography and writing.

He'd be my choice for the next TOP print sale too.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

Nice sample of landscape photography books, Geoff. I have a strong aversion to traditional overly pretty, technically-perfect, wide-angled, soporifically objective scenic landscape photograph. (Why not just paint it?) So among your list it looks like Guy Tal's book would be more up my own alley. (I just downloaded a Kindle sample.)

I'd like to add one more title to your round-up, if I may. Landmark: The Fields of Landscape Photography by William Ewing is not an instructional book. Rather, it's a far more interesting and very unique survey of the many sub-genres of contemporary photography that fall within the broader "landscape" bin. (William Ewing was the Director of the Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne, Switzerland for 14 years, retiring in 2010.) Traditionalists devoted to scenic photography probably won't like this book. But it will be catnip for anyone looking for inspiration towards new visual "landscape" possibilities. It's also simply an excellent collection of some wonderful creative imagery that (often) integrates a horizon line someplace...somehow.

Thanks, again, Geoff.

[Geoff Wittig]

Ken-
I have a copy of Ewing's 'Landmarks', and your assessment is spot-on. Folks interested in a survey of contemporary, post-modern photographic approaches to the landscape will like it. Not my cup of tea; I can appreciate the formalist aesthetic of Robert Adams' work, for example, and I find Jeff Brouws' photos oddly beautiful. But most of the self-indulgent or willfully unattractive stuff in Landmarks leaves me cold.
Different strokes!