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Expressive Nature Photography: Design, Composition, and Color in Outdoor Imagery
Photographer and teacher Brenda Tharp marries photography craft with artistic vision to help intermediate photographers translate what they see into a personal impression of a subject in nature. Using single images, along with before-and-after and with-or-without examples, Expressive Nature Photography teaches how to make exposures that are creative, not necessarily correct. Inspiring photographers to get out early and stay out late, this book explains how to use light, an essential element of outdoor photography. Readers will learn how to “see in the dark,” use filters to create very long exposures, create a natural effect using light painting, photograph night skies and moonlit landscapes, and make the best use of available natural light. This book also covers how to use shutter speeds to express motion and capture the energy of fast-moving subjects, such rushing streams, ocean swells, and bounding wildlife. A chapter on the art of visual flow discusses how to create compositions that direct the viewer's eye through the frame for maximum impact. Photographers will develop a sense of when to break the "rules" of composition, how to use elements to frame subjects, what to include and exclude in the frame, how to create the feeling of depth and dimension in a scene, and how to push the boundaries of composition to make memorable nature images that capture and convey fresh viewpoints. High-tech cameras can help create a good exposure and focused image, but they can't replace the artist's eye for composition, visual depth, and design, nor their instinct for knowing when to click the shutter. There are many books on photography technique focused on technical quality, but Expressive Nature Photography goes beyond the technical. It guides the way to pulling emotion and meaning out of a dynamic landscape, a delicate macro study, or an outstanding nighttime image.
- GenresPhotographyNonfiction
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 25, 2017
33 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 14, 2017
As someone who lives in a beautiful wooded area in California, with plenty of locales in a days' drive distance as well, and with wildlife flying or wandering past my house most days, I can well appreciate what Ms. Tharp discusses. Indeed, her book is a well-arranged discussion of photographing landscapes, flowers, trees, wildlife animals, skies (clouds and starscapes) -- both in panorama and close-up.
The book assumes at least a nodding familiarity with cameras, though she keeps the discussion on four main controls: focal length (i.e., lenses, in mm sizes), aperture (f/stop) and shutter speeds, along with ISO. (Indeed, her captions of the many and beautiful photos illustrating her teaching points will include the first three.) She's very clear, and understandable, about how these work to achieve the affects she shows.
This book is, indeed, more aesthetic than technical in its approach. She is down-to-earth in discussing how to look for, compose and frame such pictures even before considering camera controls. Indeed, she talks at length about the low-tech methods, how to position oneself, what weather, lighting and terrain to look for. Her use of close and intermediate objects to give a picture depth is intriguing -- for instance, don't just take a picture of a mesa, look for rocks or brush in the foreground, and intermediate-distance terrain, to give the picture perspective even before you fiddle with f/stops. She shows us how landscapes can be intimate, even close-up, and the flowers, plants, even dried, cracked mud, can be wonderful at close range, not just in long-focus telephoto. Her chapter on the narrative image, subjects chosen and photographed in a way that would imply a story, a context to the viewer, is profound and worth careful thought.
Her last two chapters, on "impressions of nature" and on the night sky, are more involved and challenging, involving deliberate blurring of objects and colors in the former, and time-elapse in the latter. It's not just very helpful technical tips on extreme ISO and shutter speed, but also talks about the need to bring, say, layered clothing.
The book is lavishly illustrated, every page pretty much, both to cleverly illustrate her teaching points, but is simply pleasing to behold. She uses frequent sidebars -- tips, exercises, simple breakout insights -- that vary the layout and add interest. The book is on good glossy paper and well formatted. The pictures are a wide-ranging selection of landscapes and wildlife -- she has traveled widely -- but often are locations a reader might have, in a few cases, visited themselves.
Highest recommendation, for its thoughtfulness, design, insights and love of photography and nature. Indispensable for anyone with a digital camera and places to seek in which to use it, with renewed appreciation.
The book assumes at least a nodding familiarity with cameras, though she keeps the discussion on four main controls: focal length (i.e., lenses, in mm sizes), aperture (f/stop) and shutter speeds, along with ISO. (Indeed, her captions of the many and beautiful photos illustrating her teaching points will include the first three.) She's very clear, and understandable, about how these work to achieve the affects she shows.
This book is, indeed, more aesthetic than technical in its approach. She is down-to-earth in discussing how to look for, compose and frame such pictures even before considering camera controls. Indeed, she talks at length about the low-tech methods, how to position oneself, what weather, lighting and terrain to look for. Her use of close and intermediate objects to give a picture depth is intriguing -- for instance, don't just take a picture of a mesa, look for rocks or brush in the foreground, and intermediate-distance terrain, to give the picture perspective even before you fiddle with f/stops. She shows us how landscapes can be intimate, even close-up, and the flowers, plants, even dried, cracked mud, can be wonderful at close range, not just in long-focus telephoto. Her chapter on the narrative image, subjects chosen and photographed in a way that would imply a story, a context to the viewer, is profound and worth careful thought.
Her last two chapters, on "impressions of nature" and on the night sky, are more involved and challenging, involving deliberate blurring of objects and colors in the former, and time-elapse in the latter. It's not just very helpful technical tips on extreme ISO and shutter speed, but also talks about the need to bring, say, layered clothing.
The book is lavishly illustrated, every page pretty much, both to cleverly illustrate her teaching points, but is simply pleasing to behold. She uses frequent sidebars -- tips, exercises, simple breakout insights -- that vary the layout and add interest. The book is on good glossy paper and well formatted. The pictures are a wide-ranging selection of landscapes and wildlife -- she has traveled widely -- but often are locations a reader might have, in a few cases, visited themselves.
Highest recommendation, for its thoughtfulness, design, insights and love of photography and nature. Indispensable for anyone with a digital camera and places to seek in which to use it, with renewed appreciation.
June 7, 2019
Interesting and inspiring
An easy read, technical enough without being overly technical. It's a book that describes how to photograph nature from a creative and expressive approach as opposed to purely documentation. The author shares many examples of her own work which I often found inspiring, making me ready to get out and make some photos.
An easy read, technical enough without being overly technical. It's a book that describes how to photograph nature from a creative and expressive approach as opposed to purely documentation. The author shares many examples of her own work which I often found inspiring, making me ready to get out and make some photos.
January 27, 2019
My daughter bought this book for me and it has helped a lot. A lot of the photos in the book show what settings are used on the caners. Brenda Tharp explains several techniques and tricks for getting the picture you are looking for.
February 7, 2021
This is a beautiful book. Both literally --- the photos are stunning. And metaphorically --- I took it out in the woods once a week for months and my readings jumpstarted a deeper immersion in nature and photography. Highly recommended.
July 23, 2022
There’s no doubt that the author is extremely skilled, both as a teacher and an artist. At various times in the book, she weaves technical guidance with expressive imagery quite well. Overall, however, it’s an inconsistent read that does not lend itself strongly one way or another.
October 24, 2022
Good information without reading like a textbook, written in quick easy snippets to take it in at your leisure. Complete with TONS of great photographs to inspire you and make you want to get more involved in landscape and nature photography.
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November 3, 2020I didn't finish.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews