John Hedgecoe's New Introductory Photography Course

by John Hedgecoe

John Hedgecoe teaches the skills of a professional to the beginner, and inspires the self-confidence to take on any aspect of photography, through guided projects and over 400 examples of his own work.



The new photographer first learns the secrets of the camera's make-up and its use. Then all the most popular photographic subjects are covered in 65 easy-to-follow projects, beginning with how to put together the components of a picture and how to make the most of lighting. The photographer will then learn how to photograph nature, still life and dramatic landscapes, to tackle cityscapes, action and architecture shots, to capture candid portraits and to experiment with the range of possibilities in black and white photography.

A section on how to process and print photographs is included, showing how to set up a darkroom, and it is followed by a technical guide offering quick-reference data and advice on identifying and solving picture-taking faults from finished prints.



Includes 65 easy-to-follow projects
Illustrated with over 400 examples of the author's work

Genres: Photography, Reference, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

John Hedgecoe (24 March 1932 – 3 June 2010) was an award-winning British photographer and author of over 30 books on photography. He established the photography department in 1965 at the Royal College of Art, where he was Professor from 1975 to 1994 and Professor Emeritus until his death. He was also Pro-Rector of the college from 1981 to 1993. His photographs appear in permanent collections at the New York Museum of Modern Art and London's National Portrait Gallery.

"Professor John Hedgecoe was a photographer who took the portrait of the Queen which is used on British postage stamps; as such he is credited with the planet's most reproduced image, which has so far sold more than 200 billion copies." (The Telegraph)

Reviews

[A.K. Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hedgecoe has written a classic photography book, and has been around as long as I can remember. It starts with how to use a camera, and then some simple projects for the beginning photographer. He devotes a couple of pages to just about every subject and technique imaginable. . Although he doesn't go into depth, the images are stunning and the information is dead on. There are even two pages on my favorite subject, nudes. The author covers numerous topics including black and white, lighting, still life, action, and architecture.

I can't help but notice that some people hated this book, and others loved it. Many of those who gave low ratings either didn't like how it doesn't go into depth on any one topic. If you're looking for an encyclopedia of photography, this is not. I picked up an earlier edition of this book before I knew anything about photography and it was one of my early inspirations.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this author and this book to anyone who was serious about photography, or just had a passing interest.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I have given Hedgecoe's introductory course book a good read, I am holding onto this book to reference for a study of taking photos. Each time I return back and look at my work and feel that something is missing, it is helpful to me to look at Hendgecoe's manual and consider lenses, lighting, shutter speed, and other tips (on care of camera, for example) that could have helped me improve my work.