[.ca] Fine Art Nature Photography: Advanced Techniques in the ... (ISBN 0811727505)

Form, Form, Form!:
One way to analyze any piece of art is from the point of view of form and content. Photography usually seems more concerned with content. Music, on the other hand, having fewer formal counterparts in the real world, seems to place greater emphasis on form. Thus, it came as no surprise to me that the work of Tony Sweet should be a lot more about form than other photographs, because Sweet is a former musician. Sweet's pictures are wonderful. They are rich in color arranged in ways that you rarely encounter in photography. He loves to play with early-morning and late-day light, and mist seems to call him to his camera. His subject is outdoor photography but that just seems to be a carrier for color. Occasionally you will have to look at a picture for a while before you distinguish the content, but while you are looking you will probably be absorbed by the intense tones. You may even look at a picture and say "I never realized the world looked like that!" Each picture is accompanied by a little blurb that tells you what Sweet was trying to capture and the tools that he used to accomplish it. Not all of these tools worked for me. I didn't particularly like the photographs made by making multiple exposures on a single frame and moving the camera slightly between each exposure. On the other hand the greens and blues reflected from a long exposure of falling water made me realize that I ought to be concentrating more on the color in the world around me. If you buy this book hoping it will make you a more creative photographer, then a lot of work will be required. This book notes what the photographer was looking for in his pictures but does not tell you how he got there. You will have to examine the pictures and extract the principles on your own. If you want to develop your creative instincts you will probably be happier with something like Freeman Patterson's "Photography and the Art of Seeing" In today's world there is a tremendous amount of argument about the manipulation of photographs in computer programs. Well, these photographs have been manipulated just as much, but in the camera, through the use of long exposures, light-enhancing filters, and selective focus. If you disapprove of such manipulation, then you may not be interested in these pictures. If on the other hand, you believe with Picasso that "Art is lies that tell us the truth", then you will enjoy this unusual exploration of the visual world.

empty spaces:
The book contains cute photos, but not enough, the author's site is much better.

Nice Work:
The title is a bit grandiose; Advanced Techniques might lead you to expect an encyclopedic coverage of a wide variety of techniques, which you will not find. The Fine Art moniker might suggest large format photography; you won't find that, either. What you will find is a compact presentation of some nice images with technical details and a bit of a storyline for each. The format is 35mm with film capture. The body used and, more importantly, film type are not identified, however. Looks like Velvia to me, mostly. There are some strong illustrations of the use of filtration and multiple exposure. If the price were as grandiose as the title I'd balk. But for the price it would make a nice addition to your bookshelf -- there is some nice work here.

Nice Photos, Short on Instruction:
Sweet's book is basically a portfolio of about 50 images, with camera, lens, filter, and exposure information. The photos are great, but the explanations that go with them are fairly terse and could provide more instruction.

Fine Art from a Camera:
This book is magic. Tony shows great composition skills, and includes tremendous color in his photographs. Tony has a gift found in few great photographers. He can put into words his thought process as to how he got the composition, and then he teaches the reader how to do it. I tried a few and obtained (for me) excellent results. I highly recommend this book for any serious amateur or professional photographer, or for anyone who simply enjoys the beauty of nature.