John Shaw's Landscape Photography

This book gets a conditional five stars for reasons I will soon explain.If you are a novice or intermediate photographer, you want to shoot landscapes, and you want to get only one book, this is the one.Shaw starts out with the basics of exposure theory and then discusses equipment, film and lenses. The emphasis throughout the discussion here and later is strictly in terms of landscape photography. He moves on to the effects of light, composition and a pot pourri of special problems and solutions.Shaw is clear, direct and succinct. There is no room for confusion about the points he is making, and he makes all the essential points. No writer gives better instruction. His photographs have been selected not so much to dazzle you with their brilliance as to support his teaching points, although his pictures are beautiful.So what makes my recommendation conditional?Well, this book was published in 1994 and there have been several technological changes in photography since then. However, most of what Shaw says here still holds true for landscape photography. What's changed even more is that in 2000 Shaw's book "Nature Photography Field Guide" was published. This later book goes over much of the same material as the landscape book, while taking into account the latest technology. It even uses some of the exact same anecdotes to illustrate points.The difference between the two books is that one looks at just landscape photography while the other looks at the more encompassing class of nature photography. The Field Guide contains a long chapter on close up photography which may not interest the landscape photographer, while the landscape book aims each chapter exclusively at landscape with slightly more detail.Most of us aren't exclusively committed to landscape so the Field Guide seems like a better choice if you insist on only one book. But if you're like me, you'll get both books. If you're serious about landscapes the slant of the earlier book might just give you that slight edge to make a better landscape photograph.

I have been reading John Shaw's books since the 1970's, when shooting on film, he was a young man. Like me, he now has white hair and is wiser. I keep buying his books, he is down to earth and works with the minimum gear. You do not have to spend thousands buying stuff, learn from to be good by yourself. His techniques are easy and wonderful to follow. Buy his books if you want to be a better photographer and if you cannot take one of his seminar or tours.

John Shaw's writings -- the best of the best -- perhaps only the tools have changed but not the passion and the knowledge to make good photography happen

Yeah, it's film centric but much of the information is great for digital too. If you are a wannabee, hobbiest nature photographer like myself, this is a great read.All of John Shaw's books are great. There is some overlap between them as he goes over the basics but they are all worth a read for any aspiring nature photographer.

I bought this book, despite it's age because I have always been a big fan of John Shaw. He recommended it in his book on Nature Photography. I am finding too much repetition between the two books to give it a full five stars

Even though this was written in the era of film, almost everything in the book can be applied to digital. I love this book.

I've read about ten photography books and this one is my favorite. The text is simple, yet essential. The photographs are truly great.I guess if someone has read "Nature Photography Field Guide" will find many things at least familiar. The photos, although great to my eye, might be found as too conventional. But thats OK with me.I think John Shaw is the best "tutor" I could find. His books have helped me a lot to improve my photography.

Another excellent tutorial by John Shaw on improving one's skills doing landscape photography. I will be rereading it, looking up topics to review my techniques and generally improving my skill set.

I am afraid this is too much of a collection of stylised photographs, I stick to film because of the possibilities for portraying natural/true nature colours and because film offers plenty of opportunities to reintroduce art into documentary style photography.not sure how much I can learn from this. I would love to have seen more examples, and some fine-tuning information, this book is an expensive looking concise catalogue rather than a manual. It could have easily been a matte paperback twice the size with only the photo pages on glossy paper.Considering Shaw's reputation, this is a bit of a disappointment.

I bought this as it was recommended by the teacher on a landscape photography course. I have dipped into it from time to time and found it reasonably helpful. The photographs are beautiful and the book could just be bought for the pleasure of looking at them. It is well produced and the colour reproduction it good. It would, I think, be useful for the learner and intermediate photographer.

I love John Shaw's book's. Very informative and great for the begginner or intermediate photographer.

Da un grande fotografo non ci si poteva aspettar di meno. Chiaro, preciso e soprattutto molto spazio alle cose pratiche ed il giusto a quelle teoriche. Ottimo libro.

Wenn ich nur ein einziges Buch über Landschaftsfotografie kaufen dürfte, dann das hier. Nicht nur als Anfänger, sondern auch als Fortgeschrittener kann man viel aus dem Buch lernen. Die Foto's sind absolute Spitzenklasse und allein die Anschaffung wert (wie auch in den anderen Fotobüchern von Herrn Shaw). Gute Englischkenntnisse sind allerdings von Nöten.