paul bousquet photography

Exposure For Outdoor Photography by Michael Frye

Have you ever wondered how to get a spot on exposure for your outdoor photography and where to focus? Have you ever wanted to use the Zone system like Ansel Adams in the digital world without great complexity? Have you ever wanted to learn how the use your camera in manual mode for complete control over your camera? Then you will want to grab a copy of Michael Frye’s Exposure book where he teaches you these techniques and more.

Exposure is also great introduction to the basics of exposure and depth of field while in the context of landscape photography. Michael Frye has written a nicely concise book on the very important technique for getting your landscape photos looking their very best.

Whenever I help folks who are looking for advice on photography the very first topic I like to discuss with them is the exposure triangle. Michael starts his Exposure book off in the same manner with a very well done explanation of the topic and how you adjust each to suit the type of exposure you are trying to accomplish.

Michael also does a nice job of explaining f-stops, detailing what 1 stop versus 1/3 stop actually means and how changing shutter and aperture results in these changes. Not only is this provided in a technical sense, but what it means to the image you are trying to create.

When it comes to metering modes, Michael recommends a different approach than what I am used to and describes why this is his approach. It makes sense to me now and will certainly get a try out in the field.

Included in Michael’s description of getting an exposure spot on is his explanation of using histograms over light meters and stresses the use of using manual mode as a learning process to better understand shutter and aperture priority.

Ansel Adams took advantage of the Zone system to produce the stunning images he is well known for. These images include the widest range of dark to light possible. Michael takes the Zone system and shows you a less complicated approach to using it in the digital world.

Michael includes a few case studies in the book to practice the techniques he describes.

You can save $1 off the price of Exposure by using the EXPOSURE4 code at checkout or use EXPOSURE20 to get 20% off when you buy 5 + PDF eBooks from the Craft and Vision Collection. These codes expire at 11:59pm(PST) on February 20, 2012.

Click here to visit the Craft and Vision bookstore to get $1 off while picking up a copy of Exposure.

12/16/2010

Light and Land, Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom by Michael Frye

Buy It! Okay, I will give you a bit more detail than that. If you are a Lightroom user I cannot say enough about how Michael Frye has changed the way I approach making changes to my images. CURVES! Until now I have not used the curve in Lightroom to my advantage. I have relied upon other methods to adjust the contrast of the image. Michael shows you how to take advantage of the real point curve in Lightroom 3 and lets you know his defaults settings for the Contrast and Brightness sliders. While the examples in the book are specific to Lighroom, Michael points out these techniques can be applied in Photoshop or Aperture as well.

In addition to the curve revelation, Michael takes you through the processing of several images and how his approach on each brings out the vision he desires for that landscape. He touches upon evaluation, profile & white balance, black and white conversion, dodging & burning, clarity and toning as he tackles each of the beautiful landscapes in the book.

The only downside to ths book is that it ends, because reading how Micahel approaches each image and brings out his vision is very enjoyable. I now feel compelled to go back to some of my recent images taken during a cross country trip and apply the techniques discussed in this book. For me to say that and do some rework on images already processed speaks volumes about how valuable I think the tips provided in this book are.

Here is a description from the folks at Craft And Vision:

Light and Land, Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, by Michael Frye is the newest ebook to the Craft & Vision library. Michael, a photographer based on the doorstep of Yosemite Nation Park, knows his stuff about inspired landscapes and the post-processing techniques that make his vision a reality. Light and Land is written specifically for people with an interest in landscapes and who want to clarify their own unique vision. Landscape work, like other specific genres, has its own challenges with respect to the digital darkroom and this ebook will be of use to anyone wanting to take their post-processing to the next level. With equal parts inspiration and instruction Michael goes step-by-step through the aesthetic judgements behind each decision, and he unpacks the principles behind the landscape-specific considerations. Michael walks you through the Lightroom-based development of 5 different images, discussing the hows and whys of each one. The principles apply equally for Lightroom as well as Aperture or Photoshop. Light and Land is crammed full of content and is available now as a downloadable PDF for just $5USD.

Special Offer on PDFs
For the first five days only, if you use the promotional code LAND4 when you checkout, you can have the PDF version of The Vision Driven Photographer for only $4 OR use the code LAND20 to get 20% off when you buy 5 or more PDF ebooks from the Craft & Vision collection. These codes expire at 11:59pm PST December 19, 2010.

Click here to visit the Craft and Vision bookstore to pick up a copy