Understanding Exposure-Bryan Peterson

Ordered this book on Amazon this week and read the first 10 pages or so and it has changed the way I use my camera overnight. I shot all day in Manual today using the light meter and adjusting aperture/shutter speed/ISO to get some great exposures.
I think that the penny has dropped and had better color and contrast than I have ever had before. If you haven't read this book then I strongly urge you to do so.
Experimented tonight with my flash too and the same principles appear to apply there too.
Crap I love this stuff. People say that ever time you take the camera out its a learning experience and if the lessons are as successful as today bring em on.

It is a great book. I would give Mr Peterson at least 3 hugs if I ever met him.

It's a great book. I can also recommend another book by Bryan Peterson called 'Learning to see creatively'. I found it very useful.

he's also coming out with a new one at the beggining of april.

http://www.amazon.com …oks&qid=1205045​698&sr=8-3

Should be good!

I think all these threads are actually started by Bryan himself to boost sales of his books

I agree, it is a good book, along with 'Learning to see creatively'

I think it's over-rated. And I said so back here.

You just know to much for it to help you. I've suggested his book to about 20 people, all have thanked me for doing so.

For someone just starting out would you say that his book will help?

It is only $17 at amazon.com.

Wow, there is an abundance of information in there for the entry level person. Are you sure you read it or did you just read the side bars for the pics...sort of what one does when they buy a new magazine and give it the first 5 minute flip through...

Brad999 wrote in post #5085133
Wow, there is an abundance of information in there for the entry level person. Are you sure you read it or did you just read the side bars for the pics...sort of what one does when they buy a new magazine and give it the first 5 minute flip through...

Perhaps you could read the thread I linked to. I read the whole book. Unless you're an absolute beginner with little to no understanding, it's over-rated, IMHO.

I bought that book and never went back to the little green square. It's not a best seller here for nothing! I recommend it, use it and then move on.

iacas wrote in post #5085148
Unless you're an absolute beginner with little to no understanding, it's over-rated, IMHO.

Many people who this book is recommended to are beginners or new to DSLR photography and I'm sure it's of great help to them (I know it is to me).

Over-rated? Possibly...but as you say, that's your humble opinion. If others feel this is a great book, that's their opinion. We're allowed to express our opinions here, aren't we?

Samanax

I think over-rated is a poor choice of words here. That indicates that a lot of people like it but it is really not that good. Well, if I were a professional photographer and thoroughly understood these concepts, perhaps I would call it "basic" or a "novice" book. But since this book has obviously helped a lot of beginners (including me) it's not overated. Maybe over-recommended.

It's like saying your elementary math teacher is over-rated because all she taught you was addition and subtraction.

Stefan

I can relate to what iacas is saying. It seemed to me that he's still letting the camera's meter do the metering for him, merely from the back end so to speak, not really doing it himself. But, having said that, I don't think it's wholly useless, either. I see value in it, and I did learn some things, it just didn't do as much for me as it has for many others.

What bothers me, and I know this is somewhat silly, is his writing... his use of terms... "brother blue sky", and "'who cares?' apertures", etc. Comes off as so cheesy to me, and is hard for me to get past. Kinda like how many people get annoyed by Scott Kelby's attempts at humor. SK's humor doesn't bother me as much, I just wish he'd not feel the need to include it on every page.

Ol' Mr Peterson sure is enamored with showing off his wife, isn't he? She is beautiful, but still...

Samanax wrote in post #5085442
Many people who this book is recommended to are beginners or new to DSLR photography and I'm sure it's of great help to them (I know it is to me).

Yes, they are. I agree. But I've seen it recommended almost as a sort of panacea or something, to people who should know better (i.e. not beginners).

Samanax wrote in post #5085442
Over-rated? Possibly...but as you say, that's your humble opinion. If others feel this is a great book, that's their opinion. We're allowed to express our opinions here, aren't we?

I've never said or implied otherwise, have I?

I like books, and I encourage people to buy them. At $17, it's tough not to recommend the book. But it just seems to me that, at times, some people treat it as a sort of holy grail or something. It won't help your composition, your hand-holding technique, it won't give you extra reach, etc. It's a book about exposure.

I place a high value on tips, so for $17 or whatever you don't need to get much out of the book. However, I also feel it's somewhat fair to say that the information contained in the book could probably be summed up in a pamphlet.

Stefan A wrote in post #5085500
Maybe over-recommended.

I see your point, and "over-recommended" sounds good too, but I'm not giving up on "over-rated" just yet. I think it's repetitive. I think he could have abstracted the "brother" stuff (Brother Dense Forest Foliage? ) into a separate chapter rather than scatter them throughout, etc. Photoguy comments on the "cheesiness" too, for example.

I didn't say how MUCH I thought it was over-rated. Again, for only $17, it can't be much at all. And if you can sell it to someone else on the forum for $10 after you're done, that's only $7.

Great book for the right level of photography knowledge.
Like anything in life there are different books for different knowledge levels.

I had the opportunity to look through it for about 20 minutes at the book store and found it to be a great book for beginners.

I had to stand back and commend the author for being able to really dumb down concepts and stretch them for pages, and pages (great for beginners). At the same time I was a bit amused of how the explanation of some aspects stretched for pages and pages when 1 page would've done. Great for beginners but I felt like I was being take for a ride. The book could be condensed a lot more. Then again it would not be a book, it would be a brochure

The author did a great job on a book for beginners.
The fact that is recommended by people most of the time without stating it's true nature has caused a bit of backlash.
The backlash comes from people that know about the relationship between ISO-shutter speed-aperture and what they do individually and combined.

I don't mind reading about these but the way they are stretched out beyond what should take 1 page of text starts to wear on me (and everyone else who has read this book and was already familiar with these concepts).