Fine Art Nature Photography: Advanced Techniques in the Creative Process

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.

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.

Tony Sweet's photographs are breathtaking! As you look at each photo and associated rationale for how and why he chose a particular exposure or composed it in a certain way, you realize the keen awareness he has of his environment and the obvious care and patience he places in his work. I am so glad that he shares the technical side to his wonderful work. I think photographers of all levels will have much to gain by reading and studying this book!

There are many extraordinary things about this beautifully published book. The images are so breathtaking that the book would be a must have even without the text. But what makes it even more remarkable is the single paragraph on the opposing page of each image in which Sweet tells you directly and generously without pretense what he was looking for, how he set it up and why he pulled the trigger when he did to arrive at the image you are viewing. It is astounding how much information can be imparted in a succinct statement when the goal is communication instead of self-aggrandizement and pseudo-intellectual mumbo jumbo. This artist does not keep secrets. If you want to learn how the pros do it and take your eyes on a thrilling ride in the process, buy this book.

This is a very inspiring book! It is full of terrific ideas presented in a logical format. I love how Tony presents an image (all truly wonderful by the way) and then on the opposing page walks you through his thought process in creating it. His discriptions are simple yet elegant and technical only when they need to be. This book should be an instant hit. It is wonderful for those who love to be inspired by beautiful artistic images and has just enough technical/technique information to send aspiring photographers running into the field to make more beautiful images!