Langford's Starting Photography: The Guide to Creating Great Images

This book (Langford's Starting Photography) was recommended to me by my photography teacher who has been a professional photographer for years. The book is a very good resourse for people like me starting to learn how to take good pictures. I have moved from point and shot to a Rebel XSI which is a big jump, at least for me. Now needing to know not only the why's of using all the bell's and whistles of the camera but the reason for making these choices. Information is easy to understand and examples given when needed are helpful. I would recommend this book, espically for beginners.

I was introduced to Starting Photography Fifth Edition (the edition is important) as a textbook, but it was exactly what I was looking for on my own. It offers a thorough understanding of the subject and includes some sections devoted specifically to digital photography. It would be even more valuable if it had broken some chapters into several parts because there is too much to absorb all at once in some of them. The topics warrant separate attention and they take time to absorb individually. It is not a book for beginners, nor is it one for professionals. It is for people who are trying to learn more about the various elements of photography to which they have already been exposed.

As the title implies, Langford's Starting Photography is a text for the beginning photographer. Dating back to the mid 1970's, this 5th edition has been updated to reflect the changing landscape of digital photo technology. The problem with modern digital cameras is that they make too many decisions for you. They are ready to shoot, fresh out of the box! This means that you don't need to learn the principals of photography before venturing out shooting. Unfortunately, this also means that the artistic skills of making a good photograph - things like composition, patterns, leading lines, use of light and color - are also bypassed. The result? A hard-drive collecting many snaps, but very few photos. For those who don't have the time or money for a photography class, I would recommend this book! Langford's Starting Photography is geared and organized for the complete novice, but is of great benefit for those who have been snapping digitally for years! The first two thirds of the book are dedicated to work behind the lens, while the last of the book teaches the basics of the darkroom (one chapter on film developing, and the remainder on the digital darkroom). This book even comes complete with `homework' in the form of a projects list every few chapters. I've never picked up an older copy of Langford's Starting Photography, so I can't compare to previous editions, but I found this book to be easy to use and thorough. Michael Langford is British, and it shows in his writing. I found myself reading it in an English voice. The book is heavily illustrated in full-color. A few of the how to graphics were a bit rough (i.e. - sketches of someone holding a camera, with a photo of the camera crudely pasted-in), and being a Mac user, I had an aversion to the books use of Windows screenshots. But on the whole, an excellent `photo class-in-a-book'! Rated 5

If you are just starting out on photography, I highly recommend this book. It begins immediately on the first chapter on picture making! For this reason alone, I would give it 5 stars. Here in the first chapter, the authors wasted no time to tell you what makes good pictures: the photographer, not the equipment. They then proceed to explain why the majority of our pictures (at least, the rest of us non-professionals) turn out unflattering despite our best efforts and high-tech cameras. If you read nothing else but the first chapter alone, I would bet that your photography will already begin to improve. Or if not, the first chapter will at least inspire you to try the suggestions and see the result yourself. In fact, even if all you have is a humble point and shoot film camera, the things they teach in the first chapter are still totally valid, as the principles of good photography remains the same whether you use film or digital. The next chapters give details about camera operations, how to creatively use camera controls, and another great topic, how to tackle different photographic subjects. Just what I needed! I like the chapter on how to process you own film in black and white. Although I'll probably not dive into it, this chapter gives you good grounding on the grassroots of photography. Other good stuff inside: 1. Projects at the end of most every chapter. I dare you to do all the project at chapter one and tell me if it will not improve your understanding of what makes a good picture! 2. Information on digital aspect of photography. Although I shoot film slr, I know that one day, I'll want a digital slr so the info on it is nice. 3. All the illustative pictures are ones that can be done by amateurs! In keeping with the beginner's purpose, this is intentional on the part of the authors. If you are looking for award winning photos or famous photographers, you wont find it here. But the pictures in the book are beautiful in their own right and they drive home the points taught. 4. Modest studio lighting you can create yourself! The principles on the very important aspect of light taught here are very revealing to me. The diagram of how to photograph a subject using only your own flash and any old white card to reflect some light is already a good starting point. However, I am tempted to give this book 4 stars since I felt that despite it's generous information, attractive layout, highly readable text, and wide pages, the authors skimmed the topic on tricky exposure problems. The use of grey cards, spotmeters, and handheld lightmeters to solve these tough light problems were only briefly explained. On the other hand, they provided easily applied solutions to our most common exposure problems. So I give them the benefit of the doubt that such issues correctly belong to advanced photography topics which might only discourage the wobbly beginner if mentioned here. Now that you are aware of it, you will probably do more research on it. M

I would reccomend this to anyone wishing to start photography or develop their knowledge. Michael Langford guides you through photography jargon and explains digital, APS and SLR cameras with ease. Including projects for practical starting points easy enough for a total beginner with only a disosable camera or professionals with the latest stuff! The book covers using your first camera, lighting, trouble shooting, effects, working indoor and outdoors and briefly about making your own dark room. It is a comprehensible guide which doesn't cost a packet! A definite thumbs up!