The Art of Color Photography | 
 enlarge | Author: John Hedgecoe
Publisher: Focal Press
Category: Book
List Price: $44.95
Buy New: $11.50
You Save: $33.45 (74%)
New (7) Used (16) Collectible (1) from $5.61
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 1137505
Media: Paperback
Edition: Rev Upd Su
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 11.3 x 7.6 x 0.5
ISBN: 0240803442
Dewey Decimal Number: 778.6
EAN: 9780240803449
ASIN: 0240803442
Publication Date: August 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The ability to move beyond ordinary snapshots is not a matter of expensive equipment or complicated techniques. No matter what technical advances are made, creative choice will always lie in the hands of the photographer and his/her artistic perception. The aim of this book is to reveal which choices are available so that what is a pleasurable pastime can become an absorbing art.
The photographs in this volume range from startling landscapes to startling close-ups taken at high speed, and not only make up an exhibition of varied and beautiful color pictures but also represent a coherent exploration of the very nature of color. Supported by detailed technical sections, John Hedgecoe's photographs lead up from the basic theory of light to the subtle harmonies of color in all its aspects, and illustrate the theory and practice of all the essential techniques for using cameras, lenses and filters, choosing color film and composing the perfect shot.
Completely revised and updated, this book covers all the technical knowledge required to take stunning color photographs. Sections on autofocus and digital cameras, together with advice on using the latest computer manipulation programs, ensure that this is one of the most up-to-date guides available.
Completely revised and updated
Includes all the latest innovations, including computer manipulation and the new digital cameras
Includes over 600 full-color and black and white photographs
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| Customer Reviews:
 Inadequate and Often Inaccurate October 18, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I got this book by reading all of the "5-star" reviews on this page. I had totally forgotten that I had another book by this author and my dissatisfaction with that one had led me to seak another color photography book. My problem with this book was that the author did not really give me an opportunity to learn from him. There are three basic issues for me.
There is no discription of how the photographer took the shots (i.e., film type and speed, lens and camera description, apperture and shutter speed, filter used) and what the photographer did in the darkroom (exposure, special effects, etc). His atristic talent is unquestionable, but it is also irreplicable. His techniques, though, could have saved a lot of time and effort for an amature photographer.
Moreover, his discourse colors in the beginning of the book gives a short perspective on optical physics, but I find it insufficient and at times inaccurate. Here is an example. The author describes how heating of an iron bar emits Infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation and he uses three points of temperature 1,000 degrees Kelvin, 3,000 degrees Kelvin and 6,000 degrees Kelvin. Well, an iron bar at 1000K will indeed be a bar (i.e., a solid), but at 3,000K it will not -- it will cease to be a bar and change into liquid.(The the melting point of pure iron is about 1,810 K). At 6,000 K, "the bar" will turn into plasma. The idea of making physics understanble is good but the simplification should make sense.
Finaly, this book is about the author's photographs, his portfolio so to speak. It should not have been titled "John Hedgecoe's The Art of Color Photography", but "John Hedgecoe's Color Photography Art" because of its inadequate instructional content.
Overall, I would not recommend spending money on his book if you seek to learn. If you want to enjoy and wonder, go ahead and buy it, just as you would buy a photo rendition of, say, an art collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. ...Or, for a real enjoyment, find Hedgecoe's exhibition and go see that live. You will get a much greater aesthetic satisfaction there.
 A perfect book for people searching for colourful pictures. February 17, 2002
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A Perfect book for people looking for colourful pictures. Ideal for amatures, and semi-pro. It has a great deal of information available, and rich in ideas for photographic techniques. Has various chapters dealing with different types of photography. Uses plain good comprehensive English. I highly recomend it to all Photography 'lovers'.
Excellent book for both digital and film photographers! July 24, 2001
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
I recently made the switch to digital cameras from film cameras for many reasons. I found once I did that a large amount of the photography books out there were only applicable to traditional film cameras. Not so with this book. While there IS material in this book for traditional film photography the main focus of the book is how to take color pictures. The author divides the subject into separate sections which I have typed out below. Within each section are the related topics which contain detailed discussions for properly photographing the kind of subject matter the topic is concerned with. The book contains a nice introduction to the topic of color in the beginning and then moves into the subject matter discussions by topic. Each topic contains excellent color photographs that act as samples to both inspire and teach you how to take good color photographs. I REALLY liked this book. I highly recommend it to photographers of all levels.Sections in this book: [1.] What is Color? (7 topics) 16pp. [2.] Working with Color (7 topics) 14 pp. [3.] Picture Composition (14 topics) 32 pp. [4.] Moods of Natural Light (18 topics) 38 pp. [5.] Using Artificial Light (4 topics) 8 pp. [6.] Subject Lighting (8 topics) 30 pp. [7.] Materials and Techniques (6 topics) 14 pp. [8.] Equipment and Darkroom (10 topics) 20 pp.
A creative, informative & inspirational book on photography April 6, 2000
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
An excellent book on various types of subjects for colour photography. Almost every picture, from the sweeping landscape to the subtle close-up are of excellent quality. You get heaps of practical advice on how to make the most of colour in your photographs, and Hedgecoe takes you through the theory of colour and light, composition and technical information as well. The advice you get from this book not only takes your photography one, but several steps further. It boosts your creative thinking, gives you a lot of valuable information, and inspires you to go right out and take those great photos! Top marks!
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