Understanding Color in Photography: Using Color, Composition, and Exposure to Create Vivid Photos Kindle Edition

This reviewer has had approximately 40 years experience as an amateur photographer. He found nearly everything contained in this book, despite all these years of experience, new, innovative and applicable to practical photography. There is considerable very useful advice in this book that can greatly improve one’s photography, with respect to color. For example, placing darker colors at the bottom and lighter at the top prevents photographs from looking unbalanced. That, counter-intuitively, to get brighter colors from bright colors, one should expose them by 2/3 – 1 stop. To get better colors out of blacks (or darker colors) it is best to underexpose them by 2/3 -1 stop. This book is just full of such useful and practical advice. These hints are not only useful to beginners but to those through the intermediary level.One of the best books on photography this reviewer has ever read. Five Stars.

I found the book quite interesting. Indeed, the author talks of composition but my perception of the information is that he discusses what colors complement each other, how to add dynamic impact through color contrast and even the emotional associations with color. His book is well-dotted with his photographs to illustrate his points. One thing I found strange was how to expose one's image in order to get the best color saturation. One cannot argue with his results. I enjoyed reading this book and will definitely try some of his suggestions when shooting color in the future.

One thing is for sure, if you have been a student of Bryan through his many workshops you can tell the book evokes his personality and wisdom. Everything you need to know about color, light and using those for effective composition is discussed and explained here. Again, he stresses how important it is to get the right image in camera; not via post processing. It's refreshing and exciting to read this book.

Brian Peterson does it again with an Amazing book that helps all photographers. Brian has a true gift for teaching and explains things in a matter than almost anyone can understand. The color theory he teaches you on this book is extremely helpful to advance your skills. Even if you’re more experience photographer I would highly recommend it.

I found this book barely useful. I did not need to be told that without light there would be no color. I really already understood how eyes perceive color. Too many of the examples and explanations are laden with cut phraseology; perhaps as a device to provide some length to the book. Yes, there are useful nuggets, but this could have been done. In a more useful and meaningful way.

Pros:very clear colored picturesCame on timeHas here and there assignments so you can get used to taking pictures with color not just with nouns.It's about someone displaying his really sharp pictures, can be nice to read for entertainmentCons:I was horrified to open the book to page 29 and see a undressed women in a wheelbarrow! It wasn't pleasing to my eyes... For that ALONE I will be returning it. Yes I just received the book today.

I found it very meaningful in understanding color photography. Color is duly explained as a compositional element in photogtaphy. The theory of color is described in a colloquial and friendly way. The meaning of color as a form of expression is dealt with. The photos are beautiful, and each of them is explained both aesthetically and technically. I own the kindle version and read it in my iPad, the resolución is very good. I enjoyed reading this book on color photography. Thanks Bryan and Susana.

Just to let you know, this is for absolute beginners in photography or those who have very graphic-heavy hobbies or jobs. It helps with composition. I feel like I could have done without this book. It's very rudimentary. A quick read.

It is clear Peterson knows how to use saturated colour for effect in his photography. There are good and inspiring photos in this book. There are also a few tips on making use of, or seeking out such vivid colours in your photography. But the approach to colour photography here is like a child with a pack of 12 bold colour felt tip pens. There's no subtle shades or delicate hints. There's no brown or grey in Peterson's world.But a more fundamental problem with this book is the claim it will help you "understand" colour in photography. For the author, on the evidence here, does not appear to understand it.In the chapter on "The science of colour", Peterson tries to explain absorption and reflection of light in terms of a buffet where there are some foods you like (absorb) and some you decline (reflect). This buffet menu contains "red, orange, blue, yellow, green, purple as well as black and white light and millions of shades, tints and tones in between". Yes, apparently black is a light. Why the relatively simple concept of absorption and reflection needs this analogy I don't know, but it confuses Peterson so much he goes on to get black and white mixed up: "black has very little appetite and reflects all light waves" and "white .. results from mixing equal amounts of red, green, yellow and blue light waves". That's a strange choice of four colour primaries...Peterson later correctly says the three additive primary colours are red, green and blue. However, he claims the three subtractive primary colours are red, blue and yellow. Anyone who's understanding of colour has progressed beyond mixing poster paints in primary school will know the subtractive primary colours are cyan, magenta and yellow, and that typically black is also required to achieve quality results on white paper. These are fundamentals of colour and necessary for both taking photographs but also printing them. The colour wheel that Peterson presents is the historic artist's red, blue and yellow colour wheel. His description of shades and tints involves adding white to tint and adding black to shade. Which is fine if you are mixing paint, but irrelevant to photography.Readers of Peterson's other books will know he has an idiosyncratic way of describing how he sets the camera exposure: "I .. chose the 'Who cares?' aperture of f/11 and simply adjusted my shutter speed until my camera's meter indicated a correct exposure of 1/160s." Peterson's camera was always indicating 1/160s as the correct exposure for f/11 even before he adjusted his shutter speed. Nobody else talks like this about exposure. Like many authors, he neglects to adjust his aperture recommendations for readers with APS-C or m43 cameras, for whom f/11 is unlikely to be chosen with such wild abandon. While there is merit to his determination to always use manual exposure for teaching pupils to appreciate their exposure choices, he comes unstuck when it comes to white balance.A book on understanding colour should not contain the following: "I have seen online forums discussing white balance, and there are some very strong feelings about its importance. But, until someone can convince me otherwise, I will continue, for the most part, simply setting my white balance to Direct Sunlight and then leaving it alone". One might forgive somone who grew up with film to be wary of auto white balance, and perhaps some of his Nikon cameras have not been reliable in judging the correct settings. But it is clear Peterson does not understand colour temperature. This is a property of the incident light in a scene, yet he claims temperature is a property of reflected light (using his food analogy of rejected foods). He discourages use of auto-white-balance for the same reasons he discourages auto exposure settings, yet instead of teaching how to correctly choose the white balance (for example, by using a neutral grey test card), he advocates simply leaving it on Direct Sunlight. He does admit that most of his photographs are taken outside in sunny California, so read into that what you will. You will not find advice here on coping with interiors that are partly lit by the sun through windows and partly by electric lamps, nor any advice on the use of flash lights and gels.I end with Peterson's explanation of why his light meter indicated 1/100s rather than 1/160s when he moved his macro lens closer to the subject. He claims "the lens was now extended further, so light needed more time to travel down the lens onto the sensor". Isaac Newton, James Clarke Maxwell and Albert Einstein are all turning in their graves.

How many books on photography deal with only one subject throughout ? Not many. Of those, how many deal only with colors and how they impact your photographs and viewers ? Even less. This is one of them and perhaps the only one. The subject is fascinating and the photographs back up the information beautifully. If you want to learn how color composition and combination can have a dramatic effect on how you and your viewers respond to your own photographs this is THE book.

It's an okay book... nothing spectacular, but not too bad for the price (I bought it at 425, though it ended up cheaper after I had bought it).

This book guides us how to view colours around us &how to make the frame more appealing with the correct complement colour.

Another well written book by Bryan Peterson who has a natural way of teaching beginners the great art of Photography.