The Photographer's Guide to Filters Paperback – May 15, 2002

I bought this book because I figured having some direction regarding filters would be a good investment. This book is great. The book starts with what might be a slightly wordy explanation about the difference between screw on and slide in filters, and the advantages of each, but if you are just getting into filters you might not even be aware of the differences. I really liked how the book was broken down into different filter types too. This made it easy to follow, and a really relaxed read. Even if you think you know about filters there are several seemingly obvious (once you read them) that you might not have realized that he points out. Despite the un-attractive cover (the worst picture anywhere in the book) the book is very straight forward and shows numerous examples of with/without a certain filter for a certain shot. For these examples he helps to break down the picture and show where the filter used made any differences (sometimes subtle). Anyways, long review short, if you own an SLR then you need to know about filters, and you need to buy this book.

This book is very easy to read, very easy to understand, and very organized.I recommend this book for beginners who want to learn about different types of filters and their basic application. Although Lee Frsot included sections where he talked about "creative application" of filters, there weren't enough to satisfy an intermediate photographer.I am only giving this book 4 stars for the following reasons:1. There are similar contents on the web that are just as informative, for free. Check out [...] or go to B&H's website and look for their free guide on filters.2. The book lacked a section for reverse references. Meaning, the book is organized by filter type. "This filter is used for this situation for this effect." What I was hoping for was a filter guide organized by situations photographers face, as in "If you're taking pictures under this situation, you can use this filter to achieve this effect."Overall, this is a great, beautifully printed book. But it could have definitely been more.

If you're curious about filters and how they can improve your photos, this book has absolutely everything you need. Mr. Frost provides excellent pictures, an easy-to-understand narrative, and all the facts you need to choose a filter system. Even filters for infrared photography are included. This book is relevant no matter which medium you prefer, film or digital. Lee Frost is also one of those rare individuals who is not only a great photographer, but a wonderful author as well. He writes in a relaxed, informal style, making you feel less like a student in class and more like a companion along for the journey. He's quick to point out his own mistakes, and even illustrates these with some of his photos. I'll definately be buying more of his books.

Like it

This book is very practical and keeps you gripped with nice theory, pictures and unique ideas. I never used filters for my shoots except Polarizer and UV. This book has good intro on all filters, best brands .. what is the right filter for the moment .. etc. This book is highly recommended for people who want to experiment with filters. This book has helped me understand the usage of filters and their application. The book also helped me to kind of get an idea of how will be my final picture before taking it. It was good experimenting for me.

I am a great fan of Lee Frost, having been exposed to him firstly with his superb Panoramic Photography (which led to my acquiring a Hasselblad X-Pan). His book on filters was exactly what I was after and the same has obviously applied to many others with 9 reprints! For my taste, there was too much emphasis on the gimmicky filters, but I guess he had to include them for the sake of completeness. However, had I wanted the book as an accurate, and up to date, guide for the use of filters for digital photography, I would have been very disappointed as it is certainly not that. For my immediate purpose, which was to refresh, or check the accuracy of, my memory for photographing with both colour and black and white film it was perfect. To avoid any unhappy customers, I would include some minor warning that the book is particularly relevant for film, rather than digital, photography.

While very dry and boring, this book covers everything. The author uses many "before and after" photos to illustrate his points. He's very direct and to the point and never leaves you wondering what he means. He discusses how filters relate to both film and digital cameras. He covers EVERYTHING. I definitely recommend it for beginner & intermediate photographers, but don't read it in bed, as you won't get too far.

Being a beginner in the use of filters for digital photography this book is ok. The author does a nice job of explaining the use of filters although he refers a lot to the use of filters while using 35mm film. Not having read other books on the use of filters the book is still a decent read for the beginner. I lowered the rating to a 3 star because of the fair quality of the book material itself. It is of average quality paper and at times the print is somewhat out of focus and the effects of the filters in the pictures is not noticeable because of the quality of the paper used. This lack of effect is not on all the pictures. There is one set of 6 photos of the same shot that the author tries to show the effects of the 81 series of color correction filters. Due to the lower quality of the paper used in printing it is not noticeable. The larger photos show the effects of filters better. Overall the information is easy to read just disappointed in the quality of paper used in this book.