Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography, Revised Edition

Tharp begins and ends the book by telling you that the secret to creativity is learning to see. But as you go through the book some of the chapters on subjects like light and composition and perspective sound remarkably similar to a lot of other photography books that are concerned with technique rather than creativity. Tharp's method is to give you a rule like "simplify" and then to tell you how to simplify. She does this well and the pictures that she uses certainly show her creativity, but it's hard to make the connection between these rules and developing our creativity.

I wish she had spent more time on telling us how to see because I think she is on the right trail here. But if you speed down the highway too quickly you might miss it, which would be a shame. Assuming you can teach creativity, Tharp makes a decent try of it, providing the reader is willing to work at making the connections to seeing.

There are many approaches to teaching how to be photographically creative. In "Fine Art Nature Photography: Advanced Techniques and the Creative Process" Tony Sweet presents us with a series of pictures and a narrative for each that explains what he was trying to achieve with the photograph and what techniques he used to achieve it. In "Creative Landscape Photography", Niall Benvie talks about the different subject matter one may encounter, like wilderness, and then talks about what that subject means to him and what techniques he uses to translate what he sees and feels into a photograph. And my favorite photography book, "Photography and the Art of Seeing" by Freeman Paterson, in a very touchy-feely work, provides a number of unusual exercises that are designed to teach a photographer how to see.

None of these books actually teaches creativity (although for me, Paterson comes closest.) Instead they show creative work and the considerations that the authors had in creating that work. Whether any method works in developing creativity is an open question. If it can be developed, which authors' approach will work best will depend on the individual reader. A serious photographer will want to try them all until he or she finds one that works for him or her. Tharp's book is certainly one that ought to be examined in this difficult search.


Tharp's Book reflects her skill and professionalism!   December 29, 2004
Ronnie A. Zincone (Richmond, RI)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I have read this book 2 times already and is one of those photography books you just can't put down. You could read it cover to cover in one sitting. Awesome color images that are truly inspiring to the photographer at all levels of skill. Tharp's skills and professionalism really shine in this book. She really hits a chord with her creative approach and is supported by wonderful color images. I can't wait for her next book. Highly recommended!!!!


Shooting from the soul   February 28, 2007
Damian P. Gadal (Santa Barbara, CA USA)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Brenda sums up her philosophy of photography by saying that "you make a great picture with your soul, not your eyes". I tend to agree with her. Her book covers the areas of light, design, composition, color, and technique. These subjects are well presented and best contemplated and incorporated into one's own interpretation of nature and outdoor photography. One of the best things she points out is the importance of capturing the essence of your subject, something a lot of photographers seem to overlook. A thoughtful book that was a pleasure to read.


Great Book   October 27, 2003
Ellen Cantor (Los Angeles)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

Excellent book that combines not only beautiful images, but also valuable technical information that is easy to understand. The book is very well organized and covers a wealth of information from the basics to some very interesting and unusual techniques for creative photography. This book goes beyond the usual landscape photography book. It will give you lots of ideas to make your photography more meaningful.


A Godsend for the Creatively Challenged   May 26, 2006
BetterPhotoJim (Redmond, WA United States)
20 out of 24 found this review helpful

My copy of Brenda Tharp's book is dog-eared and plastered with Post-it notes. A top-notch, world-class travel and nature photographer - as well as a fantastic instructor at BetterPhoto.com, Brenda covers everything you need to know in this beautiful and eye-opening book. You'll want to start making travel plans the minute you finish.

Brenda's goal is to help you expand your vision and discover the deep wellsprings of creativity within you - and she succeeds. In plain English, she describes the ingredients that go into every great photo and helps you learn how to see.

Her work is meticulous and lives up to a very high standard. If you feel like you understand the technical side of photography but struggle with the artistic and creative, this book will be a godsend!