I can't agree with the other reviewers of this book. But, that's probably because I have been a professional photographer most of my life and many of the basic composition, close-up and other photo issues this book deals with were learned many years ago for me. The "art" of photography is learned through doing and talent development. Books can only do so much and this one's way to expensive for what's offered.

The photography is pretty good. The quality of the printing is not. I have seen much better reproduction and print quality in other photography and diving publications that cost a third of this book's price. Many of the images are dark and flat. And that's probably not the fault of the photographer or their original images. It's poor print quality.

The few pertinent points that are discussed about the underwater photography methods and processes are helpful. But, anyone who would spend good money on expensive DSLRs, housings and underwater strobes is probably going to be pretty careful about who else handles them and how.

For beginning photographers, and/or those new to diving who want something to help them get into this activity further, this may be a book for you. Experienced photographers/divers may not find this book a worthy choice, as I have discovered.

As I move my photography under water; I was seeking the knowledge of those who have gone before me. This book interested me because it is very recent with digital experience as well as film from the past. I am very pleased with the way this book has helped me up the learning curve and prepared me to shoot underwater images. Another point well made in the book is ETTL underwater. There are not too many people on the planet yet that are really doing this in my observation. The authors of this book have overcome the reluctance to believe in E or I TTL; just look at their images.

www.BrianHamptonPhotography.com

I recently had the chance to read this book. As with all the books by the Ferraris (of which I own several), this one is thoughtfully assembled, crammed with photos, and jammed with great tips. Of course, the images and the text are excellent, but there are other reasons to like it:

* I like how they explain what's good about the guest photographers' images. Rather than just say "Yes, another fascinating shot!" they take the time to explain it, so the rest of us, as we move along, can try to emulate.
* I like how they explain the rules of photography -- and then show they can be broken to great effect.
* I think comparing underwater photography to movie-making is a great idea. Everyone has seen movies they love and can recall some powerful scenes from them.

One small criticism: I disliked how the images broke up the text. I'd be reading along with the narrative, wholly immersed, and then I'd come up to a Guest Photographer shot. I never knew whether I should read the GP synopsis (and therefore forget what the teachings were) or skip ahead to finish the teachings and then flip back to the GP bits. Clearly, this was not a major pitfall by any stretch, but I would've liked to've seen all the GP shots between chapters, maybe -- so as to avoid this situation? Just a thought, and this is no reason not to read the book.

In total, the book is fantastically conceived and the images selected beautifully complement the teachings. It's a very dense book, though, and I know for my own part, it was somewhat intimidating to pick up and go through. In reality, it's dense mostly because it's thick with images -- not because it's thick with theory -- and is therefore far more accessible than you would believe by just looking at it. Though I'm going diving this weekend, it's merely a pleasure dive -- no camera -- but next time I do go diving with a camera, I'm going to go through the pages once more, to see how I can make my images pop. In the meantime, I plan to study the last topside shooting chapter so my general photos can be as amazing as theirs.

This is truly an amazing book, featuring 360 richly illustrated color pages with hundreds of incredible full-page underwater images (most by the authors and several by the world's best underwater photographers, like Doug Perrine), plus informative, wonderfully accessible texts. Be aware this really isn't a technical, dry, boring guide in the strictest sense of the word like most of the others available on the market. It's rather more of a highly inspirational book which begs to be read and re-read again to find creative inspiration, to bring out the inner hidden artist. I loved the amazing photos and highly enjoyed the clever suggestions in the text - and I can already see how my own underwater photography has incredibly been enriched by this book. It's like having your own personal tutor! Go on and buy it - this is something you'll treasure for many years to come.

Its a terrific book, fantastic pictures. Liked that you could get helpful hints for point and shoot UW cameras, not just the expensive ones. Only thing I didn't care for was that the commentaries were not continued on the next page - you had to go 2 or 3 pages for them to continue.