Understanding exposure third edition. Although it could be called understanding your camera.

This is a moderately complete overhaul of the second edition. It covers all of the things covered in the second edition plus additionally Author Bryan Peterson covers HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography.

One of the sections I enjoyed the most is Peterson’s photographic triangle. aperture, shutter speed plus iso. All three are of equal importance in the photo hard I sometimes forget about the effects of different iso’s so this section brought that to life for me. some of the other subjects that were fascinating to me was his explanation of white balance plus how it’s over rated “It’s my view that, next to the histogram, the white balance is one of the most overrated controls on the digital camera”. Another section I liked was one entitled “The sky brothers” Here Peterson talks about difficult light plus contracts situations that meters have difficulty with. Peterson moves the light meeter to one area or another to receive a reading that’s not so effected by bad light or contrast including the always difficult images of snow. Read more »

Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1 and 2 (Includes The Digital Photography Book Volume 1 and The Digital Photography Book Volume 2)

This book truly has a brilliant premise and here’s how Scott Kelby describes it: “If you & I were out on a shoot & you asked me, `When I use my flash, the background behind the person I’m shooting turns black. How do I fix that?’ I wouldn’t give you a lecture on flash ratios, or start a discussion on flash synchronization and rear curtain synch. I’d just say, ‘Lower your shutter speed to 1/60 of a second. That should do it.’ Well, that’s what this book is all about: you & I out shooting where I answers questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I have learned just as I would a friend-without all the technical explanations and techie photo speak.”

Each page covers a single concept on how to make your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you’ll learn another pro setting, tool, or trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. If you are tired of taking shots that are “okay,” and if you are tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, “Why don’t my shots look like that?” then this is the book for you. Read more »

The Digital Photography Book

Kelby’s book is a great start if you are new to the world of digital photography. The book is divided into topical sections which covers each of the major issues surrounding photography in general and digital photography in specific. This book is not a lengthy technical exposition of optics and camera hardware; rather, it is a hands-on guide that helps us both compose and capture the best photographs we can from even our sometimes diminutive and inexpensive cameras.

Although the book is aimed at novices, there are some nice tricks and tips that even seasoned photographers may not have considered. But its main audience is the novice or mid-range user who simply wants to make sense out of the process photographers use to take great photographs. For example, we learn about aperture, shutter speed, and exposure, and how these three are related on to another. But more importantly, we learn what effect Read more »