Tag: Book

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Review: The Lens by NK Guy

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I’ve seen and read many books on digital photography. I’ve learned a lot about lighting, posing, setups, etc., but the one thing that I hadn’t seen before was a book that was all about lenses. “The Lens: A Practical Guide for the Creative Photographer” goes into great detail to answer the question “which lens should I buy?” Although I’m pretty set on the lenses I want/use on a day to day basis, that doesn’t mean that I always know which lens is the best to use for every situation. I go through trial and error sometimes. This book rocks when it comes to giving examples on not only which lenses to use in certain situations that may be obvious to some of the pros out there, but it gives examples of uses for lenses that you may not have thought about. I’m also guilty of using the same lenses for the same stuff that worked last time. This book gives me a refreshing look at what’s possible with the glass that I’ve invested in.

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Whether you’re a pro photographer or you’re about to buy your first good lens, I recommend you take a look at “The Lens” by NK Guy. It’s available in print as well as Kindle format, which means that even though I enjoy the printed version I’ll be adding the Kindle version to my iPad to always have with me.

You can get it here.

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Photographing Women: 1,000 Poses Book Review

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I do a lot of fashion and beauty photography and more often than not the subjects I photograph are women. I was intrigued by the title of this book: “Photographing Women: 1,000 Poses”. I figured it would be a good book to have around to get inspiration and to show a model various poses that I would like them to do. However, the book turned out to be much more than that. What I didn’t expect to find was a couple of very good chapters proceeding the poses that talked about shooting angles and lighting. I was immediately sucked in by not only the concepts but also the great job in providing the visuals. Eliot Siegel did a great job in not only talking about angles, but also showing an example of each one and how it impacts the way your subject looks. Once I got past the great info in the beginning of the book I was quite pleased with the 1,000 poses too. Great color photos showing and explaining the poses.

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I initially bought this book as a Kindle book to read on my iPad, but I liked it so much that I bought a hard cover copy to have in green room of my studio. If you photograph women, you definitely want this book!

You can order your copy here.

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Heading into a Weekend with Moose

My buddy Moose Peterson sent me his latest book as a holiday gift and while I have no aspirations (or skills) of becoming a wildlife photographer Moose's work has always inspired me. Moose is not only one of the best Wildlife photographers out there, he's also a fantastic Landscape shooter. My primary interest in photography is People, however I do enjoy a good landscape shoot every now and then too. I had the honor of shooting alongside Moose in the Fall of 2009 and it was an experience I'll always remember. That's the great thing about photography in general. I can learn something from just about every good photographer even if they're shooting a subject that I'm not primarily interested in. Not only do I enjoy learning from Moose, he's a great human being and friend too.

 

Captured: Lessons from Behind the Lens of a Legendary Wildlife Photographer

That's a heck of a title to live up to! The good thing about the title of this book is that Moose does live up to it. He's been at this for over 30 years and has paid his dues. Rather than just keeping his knowledge and experience to himself, Moose enjoys teaching others. I've witnessed it first hand.

 

First off, this book is beautifully illustrated. I could spend a couple of hours just looking at the photography without reading a single word. If I did though, I'd be missing out on the great stories Moose tells about how he got started and more importantly how he captures the amazing shots that the does. While I definitely learn from step-by-step techniques I also learn from someone telling me their thoughts and stories that went into a particular shot and how the went on to capture it. That's what this book is all about. I can't wait to dive in deeper over the weekend and the weeks to come. This is the kind of book that I want to digest over time. 

Whether you're a Wildlife photographer or not, if you're looking for some inspiration, this is your book!  If there is anyone more passionate about photography, I haven't met them yet. You can get Captured: Lessons from Behind the Lens of a Legendary Wildlife Photographer on sale here for $34.64. If you want it on Kindle it's available here as well (please enjoy this book in color or you will be missing out!)

 

P.S. Moose if you're reading this (you are aren't you?), yes you always tempt me with big glass 🙂

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The LIFE Guide to Digital Photography – Everything You Need To Shoot Like The Pros

When Joe McNally sends me an email saying that he wants to send me his latest book, I tend to stop whatever I'm doing and respond to that email. Joe is one of my FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHERS and he inspires me. Every photographer I know has someone that they look up to and hope to be like some day. For me, Joe McNally is one of those photographers that inspires me to try to do better. Of course I like Joe's photography and lighting skills, but I'm also inspired by the way Joe works with subjects. He is masterful in getting what he wants out of the subject in front of his camera. Every time I'm with him on a shoot or in a class I say "Wow, why can't I do that?"

 

This really is a book about learning how to shoot like the Pros

One of the things that actually surprised me was that this book is exactly as the title describes it. Don't get me wrong I think Joe is an excellent instructor, but in his other books Joe talks about photography through his life stories and pretty pictures. While there is certainly nothing wrong with that (I DO LEARN from Joe's stories) and I'm in awe of his shots, this book jumps right in and starts teaching you stuff. Go figure 🙂  The first chapter is called "Part One: Light". It starts off with a basic explanation of how the camera processes light, Exposure and camera settings. Then Joe jumps right in with tips and how and more importantly WHEN to capture the best light. He covers it all. Shooting on a sunny day, sunsets, a beach, a snowy day, etc. etc. and that's just chapter one! Joe then goes on to talk about the lens, Design Elements (I can't wait to finish this one!), Color, Composition and some last minute tips. Wow! This puppy is PACKED with great info and I can't wait to finish it over my holiday break.

 

The Bottom Line

No matter where you are in your photography skills, you can probably learn something from others. If I was 1/10th as good as Joe I'd be ecstatic, so I'm glad that I can learn from him and others. This is a great read. I'm only half way through it and loving what I'm learning. Thanks Joe for the opportunity to learn from you! I'm forever grateful. 

You can order The LIFE Guide to Digital Photography – Everything You Need To Shoot Like The Pros here on sale.

 

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Scott Kelby’s Lightroom 3 Book is Shipping!

Scott Kelby has released his NEW Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers and just like his last book on Lightroom, this one is a must read as well. Scott uses his usual straight-forward, I'm talking to one of my friends style to walk you through the ins-and-outs of be productive with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3. I know the amount of time that Scott puts into his books and not only does he find just the right words to explain a topic, but he also spends a great deal of time finding and shooting just the right image to make his point.

You can order your copy here at a discount.