I don't read books often (lack of time), so when I do it must be a really good one. My buddy Scott Kelby has done it once again. I got sucked into this book while on a flight and I had to read the whole thing cover to cover. This is the 3rd book in the series. Both volumes 1 and 2 were must haves and volume 3 is no different. Scott takes his classic one tip/one image per page approach to teach you exactly what you need to know to get the shot that you see featured on the page. Man of the pages also have additional tips at the bottom.
Volume 3 doesn't replace volumes 1 and 2. It's not like a Photoshop book where the new book covers the new version of the software. All 3 volumes contain useful tips that the other volumes don't contain. There is some slight overlap and that's OK, because I'm not going to remember every tip and every setting. So whether you start with Vol 1 or Vol 3 the books can stand alone or work great as a set.
The Volume 3 Chapters Include:
- Using Flash Like a Pro, Part 2
- Using Your Studio Like a Pro
- The Truth About Lenses
- Shooting Products Like a Pro
- Shooting Outdoors Like a Pro
- Shooting People Like a Pro
- Shooting Sports Like a Pro
- Pro Tips for Getting Better Photos
- Avoiding Problems Like a Pro
I'll Never Remember It all
Like I said, I read the entire book cover to cover in one setting. So while it was a great easy read and I understood everything I read, I'm just not going to remember it all. Also I probably won't remember which book had which tip I needed for a particular type of shoot. These books are great for learning, but they are also great for reference. While I'd love to think that I'd carry all 3 books with me everywhere I go, I won't!
However, I did the next best thing. I do carry my iPhone with me everywhere I go. Since these books are all available in Kindle format I bought them for the Kindle and downloaded the FREE Kindle app for iPhone/iPod touch. Now I can lookup whatever tip I need right there on the spot during the shoot. Since the Kindle app also allows for bookmarking, I can even bookmark my favorite tips to get to them quicker.
The Bottom Line
I've learned quite a bit from this series over the years and I look forward to volume 4. You are going to do a volume 4 right Scott? đŸ™‚ I highly recommend this book and the previous volumes to any photographer looking to improve their skills. Every person that I've turned these books onto has come back and thanked me.
You can get them on sale here:
The Digital Photography Book Volume 3
The Digital Photography Book Volume 2
I just picked up the 3rd Edition having recently purchased an SLR {Nikon} camera and learned a lot. However, I wish he covered more on shooting concerts or low light conditions. My daughters are musicians and perform in everything from rock bands to ensembles, many times under “concert lighting” — and my pictures ALWAYS come out blurry!
I’d buy a book just on how to shoot in low light conditions if there was one.