You can take good pictures with your cheap camera!
Written: Mar 19 '04 (Updated Mar 20 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good basic tips, lots of sample pictures, clear and engaging writing.
Cons: It's great for beginners, but experienced photographers won't get much value out of it.
The Bottom Line: Clear, engaging, and filled with useful sample do's and don'ts, this book is the perfect primer for novices.
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| qualia's Full Review: Nick Kelsh - How to Photograph Your Life |
My fiance is a good photographer. For years, he's worked diligently to train his eye to take better pictures. So imagine his disappointment when people say to him, "Wow, you take beautiful pictures. You must have a really great camera!"
I draw as a hobby, and fortunately, nobody compliments my work by saying, "nice pencils!" Yet, when it comes to photography, people often have the wrong-headed idea that the camera does all the work.
It's easy to see where this confusion comes from. Open any photography book, and you'll see stunning pictures. Read the captions, and you're likely to find out that these stunning pictures were taken with an expensive professional camera and an even more expensive set of lenses. Hence, the conclusion that expensive equipment equals good photography. As a result, people often resign themselves to taking bad, uninspired photographs because they think they can't do any better without investing in expensive gear.
Photographer Nick Kelsh tackles this misconception with his book How to Photograph your Life. In this wonderful primer on the art of everyday photography, you'll find a nice array of artistic images. But what makes this book stand out from the rest is the fact that Kelsh didn't use professional level equipment. He borrowed his wife's amateur digital camera to take all the pictures in order to show that you can take beautiful photographs with an ordinary point and shoot camera.
The book begins with an admirably clear and concise introduction to technical concepts in which he explains f-stops, shutter speed, and depth-of-field. Each chapter covers a common scenario--such as a child's birthday party, a trip to the zoo, a group portrait, a garden, a natural landscape, or a family vacation--and offers relevant tips and sample photographs.
Actual amateur photographs are included to illustrate the mistakes people commonly make. Kelsh's own photos, taken with his wife's amateur camera, stand in striking contrast to these and show the reader what can be accomplished without expensive equipment.
Kelsh has an engaging and accesible style that is perfectly suited for this kind of book. His advice is organized in a logical way, and the photographs are chosen carefully to highlight the points made in the text. The result is a primer in photography composition that beginners can easily understand. In these pages, novices will quickly learn why the built-in flash is not one's friend, why hiking pictures and autumn foliage pictures turn out better on an overcast day, when you should use a tripod, and many other valuable tips.
If you are an amateur who wants to take better pictures with a point-and-shoot camera, I highly recommend this book. More experienced photographers should probably consider a more comprehensive guide.
Recommended:
Yes
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qualia
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Reviews written: 16
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About Me:
Shutterbug, bibliophile, caffeine addict, crazy cat woman.
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