The Complete Photographer [Hardcover]

I'm a professional fine art photographer and filmmaker ([...]) who's sifted through a lot of photography books trying to glean tips and go deeper. This book was given to me as a gift by the publisher, so I was skeptical to say the least, but the fact it, THE COMPLETE PHOTOGRAPHER is by far my favorite book about the various approaches to taking an image. I'm sort of obsessed with it. The photo essays of each shooter at work are key, in my mind, to making successful "how to" books. Finally, all the shooters included have HUGE chops and the work is consistently excellent. Eye candy with an eduction- who can ask for more?

Product Description

Tom Ang has worked as a photo editor on many magazines. He is the winner of the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for photography, and the author of Digital Photography Masterclass and How to Photograph Absolutely Everything.

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Digital Video Handbook [Hardcover]

I read the German translation of this book, also published by Dorling Kindersley. I am relatively new to professional video production and this book has given me all the basic knowledge required. It gave me more confidence in the difficult time when I decided to start out professionally.

This book helped me choose which computer, which video editing programmes, which camera and which audio equipment to buy. Apart from offering an introduction to video techniques and giving ideas for projects, it provides an overview of the latest equipment that amateurs, semi-professionals (this category includes indie filmmakers/ documentary makers) and top professionals use.

Digital Video Handbook is split into 7 chapters:

Introduction to Digital Video

Handling Camera

Product Description

Tom Ang is a widely exhibited professional photographer, teacher, and has worked as a technical editor and photo editor on many magazines. Ang is also the author of numerous books, including DK's Digital Photographer's Handbook.

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Digital Photography Through the Year [Hardcover]

This was a gift for my husband and it was perfect! great illustrations and demonstrations. A beautiful book just to even look at. Perfect learning tool for self teaching photographers.

Product Description

Tom Ang is an award-winning photographer, the presenter of BBC TV's A Digital Picture of Britain, and a best-selling author who has sold more than two million books worldwide.

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Mastering Digital Dental Photography [Hardcover]

This is a comprehensive well written book with generous clear illustrations. The book covers equipment to processing to presentation. There is a very good section on commercially available equipment from point-and-shoot to DSLR's. Equipment changes quickly but with the information in this book you should be able to acquire the right equipment and and take great images for years to come. Whether you are taking digital images for documentation, publication or patient presentations, this book covers it all.

Added: I've had this book for a year now and I'm still learning new stuff from it. Some of the equipment profiles are now a bit dated but the basics are rock solid. I'm still glad I bought it.

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Practical Digital Photomicrography: Photography Through the Microscope for the Life Sciences [Hardcover]

Practical Digital Photomicrography: Photography Through the Microscope for the Life Sciences provides a fine introduction to digital photography through the microscope covering three camera types used in photomicrography and how each operates. The pros and cons discussions offer strong insights including specifics of attaching cameras to the microscope and acquiring and tweaking images. Science and photography libraries alike will find this packed with color examples and photo specifics.

Product Description

In 1981, Dr. Brian Matsumoto received his Ph.D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology from the University of California at Los Angeles. His research required the development and refinement of techniques for transmission electron microscopy and light microscopy. These tools were used to study the role of actin and microtubules in photoreceptor membrane transport and assembly. In 1992, Dr. Matsumoto was appointed Director of the Integrated Microscopy Facility: a unit administered by the Neuroscience Research Institute and the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental biology. This facility provides instruction and support for projects that require advanced imaging. In addition, he serves as the instructor for MCDB 220: a graduate level course for digital microscopy at the University of California. Presently he is strengthening the ties between the University and Industry by working with such companies as Olympus of America, Media Cybernetics, Q-Imaging, Jackson ImmunoResearch, Prior Scientific, and Image Content Technology. Together, they have developed a digital imaging course that is open to attendees throughout the United States.

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Digital Image Processing Using MATLAB [Hardcover]

If you want to get up to speed on Matlab and plan to use it for image processing, this book is a must.

I have lots of experience in computer graphics and in programming languages like C++ and C#, but prior to reading this book I had never really used Matlab nor implemented complicated image processing algorithms. This book is a great introduction to both.

The book is divided in twelve chapters touching both low-level image processing (e.g. spatial filtering) and higher-level concepts required for computer vision, like image registration and segmentation. Gonzalez et al are talented writers, explaining relatively complicated concepts clearly and concisely, without getting lost in the mathematical details. People interested in the more theoretical aspects should (and probably already have) check their other book.

The only potential downside of this book is that it's definitely designed to be read sequentially, one chapter at a time. The matlab concepts are introduced piece by piece. For example, if you skip Chapter 5 (on image restoration, i.e. getting rid of noise) you may not realize that you missed the introduction to the image registration functions. Personally I liked this style (it added variety to a potentially dry subject), but a reader with less time to cover all of the matter may find this to be a problem.

Product Description

Rafael C. Gonzalez. R.C. Gonzalez received the B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Miami in 1965 and the M.E. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Florida, Gainesville, in 1967 and 1970, respectively. He joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) in 1970, where he became Associate Professor in 1973, Professor in 1978, and Distinguished Service Professor in 1984. He served as Chairman of the department from 1994 through 1997. He is currently a Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UTK. He is the founder of the Image & Pattern Analysis Laboratory and the Robotics & Computer Vision Laboratory at the University of Tennessee. He also founded Perceptics Corporation in 1982 and was its president until 1992. The last three years of this period were spent under a full-time employment contract with Westinghouse Corporation, who acquired the company in 1989. Under his direction, Perceptics became highly successful in image processing, computer vision, and laser disk storage technologies. In its initial ten years, Perceptics introduced a series of innovative products, including: The world's first commercially-available computer vision system for automatically reading the license plate on moving vehicles; a series of large-scale image processing and archiving systems used by the U.S. Navy at six different manufacturing sites throughout the country to inspect the rocket motors of missiles in the Trident II Submarine Program; the market leading family of imaging boards for advanced Macintosh computers; and a line of :trillion-byte laser disk products. He is a frequent consultant to industry and government in the areas of pattern recognition, image processing, and machine learning. His academic honors for work in these fields include the 1977 UTK College of Engineering Faculty Achievement Award; the 1978 UTK Chancellor's Research Scholar Award; the 1980 Magnavox Engineering Professor Award; and the 1980 M. E. Brooks Distinguished Professor Award. In 1981 he became an IBM Professor at the University of Tennessee and in 1984 he was named a Distinguished Service Professor there. He was awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award by the University of Miami in 1985, the Phi Kappa Phi Scholar Award in 1986, and the University of Tennessee's Nathan W Dougherty Award for Excellence in Engineering in 1992. Honors for industrial accomplishment include the 1987 IEEE Outstanding Engineer Award for Commercial Development in Tennessee; the 1988 Albert Rose National Award for Excellence in Commercial Image Processing; the 1989 B. Otto Wheeley Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer; the 1989 Coopers and Lybrand Entrepreneur of the Year Award; the 1992 IEEE Region 3 Outstanding Engineer Award; and the 1993 Automated Imaging Association National Award for Technology Development. Dr. Gonzalez is author or co-author of over 100 technical articles, two edited books, and five textbooks in the fields of pattern recognition, image processing, and robotics. His books are used in over 500 universities and research institutions throughout the world. He is listed in the prestigious Marquis Who's Who in America, Marquis Who's Who in Engineering, Marquis Who's Who in the World, and in 10 other national and international biographical citations. He is the co-holder of two U.S. Patents, and has been an associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, and the International Journal of Computer and Information Sciences. He is a member of numerous professional and honorary societies, including Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Sigma Xi. He is also a Fellow of the IEEE. Richard E. Woods earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His professional experiences range from entrepreneurial to the more traditional academic, consulting, governmental, and industrial pursuits. Most recently, he founded MedData Interactive, a high technology company specializing in the development of handheld computer systems for medical applications. He was also a founder and Vice President of Perceptics Corporation, where he was responsible for the development of many of the company's quantitative image analysis and autonomous decision making products. Prior to Perceptics and MedData, Dr. Woods was an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee and priors to that, a computer applications engineer at Union Carbide Corporation. As a consultant, he has been involved in the development of a number of special-purpose digital processors for a variety of space and military agencies, including NASA, the Ballistic Missile Systems Command, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Dr. Woods has published numerous articles related to digital signal processing and is co-author of Digital Image Processing, the leading text in the field. He is a member of several professional societies, including Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, and the IEEE. In 1986, he was recognized as a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus of the University of Tennessee. Steven L. Eddins is development manager of the image processing group at The MathWorks, Inc. He led the development of several versions of the company's Image Processing Toolbox. His professional interests include building software tools that are based on the latest research in image processing algorithms, and that have a broad range of scientific and engineering applications. Prior to joining The MathWorks, Inc. in 1993, Dr. Eddins was on the faculty of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of Illinois, Chicago. There he taught graduate and senior-level classes in digital image processing, computer vision, pattern recognition, and filter design, and he performed research in the area of image compression. Dr. Eddins holds a B.E.E. (1986) and a Ph.D. (1990), both in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a member of the IEEE.

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Magic Lantern Guides®: Nikon D7000 Multimedia Workshop [Hardcover]

The D7000 Multimedia Workshop consist of a DVD, a book, and a quick reference wallet sized feature guide specific to the D7000.
The book is digital photography basics 101, and not Nikon D7000 specific. It's a decent, general introduction into photography.
I find the quick reference guide to have little benefit.
The D7000 DVD is priceless. It is well structured and easy to follow and is a real benefit to understanding the many, and great features the D7000 has to offer. Normally when I purchase a new DSLR it takes me weeks to discover the capabilities of the camera and I never really learn the true capabilities of the camera unless I attend a Nikon class for that camera as I did with my D200 and D300 cameras. The owners manuals give details, but to see not only how to use the feature, but to visually see the results of that feature when applied is worth the price. It shortens the learning curve and helps you understand the outstanding power that is built into the D7000.
I highly recommend this for anyone who owns a Nikon D7000.

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Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Portfolio 21 [Hardcover]

I am an amateur wildlife and landscape photographer and when I saw this book I HAD to have it! The images in this book are so creative and amazing that I never tire of looking at this book.

I use it for a coffee table book and as inspiration for my own work. The photographers in this book have spent so much time and have so much talent and you can really tell by the images.

It's a high quality book and well worth the low cost!

Product Description

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, now in its 47th year, is an international showcase for the very best photography featuring natural subjects. The most innovative and imaginative photographic images are judged and selected by a panel of experts. The chosen images form an exhibition at the Natural History Museum that tours the UK and worldwide throughout the year. The competition is owned by two UK institutions that pride themselves on revealing and championing the diversity of life on Earth: the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine.

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The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography [Hardcover]

Focal Press (i.e., the Media Technology component of Elsevier Publishing) has just published a "book" (a pristine copy of which I have been happily browsing through after it had - literally - landed on my doorstep with a loud THUD!) that has all the tell-tale signs of being a classic scholarly reference for photographers and students of photography for years to come: The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, Fourth Edition, edited by Michael R. Peres (also available from Amazon).

The encyclopedia is a significant update of its predecessor volumes (the first edition, a classic in its time when it was published in 1956, has been long out of print and is obviously extremely dated given all of the advances in photographic science, engineering and art that have occurred since then; the third edition (edited by Richard D. Zakia and Leslie Stroebel), which I own and love, is only a decade old but has very little on the burgeoning field of digital photography; still, it contains a wealth of useful information and, though it is also out of print, is still available in some used book stores).

The new fourth edition has 880 pages in all, over 400 images, covers all major (and minor) areas of photography (ranging from photography and art / society / commerce, museums, the science of photography, galleries, workshops, education, publishing, history, theory, practice, criticism, and short biographies of selected photographers in the 20th Century), and comes with a CD-ROM that contains the entire (and fully searchable) text + images in the book (this one surprising, and most welcome, addition is worth the "price of admission" on its own).

The book is very handsomely produced, with strong, thick covers and thick, semi-glossy pages that give the volume a "classy feel" and give the overall impression that the editors designed it to be well thumbed and used, and to last a long, long while (which I pray it does since most of my photo books, particularly reference works, tend to become tattered and grow nested dog-ears in no time, as I repeatedly dive in for the shear pleasure of discovering some morsel of photographic delight).

The encyclopedia does have one unfortunate, but arguably unavoidable, drawback: it is so big and heavy that it is impossible to just "whip it out" on your lap and sink into (a flimsy chair) for some leisurely reading; you have to plan on when and where you will be reading this monster! ... and, God forbid, don't even think of taking it to an upstairs room to read in bed: if the staircase doesn't collapse from the weight before you get there, your bed surely will! ;-)

Kudos to Focal Press' editorial board for producing such a fine masterwork. It will likely become the "standard" such reference for all current and future generations of students of photography (and, I suspect, quite a few working professionals as well).

Product Description

Chairman of the Biomedical Photographic Communications department at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Professor in the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences.

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Adobe Photoshop 5.0 for Photographers [Hardcover]

Firstly, Martin Evening is a Photoshop wizard. Unfortunately he has difficulty conveying his knowledge. Reading this book is a bit like listening to an expert mumbling away to himself about his field of expertise. You have to strain to glean the information, but it is there nevertheless. Furthermore, he has assumed an odd starting position of the reader. He assumes you have years of experience with commercial printing, and that you are familiar with older versions of Photoshop. He wastes too much space explaining how things used to work in previous versions. This book will not teach you Photoshop. Learn Photoshop (read the Adobe manual), become a power user, and then read this book (a few times to make sense of it).

Product Description

"Someone has just re-written the bible, the Photoshop bible...Whether you are an expert or a beginner, this is a book that talks your language."Digital PhotoFX ... "You are a photographer and new to digital imaging and Photoshop - this is just the book for you. A teaching CD-ROM of short walkthrough movies enhances the value of the book as a really sound instruction manual - likely to be revisited many times as experience grows"The Photographic Journal ... "A mine of useful information, aimed at not only helping photographers to produce the very best quality images, but also gives techniques for image manipulation. For anyone involved with image processing this is a must have book!"Photo Technique ... "Whether you're a newcomer to Photoshop or a more experienced user seeking some guidance, Evening's easy to follow book is the only guide aimed specifically at photographers".Amateur Photographer ... "Every instructor of photoshop should have Photoshop for Photographers in their library and use it as a resource"A photoshop student ... "A great choice for the photographer who has finally been dragged into the brave new world of digital imaging"Online photoshop book review ..."If you're one of those people who hates manuals - this book comes as a breath of fresh air."British Journal of Photography ... "Covers all the most useful features in understandable terms. This book will save you hundreds of hours of heartache."Total Imaging ... "This publication is a must for all photographers, independent of your level of experience with the package, as it's written by a practising professional photographer with you, the photographer in mind"The Association of Photographers ..."Adobe Photoshop 5.0 for Photographers is a great choice for anyphotographer who has finally been dragged, perhaps a little reluctantly (or perhaps kicking and screaming), into the brave new world of digital imaging."David Herman ...

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Digital Photography Essentials [Hardcover]

I've always liked the DK books. They are brimming with gorgeous photographs and the main text is broken up by sidebars, captions, and more pictures. Digital Photography Essentials is amore jampacked with information than any other DK book I've read, but retains the formulaic design and makes for me what is a difficult topic understandable and even feasible to attempt.

This is not a book for one who just wants to use the scene modes and automatic. If you prefer a small compact with automatic settings, you may still enjoy this book and learn from it, but it's overkill to the extreme.

There's far more information and examples in here than a Potato Head can possibly absorb on the first read, especially when reading it cover to cover as I did. This is a good book to keep on the shelf, and whenever you need advice from your own personal pro, just pull "Essentials" off of the shelf and dig in. Want to work on aperture, or low light settings, or children's photos? Turn to that section and refresh your skills and knowledge. The author explains the rationale for his camera settings clearly and amply exemplifies the results of various settings and techniques.

It's difficult to think of something that's not in here. Ang takes one through choosing a camera, taking that great shot, post processing, and sharing. Many readers may find certain chapters redundant, but there's a little bit to learn in every chapter, even for the experienced photographer.

On the other hand, casual photographers may not care to learn about studio lighting or portable flash, or cafe culture, but every chapter is at least worth a glance, and in time one's interests may expand and evolve.

I've read at least five photography books in the past month, and this is the one I'd want to keep on my shelf.

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Image Sensors and Signal Processing for Digital Still Cameras (Optical Science and Engineering) [Hardcover]

Digital signal processing has been around for a long time. Only since 1995 however has the price/performance ratio of sensors and processors been good enough to allow extremely sophisticated devices using DSP to become consumer items.

In 1995 the first really popular digital camera, the Casio QV-10 entered the market and became a great success. Since then, the technology has grown at a phenomenal rate driven by the huge volumes of cameras being sold. This advance shows no sign of slowing down.

This book is on the basic foundations of digital still cameras, the image sensor and the techniques used in processing the image coming from the sensor. It includes both the theory and the concepts of both the hardware being used and the software that ties everything together to make a useful system.

This field is one that is rapidly changing. As a result Dr. Nakamura has gotten a group of people from various companies to write chapters on their own area of expertise. The companies by whom these contributors are employed is a who's who of the digital camera field including: Konica Minolta, Canon, Olympus, Fuji and various specialized companies that work in this area. Dr. Nakamura is employed by Micron, a major semi-conductor company.

This is not a book on how to take pictures, this is a book on what happens underneath when you press the button. It is highly technical, designed for engineers.

Product Description

This book is on the basic foundations of digital still cameras & It includes both the theory and the concepts of both the hardware being used and the software that ties everything together & Dr. Nakamura has gotten a group of people from various companies to write chapters on their own area of expertise. & [These companies are] a who's who of the digital camera field including: Konica Minolta, Canon, Olympus, Fuji, and various specialized companies&-Books-On-Line

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Photographing Women: 1,000 Poses [Hardcover]

There's an urban legend that the reason that Guns & Roses "Sweet Child of Mine" ends with the lyrics "Where Do We Go Now" was because Axl was asking a question, not because he was singing a lyric. He literally wanted to know "where do we go now?" and that ended up sticking as part of the song.

When shooting models, sooner or later, you will run into a "Where do we go now" moment. In many cases, the model will want clear instruction about what the vision is, where to stand and where to put her hands. The photographer will need to have a good set of ideas to blast past periods of when the imagination runs dry, and avoid the moment where nobody knows what to do next.

The classic way of doing a model shoot is to get the safe shots in the bag before experimenting. The problem with experimenting is that you can get stuck with a lot of stuff that's not working before getting back on track.

That's what makes this book great, by showing how to see how variations might lead to something you might not have thought about, and you can get your homework done before spending (wasting) time at the shoot. You can also start adding more "safe shots" to your bag of tricks by having the poses you want well thought out before hand.

The book is beautifully done, with a short technical section and a very extensive posing section.

The poses are organized by position, so it does make it very nice on how to get from one pose to another with a minimal amount of effort. It makes sense in terms of organization, but there are also downsides too as it may not lead to the best way to get a series of poses in mixed positions. Still, I am glad that it's organized by position, because I've seen plenty of posing books that were basically unusable because of how complex the organization was.

The second thing I'll note is that it's written for the photographer as the intended reader, not the model. Again, this is not a ding, but just thought I'd clarify that. The model can definitely pick up a lot of value out of this, but the text is aimed more towards the shooter.

The third thing, it would be nice if there were some way of communicating a series of poses to a model without flipping through the book itself. Would love a way to have an app that communicates just the poses I want to work on rather than pulling out the book and trying to explain the shot.

Great book overall, heartily recommend it. You can't go wrong having this on your shelf.

Product Description

An American living in the UK, Eliot Siegel has been a professional fashion and portrait photographer for over 25 years. He has worked for a multitude of fashion magazines in New York, Milan, Paris, and London and has shot for Bloomingdales, Macy's NY, JC Penney's, Reebok, Nokia, and Motorola. Siegel lectures and gives workshops on fashion, portrait, and fine art photography at various colleges, and has been Associate Lecturer in Photography at Plymouth University in England. Eliot Siegel is also the author of Fashion Photography Course (Barron's).

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Altered Images: New Visionaries in 21st Century Photography [Hardcover]

There is a certain school of so-called purity in photography which disdains Photoshop manipulation. I can't agree. As the editor of this intriguing art book (an artist named Jeremy Gibbs) points out in his introduction, manipulation and montage of images were a part of photographic art from the earliest days in the 19th century. The artists in this volume, most of them European, start from photographs but use imagination and software to create haunting works of fantasy. Mixing and joining images this way creates an infinity of moods, a sense of magic, a dream-like quality, and an implication that photography can be about a layer of reality beneath the surface, a poem instead of a science report.

However, this book, while interesting, is not necessarily the best selection of digital art. There are a number of striking, memorable images here. But Mr. Gibb's tastes are narrow and rather dark, and the selections tend to look as if they were all by the same artist. Then there are some 'humorous' images, clownish montages, which may be amusing to some but for me don't work at all. Finally, the interviews with the artists are poorly edited or translated and come across as gibberish - I wish the space had been used for photos instead.

There are many places online to see fantastic examples of photoshop and digital photography so this book is only one source among many.

See also the editor's other volume "Beauty in Decay" with more of his own work.

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Leaves & Pods [Hardcover]

Warning: open this compact tome to any page and you'll soon be lost in the woods forever. Stunningly detailed scanner-taken photographs are here abetted by a gracefully written text that is both surprisingly snappy and helpful, particularly for non-botanists. Part art book, part nature guidebook, leaves & pods is, like each of its wondrous subjects, perfectly made; hence a thing of beauty.

Product Description

Josie Iselin is a photographer and installation artist. She holds a Bachelors degree from in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard and a Master of Fine Arts from San Francisco State University. Although her training is in traditional photography, she now produces images exclusively with a flatbed scanner and a computer. Her work has been exhibited at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Intersection for the Arts, SF Camerawork, and art galleries in and around San Francisco, where she lives. Mary Ellen Hannibal writes often about environmental issues. She has worked with the Friends of the Urban Forest, as well as the San Francisco Botanical Gardens and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. She is also an active member of Kids Turn, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children and their parents to cope with divorce, and she wrote the organization s de facto manual, Good Parenting Through Your Divorce.

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Magic Lantern Guides: Canon EOS Rebel T1i/EOS 500D Multimedia Workshop [Hardcover]

I have a Rebel and love it! I wanted to expand my working knowledge and found that this series offers both tips on photography as well as ways to work MY particular camera. The DVDs are wonderful. The one for the actual camera was the most helpful because the narrator designed it to let you watch, pause, and play with your camera as you go. There is also a handy reference card that you can keep in your camera bag. The card is similar to the one that came with my Rebel but it does not hurt to have more than one. I am ordering a second copy of the book for my father since he too has a Rebel and wants his own set.

This is a GREAT value for the full price let alone at the Amazon.com rate. Frankly, it's even easier to follow than the Dummies Books and they are very good too.

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Digital Wildlife Photography [Hardcover]

This is the third in a continuing series of books on digital nature photography by two of the most highly skilled and prolific photographers in the world. Through these books John and Barbara Gerlach share their techniques and insights with anyone who wants to improve his or her skills in the field of nature photography. I had the pleasure of reviewing their first two books on Amazon. The first, "Digital Nature Photography: The Art and the Science," is a superb digital nature photography foundations book. Indeed, it complements the present book in many respects. The second, "Digital Landscape Photography", is a classic presentation of the techniques required for obtaining outstanding landscape images with digital equipment. The present book is yet another brilliant work that provides critical information for successful digital wildlife photography. The Gerlachs are on an amazing roll with "Digital Close-up and Macro Photography" as their next project, and I would not be surprised if "Digital Flash Photography" followed.

This book is packed with so much information that I can only focus on a few key points, many of which are illustrated with superb photographs and accompanying shooting details. First, a common theme throughout the book as well as the two previous books is that correct exposure for a RAW file is obtained by setting the RGB histogram (color channel histogram) so as to expose to the right without clipping. This is a fundamental principle for any type of digital nature photography, whether it be wildlife, landscape, or macro.

Second, to stop wildlife action and obtain sharp images, one needs a fast enough shutter speed, and one must consider how fast the subject is moving, how far away it is, and the angle at which it is moving (p. 51). The photographs in the book illustrate different possible shutter speeds for different wildlife situations. The Gerlachs generally try to use 1/250s or higher for still subjects and 1/500s to 1/1000s or faster for moving subjects.

Third, Canon's Evaluative metering mode and Nikon's Matrix metering mode normally get you close to the ideal exposure and are "the most technically and operationally sophisticated metering modes in the history of photography." (p. 61). The Gerlachs use these metering modes exclusively.

Fourth, the Gerlachs have different preferences about exposure modes. Both use manual exposure mode a great deal and perhaps a majority of the time. However, Barbara favors aperture priority when the light is changing, whereas John favors shutter priority some of the time, generally starting with 1/320s, which freezes the movement of most animals and minimizes the problem of camera shake on a tripod. This is coupled with the Auto ISO feature on the camera in order to deal with dim light.

Fifth, the Gerlachs use a single autofocus point that coincides with the exact spot where they want the sharpest focus to be, almost always the eyes of an animal or bird. This may be the center focusing point in the viewfinder. In some cases, however, other focusing point options may also work.

Sixth, they use back-button focusing and keep the camera set to continuous focus to allow the camera to instantly change the focus as the subject distance changes. This is a technique that they promoted in their earlier books and one that they have been using for years. It is indispensable in the case of landscape photography, and it also greatly simplifies the focusing problem in the case of wildlife photography. Other focusing options nevertheless can be used in specific circumstances.

Seventh, in bright sun the native ISO is normally adequate for wildlife that is still or slowly moving. For wildlife action in bright sun ISO 400 is desirable. In overcast light, start at ISO 400 but don't be afraid to use ISO 800 if you need extra shutter speed or depth of field. In dim light conditions including before sunrise and after sunset, use ISO 800 or higher and use noise software to reduce any noise in the image.

Eighth, the desired aperture may depend on the shutter speed you need since a wider aperture (shooting wide open at the fastest f-stop in the limit) permits faster shutter speeds. The desired aperture also may depend on the depth of field you want, large or shallow or something in between. With respect to the best aperture for image quality, the Gerlachs' view is that "the quality difference between f-stops is quite minimal, so don't be overly concerned about it." (p. 108)

To keep this review manageable, I have focused on the first five chapters of the book. In addition, the book contains superb discussions of "The Crucial Role of Light," "Composition," "Electronic Flash," and "Getting Close to Wildlife." These chapters should be read carefully by anyone aspiring to pursue wildlife photography. Indeed, I would argue that the book should be thoroughly read and re-read and should accompany anyone embarking on a wildlife workshop.

In summary, I believe that the last statement that I made in my review of the Gerlachs' book on "Digital Landcape Photography," applies to their new book on "Digital Wildlife Photography": "The Gerlachs are to be congratulated for producing such an important book that I believe will become a classic in photography."

The reviewer has participated twice in the Gerlachs' Fall Color Workshop held in the Michigan Upper Peninsula and also has a keen interest in wildlife photography. He fully expects this book to improve his skills in this field.

Product Description

Professional Nature Photographers, US. John and Barbara Gerlach have taken more than a million wildlife images since 1978 and run seminars and workshops all over the world. Their pictures have been published in Outdoor Photographer, Audubon, Popular Photography National Wildlife, Sierra, Natural History, Petersen s Photographic, Ranger Rick, Birder s World, as well as books published by National Geographic Society, Sierra Club and others.

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Photography in 100 Words: Exploring the Art of Photography with Fifty of its Greatest Masters [Hardcover]

First, a few pros and cons:

PROS

interesting photos

excellent technique

good use of light, contrast, etc

CONS

shallow interviews

two words isn't enough, nor always representative

no cohesive theme (topic of photograph or selection of artists)

rule that two photographers cannot be tied to a single word might well skew results

"Greatest Masters" is always arbitrary, but these photographers, with few exceptions, are not in that exalted league.

GENERAL

It is always important for photographers to view the work of others in order to experience things like perspective, lighting, visual mass, etc. Before the Internet, the only way to do this would have been via a book like this. Had it come out 10 or 15 years ago, I might have welcomed it with open arms and given it 5 stars. Since in today's world a wide variety of images can be found every day via blogs, artist personal websites/portfolios or even flickr, the value of this book is questionable.

The author did accomplish what he set out to do. My question is what value did his journey provide us? In this case, I think the answer is very little.

Product Description

David Clark is a photography journalist and author. He was the senior features writer on Amateur Photographer magazine for nine years, during which time he met and interviewed many of the world's great photographers.

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Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon D60 Multimedia Workshop [Hardcover]

For a novice user, who is first time to the world of DSLR photography, this guide is a must to have. All these days, it was so easy for me to take out my digital point-and-shoot camera and shoot on auto mode. But in the DSLR world, auto mode is a strict no-no for utilizing the multitude of features available on Nikon D60. The manual that came with the camera gave information of the available features in a language, which was completely undecipherable for a novice like me. This workshop consists of a easy to read and understand basic paperback manual and two DVDs; a) one DVD explaining the concepts of DSLR photography in easy to understand terms and methods c) and another DVD giving a total video tutorial of the learned photography basics and terms in respective of Nikon D60. I spent 3 hours total and I was ready with a clear picture of what needs to be done with Nikon D60 for taking wow-creating pictures. This is a tutorial that will take any novice to understand the basics of DSLR photography and unravel the features of your Nikon D60. However, this workshop will not cover the detailed needs of professionals who already know the basics of digital photography and learn new aspects.

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Complete Guide to Digital Night and Low-Light Photography [Hardcover]

I haven't got through the book yet, but I have leafed through it. I think it is going to be just what I need. I will probably buy at least one more book on the topic of low light photography after I get through this one. I am very satisfied with my purchase.

Product Description

Tony Worobiec is the author of several photography books including Black & White Photography in the Digital Age for D&C. He is the recipient of numerous awards in the UK and internationally He is also a regular contributor to several photography magazines in the UK and US. Tony lives in Dorset.

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Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon D5000 Multimedia Workshop [Hardcover]

Not a bad package, but kind of cookie cutter. The book is very general and it looks like it was personalized for the D5000 by the paper cover and a couple of "cut and paste" pics in the book. By changing those, you can change the book for almost any dslr out there. Info covered in the book is also very simple with minimal details, and almost nothing really specific for the D5000. Good book for the beginner but no real info that any other books can give you. Before this purchase, I picked up several books from the library and the info is similar; a really brief intro for the beginner photographer.

The DVD's that come are nice. The one specific for the D5000 is a nice quick rundown. I learned a few things and I'm the kind that hates dealing with an instruction manual. The other DVD gives a brief rundown on uses and techniques. Again, nothing deep and detailed but a basic rundown.

The wallet card is absolutely useless. The menu on the camera is simple enough where one would never need those cards. I personally think it would take more time to pull out those cards than to just hit the ?/info button.

Overall, I would recommend the package if you are a total beginner, like me...

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Seattle 100: Portrait of a City (Voices That Matter) [Hardcover]

When most of us think of city, the architecture, the structure and the location first come to mind. However, it is the people that make a city what it is.

Through his Seattle 100 project, Chase has been able to assemble a book that shows the people who make Seattle the unique place that is it. From musicians to dancers, and from academics to business leaders, the individuals and groups in this book showcase some of the best that Seattle has to offer.

These images not only give me an insight into Seattle, but makes me want to take a closer look of my hometown, and seek out the same kinds of people who shape the city I live in.

Chase, this book is absolutely beautiful, insightful and inspiring. Congratulations on the completion of this 2-yr project, I can't wait to see the website and everything that develops around this project.

-Andrew
[...]

Product Description

Born, raised, and currently residing in Seattle, Chase Jarvis is well known as a visionary photographer, director, provocateur, and social artist with a consistent ambition to break down even explode the traditional silos where ideas reside, especially including the traditionally opposed notions of fine art and commercial art. While much of his focus is, on the surface, based in visual and representational art, his most profound interests lie in conceptual and informational art and where they intersect. His personal work has earned the attention of gallerists and curators in the USA and abroad, he has won numerous awards for his commercial campaigns, and he is widely recognized for his entrepreneurial acumen. Chase has been featured in print, web, and broadcast including photography, film and video trades, celebrity, news, and popular culture media worldwide. A gifted leader with boundless energy, Chase finds time amidst his creative ambitions to cultivate communities, unite disparate cultures, and volunteer with numerous organizations around the globe. And he wants you to know that, while he approved this statement, his publisher wrote it with all the right pizzazz and buzz words.

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Understanding RAW Photography [Hardcover]

Understanding RAW Photography is a rare gem. In 140 pages, Andy Rouse explains the basics of how to deal with digital images from the photographer's point of view. This book is not 500 pages of fluff with some good information tossed in. It is a handbook of what steps the photographer must perform after the shutter is pressed.

Workflow is thoroughly discussed in 16 pages. Workflow is simply setting up the camera to shoot RAW file format, managing the RAW data, and editing/correcting the RAW data. This is tedious but not difficult work. Every DSLR camera manufacturer has their own proprietary software to deal with their own version of RAW data, so read the owner's manual for your camera and use the proprietary software or use freeware that accepts your camera's version of RAW data.

Chapter 2 "In the Field" has many excellent exposure tips, techniques for keeping the camera sensor clean, and backing up the camera memory card while on assignment.

The rest of the book deals with image editing, correction and processing, printing and digital asset management. These topics are discussed in a straight forward manner with enough information given so that the user can get an understanding of the process and then seek more advanced texts if greater detail is needed.

Every DSLR photographer today has the ability to become their own photo processing laboratory. Gone are the days of dropping off rolls of film at the processor's facility and then reviewing proof sheets or slides. Each user can set up the camera, capture the image, download the RAW files on to the computer, edit, correct, process and finally print the photos. This book helps the busy photographer understand and master this series of steps.

Product Description

Andy Rouse is a world-famous photographer, specialising in wildlife photography. He has been consulted by several software manufacturers during the course of their RAW software development and in Understanding RAW Photography he uses no-nonsense language outlining exactly what amateurs need to understand, without becoming mired in jargon.

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Closeup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop and Macro Photography [Hardcover]

I greatly enjoyed the review copy of Cyrill Harnischmacher's first book, Low Budget Shooting. This one I didn't find as compelling. There is quite a bit of good information here, and certainly you could learn a lot about how to start experimenting with photographing all manner of things close up. But where Low Budget Shooting was really innovative in addressing a need that many photographers don't even think of having, Closeup Shooting looks at a topic well covered and doesn't breath the same refreshing air as Harnischmacher's first book.

In some cases, the technical information is limited without, so far as I noticed, an explanation. To say that extreme closeup photography is only possible with an SLR or DSLR is flat out wrong. Medium format and large format cameras are capable of as much and even more. (Perhaps the book's title should have been Small Format Closeup Shooting.) One mention of infrared photography didn't mention the difficult - or even impossibility - of doing this with DSLRs. There are many examples of images, but relatively few show the set-up and lighting diagrams that help people understand how the techniques worked and to apply them in their own shooting.

Given the number of special considerations one could make, 121 pages simply aren't enough to offer comprehensive coverage - there are entire books written on nothing but close-up photography in nature. It certainly isn't a dud, and it contains a lot of useful information, but I don't think it would be my first stop to learn about tabletop or macro photography.

Product Description

Cyrill Harnischmacher is a photographer and designer who lives and works in southern Germany. His first book "lowbudgetshooting" won him the prestigeous Fotobuch-award of the German Booksellers Association in 2005. Cyrill is a studio photographer by profession and a nature and infrared photographer by passion.

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