Spring into Digital Photography is another in the series of “Spring into” tutorials from Addison Wesley. The entire series is designed to bring the reader up to speed quickly in a variety of complex technologies and techniques. Each book seeks to break down the subject into easy to understand core components that are easy to digest and which build upon each other.

This book by Jaynes and Noёl delves into the many aspects of digital photography by tracing the chronology of capturing an image. Section one is about capturing the perfect image and includes 3 chapters. The first explains the qualities of light and showing how light affects shapes and colors of an object in a shot. Up next is a quick primer of design elements and how to use them to create great compositions. Finally, the authors take you through your camera’s control and show you how to use them to capture your creative intent.

As with the other books in the series, the authors break the concepts into discrete chunks that are easy to understand and are copiously illustrated with high quality photographs. Each successive chunk builds on the last giving the reader the essential information to understand what is being taught. This is not wordy prose, but succinctly written information that allows for quick reading and comprehension, making it ideal for the person who doesn’t want to spend a whole lot of time wading through unnecessary information, but wants to get down to taking good pictures as soon as possible.

The book continues on in this manner through the second section, which deals with color management, an issue that poses some unique problem for the digital photographer and often presents a discouraging roadblock to one’s really enjoying the medium. The authors take you through the theory of color, the process of calibrating your monitor and scanner and profiling your printer so you can get prints that have the colors that you see on your monitor.

The third section of the book takes the reader through some techniques that will make their images shine. One of the advantages of digital photography is that it has put the optimization and manipulation of the image in the hands of the photographer, allowing him or her to take their images beyond what was possible with film technology.

The final section deals with ways to optimize your workflow. In traditional photography, this was an unknown concept. But with the sheer volume of images that one soon accumulates and the control over each image that is available, the topic becomes an important one. How do you manage all of these images? And how do you wade through them all in a way that allows you to work smarter, not harder? By the end of this section, the reader will have a good grasp of the problem involved and how to master it.

As mentioned earlier, this softcover book is richly illustrated with beautifully reproduced images. These images not only help the authors demonstrate the concepts being discussed, but also represent very fine photography in the process.

The authors have written the text in very easy to understand English, using bulleted text, sidebars and formatting that visually guides the reader through any given concept. In a way it reminds me of the old “programmed” learning texts, but takes that concept further without being so formulaic.

If you or someone you know is just getting a digital camera, this is definitely a book to help you or them get a head start. Digital photography has the advantage of allowing the beginning photographer to learn at speeds not possible with film. This book will help anyone with that process by providing an easy to follow and comprehensive framework around which to build his or her skills.

Additional resources: Check out their website to get deeper knowledge of the subjects covered in the book and keep up with new developments at www.PhotoGain.com.
Download a Sample Chapter. - File size is 4MB (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)
Paperback: 336 pages, Addison-Wesley Professional (September 9, 2005),ISBN: 0131853538, 9.2 x 7.0 x 0.6 inches
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(Reviewed Nov. 2005)

This soft cover book is about 8x10 inches, with 128 pages, retails for US$19.95 – and is distributed by Trafalgar Square at www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com/
I Rate it: A 
(Reviewed June 2006)

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Staircases
by Eva Jiricna.

There is not a photographer I have ever known who has not wanted to get a great shot of good looking staircase. Although Staircases is filled with great staircase photography, it is not a photography book. I think it is more for designers, but that does not bother me one bit. Any photographer would like it for how it shows the best ways to photograph this subject. There is one image of a staircase where the glass steps are suspended between glass walls. They literally appear to float in the air. The great thing about this book, unlike many photography books, is that it also tells you where these staircases are located, in case you ever get to that area. The images are indoors and out, made of just about every material you can imagine, and in shapes you probably have never seen before. The book is 9.5 x 12,  with 192 pages, 250 illustrations, hard back, and retails for $45-US. It is published by www.watsonguptill.com      
I rate it: A+
(Reviewed Nov. 2004)

Start Taking Great Family Photographs
by Mark Cleghorn

This book does an excellent job of quickly explaining photography concepts to a new photographer. This is accomplished by using icons that help the reader quickly find important facts, by using bad and good images to explain a concept, and by using lists to compare the advantages and disadvantages of cameras. The layout also includes boxes with quick tips on almost every page. This book makes an excellent reference or how-to resource for the family member who wants some quick tips to improve their photographs towards a more advanced quality.

Ratings:
Text: A
Layout: A+
Photography: A
User: Beginning Photographer
(Reviewed by EP - Feb. 2008)

This one is a very nice book on the history of a little known railroad line, the Kettle Valley Railroad, which was one of the most difficult and expensive lines ever built. It ran over the mountain ranges of southern British Columbia, and this book is illustrated with over 150 images taken of its building and operation over its lifetime. Railroad photographers will love having this book in their photo library. It will also serve as a good reference for going to, and photographing, any of the remaining old features still left around the area.

This soft cover book is about 9x11 inches, with 165 pages, retails for US$24.95 – and is distributed by Whitecap Books at   www.whitecap.ca       
I Rate it:  A 
(Reviewed March 2006)

 

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Still Life, Developing Style in Creative Photography,
by Terry Hope

Still life photographers will really like two new books now on the shelves. The first one, Still Life, Developing Style in Creative Photography, has the still life work of 24 photographers. This is not a how-to book, although most images include information from the artist on how and why it was made, plus one of each photographer’s favorite tips that they regularly use. All images are either B&W or toned, and of the quality that anyone would like to hang on their walls.  The book is soft cover, with 144 pages, 9x10, and retails for $29.95-US.  
I Rate it:   A++++ 
(Reviewed Dec. 2004)

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Any panoramic photographer will like this unique new hardback book. STRETCH, The world of panoramic photography is both a great coffee table type picture book, and also a great how-to book. It includes many masters of the panoramic image, and the technical information needed to make your own panoramas of just about any subject, including ones you normally don’t see done that way, like indoors, still lifes, aerial shots, and special effects. This hardback book is 7.5x12 inches and has 144 pages. To get an idea of what the images inside are like, the picture shown here on the cover is only half of that image in Tibet. The whole cover is a full wrap-around shot. There is also a historical section with 100-year-old images including a train wreck, Indian chiefs, and a city view of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. Just seeing the kind of images you can make will have you wanting to start doing this kind of work yourself.  The book retails for US$30.00.      
I Rate it:  A+++
(Reviewed Dec. 2004)

Studio Lighting Solutions: Expert Professional Techniques for Artistic and Commercial Success by Jack Neubart

The highlight of this book is the quality images used as examples.  For each category of lighting situations (food and beverages, around the house, fashion and jewelry, sci-fi, retro, nature, cars) five to eight professional photographers show one or two amazing photographs and explain their techniques. Some of the lighting set-ups could be used for many similar situations.  Other photographs in the book make you wonder how the photographer could have every pulled off the scene you see in front of you.  The photographs are very unique which makes them extremely inspiring. This book is for aspiring  studio photographers who want to learn techniques straight from the professionals.
176 pages, 11 x 8.5 inches, Amphoto Books (August, 2005), Paperback, US$29.95
I rate it: A+ 
(Reviewed Dec. 2005)
 

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Successful Self-Promotion is a new Amphoto Book that everyone looking for ways to promote their work will want to buy. With 160 pages that covers all of the main steps to successful self-promotion, this US$29.95 book will more than pay for itself with the first idea you use from it. The 10 chapters cover everything from crafting your business goals to staying successful in your work. This soft-cover "how-to" book is richly illustrated with the successful projects that others have used to build their own businesses.

This is a motivational book for anyone wanting to or already working in the arts industry, including music, art, film, dance, drama, writing and more.  The author uses his real life experience to suggest ways to best succeed. Often more of a biography, the author is a coach who guides you to self-discovery, appreciation, and motivation. This small guide would be useful to anyone interested in art careers.

This 128 page book is published by Elfstone Press, www.ElfstonePress.com  It measures 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.1 inches and retails for USD$10.95.
I rate this book: A (EP)
(Reviewed May 2007)

Surreal Digital Photography,
by Barry Huggins & Ian Probert

Surreal Digital Photography is a great book for anyone wanting to create Photoshop special effect images like that shown on its cover. With over 50 sections, each covering a different Photoshop feature, and each with a different lesson, you can be creating new images with almost every page. These are not your everyday effects done with a filter or two, but highly involved images like the cover, which can be done even by Photoshop beginners. It will be a reference well worth getting.

    This soft cover book is about 8x9 inches, with 192 pages, and is distributed by Thomson Course ( www.thomson.com ) in the US, and by iLEX Press ( www.ilex-Press.com ) in the UK.  Check their web sites for current prices.   
I Rate it:  A+ 
(Reviewed Jan. 2006)