Book review: The Digital SLR Expert Portraits

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If there is one book on photography that deals mainly on one topic, and focus solely on one area, this is that book.

The Digital SLR Expert Portraits
essential advice from top pros

Not authored by just one, but five, professional portrait photographers. And if that isn't saying anything yet, wait till you begin flipping the pages, and learning of their styles, hints and techniques.

Will it be possible that you become like them, and shot your portrait photos the way they do?

Yes and no. yes, in that they offer their advice (it's what the book says, advise from top pros), and that is one of the priceless gems in this book. No, in that you should be you, and you should have your own style and techniques.

Here's one from page 76, which is about low-key photos:

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Some people feel they can't shoot low-key images because they can't black out their room enough, but this is a fallacy. You can have all the light on in the room but compared to the flash going off they will be like a glow-worm, contributing nothing to the exposure at all. Press the shutter button and a bright room will be dark and black.
"

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I do agree with that. I've seen another book, the review of which I didn't include in this site, which says that put up the flash power, and everything else goes darker. Of course, post-editing can help a lot afterward.

Low-key photo in a bright room? They have done it, I have done it myself, and so can you!

Having said much, know this: the camera is but a tool. If a tool is defined as 'an extension of the hands' which basically means some help or assistance, it should be noted that the tool will be used in ways and means that is mostly dependent on the user.

Thus, given the same camera unit and the same subject to shoot, 10 photographers will compose frames and shoot pictures differently, coming up with 10 different renditions of the one and the same subject.

Photography is but one of the very subjective hobby, and the photographer always applies his own artistic principles and discretion when clicking the button.

Finally, do take note that this book only mentions 1 camera brand: Canon.

If you are using the same brand, then this book is mainly for you. But if not, this book is still for you.

What's your say?

 

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Master Composition Guide for Digital Photographers

Image by Jim's Theme 1969 via Flickr

I have finished reading one more book on photography, and I want to give a short review. Furthermore, I want to give the points as highlighted in the book itself. This is one good book, and while the content is already very similar to many other books written about photography, I do find some points that would set apart this one book: Master Composition Guide for Digital Photographers by Ernst Wildi.

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MASTER THE TECHNIQUES YOU NEED TO COMPOSE EYE-CATCHING DIGITAL IMAGES

Good composition - or the effective arrangement of all of the visual elements that fall withing the frame of the final image - is critical to the success of any photograph. When the image elements are carefully placed, the viewer is engaged in the image; without an effective composition, the eye wanders through the frame and the intended subject may be diminished by distracting colors, shapes, or other pictorial elements. In this book, master photographer Ernst Wildi shows you how to fine-tune your photographs and ensure the most dynamic, powerful image possible. Easy-to-read text is paired with ample before-and-after photos, making it wasy to see how each technique will affect your final images.

FEATURES:

• Composition techniques for photographing landscapes, architecture, still life, people, and more
• Understanding the impact of technical consideration, like exposure, contrast, and depth of field, on composition
• Tips for selecting the right lens and focal length
• Using lines as compositional elements, with tips for placing lines effective and avoiding distracing lines
• Determining how to place your subject effectively in the frame of the image - including tips for composing images with multiple subjects
• Understanding the importance of color when designing effective photographic compositions
• Tips for evaluating each scene for attracting and distracting elements
• Composing effective panoramic images
• Using filters to improve your compositions
• Evaluating the background of your image, and tips for working with problematic background elements
• How posing affects the composition of a portrait
• Tips for post-capture image manipulation that let you fine-tune your compositions
  
  
  
  

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What I learned from this book

Aside from the usual, these are new ideas that I got from this book:

1. When shooting waterfalls, make sure that there is one, not two, waterfalls, in the frame. Two usually distracts the attention of the viewer, and the composition fails to arrest the viewer's attention.
2. When shooting waterfalls, include the top and bottom. Viewers want to know when the water is coming from, and where the water is going.
3. Change focal length to make the composition better. When a statue or a sculpture includes a background, such as a tree or anything of that sort, and it detracts from the overall 'correctness' of the composition, change lens. Compose the picture in such a way that the background will augment, at the least, not clutter, the resulting photograph.
4. There should be balance in the colors. When composing a shot, especially on landscape photographs, make sure that the light and dark areas are properly positioned. All dark at the top or all dark at the bottom makes a photograph one-sided, and will tip off and topple.
5. Use the correct focal length to signify 'size'. Change from wide angle lens to telephoto lens to signify the size of a truck against a looming mountain. Do that for all other shots that need to have the size or size relationship of the subjects in the photo emphasized.

And more!

What's your say?

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