How to Take Great Photos with Whatever Camera you Got "" eBook Review

It seems to be the natural evolution of the freelancer that sooner or later we all try our hand at photography. While we may never classify ourselves as anything more than a photo hobbyist, we all strive to improve our photography skills.

The new Rockable Press book How to Take Great Photos with Whatever Camera you Got is here to help!

What's the book about?

If you find yourself scratching your head when it comes to your DSLR camera, or you're looking to upgrade from a point-and-shoot, this book will be a good starting point.

While the book doesn't go into a ton of detail, it does serve as a great introduction to how the basic settings of your camera work and how to use some of its features to take better photographs.

The book will also take you through how different lenses work and how changing shutter and aperture settings will affect the final results.

The good news is author Peter Tallone doesn't get bogged down in technical terms or details that tend to confuse and annoy the beginner photographer. You can tell Peter teaches beginner photography lessons because he keeps everything straightforward and easy to understand.

What's inside?

The book begins with the oft heard phrase that "it's not the hammer, it's the carpenter," meaning that it doesn't matter how much you paid for your camera, your best results will always come from knowing what makes a good photograph and knowing how to capture it.

The photographer is the biggest difference on how an image looks. More megapixels or better lenses cannot compensate for talent. A lesser camera in the hands of someone who has the eye and the vision will far exceed the results of someone with the best and most expensive camera but who cannot understand what makes an image.

The book continues with instruction on how to stop taking snapshots and how to start taking photographs.

Peter explains that snapshots are typically what happens when we hold a camera up to our face and take a picture without thought to composition, lighting or focus. They're pretty much your standard holiday snap that we've probably taken thousands of times.

A snapshot is a capture of a time and place, a remembrance, and that is all most people want from them"But, they are not photographs or photographic images or art (though what is art is disputable).

So how do we go from taking snapshots to taking photographs?

Again, it has less to do with your equipment and more to do with learning to identify what makes a good photograph.

Peter takes you through steps on how to develop your photographer's vision. Teaching you to look for good compositions and how to use light and exposure to capture a stunning image.

Now, while experience is by far the best teacher, it helps to know what things to look for before taking a picture. Is there enough light? What background will look the best and how in focus do I want it?

The book will teach you a few quick ways to differentiate between good and bad light and introduce you to the rule of thirds. Again, this is great stuff for a beginner and not meant for someone who is already familiar with the basics

Peter next goes into some detail about exposure and depth of field. If you've been wondering how professional photographers get that buttery-smooth background in their photos, then this chapter is for you.

Different types of photography use different DOF (depth of field). Typically, portrait photography will use a shallow depth of field to isolate the subject person and keep the focus on them rather than a distracting background.

Get out of the Green Box

No doubt you've seen this little green box setting on your camera. When your camera is set to it, it basically turns your expensive DSLR into a point-and-shoot, letting the camera make all the decisions for you.

It's a great setting when you're shooting from the hip or need to capture a quick shot, but as beginners we may tend to stay within the green box comfort zone. Peter is here to give you a nudge.

Once you want to move farther with photography and learn to use your camera's settings to become proficient and artistic with the different options that are available, you need to leave the comfort of your big green box.

Peter goes on to show you what the other settings on your camera do, and in which cases you would want to use them. The next chapter gives a quick rundown of different lenses with examples on how they affect a photograph.

Conclusion

This book is a nice starting point for people looking to know more about photography and DSLR's in particular. It doesn't get into the meatier bits of the trade, but it serves well as an overall introduction to photography.

If you're just new to the craft, or are thinking about picking up photography as a hobby, this quick read will wet your appetite for the world of taking amazing photographs.

The eBook is available from Rockable Press for $9.00.