Best photography & video books according to redditors

We found 4,011 Reddit comments discussing the best photography & video books. We ranked the 1,706 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Subcategories:

Architectural photography books
Cinematography books
Photography collections & exhibitions
Professional photography books
Photography criticism & essays books
Erotic photography books
History of photography books
Nature & wildlife photography books
Portrait photography books
Travel photography books
Photography equipment & techniques books
Black & white photography books
Children photography books
Sports photography books
Aerial photography books
Lifestyle & event photography books
Individual photographers
Nude photography books
Celebrity photography
Photojournalism & essays
Astrophotography books

Top Reddit comments about Photography & Video:

u/The_Meadiator · 77 pointsr/marijuanaenthusiasts

A little late to the party, but...

This does actually harm the tree. Cutting into a tree's outside bark will expose their inner bark (aka the phloem) which the tree uses to transport food all over the tree. If the inner bark is damaged and gets infected with bacteria/fungi then the tree will unknowingly transport the infection to the rest of itself and slowly die.

You can see in this picture that the tree has attempted to heal itself by producing a covering over the scratch marks people cut into it, and that's essentially scar tissue. It's weaker than the normal outer layer of bark, but is a quick fix to help the tree prevent infections.

If the tree does end up infected by either fungi or bacteria it will still likely live for another 10+ years because of the nature of how a tree grows and survives. The phloem only moves at something like 2cm/hr so for an infection to fully take over a tree it would take months on its own, and the tree has other internal defenses to attempt to prevent an infection that prolongs the lifespan even longer! And even still, the separate parts of the tree can live even if the trunk dies (i.e the roots or leaves), but if the trunk rots and becomes hollow the tree will likely fall over in a storm or strong gust of wind.

So, this tree is likely slowly dying, but is trying it's hardest to keep on keeping on! It can take tens of years for a tree to become weak enough to fall over or stop producing leaves, so this buddy will probably be around for a while longer.

Side note: if you're interested in this more, I would HIGHLY recommend reading The Hidden Life Of Trees because it is amazing.

u/alllmossttherrre · 64 pointsr/photography

For this type of photography, my guess is that the elements of success are:

Camera choice: 10%

Lens choice: 15%

Food prep skills: 25%

Mastery of lighting techniques for glass containers and liquids: 50%

A good book is Light, Science, and Magic

and the Strobist website mentioned in another comment is also very good to study.

For the camera, it might be important to pick one hat you can shoot tethered (connected to a computer) so you can use a big computer monitor or TV screen to preview the shot in the studio.

u/bube7 · 42 pointsr/photography

Read The Photographer's Eye. On the impact/price scale, it was probably the best thing I did for my photography.

Edit: Then go out and shoot of course :)

u/VideoBrew · 35 pointsr/photography

Light-Science and Magic by Fil Hunter is fantastic if you are interested in studio lighting, especially if you're photographing reflective surfaces.

u/dalovindj · 33 pointsr/aww

Further reading:
Why Cats Paint

Once you've grasped that material I find:

Why Paint Cats?

to be the logical follow-up.

u/rideThe · 30 pointsr/photography

> zone system

Do you shoot film? Because I don't see the point of the zone system with digital. I can imagine that in the process of learning about it it has helped you reframe the way you thought about exposure somehow. But the practical, real-life application of the zone system to shooting digital? I don't see it.

Ansel Adams pretty much wrote the book on optimizing your exposure with film in The Negative, but the optimal exposure with digital is much simpler, it's ETTR.

> realizing that 90% of the so called wisdom about shooting people at "portrait focal lengths" is garbage

On that point I came to realize that people just use the word "portrait" when what they actually mean is "headshot". A portrait can be so much more than a headshot, and as such there really is no such thing as a "portrait lens", any lens could be used for a portrait. My [own] favorite portraits are shot with a 50mm (on full frame).

A headshot lens, however...

> you don't have to point the softbox at the subject

That's called feathering the light. I think I first woke up to this concept watching a Joey L tutorial...

u/EllisMichaels · 22 pointsr/suggestmeabook

I'm surprised no one mentioned Dick Proenneke. Many years before McCandless' trip to Alaska, Dick Proenneke moved up there, built a log cabin from scratch, and lived in the middle of nowhere Alaska for 30 years by himself. There's a book and a documentary that airs on PBS every once in a while.

Alone In The Wilderness - PBS Documentary

One Man's Wilderness - Book about Dick's time in the Alaskan wilderness

u/DaisyKitty · 22 pointsr/Thetruthishere

These are the kind of posts I love to see on this sub. Thanks for initiating this discussion.

I think you may be referring to this book, a lot of the research you and u/RadOwl (cool name) ar discussing is in this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Trees-Communicate_Discoveries-Secret/dp/1771642483

u/Devlik · 19 pointsr/photocritique

A thread I can help with! Nighttime urban shots are my thing. First and foremost watch this video if you want to shoot low light handheld. By far it has helped me up my game more than any other advice I have receeived. Also, this has some great advice as well.

On your submitted photo

Good news:

  1. Your composition is great! I love the people at the end of the street, the location of the street lights and the leading lines.


  2. The colors are very natural for your first go, working with those lights is a PITA until you get used to it.

  3. You did not go overboard with most of the typical newbie mistakes and end up with a very artificial-looking image.

  4. This is a great first attempt, especially with a 3/4 sensor. Gear does not make the photograph and you're making the most out of what you have. I started with a 3/4 sensor RX100M3 and got some really great results, work with its limitations and you can still capture great images.


    Areas for improvement:

  5. Lower your total exposure let more of the background fall into shadow

  6. Increase your contrast just a little to help create pools of light it will really add a lot of depth to your image

  7. When you are shooting large buildings or a vanishing point down the stret, try to keep the camera level if at all possible if not, you may need to adjust your keystones to help straighten the image back out

  8. Straighten your horizontal lines. the rest will fall into place after that

  9. Watch for lens flare it tagged you in this image, cheater notes, you can pull the blue out of that flare and it will look a lot less obvious, also a local decrease in contrast for it and lowering its exposure will also help cut it down. But the key is to get rid of them at the point of capture.

    You have a good eye keep shooting! It gets easier every time you do it. I love this kind of work and I am happy to help with whatever advice I can. Feel free to message me with any questions.

    Advice for the total newbie to lowlight shooting:

    Time for some hard truths.

  10. If you want low noise, ultrasharp shots at night you will need a tripod. This is the reality. Long exposure is the name for god on the lips of low light photographers and that means tripods. This is the one I use and it fits in a backpack.

  11. Anything other than long exposure, usually even multiple exposures setup with a very low level hdr with a light touch will be a compromise between noise, detail level, or clarity usually all three.

    If you still want to shoot handheld.

  12. Shoot in RAW you will need all the dynamic range you can get

  13. Expose for the brightest object you want in focus, rely on your dynamic range you can get away with

  14. Set your camera to about 1/30th shutter speed faster if you can't keep it steady at that, motion blur is worse than noise. Set your ISO to auto and your aperture wide open. This captures the most light your camera is capable of with the shortest shutter speed.

  15. Be ok with shadow, not everything needs to have full detail visible.

  16. Remember you are shooting digital you can recover shadow but you can't recover anything blown out. I will often adjust my exposure dial to -1 or even -2 at night wich is counter-intuitive but allows you to preserve the highlights.

  17. Out of the camera, most low light shots are going to come out oversaturated and if you are shooting under tungsten lights may have wonky colors. Use a cheap white balance card to help resolve this. Also, drop your saturation in your editor by a point or two until the lights shrink just a smidge. It's hard to explain but you will see the effect easily enough.

  18. For a shot like this, I like to put in just a little bit of split one, a little bit of blue into the shadows, and a little orange into the high lights. It will really make it pop. The key here is a little dab will do you.

  19. The "waxy" look you're talking about it is noise, open your aperture all the way, or get a faster lens, or better sensor are your only ways to minimize it short of long shutter speeds. You can correct a fair amount of it with a specialized software, I use either DxO or Topaz Denoise. Keep in mind not everyting needs to be made for large printing, don't fear some noise if it makes the difference between getting the shot or not.

  20. Shooting at night is very rewarding, it's hard, you make do with a lot of compromises but always remember to be safe. I wrote up a list based on my experiences shooting in Chicago, Milwaukee, Cinncinati, and Indy at night. Please read this..


    Obligatory link to my work so you can get a sense of the style that I go for.

    Full disclosure:

    None of the links are affiliate links, they are simply products that I use every night I am out. I have bought all my own gear, this is strictly my own experience so your mileage may vary.
u/BaggySpandex · 19 pointsr/photography

I recommend the same book to every single beginner. "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0817439390

Thanks to all the great photographers that recommended it to me when I was a beginner.

u/Dr_Terrible · 19 pointsr/photography

My triumvirate of intro photography texts:

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson

The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman

Langford's Basic Photography by Michael Langford et al

u/mcdronkz · 19 pointsr/photography

The most important thing that 99% percent of the photographers don't seem to know: if you want to make good photos consistently, learn the fundamentals.

Because a photo can be made in an instant, a lot of photographers work intuitively, without making any informed decisions about their pictures whatsoever. This is why a lot of photos taken without any training aren't appealing.

If you learn about composition, color, light, etc. like an illustrator or a painter does, you will be able to make repeatable successful photos. In the beginning, you shouldn't be overly concerned with sharpness, depth of field or your equipment. No, you should be concerned with how your photo looks at the most basic, fundamental level.

Since I started taking drawing lessons and reading books on color and composition this year, I feel way more confident about my photography. I make informed decisions that I know will work. I am able to analyze pictures that work for me, and I know why they work now. Thanks to drawing lessons, I can see a lot better, which is also a great help for retouching. I can think in terms of lines, shapes, forms, spaces, light, shadow. But the most important thing of all: I feel like I can reach the level of photography that I only could dream about last year, the high-end commercial automotive photography.

Some books that helped me a lot:

u/damien6 · 18 pointsr/photography

It really depends on what kind of shots you're looking for.

For street photography, you don't need permission or a model release form as long as you don't use the image for any kind of commercial or financial gain. As mentioned before, as long as those you're photographing are in a public place and have no "reasonable right to privacy", you're fine. Personally, my street photography is done using a telephoto lenses at events like parades, carnivals and things like that. There's a pamphlet written by a lawyer here in the US called "The Photographer's Rights". Here is the link:

http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm

If you're interested in shooting model photography, look around online for some good beginner tutorials on posing and lighting, then get some friends to come model for you.

Here's a good site with some information on portrait photography (just search around, read related articles, etc...):

http://digital-photography-school.com/tips

This site has some good tips and stuff, too:

http://photo.tutsplus.com/

Sooner or later you'll get into lighting. Here are a few blogs that have a lot of good information:

Strobist: http://strobist.blogspot.com/

Zack Arias: http://www.zarias.com/

David Ziser's Digital Pro Talk: http://digitalprotalk.blogspot.com/

Dustin Diaz did a lighting 365. His Flickr Photostream is full of BTS information: http://www.flickr.com/photos/polvero/sets/72157611811908959/

I also read Joe McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries when it came out. It has a lot of information:

http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Shoe-Diaries-Light-Flashes/dp/0321580141

He also has a blog:

http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/

u/Halefa · 18 pointsr/photography

I actually read two books, that I found pretty interesting:

"Picture Perfect Posing: Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models" - Which takes on the rather technical side, almost drawing charts about where to put which body parts and what it signals. (Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Picture-Perfect-Posing-Practicing-Photographers/dp/0321966465)

"Psychologie der Fotografie: Kopf oder Bauch?", which is a German book about the psychological aspects. Here the focus is not about the perfect focus point, but telling stories with the pictures. I'm not sure whether there is an English version of the book, but I bet there are similar titles or articles if you google.

What I've learned: just start doing something. Just shoot some models. While during that, try out some weird and creative stuff. If you like the not-so-posed pictures, do stuff with them and document them in the meantime. Personally, I find that more fun than just posing, too. But it's all down to just getting started, learning to see, learning to communicate and direct, and then start exploring while using the experience.

u/nffDionysos · 18 pointsr/DepthHub

If people want to learn the same kind of basics regarding photography, but with picture illustrations and diagrams of the concepts discussed, I can highly recommend the book Understanding Exposure. It's very well written, and easy to understand.

u/hzay · 16 pointsr/photography

This book is about composition. I'm a beginner and I've learned more (about composition) from this book than any other resource.

u/shmi · 14 pointsr/photography

Honestly if you don't know what they need from asking them, a gift card to Amazon. I'd much rather have that and spend it on what I need or whatever G.A.S. tells me I need than to receive a piece of kit that I didn't choose. I don't mean to sound rude, it's just that I rather prefer researching and choosing my own gear.

If you absolutely must, though, I recommend a book.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1907708952/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0817439390/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0961454733/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159711247X/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312420099/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Or a notebook for taking notes while out shooting, scouting, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8883701127/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

u/orpheu272 · 14 pointsr/TheOA

That's what I love most about this series! The speech of trees with OA has a scientific basis. The trees help each other, nourish each other, and maintain a system that resembles a huge living organism.

I suggest you watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HPgqqdcQXA

And if you're interested, read this book, it's very enlightening: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Trees-Communicate-Discoveries/dp/1771642483

u/akincisor · 14 pointsr/photography

Photography is not about lenses and expensive equipment. It's about light and composition. You can take good pictures with a phone camera and lousy ones with an SLR.

Please read this book written 150 years ago, and still holding true.

First few lines in the preface outline what I mean:

> ... Nine out of ten photographers are, unfortunately, quite ignorant of art; some think manipulation all-sufficient, others are too much absorbed in the scientific principles involved to think of making pictures; while comparatively a few only have regarded the science as a means of giving pictorial embodiment to their ideas. ...

Improve your photographic skill before you think about dumping a whole lot of money into it.

For something more recent I recommend The Art of Photography.

u/returntovendor · 13 pointsr/photography

I'm a portrait photographer primarily. I wouldn't quite say I'm exactly where I want to be, but my photography has improved tenfold in the last 12 months, which I attribute entirely to deliberate effort.

For me, there are two major components- education and practice.

For education, I've proactively worked to educate myself with reading, watching, and asking lots of questions.

Here's a book I found invaluable to understanding light. The main focus is the behavior and characteristics of light, and would be useful for all photographers: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0415719402/

Also, following photographers on YouTube/IG/etc. who make work I admire has been greatly helpful. Often, they're available for questions and providing feedback on your own work.

Reading and interacting with the community here has been incredibly useful as well, of course.

For practice, I've worked to establish a feedback loop which enables me to receive critique and evaluation from others I respect. Joe Edelman's TOG Chat group on Facebook provides the most insightful critique I've found and has been invaluable in helping me refine my work.

I also work to be critically honest with myself. This starts with reverse engineering work I admire so I can pick apart the elements which I appreciate.

What does this look like? I focus on the pose, clothing, background, lighting, retouching, sharpness, composition and any other elements of a given image which can be defined and manipulated by the photographer. Once I can understand these variables and how their manipulation changes an image, I can take intentional control of them during the photo-taking process, rather than allowing them to happen incidentally.

I think that these two components- education and practice, are the basis for becoming an "expert" in any field, especially photography.

u/vkan · 11 pointsr/photography

Chapters 6 and 7 of Light, Science & Magic 4e deal with metal and glass surfaces. If you can deal with lighting a polished metal sphere, most other problems seem trivial by comparison.

http://amzn.com/0240812255

u/av4rice · 11 pointsr/photography

If you want a site, there's reddit photo class. If you want a physical book, there's Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.

u/mjm8218 · 11 pointsr/photography

The Camera, The Nevative and The Print by Ansel Adams. The Camera in particular is still relevant today; and these three books are essential reads for anyone who still shoots film.

u/THEM0RNlNGW00D · 11 pointsr/news

If you follow the articles back to the start of the lawsuit it was stated that he did submit a DMCA request for his images, Imgur responded stating that they were aware of the problem and had set a time window to correct it. However, nearly 6 months later Imgur had taken no action. The suit was to have an injuction made on Imgur and to collect damages.

The important thing here most people don't understand (with good reason) is how damages are awarded for copyright infringement. If you check out any of the professional photography literature (The Professional Photographer's Legal handbook Nancy E. Wolff, ASMP's Professional Business Practices in Photography, and Best Business Practices for Photographers by John Harrington) they all describe that to claim full damages on any of your works they must first be registered with the Copyright Office to show when they were created and how they were used (published and unpublished works are handled differently.) Published works as you are probably aware tend to come with licensing agreements for a specific amount of time based on various factors. These can be size of the image in a spread, number of images total, exclusivity, etc.

The articles mention that he could theoretically collect millions in damages because if his work is properly registered and has been used in a commercial application then Imgur is at fault for collecting ad revenue on work that it acknowledged was copywritten and was not legally licensed or given express permission to host on its servers. If his works were not registered and were not used commercially he could only collect what is essentially pennies per image while paying out of pocket for legal fees until a settlement or ruling is reached.

u/SuperC142 · 10 pointsr/photography

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. I can't imagine a better book to start with.

Edit, link: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0817439390

u/AyEmDublyu · 10 pointsr/photography

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. Can't recommend it enough. http://amzn.com/0817439390

u/jippiejee · 10 pointsr/photography

Most compositional arrangements are well-described in The photographer's eye. Hihgly recommended read.

u/jaexlee · 10 pointsr/photography

Bridging the Gap: Classical Art Designed for Photographers

This is a good video that I found through another comment on this sub.

But since you asked for a book, this one is pretty good: The Photographer's Eye

Have fun!

u/soxfan17 · 10 pointsr/photography

Get Scott Kelby's guide to digital photography. It's an amazing book. It works with the D90 mostly. I also have a D90 and I find that the Nikkor 18-200 mm lens that I have is so versatile that I can get basically any shot I want. What type of accessories were you thinking about?

Edit: the book name is "The Digital Photography Book" It's only $15. Here's the link to it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/032147404X

u/brianmerwinphoto · 9 pointsr/AskPhotography

I posted a response to someone else recently who had the same exact question (although he was trying to shoot bongs, not shoes ha).

First: Buy a copy of Light Science and Magic

What you're trying to accomplish falls into the category of "Some of the most technically difficult lighting challenges a photographer can have" so the solution is equally technical. That book contains the foundations you need - and frankly there are no quick solutions.

Second: Definitely DO NOT use a green background. It's murder for stills and fixing the color kickback you get if you don't light things perfectly is awful.

Last: Understand that glass is clear so more light doesn't help. For reflective objects, treat it light a mirror that the camera is looking into. Show the mirror the things you want the camera to see.

Want it to see a reflection? You've got to place the lights so the mirror bounces the reflection into the lens. Most likely you are not appreciating the fact that the rounded reflective surface sees entire world, so your light source needs to be much larger than you think in order for the reflections to show up the way you are hoping for. (product photography always seems to require about 5x more working space than people expect).

Good luck!

u/anonymoooooooose · 9 pointsr/photography

Light Science and Magic by Hunter, Biver, Fuqua

> Light Science and Magic provides you with a comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light, with examples and instructions for practical application. Featuring photographs, diagrams, and step-by-step instructions, this book speaks to photographers of varying levels. It provides invaluable information on how to light the most difficult subjects, such as surfaces, metal, glass, liquids, extremes (black-on-black and white-on-white), and portraits.

This is written like a college textbook. It is well organized, well written, dense and informative.

https://www.amazon.ca/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0415719402/

u/thingpaint · 9 pointsr/AnalogCommunity

Ansel Adam's books are amazing. The Camera and The Negative are really good. The Print is also good but not really relevant to a hybrid work flow. Still neat reading though.

u/Eponym · 9 pointsr/photocritique

You did catch a genuinely nice moment between these two kids, but being a professional photographer is 90% business. There are countless awesome photographers that have zero business skills and never make it professionally. Please read books like Best Business Practices for Photographers before making the decision.


I don't mean to be harsh, but definitely polish up on your photo skills too. It seems like this was an under exposed image that the blacks/shadows were lifted (quite a bit). This makes the photo very flat tonally and saturation wise.

I'd suggest creating a mood board of photos from your favorite photographers. Figure out how to achieve the looks on your mood board and especially understand why they appeal to you. If you have any questions on how to get a certain look, feel free to ask /r/postprocessing. With time, you'll reference less and less, but reference photos are absolutely critical when starting on your own path. Best of luck!

u/youngguap · 8 pointsr/SonyAlpha

As for settings, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ1-lTg6AoQ

For shooting action shots (like a sporting event), you'll want 1) Focus area: wide 2) Drive mode: continuous shooting fast 3) Focus mode: Continuous AF 4) Lock-on AF: On (that setting is in the menu under the camera icon in section 5

For general photography, it's extremely useful to have the a6000 set up to do back-button focus. To set that up set 1) Pre-AF: Off 2) AF w/ shutter: Off 3) Under custom key settings set the AEL Button to: AF on 4) Focus mode: AF-C, I also like to 5) make the focus area: Center -- this allows you to use the focus and recompose method of taking photos

With back button focus set up, you hold down the AEL button when you want to focus (perhaps using the focus and recompose method to focus), release the AEL button once you've set up your focusing, compose your shot, and you can then take as many photos as you want without your focus changing. THEN, if something starts moving, hold down the AEL button again and keep taking continuous photos and track the subject in the center of your camera (or use Lock-On AF to keep track of the moving subject) -- it'll make more sense once you start taking photos, but back button focus allows you to essentially use AF-S and AF-C at the same time and it saves you valuable time when taking photos

Intelligent auto (the green icon) is a good setting if you're just starting out and need to shoot an event but don't know what you're doing. It chooses everything for you and can get some good shots. But it limits your creative control and the camera's choices aren't always the best choices. I use aperture priority most often, it's a good way to start learning about exposure -- I recommend this book if you're a beginner and don't yet understand the interaction between ISO, aperture, and shutter speed: https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483816559&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=composure+photography+book

u/Duggers · 8 pointsr/photography

I can heartily recommend Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. For the technics of your camera your manual is likely very useful.

Whilst I haven't read it myself, I've also heard very good things about The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman. There's another The Photographer's Eye by John Szarkowski that I gather is somewhat different, although this is the version I own myself and is a great book detailing style in photographs, but is probably not what you're looking for.

u/rogue · 8 pointsr/photography

For a collection based book I'd recommend either Magnum or The Great Life Photographers. Either one will introduce her to important names and photographs in the craft. Instruction books are a bit more difficult since I can't imagine anything beyond what she'll already learn in the course of her studies... perhaps Light Science and Magic will give her a competitive edge.

u/thebringer84 · 8 pointsr/photography

There is a phenomenal book called "Light: Science and Magic" and I cannot stress the importance of reading it. There is so much information contained in this one volume, that it would take years to find it all on the internet. This will not only help you with your strobe photography, but it will also vastly improve the way you analyze natural lighting situations, the use of reflectors, how you control light spill, and even the angles you choose for your photographs.

Read Strobist. While it focuses on getting the speedlight off of your camera, it will still show you some invaluable lighting tricks that you can use all the time. There is some phenomenal work to be seen, and some great knowledge to be had here.

Finally, practice. Put yourself into some tricky lighting situations, put the speedlight on, and learn how to bounce the light off of objects around you to achieve the effect you desire. Remember that the zoom setting on the speedlight will control the spread, and the higher the millimeters of zoom on the strobe, the narrower the beam of light will be.

Go outside on a nice sunny day with your speedlight, practice using it at low power to provide fill for a backlit photo. Use the sun to light the back of your subject, and the flash to fill in the rest.

If you overpower your flash, you will lose all the subtle texture of your subject. It is irrelevant how small your aperture is at this point, the light just becomes too overpowering. It is about balance.

If you mess around with these basics, you can't lose. Just keep practicing.

u/nnn42 · 8 pointsr/pics

Here's his vimeo!

This guy is seriously awesome. Amazing photography. And he's a redditor!

Cheers, Terje!

My friend wrote this, for real, check it out. It's awesome, trust me.

u/PleaseExplainThanks · 8 pointsr/photography
u/[deleted] · 7 pointsr/photography

Yes, I've been reading The Photographer's Eye for the last couple of weeks, and it has definitely helped me to look for certain things when composing an image.

u/dotdoubledot · 7 pointsr/photography

I'm with you. I learned a lot from The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman. There was a bit in there that I did intuitively, but it really opened my eyes.

u/literal · 7 pointsr/photography

Light: Science and Magic, a highly instructive book on lighting.

u/Arttherapist · 7 pointsr/photography
u/dasazz · 7 pointsr/photography

Stobist 101 and if you want to dive deeper, look for "Light, Science and Magic".

u/feral2112 · 7 pointsr/photography

The single best way to get better at anything: practice! In your case, take your camera and walk out the door. Go to a park, the mall, walk through your neighborhood.... and just shoot. Take pictures of anything and everything. And don't wait for something to shoot... go out and find something to shoot. You'll take a lot of crappy pictures at first but eventually you'll start finding diamonds in the rough.
As far as educating yourself, make sure you read your manual at least once from front to back. Knowing how to use your gear properly is essential. Secondly, pick up a copy of Bryan Peterson's book Understanding Exposure It's a great read for the beginner and helps you understand the basic mechanics of photography. Here are a few other links for you to check out: Kelby Training | Digital Photography School | photo.net

u/Lat3nt · 7 pointsr/analog

I use the Light Meter app on my phone in lieu of a dedicated light meter. It works really well for anything that is moderately well lit, but can struggle in the dark. For that I use the Ultimate Exposure Computer which works well on the caveat that you can guess the EV level accurately. One of these days I'm going to get a Zone IV Pentax spotmeter so I can become a true zoner (or is it zoneist?) Luckily there is about a stop of latitude with B&W film and it is possible to print stuff that is pretty far gone--it is just significantly more difficult.

If you are shooting in the daylight, go with Sunny 16 all the way. It makes things easy and I've gotten really good results working only off of that.

As far as exposure goes, I've been concentrating on creatively working with the depth of field more than anything. Exposure is just a way for the subject to be properly captured. If you want a book, I found "Understanding Exposure' by Bryan Peterson to be very helpful even though I already had a good handle on the basics.

One of the biggest elements to learning exposure from my personal experience is figuring how to see light. Next time you go outside look at where direct sunlight and the shadows fall and imagine how that will be translated to film. It takes a while to get used to, but eventually you will be able to make small adjustments to aperture or shutter speed based on the lighting conditions being faced. Hopefully this helped a bit--it's a bit late and there is a chance this didn't make a lick of sense.

u/Cawifre · 7 pointsr/WTF

No, it is "Why Paint Cats." It is literally about painting cats. There is another book, "Why Cats Paint." It is about why cats will paint pictures and how they paint things upside-down. "Dancing With Cats" is by Burton Silver and Heather Busch, as are the other two books. I have read (more or less) all three books. The experience of reading them is rather surreal. Realizing that someone paid several thousand dollars to have Charlie Chaplin painted on their cat's ass, using the asshole as a bowtie, is also a bit surreal.

EDIT: Added links. Expanded info.

u/bluelite · 7 pointsr/telescopes

An 8" Dobsonian reflector telescope, such as the Orion XT8i with Intelliscope to help you find your way around the sky. $640.

The book NightWatch, $20.

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide, $30.

A planisphere. Get one appropriate for your latitude. $10.

A comfortable camping stool for sitting at the eyepiece, or your back will quickly complain. ~$30.

SkySafari for your iPhone/iPad, $3.

A pair of good binoculars, 8x50 or 10x50, $120.

A nice wide-field (62-degree) eyepiece, like the Explore Scientific 24mm. $140.

That's about $1000.

One more thing to add: a dark sky. Priceless.

u/postmodest · 6 pointsr/photography

Understanding Exposure is usually the book that gets tossed around. And it's a good book. Heck, I should go re-read my copy.

u/kathyell · 6 pointsr/photography

I am a rank amateur photographer, but the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson gave me a good enough grounding on the ins and outs of exposure to allow me to shoot in manual when I want to. It is certainly too basic for any of the professionals here, but for anyone who is making the leap to shooting in manual mode, I recommend it.

u/gam8it · 6 pointsr/photography

Well first is there enough light, you would need it to be quite bright to get a good exposure with those manual settings. Even though there is plenty of light in the hotel room I am in to see without a light my camera takes a black shot with those settings.
 


At ISO 100 and 1/250 I had to widen my aperture to f1.2 to get an ok shot

or

At ISO 100 and F8 I had to go to 1/15

or

at F8 and 1/250 I had to boost ISO to 2500

 

But ... I would also guess that you have skipped some of the book and gone straight to the practical exercises, you are not understanding what effect the settings have

Also - understanding shutter speeds is too specific in my view, this was my favourite book to get started
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390

 


Aperture mode (Aperture priority) means that you can change the aperture and the camera decides the shutter speed. Very simplistically this is so you can have control over the depth of field
 

Shutter mode (Shutter priority) means you control the shutter speed and the camera decides the aperture. Very simplistically this is so you can have control over how quick the shot is taken. Fast (1/250 and faster) for fast moving subjects like animals, sports or children, slower (1/80) if you can get away with it for static objects or very slow for long exposures for effect (1/4, etc)

 


In both of these your camera might be able to have 'Auto ISO' to be sure to get a good exposure - but you are letting the camera make decisions (Which is good for you at this point!)

I would suggest you set the camera to each of the above modes, setting the aperture and priority to the settings from the book respectively in each mode and take note of what it sets the rest to for a good exposure - so you can start to understand the relationship

 


But... if you are only just starting photography, just go out and shoot in Auto or in Shutter mode at 1/100 with Auto ISO (1/100 is a good shutter speed to use for hand held photography, it's difficult to hand hold slower than 1/80 - 1/100 without good stabilisation)

 


Why? Photography is about composition, just go and take some photos of things, in your back garden or around your town - go and photograph, the technical bits can come later

u/seriouslyawesome · 6 pointsr/photography

If you really want to know about HDR, go pick up copies of Ansel Adams' The Camera, The Negative, and The Print. I'm not even a big Ansel Adams fan, but the dude understood HDR before it was 'cool.'

And I agree with goose_of_trees: The HDR technique here is mostly used to take boring shots and make them look terrible. Good HDR should be invisible to the viewer - they should be captivated by the content first, and if extending the dynamic range of the image will enhance that, then it is appropriate to do so.

u/jrshaul · 6 pointsr/photography

How familiar are you with modern photography, exactly? Have you ever enlarged prints in a darkroom or looked at the various wet-lab digital print options? Have you ever tried processing giant sheets of color film?

4X5 film has mostly been rendered obsolete by tilt-shift lenses on medium format digital, and even your D3200 will outperform it if you're stitching a panorama. 8x10 color is very tricky to process due to thermal considerations and sheer size, and at $5+ a sheet with the cost of home development, that $5,000 MF body starts looking good real fast.

And that's if you don't need flash. The bigger the body, the more power you need. My 300Ws battery strobe the size of a jam jar would require a 4000Ws pack-and-head system - and a generator.

>I want a store front with a big gallery in an area where the rich and middle class all hang out at. I want to show my work and create a small section for a guest artist to show off his or her work.

You want something that doesn't exist. Malls are dead, art purchases are down, and no photographer can afford the rent on a decent gallery. Maybe you'll sell a few big prints at someone else's gallery...at 50% commission, until they, too, shut their doors.

You wanna make bank? Get work for H&M.

> I believe in doing things right at the scene instead of repairing bad photos.

I know someone who got her start in photography working for Ansel Adams.

Ansel Adams spent a lot of time in the darkroom. In fact, he wrote the book on it.

And he spent most of his time on tedious commercial crap.

u/bbmm · 6 pointsr/photography

You might want to ask in /r/analog or another film-friendly place about stand development. There, the idea is to exhaust the dilute developer touching the film (no or very little agitation) so film gets as much development as it needs. If a frame is overexposed it'll just exhaust the developer soon and the development will stop while its underexposed neighbor will slowly develop. This gets you some latitude. Now, of course the developer doesn't know frame boundaries, and the mechanism works just like that within a single frame, doing things to contrast, even giving you things like sharpening halos. Please don't take my word for it, though, google for it and ask around.

For frame-specific regular development you'll need to be shooting single frames, as you've discovered. This is not as nutty as it sounds as it was what early photographers were doing and large format photographers still do. If you're curious, Ansel Adams wrote a three volume series, two of which dealt with just how to make exposure and development fit the scene on a per-frame/per-print basis (here's v2. The Negative).

u/Ceofreak · 6 pointsr/photography

Understanding Exposure Probably the most helpful resource I had understanding photography.

u/socalchris · 6 pointsr/Nikon

> 150 shots

Don't you love digital? So much easier than learning by 36 exposures at a time.

I'd work on your composition some. I'm not a huge fan of your final composition, but it is definitely better than the original one. Maybe de-clutter it some, as someone else suggested. If you're trying to get the kid's clothes in the shot to go with the monkey, maybe remove the laundry basket, fold and stack the clothes, and put the monkey on top of that stack.

I'd also consider bumping your ISO setting down, and opening up the aperture for this shot.

If you're looking for book suggestions, try Bryan Peterson's series, particularly Understanding Exposure. It's clear, concise, has a lot of examples, and is less than $20.

Anyways, have fun. Don't take any of our criticism too seriously, it's mostly subjective. Shoot the way you want, and have fun!

u/LetsGoBlackhawks2014 · 6 pointsr/Indiana

> Actually it does! It’s really cool but in forests the trees sort of divide up sections of the sky by which they harvest sunlight. Trees in forests grow exponentially slower than trees in an open field.

You are right they do grow faster. But slow growth is better for trees and the microenvironment that they create. Faster growth leads to weaker/less healthy trees. Source.

u/OmNomChompskey · 6 pointsr/learnart

I second the other comment. All the guys that do amazing western style comics are masters of the figure and anatomy. They studied their craft, and drew their subjects as realistically as possible. They learned to understand how things are put together, or constructed.

A good start is to locate a figure drawing class you can attend. Alternatively, you can also go quite far by practicing using some of the excellent figure reference out there on the web. Just do a google-drain on it and get drawing. Suppliment your learning by studying human anatomy. I recommend the following books:

[Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist] (http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Anatomy-Artist-Stephen-Rogers/dp/0195030958/)

[Master Class in Figure Drawing] (http://www.amazon.com/Master-Figure-Drawing-Robert-Beverly/dp/0823030148/)

u/a_reverse_giraffe · 6 pointsr/AnalogCommunity

Look up the book “the photographers eye” by Michael Freeman. Its a book focused completely on composition. It has chapters dedicated to each element of composition such as balance, framing, contrast, figure and ground, etc. If photography was a language, then composition would be the grammar. It’s the rules of photography and you can look through portfolios and photo books as much as you want but it won’t matter if you can’t identify the rules being used.

https://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Eye-Composition-Design-Digital/dp/0240809343

u/tmnz · 6 pointsr/photography

The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos

Composition is arguably the single most important aspect to photography. If you can't compose a shot then no amount of expensive gear or lighting can make it look good. The above book is great... Not only does it have lots of photo examples, but there is swathes of text to read that really dives into the subject (sometimes a rarity in photography books). Amazon should let you preview some of it. It also goes into the basics of how to take a photo to capture a story or emotion, which is a skill you will develop for your entire photography career.

u/ame-foto · 6 pointsr/photography

"Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting" is a definite read, it breaks down really tricky lighting situations (glass, metal, people, etc) and explains WHY you light things a certain way. It really teaches you to see the differences in how things are lit.

u/Oilfan94 · 6 pointsr/AskPhotography

To really figure this out (and or realize the limitations of what can be done), you may need a bit more education than a reply to a reddit post will get you.

In a nutshell:

Objects have different properties of how they react with light, reflection being the most important to us. Two main types of reflection are diffuse and direct. Something with mostly diffuse reflection will not show glare (think of a white piece of paper). The thing that most exemplifies direct reflection, is a mirror.

Another property is absorption, which is how we get/see colors & black etc.

So if you have something that is highly reflective, it has lots of direct reflection, and if it's black like a Darth Vader helmet, then it probably has plenty of absorption (and thus less diffuse reflection).

So when it comes to lighting something like this, we need to consider what type of reflection we want to (or have to) use. If the item is mostly black, then it probably doesn't have enough diffuse reflection or the direct reflection properties are going to be dominant.

So when lighting something that is dominated by direct reflection, we need to understand the family of angles. Basically, you will see a reflection of the light source (usually glare) when the angle between the lens, object and light all line up.

When the object is flat (or has flat sides etc) it can be easy to 'hide' the lights by placing them (or the object) where the reflections won't be visible to the camera. Of course, if the object is rounded, your family of angle will essentially be anywhere in front of the object, which can make it impossible to 'hide' the light..

However, if the object is mostly direct reflection, you may need to use that reflection glare, because there is nothing else.

So the task for the photographer then becomes getting the best looking reflection, to achieve what they want for the photo. So we would find/create the right size and shape of light, and place it carefully. A good example is wine bottles. Using a square or round light would leave a square or round glare on the bottle, which doesn't look good. So a photographer may use a strip light and align it with the bottle, so that the reflection shows up as a vertical line on the bottle.

Sometimes, the solution is to make your light source as big as possible (relative to the object). So getting something big and/or getting it really close. This is why we might use a light tent, it basically puts the light source all around the object.

So what you will likely have to do, is experiment by moving the lights around (while viewing the object from the camera position). You may find a position that makes for better looking reflections. Changing the size & shape of your lights may also help.

Read this book... Light: Science & Magic.

u/lytfyre · 6 pointsr/photography

I like the hotshoe diaries and the moment it clicks, both by Joe McNally. Hot Shoe diaries is more lighting specific, and really focuses on using small flashes to get good results.

u/xiongchiamiov · 6 pointsr/photography

First step is to stop trying to bang all your female friends. It'll make them feel creeped out, especially during a photo shoot.

If you're willing to go into this enough to buy a book, Picture Perfect Posing: Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models (Voices That Matter) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321966465/ is good.

u/wiltedbouquet · 6 pointsr/photography

I highly recommend The Art of Photography by Bruce Barnbaum.

u/toomanybeersies · 5 pointsr/photography

That's what Flickr is for. I don't believe that Instagram is a good place to find good photos anyway, unless you want to find photos that are good for Instagram. What makes a "good" Instagram photo doesn't necessarily make a "good" photo in other formats, because good Instagram photos are meant to be viewed on a small screen, not on a computer screen, or as a print.

Also, instead of buying a ton of lenses, learn how to use the ones you have. Get a 50mm (if you have a full frame camera) or a 35mm (for an APS-C camera) prime lens, and stick with that until you know how to use it well. In the immortal words of Robert Capa:

> If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough

Remember that it's not the lens that's making the good photo, nor the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, or the camera. It's a good photographer that makes good photos. Composition is more important than equipment.

If you can't take good photos with a 50mm (or APS-C equivalent), then you're not going to be able to take good photos with your 85mm f/1.7 or your 70-200mm f/2.8L. The exception of course is wildlife photography. If you can take good bird photos with a 50mm, you're probably Dr Doolittle.

Anyway, getting back to photographic inspiration, I think you're better off finding a book. There's some really good books on photography. Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs is a great one to get a copy of. People seem to love investing a bunch of money into camera gear, but then spend nothing on education. Even the fanciest camera in the world can't make you a good photographer if you have no idea what you're doing.

u/VividVeracity · 5 pointsr/photography

Understanding Exposure is a great book that is often recommended here.

u/snarkymcsnarker · 5 pointsr/blogsnark

I really enjoyed reading Dick Proenneke's book about how he moved to a remote lake in Alaska at the age of 52 and built himself a cabin and a shed with hand tools, then lived there for 30 years.

I like the idea of moving off the grid too but I just read about other people who did it since I have zero survival skills.

u/dinoxaurz · 5 pointsr/bookporn

I think this is a pretty common book most places, at least in the Pacific Northwest. I got it as a gift as a child and see it everywhere.

Edit: That, and "Why Cats Paint", and "Why Paint Cats". I recommend them all.

u/amullet77 · 5 pointsr/AskPhotography

This book is amazing at teaching you the basics of photography!

Understanding Exposure, Fourth Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607748509/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_wFb1xbFH42KRQ

u/designplantgrow · 5 pointsr/Nikon

I would highly recommend you get a copy of the book Understanding Exposure: https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509

I have a Nikon D3400 and got a copy of this book to help push me out of auto mode. The book is very well written and explains how to capture the best images. It'd probably be better to have a foundational understanding of how a picture is taken and processed than to try making up for the lack of experience with different lenses and filters.

Is there anywhere you post your images so some of us can check them out?

Good luck and have fun!

u/barsoap · 5 pointsr/europe

Case in point, a long-running bestseller book is The Hidden Life of Trees. In which other country could you write a book about trees and have it be a hit (being a bestseller elsewhere after it was in Germany doesn't count, publishers love to translate and advertise any kind of bestseller).

u/Fartin_Gary · 5 pointsr/sfx

Depends on what she already has, but if she doesn't have any of the following, she might like it.

u/TooMuchClothing · 5 pointsr/redditgetsdrawn

Before I even suggest anything, or in any way pretend to authority, here is my disclaimer: What you're doing is already advanced and inspired (and appealing - which is the most intangible quality).

I think you are looking for just a few rules of construction. You can either start logging hours in figure drawing to develop your own system or find a proper system to absorb (and still do figure drawing if you care to).

The best modern system is Loomis - you can grab pdfs guilt free at http://www.alexhays.com/loomis/ and print/bind them at a copy shop. Start with "fun with a pencil" and just zip to the parts about realistic head construction - the book projects the tone of being just for amateurs but don't let that put you off...this is a good way to think about heads. His other "go to" book is "Figure Drawing for All its Worth" - you should just use and refer to the first 100 or so pages to get fully comfortable the the head as a unit of measurement and how it relates to different parts of the body so that you are always "correct" within your chosen proportions (stylized or otherwise).

Last thing I would say - because it has always been an issue for me - is to realize that when you begin making decisions and putting a model on paper it becomes YOUR likeness/your model. Pictures can have weird distortions or models can have awkward features; you aren't a slave to these things and you can definitely apply the construction stuff you alrdy know/will learn from these books to idealize/fix/keep balance in your work (even if it means departing from the source!)

**This guy's book will also help with blocking out forms ( i alternate him in with loomis - also helps keep things in perspective...diff ppl can have diff systems and you can take what you want): http://www.amazon.com/dp/0195030958

u/juggy4805 · 5 pointsr/photography

http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Eye-Composition-Design-Digital/dp/0240809343/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323655305&sr=8-1

I was looking for the same type of book and came across this. There is nothing about hardware specs in the book. I am 1/4 of the way through and have learned a lot about creating art.

u/TheFryingDutchman · 5 pointsr/photography

Learn composition. You have a compact camera so you already have the tool to take interesting photographs. I would start with a book like The Photographer's Eye to start learning about what makes certain photographs compelling and interesting. You can hit the photography section of the local library and just start looking at great photographs. As someone posted here couple weeks ago, "Buy books, not gear."

Later on, you may decide to buy a DSLR, but think carefully about what you need. A camera is a tool, nothing more. A great camera will open up new possibilities, but you still need knowledge and experience to convert those possibilities into good pictures. Since you brought up the classical music analogy, think of the camera like a piano. A grand Steinway can make beautiful music, but it cannot turn a novice into a concert pianist. Only hard work, training, experience, and knowledge can do that.

For inspiration, here is a great war photographer who uses only point-and-shoots.

Good luck and happy shooting!

u/Killboy_Powerhead · 5 pointsr/photography

The Photographer's Eye is a great book to teach you how you should be looking at your subjects for taking photos. You can get the technical details about your camera or lightroom or whatever elsewhere, but this book teaches you what you should be looking for in your frame to begin with.

u/pukotoshana_murkals · 5 pointsr/photography
u/dcormier · 5 pointsr/photography

You're not photographing the object itself, you're photographing the reflections/refractions. Check this out. And this. If you want a book, Light Science and Magic is the one.

I photographed a gem a while back. You can see how I did it, here.

u/ezraekman · 5 pointsr/photography

I'm going to link to a few of my recent posts that might be relevant because they describe a specific facet of my photography. Perhaps you'll find something interesting there. Please feel free to ask any questions if you'd like further elaboration on them, or just something in a different direction.

u/KBPhotog · 5 pointsr/photography

Giving direction comes with time and practice and is on the basis you know the foundation of a good pose and what things to avoid.

Read the book Picture Perfect Posing. It teaches you how to make a good pose, and what things to look out for.

u/csl512 · 5 pointsr/photography

All right, since you said you do photograph events and weddings:

The Luminous Portrait: Capture the Beauty of Natural Light for Glowing, Flattering Photographs
by Elizabeth Messina et al.
Link: http://amzn.com/0817400125

Picture Perfect Posing: Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models (Voices That Matter)
by Roberto Valenzuela
Link: http://amzn.com/0321966465

Picture Perfect Practice: A Self-Training Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Taking World-Class Photographs (Voices That Matter)
by Roberto Valenzuela
Link: http://amzn.com/0321803531

These three are from my wishlist. The Valenzuela one on posing comes highly recommended from some of my wedding photographer friends.

If Jose Villa is your thing, he also put out a book:

Fine Art Wedding Photography: How to Capture Images with Style for the Modern Bride
by Jose Villa et al.
Link: http://amzn.com/0817400028

If you might want to expand into boudoir:

The Art of Boudoir Photography: How to Create Stunning Photographs of Women
by Christa Meola
Link: http://amzn.com/0321862708

u/dlerium · 5 pointsr/Android

As a photographer, there are really only 3 settings you care about to metering properly (ISO, shutter, aperture), which is why Understanding Exposure is such a highly recommended book for beginners. The rest of the features such as white balance, color, etc can all be adjusted if you shoot in RAW. Granted, that's not possible in most cameraphones today, but to me those are secondary features anyway, and in general most P&S cameras are pretty close in terms of getting those other features down. And most of the time it's not white balance that people are complaining about for cameraphone pics.

With that said, when the exposure is set properly, your photograph is going to turn out properly. That isn't to say that auto mode should be completely inferior. It should give you decent photos. When shooting in auto mode, my photos won't be artistic the way I like them, but they won't be horrid either. They will be just cookie cutter standard. So on a cameraphone, you expect that in auto mode you should get good photos. You shouldn't get noisy photos in a standard indoor photo unless you're at a dim restaurant. Autofocus should be reliable and accurate. Your camera shouldn't go below 1/15 shutter speed unless in very dim situations or you force it to use slow shutter. Those are general rules that software makers should be aware of and place restrictions on the software for light metering. You shouldn't need to mess with all these settings to get a decent shot. It should be setup so you can achieve that as long as you point, click, and hold your hand steady.

Part of what I see with cameraphones is that they frequently:

  • Meter horribly (OnePlus One, Nexus 5)

  • Heavily compress images

  • Slow to autofocus (the AOSP Camera did this)

  • Have shutter lag

  • Process images poorly
u/Zigo · 4 pointsr/photography

I personally enjoy this one when this question comes up. :)

u/Drache · 4 pointsr/photography

This is a really hard one to answer - like why some works of art are worth millions and others are essentially worthless.

I would recommend picking up a book like:
Learning to See Creatively (Peterson) or The Photographer's Eye (Freeman) for a crash course on the design elements that make photos interesting: leading lines, color, depth of field etc.

u/stanthemanchan · 4 pointsr/photography

You should pick up a book if you want to learn more about composition. I highly recommend The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman. http://www.amazon.com/The-Photographers-Eye-Composition-Digital/dp/0240809343

u/thinkjason · 4 pointsr/photography

My first real camera was a Pentax K1000. That brings back a lot of fond memories. I suggest you pick up a copy of Brian Peterson's Understanding Exposure to brush up on the technical bits, and Michael Freeman's The Photographer's Eye to learn a bit about composition.

u/danecreekphotography · 4 pointsr/photography

Buy a copy of Light Science and Magic. It'll walk you through exactly how to do it.

u/Informationator · 4 pointsr/photography

The technical term is polarized reflections. ...vs. direct reflections (which will not be reduced by a polarizer). This is a fantastic book if you want to know some science behind what you're seeing.

If you understand the science, it bolsters your artistic control, because you'll know how to effectively capture the vision in your head or manipulate what you're already seeing with your eyes.

u/munkamonk · 4 pointsr/phototechnique

This book has been incredibly educational for me. Instead of just showing poses for you to copy and never understand why they work, he goes through all the mechanical parts of what makes poses work or not work, so you understand the "why".

u/myzennolan · 4 pointsr/photography

I highly recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0415719402/


It covers a lot of information on lighting and reflections, including how to light a scene without reflecting yourself or your lights on shiny surfaces. What you're looking to accomplish is sufficiently diffuse the light, blocking the the family of angles/reflections.

u/jjlava · 4 pointsr/M43

I picked up a m43 camera earlier this year after using point and shoots and crappy cell phone cameras for years. It's been a learning process, but it's also been a lot of fun. Here are the things that helped me most:

  • Learn a little about composition (frankly, this is a lifelong pursuit). I love this book and you can probably find it at your local library.

  • Learn your camera's settings. Look through the manual, watch YouTube videos. Modern cameras are very complex and some menu systems are complicated, so get familiar with at least the basic operational points of your new camera.

  • Get out and use the camera! Take tons of pictures, review each and every one and decide what you do and don't like about each picture. I toss roughly 85% of the photos I take, but I try to learn something from each one.

  • Don't go gear-crazy until you've taken some time to use the base kit. Assuming the G7 comes with a kit lens, use it a lot and decide what types of photos you like to take before considering a new lens. I used my OM-D E-M10 with the kit lens for months before picking up another lens because I wanted a larger field of view for street and landscape photos, and the kit lens wasn't up to it. Glass is the real expense in photography.

    Really, just use it and enjoy it. I hope Santa is good to you this year!


u/de1irium · 4 pointsr/photography

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is a great place to start. Very easy read.

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Photographs-Camera/dp/0817439390

u/Dweller · 4 pointsr/photography

Pick up a copy of Understanding Exposure. The book is generally light reading. It will help you understand what each of the 3 key settings are that control exposure, and why you may want to change each of them from different situations. Any time someone expresses interest in "moving beyond the A setting" I hand them this book.

u/neuromonkey · 4 pointsr/photography

I think that his/her point was that you need to wait for the light. Shooting during the golden hour--sunrise & sunset, you get better lighting. However, I don't think that this is the core of the problem, here. To reduce contrast or make other similar edits, I would recommend trying out some good image editing software, like Photoshop Elements. I'm not familiar with iPhoto, and can't comment on that.

Bu yes, absolutely you can make great images with a cheap camera--even a pinhole camera. Your photos aren't terrible, they just aren't very refined.
Issues I see with your images are:

  • Balance & Composition. Learn about the Rule of Thirds. (Then break it, creatively!) Put your horizon line (or other significant object) at the 1/3 or 2/3 point in the frame. It's natural to try for symmetry, but makes for a boring photograph. When making images (photos, drawings, paintings,) you want to draw the eye through the image. If something is symmetrical, the eye tends to simply fall to the center and stay there.

    In the first photo, which I'll call "LAKE," the treeline is quite dark, and the sky is very bright. Also, you have two wide-open expanses, the sky and the water, with objects in the middle. Typically, you'd want to put your objects (trees, far hills,) in one third (or so,) and leave either the top or bottom relatively empty. I tried an edit on this, and it was tough to crop--I wasn't able to really balance the image, but I tried.

  • Exposure. In your second shot ("SHORE,") the sky is quite blown out. The eye is drawn down the cliff, across the treeline to the empty shore in the foreground.

    Check out Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson.

    While I don't suggest trying to fix everything in post, here are some quick edits I played with. The SHORE image, I cropped more extremely. I don't feel like I nailed it with either edit, but I gave it a go. I used Photoshop, and did a number of things. (Too many, now that I look at my edits again...)

  • Lake

  • Shore
u/skwid · 4 pointsr/photography

I bought this book back and lend it to all of my friends who want to learn photography. Understanding Exposure

If you can, find a way to meet up with other "professional" photographers and see how they work. Studying poses is one thing, but actually posing a person is another.

u/coogie · 4 pointsr/houston

Does it have to be an actual class? There are plenty of resources out there for self-learning. Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is a classic for beginners to get you familiar with principles of exposure. Lynda.com also has a bunch of classes and it's free if you have a Houston library card.

u/tokyo_blues · 4 pointsr/fujix

Some of these are underexposed. Notice the lack of detail in the shaded part of the rocks. Here's a book worth its weight in gold

Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure

u/UnfrozenCavemanLaw · 4 pointsr/Nikon

I always recommend the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson for anyone looking to take better photos. It's basically the best book possible for learning to take great photos.

The other issue that I noticed to the blown out highlights in the cloud and the overall look of the sky as you've processed it. Sunny landscapes are tough.

u/wickedcold · 4 pointsr/photography

Just keep in mind that the principles of photography ie exposure and all that are universal. You'll be tempted to seek out info specific to/learn about the camera, and I'm not saying that you shouldn't - but it's kind of like if you got a new Ferrari with a six speed gated shifter (yeah I know they don't make 'em any more), you wouldn't be looking for a book on how to drive a Ferrari, you'd want to learn how to, I guess, "drive" at a new level. Same here.

Yeah there are all kinds of obscure settings buried deep in the menus but understanding how aperture, ISO etc all work together is what you want to learn about. Don't worry too much about the camera's specific quirks while you're busy mastering that stuff. One of the fun things with the Fujis is that they have physical controls so you can just look at them and see what you're at, vs checking a screen.

If you're into books, check out "Understanding Exposure". Best thing out there.

u/Niqulaz · 4 pointsr/photography

I can give you a few of the most important pieces of advice, and answer the most common questions right away.

  1. Yes, at the moment you'll do fine with the kit lens. You have no idea about what you're doing anyway at the moment. So you don't need anything else. By all means, if you get a deal that involves an extra lens at a reduced price, then go for it. But that's just about it for now.

  2. Understanding Exposure. Buy it. Read it. It is without a doubt one of the best books you can purchase when you're starting out with photography.

  3. Now that you have a basic understanding of what the knobs and dials and buttons do, you will discover that your equipment has limitations. So yes, you do need another lens. I recommend the Canon 50mm f/1.8 , also known as the "nifty fifty" or the "plastic fantastic". That should cover all your needs in low light. You could do well with a telezoom as well. Any cheap-ass lens will do as a start, until you learn to hold your camera steady and you know what you're doing wrong. Then, and only then is it time to upgrade.

  4. After getting what I mentioned above, you need to think a bit more about what you're gonna do, and what you really need. Gear Acquisition Syndrome is a serious problem, which can end up costing you thousands. There's a good chance you will need a monopod or tripod. You will probably find yourself wanting a flash. A polarizing filter is almost a necessity if you want to take pictures of nature.

  5. DO NOT THROW AWAY THE KIT LENS. People will be lining up around the block to tell you how terrible your canon EF-S 18-55mm is, should you end up buying a rebel. DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM.
    The time to throw out the kit-lens and replace it with a better standard lens, is when you understand for yourself why you need to throw out your kit lens and replace it with something better. You will eventually get to a point where it's your equipment and not your skill that's holding back the quality of your pictures. That time wont come around this year. Quite probably not next year either.

  6. Good luck. Welcome to a hobby that will cost you a lot of money, time and frustration. Remember, the only way to become a better photographer, is to take loads of pictures. Every mistake is a learning opportunity.
u/chops893 · 4 pointsr/IWantToLearn

There's a lot to learn, most of it trial and error, but I'll give a few stepping stones, and one piece of advice.

Start here as far as lighting goes: Strobist

For more lighting, look up people like Joe McNally, Chase Jarvis, Zack Arias, and Dan Winters.

As far as posing goes, skim through various fashion magazines—there are lots of books out there about it as well. Any magazine that has quality portraits will help with posing, and lighting. But I wouldn't really spend any money on them.

If video training is more your thing (it is with me), then check out Kelby Training, and CreativeLive. Kelby Training is a subscription based model with some pretty big name photographers, and subjects that range from portraits, weddings, landscape, Photoshop, and copyright law. CreativeLive however, is a free live viewing, with a paid viewing later. Pretty similar to KT, but the one-time price can be a bit steep.

There are obviously A LOT of photographers out there so the few I mentioned just happen to be some of my favorites. And even though you mention portraits specifically, I highly recommend all three of [Ansel Adams' books.](
http://amzn.com/0821221841)

As far as models go you can check out Model Mayhem, but quality can vary... I don't know of any more professional services. I'd imagine people that cosplay would also be available regular modeling as well. This is one area I'm not too familiar with, except for MM.

Now for my advice: 1) Don't get caught up in the gear and 2) copyright your photos!

Buy what you need, one piece at a time. You might think that you need three lights; four different light modifiers; the latest Pocketwizards; a carbon fiber tripod; etc., but you really don't. One light, one shoot-through umbrella (you'll learn why shoot-through), and you'll be fine.

Copyright is a huge deal. If someone uses your photo without permission, and you didn't copyright, tough. The licenses can get pretty complicated, but as you begin going down the path of learning the legal side, you'll definitely learn more and more. Sadly, the legal issues are rarely talked about when people first start taking photos, but they end up being the most important.

Anyway, with any creative endeavor: have fun!

u/mojorific · 4 pointsr/Astronomy

Buy the book The Backyard Astronomer's Guide.

It will answer so many questions you have in getting started. It is a bit more expensive, but it will save you tons of time and money that you may spend on the wrong thing down the road. It's one of those books that comes in handy all the time when learning about astronomy.


It covers the basics of telescope types, what you should expect to see, what to avoid, where to look based on where you live, etc.


You need to learn a few things before you can fully enjoy a new hobby like this. It is a great book.



u/hereinpassing · 4 pointsr/Astronomy

Upvoted both for the scope recommendation (yeah, a 6" Dob would be as decent a scope as you can get for $300) and for the advice to try them at a star party. Let me put it another way: at this stage, you don't need to buy a scope, you need to learn about scopes and what you can see with them. Once you know more, you can decide what scope is good for your circumstances (what you can do with the same 6" Dob in a big city vs the country side is very different).

Read [this book][http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Astronomers-Guide-Terence-Dickinson/dp/1554073448]. It will take you to much higher level of understanding of amateur astronomy. You may decide to buy a bigger or different scope, you may decide to be content with a 6" Dob or you may drop it. All of these happen. A book such as the one quoted will help you figure out which is the right thing to do for fewer $$ than scope. Enjoy.

u/DinhDan · 4 pointsr/AskPhotography

Understanding Exposure was probably the most useful book I read when I started shooting:

Understanding Exposure, Fourth Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607748509/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0iuBybSA1GPNA

I have an older edition so I'm sure it's even more relevant now.

u/eedna · 4 pointsr/photography

You should check out this book called understanding exposure, it's a really great intro to photography. I took 4 years of photo in high school and still found it to be worthwhile to read.

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541943482&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=understanding+exposure&dpPl=1&dpID=517WrWTQypL&ref=plSrch

Don't be afraid to buy used gear if youre on a budget, and like others have said don't focus too much on having the newest gear either. People were taking incredible pictures with new cameras 10 years ago. Those cameras take the same pictures today that they did then

u/rnick467 · 4 pointsr/a6000

Although not a website, I would recommend the book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. It gives great in-depth information that can be applied to any camera with manual controls. It really helped me to understand how to get great exposure when I was a total newbie to photography.

u/fearcorcai · 4 pointsr/changemyview

I disagree with your title. It is something that I think is a very common view amongst many people. If you are looking for the MOST moral choice about diet then I think veganism doesn't go far enough. Disclaimer: I am not a vegetarian, vegan or anything else. I am a meat-eater like you. Veganism, as you rightly say at the end of your post, is ok with killing and consuming the corpses of plants. Any vegans I've met (not many), have not shown any consideration that plants mght be alive too. I have just started an interesting book and it has been eye-opening for me. Trees and plants warn other nearby plants when their leaves are being eaten. When a tree is injured, other nearby trees will give some of their food to the injured tree. This leads me to think that many vegans are anthropomorphising animals because trees are so unlike people, which is wrong. If veganism is not the most moral choice, then what is...fruitarianism. Fruit is the only thing (that I know of) produced by a living organism that is expected to be eaten by other living organisms. I believe this causes no suffering to the trees/plants producing the fruit. The tree/plant is allowing you to eat its fruit in the hope that you will disperse the seeds within and allow new trees/plants to grow.
Is fruitarianism practical? No (see the link above). But your question wasn't about practical, it was about causing the least suffering to other living organisms. Every day of fruitarianism is a day where you didn't kill or cause suffering to another living organism.

u/normanlee · 3 pointsr/photography

If you've got your camera in full auto mode, then it'll automatically pick an aperture size, shutter speed, and ISO setting for you in order to properly expose a scene. If you're already at the widest possible aperture for your lens and the highest allowed ISO setting for your camera, then the only way to compensate is to use a slow shutter speed.

Generally speaking, anything slower than 1/60 or 1/30 of a second is going to require either really steady hands or external stabilization (e.g., a tripod). So the camera tries to help you out by popping up the flash to throw some additional light on the scene; that extra light will allow you to use a faster, more hand-holdable shutter speed and avoid camera shake.

Unfortunately, the camera only uses the detected light level to make this determination, and has no idea that those buildings are so far away that the flash isn't going to help at all. So now you've got a flash going off that does nothing, and a shutter speed that's too fast to properly expose the scene. Lose-lose situation.

So what should you do instead? Now you know you don't want the flash in this scenario, and you're probably already at the widest aperture and highest ISO. Your only option, then, is to find some way to stabilize the camera so it's not moving around while capturing the scene. If you don't have a tripod with you, then you can look for a bench or something to rest the camera on. In a pinch, you can try to rest the camera on the ground (and hopefully find something to prop it up towards the buildings) so it can stay open long enough to collect enough light to show off the buildings properly.

If you're just starting out, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Understanding Exposure. As for application of the popup flash and alternatives to it, there are literally entire books written about photographic lighting, but suffice it to say that you should almost never be using the popup. Picking up a basic hotshoe flash (and learning how to use it) can make for some astonishing pictures. I definitely surprised myself with what a simple flash bounced off the ceiling could do. :)

u/funwok · 3 pointsr/photography

From all you have written I am pretty sure that your camera is alright and you personally as a photographers have to learn to see light and how your camera thinks. This is absolutely normal for any beginner mind you!

Go to /r/photoclass2013 and go through all the lessons and assignments. This will give you a solid starting point and a lot of experimentation for you to see what everything is about. Additionally invest a little bit of money in this book here - Understanding Exposure.

u/flynk-9 · 3 pointsr/photography
u/graffiti81 · 3 pointsr/photography

Pick up a copy of Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure. That will teach you the basics of what your camera is doing.

After that, I don't know how much creativity can be taught.

u/balias · 3 pointsr/photography

Probably the two books that helped me out the most:

Understanding Exposure
and
The Photographer's Eye

u/TonyDarko · 3 pointsr/photography

Dude thanks for the proverb but I asked for book titles. I understand that I need to take more pictures, that wasn't even remotely in question. As an athlete I don't think reading a book on rugby tackling is going to make me the perfect tackler but it'll sure as hell help with the basics and knowing what to look for.

Similarly, if I know little to nothing about exposure, composition, and the basics of photography, continuing to take bad pictures will not help me as much as if I had actually read into these concepts and covered the fundamentals as to what I should be doing/prioritizing when taking a picture.

You don't go and just solve mathematical problems. You learn HOW to solve them (or at least build up a toolbox) then you go and practice solving them and using your tools until you've mastered that process.

And yes, your photography will improve through taking pictures, but to say that it will ONLY get better through photography? That's just incorrect. Reading a manual? I'll learn how to use my gear better. Better knowledge of gear? Better pictures. Knowing how exposure works? I'll know to crank up my shutter speed and change my aperture before I just resort to setting my ISO at 6400 and taking bright enough yet terribly grainy pictures. Knowing how to frame a picture or where to place the subject? That will make my photography more pleasing to the eye.

Going and taking a bunch of pictures will not inevitably make my picture quality as great as if I actually studied photography.

You don't tell someone who makes finger paintings to just keep painting. You show them what great art looks like, and maybe even teach them the basics. You don't say "eh, maybe if you do a couple thousand paintings you'll learn how to paint a beautiful landscape."

Just leave the cookie cutter answers that everyone gives when they don't want to be helpful in your head, and actually answer a question. If you have no answer, keep it to yourself.

The pretentious, non-helpful answers in this sub need to stop. Everybody knows that they need to take more pictures to get better. Help people when they ask questions.

OP- if you're looking for books I decided to look some up:

Understanding Exposure


The Photographer's Eye

These are both seen as great introduction books for beginners. From what I've read, the first will basically help you figure out what type of lighting and exposure settings you would want to get your desired look for a given scenario, whereas the second book will help you develop your creative abilities and understanding what makes a good picture.

Those might help out your photography a teeny bit, and you won't have to take a picture!

u/VIJoe · 3 pointsr/photography

Quasi-newbie myself with a similar rig (d5100):

  • One of the problems you will have the stock (kit) lens is the amount of light that you are going to be able to get indoors. I think the 35 mm 1.8 is a very fun lens for some inside experimentation.

  • My favorite books are Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure; Michael Freeman's The Photographer's Eye; and his The Photographer's Mind. I think the latter two are great introductions to the ideas around composition.
u/wildgurularry · 3 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

LY5, eh? Well I will try. Here is what I do:

  • Choose your ISO first. Try to choose the lowest ISO possible given how much light there is. For example, on a sunny day use ISO 100. Inside the house, use ISO 1600 or more. Higher ISO = more noise in the photo.
  • Choose your aperture. Taking a portrait? Use a low number to make a blurry background. Taking a landscape? Use a higher number to get everything in focus at once. When in doubt, "f/8 and be there."
  • Now that you have chosen ISO and aperture, your shutter speed will be chosen for you. Look through your camera and adjust your shutter speed until the light meter points to the middle of the line. If your shutter speed is too slow (i.e. less than the focal length of your lens), then adjust ISO up or aperture down to let in more light.

    If for some reason you want to go full hardcore and don't want to use your camera's built in light meter, you can learn the Sunny 16 Rule and estimate the correct exposure settings based on the available light.

    I highly recommend that you actually learn this stuff inside and out. You will soon find that you don't need a reference chart. Also, why are you shooting full manual anyway if you don't know what you are doing? Just shoot in aperture priority mode and you should be fine. 98% of my photos are taken in aperture priority mode, so I don't have to manually mess around with shutter speeds.

    EDIT: I recommend Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.
u/itschrisreed · 3 pointsr/Filmmakers
  1. There are lots. I'd start with Understanding Exposure and How to Photograph Absolutely Everything

  2. Anything that is vey still yet allows the camera to move how you want automatically will work.

  3. If you are using a small camera, a suction cup mount should work. Personally I'd want to rig something with three points of contact to the car so it was super steady.

  4. People tend to mount cameras to their helmets, here is a video of from 2006 featuring 18 year old me as 'unrecognizable bike messenger' unfortunately, the sound has been replaced and its crapy quality. I've seen some fairly stable footage from gopros mounted to the handlebars or forks, personally I'd try out one of their chest straps.
u/filemeaway · 3 pointsr/photography

I'd say get the Canon t2i kit with the 18-135mm and a nifty fifty.

That's $970 so far, but he'll probably want a bag that can hold the camera and extra lens. Tamrac makes great bags.

So you've got a great kit with a lot of range and a sharp prime that rocks at low light.

Additional recommended purchases would be the book Understanding Exposure and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.

Edit: To be fair, maybe have him check out a Nikon DSLR (D5100 would be a comparable choice) along with a Canon to determine which one feels better. Both companies make great cameras of similar quality and performance—it really does come down to personal preference. And as a side note, I personally shoot a Nikon.

u/edwa6040 · 3 pointsr/analog

The Ansel Adams series

Camera

Negative

Print

Learn how to use the camera at your own pace then learn about processing at your own pace. And finally printing if you want to do that at your own pace.

u/CrankyPhotographer · 3 pointsr/photography

Here to second The Camera.

u/zstone · 3 pointsr/AskPhotography

Everybody knows it but it still needs to be said: shoot, shoot, shoot.

Willief is spot-on in my opinion. An exercise I think you might find helpful is to give yourself assignments. Just like practice, or buying books about photography, it only works if you stick to it. You have landscapes, and your still-life work is coming along well too. I would say that in addition to portraiture (both studio and candid), you should consider other genres that 'put you out there' more, that are less under your control than your current work. Street photography instantly springs to mind - you don't have to live in NYC or LA to have amazing opportunities at street photography. If you're in a more rural locale, consider work like Frank's "The Americans," or Bruce Davidson, or even combine what you can do with what you want to learn, something like R.E. Meatyard.

When you want to push your landscapes farther, I would send you in two directions: Ansel Adams for technical mastery (if you haven't, read the holy trilogy, Camera, Negative, Print), and Minor White for artistry/composition.

You're already doing great work, keep on keeping on, never settle.

u/keithb · 3 pointsr/analog

All exposure meters are built to work with reference to a certain reflectivity—specifically 18%, hence the grey cards of that tone—with the idea that with the indicated exposure and “normal” processing of film and “normal” printing in the darkroom the area of the print corresponding to the metered area will have the same reflectivity.

For an averaging meter it's the whole scene that's measured. With a spot meter it is a small area. So, spot meter off a shadow and, without adjustment, it will come up at 18% grey and the highlights will be blown. Spot meter off a bright area and the shadows will block up.

Meter off a shadow area and then reduce the exposure by a few stops, and we can get the shadow to not quite block up and still show detail. The full explanation of this is in Ansel Adam's book The Negative, and the technique is known as the Zone System.

u/sheemwaza · 3 pointsr/photography

A black and white print is rarely black and white when done by a skilled developer. Usually, prints are toned so the dark areas are different shades of brown or blue or... whatever works best. They can be split toned so they the shadows are a different color than mid and highs. Making a print in black and white is an art, especially when using chemicals. It is also a little bit cheating--put anything in a selenium bath and it will look fantastic.

If you really want to see some interesting examples, get this book: Photographer's toning guide

This other guy wrote a book on it, too: The Print

u/zazen529 · 3 pointsr/videos

>I wonder if he owned the property or just picked a spot in the wilderness and decided to set up camp.

Dick had a good friend who already had a cabin nearby on that same lake, not far from the site he picked for his. His friend allowed him to make use of the existing cabin (and his canoe, etc.) while he was building his there. He also had an arrangement with a bush pilot who regularly flew in supplies and materials for him. That lake is visited occasionally by Alaskan hunters who have the means to fly into the area, so although it's very remote it's not 100% devoid of human presence (especially now).

The DVD is actually kind of a companion piece to his journals, which are great and definitely worth reading if you like this kind of thing: https://www.amazon.com/One-Mans-Wilderness-Alaskan-Odyssey/dp/0882405136/

u/1esproc · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

There's also a book based on his journals, One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey. It's a fairly light read, but I enjoyed it.

u/the_whore_whisperer · 3 pointsr/gaming
u/essmac · 3 pointsr/photography

Ben Long's Complete Digital Photography, now in its 7th edition, is pretty good for beginners, and only costs $30. I used it to design an online course in digital photography for a graduate school project (e-learning design).

Edit: for aspiring professionals, I'd recommend Best Business Practices for Photographers by John Harrington (2nd edition), around $22 on Amazon. It's chock full of recommendations for starting your own business, shooting professional paid assignments, handling releases and contracts, copyright protection for your work, etc. Great resource.

u/jcl4 · 3 pointsr/photoit

Read John Harrington's book as soon as you can: Best Business Practices For Photogaphers

In the meantime, as everyone has said, charge for everything. Materials should get a small (18%) markup; figure out a cost per shot and a base creative fee -- the creative fee is paid to you for your time, vision and mastery of technique; the licensing is paid to you per shot for a given target (web, print ad, promotional material, etc.)

If it makes life easier, do the above math and then create a rate based on a set number of images, so if your creative fee is $750/day, and each image license is $350/year, then pick x number of images as a minimum, add it to the creative fee and you've got a ballpark you can use to guide your rates. You may benefit by offering the client to choose from both a per-image rate, or a package flat rate that is based on days worked (assume ten hour work days).

u/daenem · 3 pointsr/askastronomy

If you're going to be looking into the academic side of it, you will definitely be encountering some math. A degree in astronomy will be nearly tit-for-tat with physics majors in math classes. I'm not either (engineering, here) but from what I've heard they are very much alike.

I would say that starting at a community college is a great idea! Higher chances of boosting your grades and looking more attractive to other universities. If you do, maybe consider transferring to a larger, more prestigious school once you've got a a good foundation/GPA. Not necessary, but a great move if possible.

I got a book this past Christmas to fuel my armchair-interest in astronomy - I believe it was recommended by this subreddit too! Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Astronomers-Guide-Terence-Dickinson/dp/1554073448

Good luck!

u/Hexous · 3 pointsr/AskPhotography

To add to /u/johninbigd, I'd recommend picking up the book Understanding Exposure. I got it a few months ago and can attest that it's a phenomenal aid in understanding exactly how the different manual settings interact and how to utilize them to their fullest.

Understanding Exposure, Fourth Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607748509?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

u/Obi-Wayne · 3 pointsr/photocritique

Honestly, since you're just starting out, I can't recommend this book enough. I think I bought the 2nd edition when I started, and have since given it to friends (and even bought a copy for a good friend when she was starting out). It's fantastic, and will get you shooting in manual mode before you know it.

u/ZRX1200R · 3 pointsr/photography

Understanding Exposure. Priceless book.

Edit: or research "Exposure Triangle"--it's the science for ISO, shutter speed, and aperture...the 3 key ingredients for exposure.

u/En_lighten · 3 pointsr/Buddhism

I don't know about the analogy, but trees in general do this or some similar things.

There's a book called The Hidden Life of Trees that has some, IMO, pretty interesting stuff in there, if you're interested.

For example, the author even tells about a stump in an old beech (forest) I believe that had been cut down something like 150+ years ago that was still alive, as it was supported by the other trees.

Generally, forests will apparently support sick individual trees, potentially because if a forest loses a tree then the sunlight gets through which evaporates moisture and changes the milieu of the forest floor.

u/alnyland · 3 pointsr/photography

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs. Great book. Not very detailed in technique and not niche - very good for beginners and getting an overall understanding of photography and the related physics and skills. This book can also be good for pros to get inspiration... the author is great at taking some skill/style that you thought you knew and sticking it in your face to look at again, and most of my friends (and a photography teacher in high school) said the book gave them a new perspective on photography.

u/cuplajsu · 3 pointsr/DSLR

I’m a beginner myself, but here are some things that really helped me to understand the true basics:

https://tldr.photography/

I also bought this book, which gives you an insight of the art behind photography:

Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1780673353/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_kxr5XO1i42ldv

What I recommend though, is practice, practice and practice! And never delete pictures, you’ll always make mistakes and learn from them, to improve you further as you go along.

u/fotisdragon · 3 pointsr/photography

Although not a book about composition, I would highly recommend "The Art of Photography - An approach to Personal Expression".

I too, like to read before going to sleep and this book will definitely do the trick for you, since you are looking for inspiration and not for technical advice. I believe you won't regret reading it :)

u/Feynt · 3 pointsr/FurryArtSchool

Well, first thing would be using a scanner not based on SCSI ports, or using a cellphone from the early 2000s to take the picture. >3

There really isn't much to say beyond the tired "learn anatomy" line. You've got to look into things like Gray's Anatomy, or the Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist, or apps like Mara3D (iOS and Android available). Alternatively, go outside with a sketchbook and just... Draw people. Sitting on the bus for a while? Try to draw someone across from you. Waiting forever at a checkout in a food store? Draw the person in front of you (get their basic form sketched out quickly and then use them as a reference to fill out that form). Draw classmates over lunch, or colleagues at work, which ever is applicable. The more real things you draw, the better you'll get at drawing imaginary things.

The important thing though is to keep drawing. Filling sketchbooks with bad drawings will only help you improve. Just start from the inside out. You'll find that, like building, having a solid foundation to build a character on will make drawing easier. Make a simple stick figure skeleton with the correct proportions, learn your muscle groups, and the rest of the drawing falls into place.

u/jamesrlp83 · 3 pointsr/photography

Have a look at this book, it was pretty useful for me:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Photographers-Eye-Composition-Digital/dp/0240809343

u/thavalai · 3 pointsr/photography
u/d3adbor3d2 · 3 pointsr/photography
u/Jeremy7508 · 3 pointsr/photography

This is hands down the best book I've read that's helped my photography skills. Its not a "camera" book, it's more of a "theory" book. It shows you the different parts of pictures that make photographs interesting.

Michael Freeman - "The Photographer's Eye"

http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Eye-Composition-Design-Digital/dp/0240809343/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268435456&sr=8-3

u/awePhotoMan · 3 pointsr/photography

You practice the artistic stuff the same way you practice the technical stuff. First of all, get a good book on the basics of photography (I recommend The Photographer's Eye). This will help you grasp the basics of composition, patterns, framing, contrast etc.

Then you practice. Have weekly assignments - first week you're working on compositions; second week you're working on patterns; third week you're working on perspective and angles... etc.

After a few months, you'll start doing these things subconsciously and you'll start experimenting with new stuff and expanding your artistic toolset.

u/adphotog1 · 3 pointsr/photography

Aye carumba, you've got quite a task ahead of you! To improve your studio photo skills, you'll need a solid understanding of lighting. When I was first starting out, I found this book extremely helpful: http://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Fourth-Introduction/dp/0240812255

In particular, it explains the family of angles--something you'll need to get a good grasp on--as well as giving you a solid foundation of understanding for things like managing reflections and lighting ratios.

u/silence7 · 3 pointsr/photography

What you want is this book.

Basically: you're going to want to identify the exact paths of light which are causing problems, and block them. if it's glare from the lights going directly into your camera, you need a black flag between the lights and the camera. If it's a specular highlight on the object you're photographing, you're going to need to change how you light the object; dpeending on the problem, this might be as simple as putting black tape on the background, or it might mean something more complex, like controlling the highlights with multiple layers of diffusion material.

u/Posimagi · 3 pointsr/photography

It's mostly about lighting. When you have complete control, the camera and lens become nearly irrelevant. You'll get the greatest return from learning how light interacts with objects, regardless of whether or not it's in a studio setting. Personally, I highly recommend Strobist's Lighting 101 and Lighting 102, and Light Science and Magic by Fuqua et al. They helped me greatly.

u/LorryWaraLorry · 3 pointsr/photography

For photographic lighting, check out Light: Science and Magic. I am still in the process of reading it, but I already learned plenty half-way through.

u/ejp1082 · 3 pointsr/photography
  1. Get yourself an entry level consumer dSLR and use the lens that comes with it. A Nikon D60 or if you have a large budget, a D90. Or the equivalent Canon.

  2. Buy some books to learn the technical aspects. When I got started I found John Hedgcoe's Photography to be very helpful. Scott Kelby's book is a good one as well. My best advice is to peruse the books at Barnes and Noble or Border and pick one you like best.

  3. Take lots of pictures. Experiment. Don't be afraid to do things "wrong".

  4. Join Flickr. Share your photos. Find photos you like. In your head, try to deconstruct how those photos were taken. Also search for critique groups, photo tips groups, feedback groups, and groups dedicated to your equipment and techniques that you like.

  5. Did I mention take lots of pictures? I mean lots of pictures. Every day. Every time of day. Every lighting condition. And mess with settings. The great advantage of learning photography today is that you're not paying for film - so shoot, shoot, shoot. Underexpose, overexpose, get close, get far, get wide, get narrow, try lots of different settings just to see the different results.This is by far the best way to learn.
u/CDNChaoZ · 3 pointsr/AskPhotography

Joe McNally's The Hot Shoe Diaries is excellent, as is Sketching Light.

u/prbphoto · 3 pointsr/photography

Why is there never any love for Hedgecoe in these threads?

For a beginner, go with John Hedgecoe's New Manual of Photography. It breaks everything down into easy to read lessons that are no more than two spreads long (most actually cover one spread with lots of pictures). It's great.

Then I'd suggest McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries but it's a bit advanced though a great read if you want to get into flashes.

u/Bennyboy1337 · 3 pointsr/photography

In all honesty there are many entry level DSLRs out there that are great and very afordable. Canon 60D, nikon 3200, sony 320; it really doesn't mater, just get a good body with a stock lense from a reputable dealer.

Now as a photojournalist you will do lots of staged shots, usually for interviews and such; you'll have time to sit down with the person in their field of work, setup an area to take a picture, and take it. More important then the camera itself would be the lighting. I would make sure to put some money aside to get a shoe flash and a remote wire for it. The remote will allow you to hold the flash off to the side or above your subject, pointing it in whatever direction you want, allowing you easy, afordable lighting solution.

Hot Shoe Diaries by Joe McNally has many great examples how to use a single, or several flashes to achieve professional results. Learn how to bouce light with a shoe flash, it will do wonders for your photography.

Good luck to you!

u/SaulMalone_Geologist · 3 pointsr/photography

>I definitely struggle with posing subjects

Have you already read Picture Perfect Posing by Roberto Valenzuela?

I saw it recommended a bunch here on /r/photography awhile back, and I'm on my 2nd read-through now. It's a fantastic book that goes into the theory behind why you'd angle a person this way or that, or why you'd move the hands this way or that way, rather than just giving you a bunch of poses to try and memorize.

u/infinity_spiral · 3 pointsr/photography

As a portrait photographer I would go back in time and give these to past-me sooner than I actually found them:

u/wickeddimension · 3 pointsr/photography

I havent personally had a chance yet to purchase this book but Light Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting came highly recommend to me. It covers fundamentals rather than being a guide/tutorial on how to do stuff without making you understand why.

u/SonyNx5t · 3 pointsr/photography

Reddit suggested this book to me, and it's amazing.

It also is structured to be used for students, self learners, pros, or a teacher. It would be a great text book. or a resource you can just use and teach from.
https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0415719402/ref=pd_cp_14_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SE0J882QNS0W5BE7XZW1

u/michaelmacmanus · 3 pointsr/Nexus6P

Did you look at the photos? This is a very obvious low light environment. Its not even really debatable. Refer to this if examples, vernacular, and/or further explanation is required.

u/pietpelle · 3 pointsr/photography

Since you don't say whether you want to learn how to operate a camera or the field of photography in general and what interests you in photography in particular this is quite a stab in the dark but here are a few suggestions of books I keep coming back to or hold important.

This assumes that you have a basic understanding on how to operate a camera. If you don't, read your camera manual or something like Adam's The Camera and .


Technical advice

  • Light, Science and Magic - the best theoretical book there is about understanding how light behaves and how to work with it. Its exercises are quite focused on artificial light and if you are just getting into photography it won't be easy but at the end of it you will know how to work with light artificial or natural and get to your vision or have a better understanding of other people's work.
  • Studio Anywhere - this is not the most technical book per se (far from it) and the images are not to my taste but what it lacks in pure knowledge it makes up for with motivating you to take images no matter how little you own. This was a fun (if a bit too quick) read and is a good book to jump into when Light, Science and Magic feels like you are a profoto pack and 3 Chimera modifiers short of what you are trying to do.

    Theory/Motivational advice

  • The Ongoing Moment by Geoff Dyer - Great book about the history of American photography, its origin and how it flourished. This book is really easy to read and a very good way to start gaining some theoretical knowledge about the wide field of photography.
  • Understanding a photograph by John Berger - Great collection of essays from one of the greatest art theorist and a fervent believer in photography as a medium pieced together by Geoff Dyer. Super engaging reads on a variety of topics and styles.
  • Ways of Seeing by John Berger - An absolute must read in my opinion, not focused solely on photography but in the arts in general. The BBC series is also a great watch and its content is still as relevant today as it was when it came out.
  • On Photography by Susan Sontag - A very important book, if not the most important when it comes to identifying the role of photography in our world. Personally found it quite hard to read but when it finally hit home it was with great impact.
u/chrisgagne · 3 pointsr/AskPhotography

I recommend also getting the book Light Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting. This will save you so much time shooting metal and glass.

u/mz-s · 3 pointsr/analog

No because essentially the duration of the flash becomes your shutter. The flash overpowers ambient light (unless you're dragging the shutter which you can experiment with).

If you're interested in going deep into flash and artificial lighting, I highly recommend the book Light: Science and Magic. https://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0415719402

u/299152595 · 3 pointsr/SonyAlpha

My only critique is to shoot as often as possible.

I also recommend buying this book.

u/ParkaBoi · 3 pointsr/photography

Learn the basics first. It'll give you a good grounding to build on and then you can try different techniques.

Take a class if you can find one near you. Buy this book. Take lots of photos. Most importantly, enjoy yourself.

u/madmadbiologist · 3 pointsr/photography

(For those in NA, Canon D1100 = Canon T3)

  1. Read your manual.
  2. Read Understanding Exposure by Brian Peterson.
  3. If you're still lost, read the Magic Lantern Guide for your camera.
  4. Google/ask here again about anything you don't understand at this point.
u/arcterex · 3 pointsr/postprocessing

Honestly I don't think that the post processing is the thing to worry about. Get out in front of people, get pictures of them not of them in a group from way in the back. There are a few where you're up in folks grills, but (and I may be projecting here) don't be afraid to just go up and make a portrait of the people. Taking pictures of people is terrifying for me, so up until the last year or so my shots looked a lot like yours, groups of people from the back, obvious that the camera wasn't in their field of view or consciousness. Then I sacked up a bit and got up in their faces and started asking if I could take their picture.

You'll be amazed how easy it is to just do once you decide to do it. The camera is a great ice breaker and for a shy guy like me, having it between me and gulp humans helps a lot.

Also go and buy the book Exposure, read it, then read it some more. Then take pictures, and read it again.

And regarding free software LR and PS both have 30 day free trials to check out.

u/admiraljohn · 3 pointsr/photography

First off, let me paste this... I keep this in a text file on my desktop for this question, when it pops up:

  • Order Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Box Set. His books are incredible resources.

  • If you're going to use Photoshop and/or Lightroom for your post-processing, also pick up Scott Kelby's Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers and Scott Kelby's Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers.

  • Order Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. This, along with the Scott Kelby boxset, should be required reading for any aspiring photographer.

    You're on the right track, starting with the /r/photoclass subreddit. Now for your other questions...

    As far as what is and isn't relevant, given most of your work would be shown on the web, don't get all hard over megapixels. Get what you can afford, but don't let yourself be swayed into getting a camera with a huge MP count. The higher numbers of megapixels come into play when you're doing close cropping, or printing large prints.

    For example, take a look at this picture. I shot this several weeks ago with my Canon 40D, which has 10 megapixels. Are there cameras with higher megapixel counts? Sure. For the type of photography I do, though, this camera suits me perfectly.

    As far as why you should get a DSLR versus a point-and-shoot, the biggest reason is lens interchangeability. A DSLR will let you change your lens based on the kind of shots you're taking, which gives you much MUCH more freedom in the kind of pictures you take. Also, DSLR's generally can offer you more freedom as you grow in your photography due to more advanced features (full manual mode, the ability to shoot Raw, etc), which ultimately give you far greater control over the finished product.

    So to blanket answer your question, it's not the camera that produces great photos, but the photographer. Hand Ansel Adams a point-and-shoot camera and I guarantee he'll outshoot me with my 40D. You want to get a camera that you feel comfortable with, you can afford and gives you the greatest freedom to grow as your interest grows.

    Does that help? :)




u/drewboy91 · 2 pointsr/ArtistLounge

Here's the book on Amazon, its an excellent resource to have.

u/howboutme · 2 pointsr/learnart

Get any anatomy for book and draw every page. This is the one I used in school.

u/Livipedia · 2 pointsr/Art

I wouldn't critique this if I didn't like this-- so, disclaimer. I also realize it is a doodle, but you posted it on the internet, so I'm assuming you would like feedback.

A little more fluidity and variance in line weight would be nice. Your anatomy needs some work-- even if this is supposed to be stylized. The jaw is very square, more characteristic of a male face, and the eyes and pupils are not pointed the same directions (A good way to help with this is to look at the drawing in a mirror, ocular dominance can be a bitch). The mouth and the nose are too high up on the face and could be pulled down a little further. I don't think the lines for the clavicles were necessary-- they pull my eye away from the face. You did a really nice job shading most of the nose, but the rest of the face lacks structure and I'm not really sure where your light sources are going, especially with the reflections on the eyes. Maybe emphasize those a little more.

I did a really quick redline here to better illustrate my points.

Some good books to help with the fundamentals that are causing these issues:

u/EntropyArchiver · 2 pointsr/SketchDaily

Only 5~ months ago did I decide to get serious about improving my art in my free time. For most of my life I only doodled occasionally. So I thought I would describe my plan of action with books and resources that I will likely be using. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My process will be basics of construction-> perspective -> figure drawing -> digital art and rendering. Approximately 45% will be improving, 45% will be doing what I want for fun and 10% will be a daily sketch(this subreddit) that takes anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour to complete. for fun I will be doing anything from digital to water color.

Construction and perspective: First I am starting my art journey by completing draw a box . Next I will go through Marshall Vandruff's Linear Perspective Videos and Perspective Made Easy simultaneously while referencing with how to draw by Scott Robertson. Briefly I will gloss at Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain or keys to drawing pulling ideas of where I might find weakness.

Figure drawing: Once those are finished, I will begin my figure drawing phase. I will move onto free proko subsided with loomis books such as this, other photo references sites like http://reference.sketchdaily.net/en and Figure Drawing: Design and Invention. I will also reference Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist and maybe more depending on my budget.

digital art and rendering: For the final stage of my journey, I will venture into ctrlpaint. Simultaneously I will be reading How to Render, Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist and Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter

After that.... I don't know. We will see were I am in a year.

u/DJ_IllI_Ill · 2 pointsr/learnart

If you want to draw people, then polish up your anatomy. Get Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist.

u/ducedo · 2 pointsr/photography

Don't limit yourself to photography, there are many amazing painters. Thinking about it, maybe you should x-post to /r/art and similar subreddits.

In terms of books I've done a lot of research but found very little. A common recommendation for photographers is The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman which goes through all kind of lines, contrast, balance, etc. Other books I'm eyeing are Mastering Composition by Ian Roberts and Framed Ink by Marcos Mateu-Mestre. Unfortunately I haven't read any of them yet so I can't comment on the quality.

If you are really serious about it, consider getting a list of most recommended art / photography universities. Then use their websites to find courses and contact teachers personally, asking for (book) recommendations. Begin with one person at each university if they happen to forward your message since you don't want to come across as spam. Some universities even publish course literature on their website. I'd love to hear the responses if you go through with it.

u/whatboobiegondo · 2 pointsr/photography

The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240809343/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8KNAxbY1X968F

u/shemademedoit · 2 pointsr/Music

In terms of constructive criticism, I must say that these photos are rather lacking..both composition and evocatively. I'd suggest you do some reading of The Photographer's Eye to improve your skills given that you have wonderful cameras that you are using.

https://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Eye-Composition-Design-Digital/dp/0240809343

u/Mr_B_86 · 2 pointsr/photography
  1. For storage of everything and ease of access I use google photo but for good work, linking and community I think flickr is better, it displays the metadata of your photos too.

  2. Lightroom classic CC, it is a monthly payment with photoshop but it is really cheap.
  3. No idea
  4. No idea
  5. https://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Eye-Composition-Design-Digital/dp/0240809343
u/heart0less · 2 pointsr/Filmmakers

'Photographer's Eye' by Michael Freeman.

Even though it's mainly focused on photography, the composition rules stay the same.

u/mullingitover · 2 pointsr/photography

> What exactly makes a good picture?

Composition. You can have perfect focus and exposure, as you do in these shots, but if you don't have composition the shots will be forgettable. I recommend reading The Photographer's Eye.

u/parkerpyne · 2 pointsr/photography

>Where can I go from here on an extremely constricted time schedule?

It's not going to be doable when time is of the essence.

I think you need to more carefully compose your shots. Most of those are shot at or near the minimum depth-of-field your lens will afford you but in all of them, there is way too much going on in the background none of which contributes in a good way. Ideally, an image has an element that leads your eye into the frame until it finds the main subject.

The eye then begins wandering around and the eye's path may follow very different routes. It might be zig-zagging through it or swirling around the center in an elliptic fashion but ultimately the eye should be led out of the image again. In traditional paintings, particularly in portraiture, you often find somewhere in the background something as obvious as a door or a window that serves as that exit.

Mind you, achieving the above is hard even for a very good painter but it's harder in photography because you have to make do with what you have in the scene and you can't freely rearrange or add items as you see fit. Somewhere I read about the five-seconds rule: Look through your viewfinder and when you think you are ready to take the shot, look for another five seconds to see if there are any obvious flaws in your composition or things that could be improved. Pay particular attention to the background where the most obvious blunders tend to occur.

If you are interested and have the patience, there is quite a bit of literature out there that strives to make you a better photographer. I often hear The Photographer's Eye getting recommended. I have no first-hand experience with it myself but I have no reason to believe that it isn't excellent. And looking at the preview, it seems to be dealing with all the right topics.

Something that I am currently reading (and I am sure the members of this subreddit are already getting tired of hearing me mention it again) is Pictorial Composition which only talks about composition in paintings. From what I have read so far I can tell it's going to be very tough to apply this to photography but at the very least it will make you aware of the many aspects that make a great a image.

u/acts541 · 2 pointsr/photography

I'm in the process of reading Micheal Freeman's "The Photographer's Eye". It is completely fascinating, especially if you don't already know a ton about composition.

u/TheInternator · 2 pointsr/VideoEditing

You're welcome. I'm glad I was a bit of help.

Honestly, I'd probably go with a photography composition book if I were to pick one, however, I learned from many places. The one thing that every book on composition will tell you is that you can't really learn it by reading the book. What you can learn is the rules. Then you have to practice a lot! I would recommend finding subs that deal with photo critiques. I learned video composition through photography. I basically read everything I could get my hands on about composition (magizines, web articles and a few books) and then I spent an enormous amount of time looking at popular work and practicing with my own pictures. Eventually something clicked and I had my own idea (although not perfect) of what looked good.

The problem is that no one can just say, "These are the composition rules," and then you're set. It's a feeling you develop over time. You have to work at it.

You can learn the rules anywhere. Google is full of resources. The problem is when you learn one of these rules for the first time, it's hard to keep your own head, your own opinion and for a while it can be difficult to really know for yourself what you find beautiful. Is the rule working? Is this really beautiful? After you practice a rule to death, you'll start to get your eye back for what's good. You'll start to feel moments when you can break the rule outright, cheat just a bit or hot damn that rule was spot on.

If you're really into getting a book, I enjoyed this one, however, to each his own. I read every damn thing I could get my hands on and we all learn in different ways. Most of what I have learned has come from shooting shitty video and then trying to edit it. During every edit I've ever done, I've taken notes on what shots I've missed. I've also googled "Sexy BRoll" a lot.

I think the number one key isn't just blind practice but practice and critique. It helps a huge amount to look at pictures you took a month ago. You're more removed, you can see the comp better. Practice, practice practice. Never turn off your viewfinder, meaning look at everything in life as if you've got a viewfinder stuck to your eye. When watching TV, look at all the shots. Look at what they use for different reactions, different cuts. Practice ;)

PS edit: I started worse than you dude. I taught myself. I'm no master at this but I have worked my way up to some amazing jobs using video. Don't give up, fight for it and practice.

u/LCTR_ · 2 pointsr/pics

Nice, I love that ur supportive of her interests :) If she's new to photography then you might want to consider buying her a book about the real heart of photography - composition

I like this book - https://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Eye-Composition-Design-Digital/dp/0240809343/

Through all the high priced lenses, cameras and other gear - if you've trained your eye to see pleasing images that skill transfers into every photo u ever take :)

u/ProfShea · 2 pointsr/photocritique

You mentioned you just started, so you're going to take so many crappy photos. But, that's part of the fun.

I bought this book years ago. I don't think of it as particularly good or insightful, but it just describes how to think about composing photos. You should seek a similar book out at your local library. Post more to photocritique as well!

u/screamingbrain · 2 pointsr/photography

Books on composition. Start with this, move on to this and this, and when you feel you're ready for more advanced stuff get this.

The world is full of people who spend thousands of dollars and years of their lives taking technically perfect photos of their cat. Don't end up like them.

u/albatroxx · 2 pointsr/Art

Well, yeah, but everywhere else is more expensive. If you think about it, an 8.5x11 full color book 100 pages long for 25 dollars isn't that bad. Personally I would stick with the soft cover because bringing the price up to 35 dollars is a pretty big jump in price. I think they might give discounts to places like Amazon so it would cost a little bit less than that.

Some comparisons:

30 dollars being sold for 20, 200 pages, same size

25 dollars being sold for 17, 225 pages, about the same size, B+W

Expose series(You can look through the entire book on that page)

The expose series is probably the closest to the sort of book we would be looking for, but it is done by professional artists so it would be moderately more expensive, but 70 dollars instead of 25 is a huge jump. I think it wouldn't be too bad, but I would also get at least a second and third opinion.

u/Xenocerebral · 2 pointsr/photography

The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman

I havn't read many photography books but this one made a lot of sense to me, especially about the dynamics in the frame.

u/Alstjbin · 2 pointsr/photocritique

The building on the left balances the picture. For one it frames the scene. Especially because it's relatively bland and uninteresting it guides the eyes back into the picture. Besides that, it is a similar facade as the beautifully lit building on the right. This gives the picture both symmetry and contrast as visual elements.

The image does adhere to the rule of thirds since all the lines are filled with interesting elements. Perhaps you've had trouble applying the rule of thirds because you've focused too much on the crossing points of the lines. The reason these four points are the most interesting ones for the rule of thirds, is because items on those points adhere to the rule twice.

If you want more background information on composition, I can recommend this book.

For myself, whenever I'm learning a new photography skill I do the following: As soon as I have taken the shot I'm after, I take at least five more where I play around with whatever element I'm practicing with. So for composition, I would take the shot I want. Then go look for alternative angles, other elements to in- or exclude, maybe a different foreground or background, whatever options are available at the time. After a while I start seeing the options beforehand and will be ready to incorporate it and move on to the next element to work on.

u/sendtojapan · 2 pointsr/japanlife

I can't comment on /u/tokyohoon's book, but I quite liked this one. Maybe /u/zerototeacher will show up and properly edumacate us.

u/INTJustAFleshWound · 2 pointsr/intj

Photography!

Anything in particular you want to know? I think people fall into two categories with photography:

  1. People who have "the eye", but lack the technical knowledge of their equipment to take full advantage of their natural ability.
  2. People who have learned technical knowledge and artistic concepts, but who lack artistic intuition.

    Of the two the first kind of people are the best raw material, but anyone can make a career out of photography with enough work, and the most important component is perhaps not how good your photography is, or how much of a natural you are, but how well you market your work.

    I, too, considered going into professional photography when I was younger. When I got my work printed for the first time I was told that it looked much better than the professionals who frequently came to get their stuff printed. I say that not to brag on myself, but to demonstrate how essential marketing is. No one knew about my work and I wasn't bothering to market it. So, does it matter if mine's better if no one knows about it? I ended up pursuing a different career path because at that time in life I knew I lacked the experience and discipline to wake up each morning and essentially run my own company.

    Have you identified your weak points/areas for growth? What are you doing to attack them? Personally, I'd say steer clear of school. You do not need to drop money on school for photography. You just need equipment, knowledge and experience/practice. Do you know how to shoot glass? Metal? In mixed lighting situations? Do you know how to work with artificial lighting to create a scene from scratch? Do you have an established post-processing workflow? Are you tagging your photos in Lightroom/Aperture so you can find them again?

    What kind of photography do you want to do? If it's wedding/portrait, there's money in that, but some of us (me) hate those types of photography. If you want to do nature/macro, then it'll be tougher to make a living off of that. You might need to build an extremely large portfolio of very high-quality stock photography, most of which is shot at daybreak or sunset.

    Going back to education for a moment, knowing how to recreate very specific lighting scenarios is nice (Rembrandt lighting, "high key" lighting, "butterfly" lighting, soft vs. hard lighting), but the most important thing is understanding how to identify and control light itself. So, when looking for books, it's arguably more important to find books that explain the nature of light (polarized vs. unpolarized, angles, reflections, shadows, etc.) than it is to find books that show you a photo and tell you exactly how to recreate that specific scene. If you know the concepts and techniques, you don't need to know how to recreate a scene step-by-step; you can figure it out yourself. This book does a better job of explaining light than most formal education will and for a very reasonable price.

    Try to build your portfolio however you can. This might involve shooting for free. I worked at a summer camp for pennies on the dollar to build mine, but ended up with a robust array of kid shots to fill out that area of my portfolio. You could shoot music shows to learn how to deal with low-light and unpredictable lighting... You might be surprised how thankful some starving artists would be to have someone shoot 'em with nice equipment. Just try not to let people take advantage of you. If you're doing it for you, great. If someone needs some headshots and it's not going to help your portfolio, consider setting the precedent of getting paid.

    Oh yeah, and get insurance for your gear. Some lowlife can literally steal your business by taking your stuff. My 40D and 24-70mm f/2.8L got stolen out of my house a few years ago. Took me about a year and a half to save up and get new equipment.

    Please let me know if you have any additional questions. I can't speak much about photography as an industry as I've never done it "professionally", but I have done a lot as a hobbyist, and as someone who, at one point, considered going pro. Finally got a 6D recently to replace my stolen gear. Might get into a little astro or night photography down the road now that I've finally joined the full frame club.

    Wish you the best
u/adamtj · 2 pointsr/photography

The book "Light: Scrience and Magic" may help you to understand how to control light.

http://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0240812255/

It will teach you the "how" of lighting and a little bit of the "what". Once you have those tools in your mental toolbox, so to speak, it will be much easier to understand what lighting helps with and why.

Among other things, that book talks about how the light from a softbox and a bare bulb differ and why. It also talks about the various techniques and issues with lighting glossy surfaces (like car bodies) and glass. Even the sections on lighting portraits may provide you with some techniques applicable to cars.

u/Sleeparchive · 2 pointsr/photography

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0240812255

This book was a game changer for me. It was all about putting aside the camera for a bit and remember that it's all about light.

Also, being obsessed with seeing as many photos as I could find and adoring them enough to see similar situations. I think photography is like writing, imitation is part of the process of finding your own style.

u/Spacker2004 · 2 pointsr/postprocessing

If you're the book reading type, I can highly recommend 'Light Science & Magic'. It'll help you grasp the fundamentals of light and how it works and can be manipulated.

Non affiliate Amazon Link

u/lencioni · 2 pointsr/photography

I highly recommend Light Science and Magic. It will help you understand lighting from the ground up.

u/incredibleting · 2 pointsr/photography

This was a great help for me back when I first started. It goes over the basics and necessities and briefly covers different types of photography. And it's cheap. There are other volumes too, but I haven't been able to look at those yet.

u/ayamami · 2 pointsr/photography
u/strophic · 2 pointsr/photography

The best thing you can do is
1: read your manual
2: get a book to help you understand the basics of photography. One book that did wonders for me: http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Photography-Book-Scott-Kelby/dp/032147404X.
3: Go out and shoot as often as you can and shoot on manual mode as often as you can if you camera has a manual mode.

u/mjsolaro · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

When my husband got his first SLR, I got him this.

The writing is a bit cheesy, but it does a good job prescribing what settings you'll need for what type of picture. This allowed him to start snapping immediately rather than trying to study the camera for ages before getting started.

As for collections of great photographs, try National Geographic's collections if she likes landscapes.

u/ksuwildkat · 2 pointsr/pentax

What color did you get?

I know the feeling. When I bought my K200D it seemed like a ton of money and forever before it arrived.

As soon as you can start using the AF-200 and see what it does and doesnt do to images. Then get on the Strobist and learn what you can do with off camera flash. If you really want to get into that kind of photography it is extremely rewarding. You create light that doesnt exist. Read "The moment it clicks" and "Hot Shoe Diaries" and be prepared to be addicted. When you are ready to take the plunge, go to Gadget Infinity and check out the Cactus RF60 can do.

u/treerex · 2 pointsr/photography

On the contrary, I think he knows exactly what he is doing. His book "The Hot Shoe Diaries" is one of the best books on lighting I've read:

http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Shoe-Diaries-Light-Flashes/dp/0321580141

u/mikeytown2 · 2 pointsr/photography

Picture Perfect Posing: Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models. Game changer. Teaching stuff that would take years to learn on your own.

u/ObaSolid · 2 pointsr/canon

The notion of using a lower Fstop comes from the shallower DoF, blurring out things that are far away from the focal point, mostly to draw focus to the face, however, that is not always necessary, there are some other ways to direct the attention of a portrait.

You should balance out using a faster stop for blurring out and a slower one for a sharper image. I usually tend to stick to a faster one save from some specific poses, and use some positions to enhance some features of the face.

I'd recommend the following book: https://www.amazon.com/Picture-Perfect-Posing-Practicing-Photographers/dp/0321966465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524111845&sr=8-1&keywords=picture+perfect+posing&dpID=51vi3fNrADL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

I dislike some of the choices made in the book, but overall it teaches a lot of good concepts in a didactic way.

u/iZoooom · 2 pointsr/SWORDS

I would imagine any hot-light setup would work.

LED's are just nice as they're (fairly) inexpensive and adjustable without being too physically hot. I thought about just using the modeling lights on my strobes, but didn't think that would put out enough light.

Apparently this book has an entire chapter how to light shiny metal objects, but I've not (yet) had a chance to read it.

u/SAIUN666 · 2 pointsr/AskMen
u/Dyogenez · 2 pointsr/financialindependence

A book that really helped my learn about that is Understanding Exposure. It goes into how aperture settings (the f1.4 part of a lens), ISO and shutter speed let light into a photo -- and the basics of how to tweak those 3 settings to get the kinds of photos you're looking for. Great intro read that could help answer the question. The lower the number of the lens f-stop, the more light that lens can let in, and the better it'll be at taking photos in low light -- but the other two settings (ISO and shutter speed) might be enough as well.

u/HobbytheWise · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

Yes.

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Photographs-Camera/dp/0817439390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310443030&sr=8-1

That is an amazing book to start learning with.

And there is no real reason to buy a big expensive camera as your first camera. If you can't operate it, you are wasting it. I bought a Nikon D80 with an 18~135mm lens (both refurbs) for around $800... You can get a D90 for alittle bit more.

But, before you buy a camera... I'd google around a lot, or go to
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/index.php
They are good people there, and since it is a dedicated photography forum, you will be able to find a lot more answers more quickly than here (simply because the mass quantities of posts here tend to swallow up 90% of them).

u/dimwell · 2 pointsr/photography

> I find as a techie person I just love to understand my gadgets entirely.

There's a lot involved (physics and image sensor technology, for one), but the set of Wikipedia articles on this stuff is pretty spectacular. From a sheer scientific perspective, they're a must-read.

As for actually taking the picture? You'll want to start with a copy of "Understanding Exposure".

u/genron1111 · 2 pointsr/photography

Understand exposure is often mentioned here as a must read.

u/rbnc · 2 pointsr/pics

Nice photo and cute dog!

One thing to bear in mind is that it's very easy to overexpose photos when using fast primes, sometimes I even set my exposure as far down as -1 especially in broad daylight. When your photo looks burned out as the one you've taken does, try stopping it down to -1 and you'll see all the wonderful colour flooding back into the photo.

Obligatory. :)

u/Pepperpwni · 2 pointsr/photography

Renting a good camera doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to get good pictures; how good you are with a camera and how much you are willing to learn are the most important factors. If you're looking into a DSLR then you need to take time to learn the camera and what settings to use when before you depart. Additionally, you'll probably need to get a better lens for it as well (whether renting or buying).

I guess what im trying to say is if you want a DSLR you need atleast a few weeks learning it + $1000 entry cost if purchasing, if you go for the low end model (Rebel XS body and, lets say, Tamron 18-270mm 3.5-6.2 VC Lens with rebate) and Understanding Exposure (http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Photographs-Camera/dp/0817439390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310284264&sr=8-1 ) is a highly recommended book for learning how to get started.

I don't know renting costs near you.

If you're looking for something less sophisticated but still want some power behind your punch look into something like the SX30IS (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-SX30IS-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B0041RSPR8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310284110&sr=8-1) or http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-SX130IS-Stabilized-3-0-Inch/dp/B003ZSHNG8/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1310284168&sr=8-10

u/sweetpea89 · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Either this book to improve on my picture taking skills, or a gift card to go towards the purchase of a gopro camera (for corgi point of view shots, wedding, and honeymoon stuff)

I want an early present!

Happy early birthday and thanks for the contest! :D

u/frickindeal · 2 pointsr/pics

Read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_(photography)

That's a bit of a complicated explanation, but it's probably the most comprehensive online.

There's an excellent book called Understanding Exposure that would teach you everything you need to know about photographic exposure.

u/optimaloutcome · 2 pointsr/Parenting

The best way to choose which DSLR you want to buy is to find out what brand of camera your friend who is the most in to photography uses. Then buy a camera of the same brand in your price range. Now you can borrow all their lenses.....

The second thing you need to do is realize that the best camera in the world can't fix crap composition or use of lighting. This book right here is an excellent tutor for understanding what all the settings on your camera do and why you might use them.

I personally have a Canon Rebel T2i (because my friend who has thousands of dollars invested in equipment, also shoots with a Canon). I shoot primarily with a 50mm lens (they refer to it as the Nifty-Fifty because it's $100 and offers huge bang for the buck).

u/KiltedMan · 2 pointsr/photography

Try "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. Simple to follow and a lot of great information.

[edit: link for the book on Amazon]

u/mad_toothbrush · 2 pointsr/india

You can learn how to use the camera by just spending time with your manual.
On the other hand, if you want to learn photo basics here are some great resources -
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson -
http://www.amazon.in/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381293576&sr=8-1&keywords=understanding+exposure

Cambridge in color - one of the best online photography learning resources -
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/

u/polylemma · 2 pointsr/photography

The Olympus 25mm (if that's what you have) is really, really great. I spent a year shooting almost exclusively with that for a 365 project, and came to love it (just wish they made a 17mm of the same quality).

There are two books I always recommend to anyone just starting out, as they really helped me: Understanding Exposure and The Photographer's Eye. Might be worth a look!

u/Cranial_Vault · 2 pointsr/raleigh

You've got the basic idea of what the controls do, keep shooting and try to picture the shot before you take the exposure and see if you can produce the image you want. Get a copy of Understanding Exposure and read it. Then read it again. The best thing you can do is shoot as much as possible and don't be afraid of shitty pictures. For a given shoot I might take 200 pictures and only keep 3-4. You will rarely, if ever, get the shot you want in one go.

u/oldscotch · 2 pointsr/photography

The "Light", "Lens", "Film", "Exposure" and "Camera Film/Digital" articles linked here:
http://photo.net/making-photographs/ ....are an excellent primer - a good understanding of these concepts is critical, though mastering them is certainly not easy. The digital article is a bit dated, modern dSLRS are a lot better than they were even only 5 years ago - but still worth reading. And yes, the film article is also worth it even if you never use film in your life, if nothing else to recognize and understand its role in selecting exposure.

You can then start looking here:
http://photo.net/learn/photography-technique/ -which has plenty of more specific artlcles that get in to the different types of photography.

The more you read, the more you're going to want to rush out and start trying out the stuff you just learned. Do that! A lot! Because, well, you're going to make a lot of mistakes starting off, but you will learn and the more you shoot the more you'll learn.

Finally, if you're going to get only one photography book, make it this one:
http://www.amazon.ca/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390

u/DrIblis · 2 pointsr/photography

I strongly suggest you look at a book called understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson

this book is great


as for RAW, I follow the rule that if you have to ask, you're not ready for it.

RAW is the raw image data. When you shoot jpeg a certain amount of post-editing goes into it, such as saturation levels, white balance, etc etc etc. With raw, none of that happens.

In the end, you can get higher quality pictures that look better after playing with different functions and white balances. RAW files are much larger since none of the image data is compressed, and you will want a powerful computer to process them.

as for the A37, it's a good camera, but Sony isn't the best for photography. Nikon, Pentax, and Canon out-perform Sony in actual photography. For video in DSLRs, Sony is unmatched.

Look at the Nikon D3100, D3200, Canon Rebel T3, T2i, and Pentax K-30

u/Beaker__ · 2 pointsr/cars

Camera type is irrelevant. Those pics can be done with most any SLR (film) or DSLR. If you really want to know, then I recommend reading a book such as Bryan Peterson's, Understanding Exposure.

wrt cars specifically: flat metal surface & glass = polarized light so play with a circular polarizer (see reflection, see no reflection). Which, other than bokeh, I suspect you're picking up on but not articulating.

I doubt you'll see benefit from buying lenses before you understand the principles (aperture, focal length and iso) and Understanding Exposure is a very good resource. Also, old school still wins. ie., take a notepad, experiment and write plenty of notes.

u/prodigitous · 2 pointsr/photoit

Dgital Photography School is great, Lightstalking.com is another good one. I'd suggest studying on composition first, then work on mastering exposure. Bryan Peterson has written arguably the best book ever on exposure (all of his stuff is worth looking at) and this series by Scott Kelby can really accelerate the learning process, there is a lot of good information in there not directly related to operating your camera that you otherwise would only learn after years of experience.

u/nostrovia · 2 pointsr/photography

I agree with reading the manual, but I would recommend reading it in conjunction with something like Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. Maybe manuals have gotten better (I have an older DSLR), but my manual explained the technical side of my camera's features without delving too much into the "why" aspect. This book (and there are others like it) will explain why you should be changing settings to get the most out of your camera.

u/revjeremyduncan · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I received one gift, but it is still, like the highlight of my year. Just knowing someone would want to do something nice for me was so amazing. I feel like I would give that person a kidney, now, if they needed one.

It was the photography book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. I just finished it last night, and it was so incredibly helpful. I can't wait to read all of his books.

Another reason it was awesome, besides being a great and helpful read, is that I got it right before all electronic devices (cellphone, kindle, tablet, even iPods) got banned at my work. I work in a machine shop, where I have like 5-20 minute cycle times. I used to read my Kindle or browse Reddit. Now I can't even listen to my iPod! This book helped save my sanity.

u/hennell · 2 pointsr/photography

There are a few things you can get without much info; but it'd help if you know what sort of things he likes to shoot (and where - indoor, outdoor), as well as how long he's been shooting for! (If he has an online portfolio (especially flickr) that may say what camera/lens he uses etc in the metadata, or just show what subjects he likes if you don't want to ask!)

Your best option however might be a book; understanding exposure and the photographers eye are ones often mentioned here that are pretty universal to any model camera or photography subject. (I don't own exposure, but I believe it's pretty useful for most beginner to intermediate shooters, Eye is probably a little more intermediate+ (it's understandable to all levels, but you have to want to put the effort in to use it if you see what I mean!))

u/CharlieXLS · 2 pointsr/predaddit

YES. Photography is fun and really easy to get the hang of once you do a bit of studying. I'm a wedding photographer, and use Canon gear. Canon and Nikon both make top-notch cameras and lenses.

Honestly, the lens is the more important part. Nothing wrong with getting good used equipment to save some cash. You can get a 4-5 year old camera body (like a Canon 50D or 5D) for $500 or less. A couple of beginner lenses with good optical quality will set you back another $400-500 depending on what you want.

I always recommend "Understanding Exposure" for photog newbies:
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390

It's a great book that puts things in simple terms and makes photography very accessible.

I would also highly recommend checking out POTN forums:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

I've been on POTN for about 8 years and it has proved to be a great resource. I've bought and sold thousands of bucks worth of gear and gotten great advice from other users. Lots of pros and amateurs alike. It is Canon-centric but the photo sharing section obviously is open to anything.

Feel free to PM me with any questions as well!

u/Jim3535 · 2 pointsr/photography

This book is awesome for beginners. It's a fairly quick read, so you might be ok just reading parts in a bookstore, but it's really worth getting.

Understanding Exposure

u/Appleanche · 2 pointsr/photography

You really don't have to master a point and shoot to graduate to an SLR. I wasn't massively into photography before I got an SLR.

Make sure you research your camera, look at Nikon as well. You might also want to go for the T3 as someone else suggested, save the $200 and put it to a new lens when you get a hang of the camera.

Be sure you don't overburden yourself with extra equipment until you get the hang of your camera itself. I'd get a tripod, bag, and the Understanding Exposure to learn how to shoot manually.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0817439390/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0817463003&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1ZE81AM9ZZSD31P2YNFK

u/Penguin123 · 2 pointsr/photography

I really learned a lot from Bryan Peterson's books. I think Understanding Exposure is an excellent introduction to photography. He spends a lot of time explaining the relationships between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO in different situations. As well as going into the creative aspects of exposure. The second edition has been around a while. The third edition is coming out in a few weeks.

u/lanemik · 2 pointsr/photography

This is hands down the best book on how to expose images properly that I've ever seen.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0817439390/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

If you're going to get tits deep into photoshop, check out this book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0321356780/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1368307335&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

Go get Lightroom 5. It is in beta and it is free.

http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom5/

u/porkbellybourbon · 2 pointsr/LosAngeles

Side note: one of my favorite books I read in college when taking film courses was Ansel Adams the Camera. I learned heaps about what's really happening in a camera and how to control it.

u/wiggert · 2 pointsr/photography

Ansel Adams "The Camera" is pretty neat.

u/fuqsfunny · 2 pointsr/Beginning_Photography

Well, I'd suggest not limiting your search to books strictly about DSLRs, since photographic lenses and the theory behind them were around for a century or more before digital SLRs came along. Your points of information are applicable to all lenses, not just those designed for DSLRs, so books about lenses and theory for film cameras (SLR, rangefinder, etc) will have the required info as well. Expand your search. There really is nothing that new, here.

Ansel Adams' The Camera has an excellent section on lenses that covers most if not all of the info you're looking for. There are also sections on different camera formats, different shutter types, etc. Adams was the original camera nerd, and the book is pretty detailed on all the subjects you mention.

Past that, ask your specific questions here. There are lots of us who know the answers or can direct you to a reputable source.

What is it you want to know? Hell, I've got a copy of The Camera on the table in front of me right now. Can transcribe if you want. Just let me know what you're looking for.

Edit: If you want to get really technical, look for a copy of Applied Photographic Optics by Sidney Ray

u/av1cenna · 2 pointsr/analog

My favorite educational book on photography is probably "The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression" by Bruce Barnbaum.

My favorite book on portraiture is "50 Portraits" by Gregory Heisler and for landscapes it's "Treasured Lands" by Q.T. Luong.

All of these have a big focus on film photography.

Another good set is Ansel Adams trilogy, The Camera, The Negative and The Print, which you can get used on Amazon for about $20 for all three books. However, they focus primarily on large format cameras, black and white negatives, and darkroom printing, so unless you're doing specifically that, I'd go with The Art of Photography above.

u/HeegeMcGee · 2 pointsr/photography

The classic textbook series is by Ansel Adams. I'd recommend The Camera, although there will be more information in there about large format cameras than you will probably need. It's still useful to understand the concepts, so i'd skim those sections.

The series continues with The Negative and The Print, i believe. I took 3 semesters of photo in school, so i was comfortable enough with that to skip it since i mostly shoot digital and have my wet process done in a lab anyway. For someone who doesn't have a firm grasp of photographic processes, i'd recommend these books.

u/microphylum · 2 pointsr/analog

There's basically a whole chapter devoted to this in the classic Ansel Adams book, The Negative.

Basically you take the meter reading and add a few stops. But I don't live in a place with snow either, so my personal experience isn't the best.

u/jeffk42 · 2 pointsr/analog

Someone else might be able to point you toward something online, but for me, The Negative and The Print are pretty essential. Understanding the Zone System opens up a new world of possibilities when you're ready to progress past blindly following manufacturer recommendations for developing. :)

u/windsostrange · 2 pointsr/photography
u/civildisobedient · 2 pointsr/Design

> What makes pantone any different than going to a hardware store and getting their paint swatches for free?

Because Pantone is guaranteeing not just the color ink is right, they're guaranteeing that the print is right. Those are two totally separate things.

There are about a million different ways to fuck up a physical print. Open up some art books and compare the pictures of the same piece of art. You'll see all kinds of range of colors on the page. Consider, one of the reasons art collectors place a premium on lithographs is because one of the things you pay for when you get a lithograph or other "pure ink" facsimile of a piece of artwork is the guarantee that it will continue to actually look like the same thing according to the people that are the ones that define what "it" actually is.

u/encinitaschaco · 2 pointsr/photography

I get asked a variant of this, which is "are those the real colors?" I wrote an article to answer the question.

I'm reading a fascinating book now called Coloring the Universe: An Insider's Look at Making Spectacular Images of Space about the creation of those incredible images from space. I never realized that the photos started out as b&w images with no color at all. It's a great explanation as well of the limitations of eye sight. And there are the two books Ansel Adams wrote on post processing, The Print and The Negative.

If we're talking about photography as an art form, then this question is equivalent to asking a painter if they mix their paint, or only use them as they come out of the tube. It's a stupid question (not that I would tell a viewer that), but it comes from the newness of this medium as an art form and to some extent, the insecurity of photographers themselves.

u/JZA_Tog · 2 pointsr/analog

All of the comments sound like good advice to me too. Standardising the processing is a good plan also - to my mind there are far more interesting parameters to experiment with. I'd also endorse looking at Adams' zone system - The Negative, it's mainly intended for sheet film, but he's an easy read and it gives a really thorough grounding in what can be achieved with film - I'll bet it improves your digital work too

u/Drizzle_Do-Urden · 2 pointsr/pics
u/kmack · 2 pointsr/movies
u/rusty075 · 2 pointsr/Survival

Exactly this. I was hoping someone would mention Dick Proenneke. That dude was the original wilderness badass. Get up in the morning, cut down a couple trees with an axe, build a table and a stool with just hand tools, catch some fish, and then stop and have some lunch.

The book is a great read for anyone considering making their way on their own in the wilderness.

u/7o0 · 2 pointsr/books

If you want an actual account that will give you the identical feel, check out One Man's Wilderness. You may have even seen the documentary on PBS if you're in the US, but it's just fantastic.

u/willies_hat · 2 pointsr/homestead

This is it.

u/CuriosityK · 2 pointsr/ArtisanVideos

You can read his book, One Man's Wilderness. I loved it. It's a compilation of his journal entries from when he was in Alaska.

u/Tranny_Tammy · 2 pointsr/ArtisanVideos

One man's wilderness - an Alaskan odyssy is tremendous. It's not written like a story though. Dick wrote in a journal everyday as part of his work for the national park service documenting things like temperature and snow pack depth. He would also document animals and their migration patterns. This book is excerpts from those journals and put together in chronological order, a highlights if you will.

Really really good read.

u/CodenameWalrus · 2 pointsr/Journaling
u/ryanmcd90 · 2 pointsr/woodworking

This guy is incredible. I read his memoir many years ago and highly recommend it... https://www.amazon.com/One-Mans-Wilderness-Alaskan-Odyssey/dp/0882405136/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

u/4ArthurDent2 · 2 pointsr/homestead

Alone in the Wilderness: https://youtu.be/ShLLp94RZMY

Accompanying Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0882405136/ref=pd_aw_sim_74_2/168-8232578-2674509?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JF37GEHWS34EEPZW9DCF

Multiple Alaskan Homesteads, the user who posted this video was apart of one of these families before leaving for civilization: https://youtu.be/UlPzlmqp7tI

A documentary by VICE that is dedicated to the Korth family, seen in the above video: https://youtu.be/Iq0rZn8HFmQ

Book about the Korth family from the previous two links: https://www.amazon.com/Final-Frontiersman-Family-Alaskas-Wilderness/dp/074345314X

Those last two are the most interesting, because the Korths are the only human residents of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, so they are basically the only residents of an area as large as the state of South Carolina, which is something I can relate to since I grew up in SC....basically the Korths are the most badass homesteaders alive; SC is pretty fucking big.

EDIT: Well I read that wrong, I thought you wanted documentaries to watch.....well if you have money for the plane ticket and the time you could try and meet one of them, but again the third link is from one of the members from one of those families except he's "civilized" so try and message him on YouTube.

u/tsilb · 2 pointsr/Schizoid

> way too hard and full of inconvenience and risk.

Depends where your priorities are. Some people just want to get away from it all, exit the rat race, enjoy some peace and quiet. I for one can totally get on board with a life where I'm judged only by myself, based on what I've accomplished.

Which is a good segue to the story of Dick Proenneke, who in his 50s decided to disappear into the Alaskan wilderness and build a cabin from scratch using only hand tools. He's got his own book and movie about his story. Worth a read/watch.

u/go_fly_a_kite · 2 pointsr/WTF

one of my favorite coffee table books-

you might also enjoy:
why cats paints and why paint cats

u/Licensedpterodactyl · 2 pointsr/funny
u/perpetually_me · 2 pointsr/cats

There’s a book “Why cats paint: A theory of feline aesthetics”

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Cats-Paint-Theory-Aesthetics/dp/0898156122

u/Andre-the-3000 · 2 pointsr/photography

I have a few recommendations for you:


Master the Business of Photography with Sal Cincotta: This class will give you a good primer on the business side.


Build Your Lighting Knowledge with Peter Hurley: Peter will teach you simple lighting setup and whatnot.


Because I like books, I'll recomend some as well.

u/spyhi · 2 pointsr/photography

In addition actually getting to know how to use your camera and finding your niche, read these:

Best Business Practices for Photographers by John Harrington

The Personal MBA by Josh Kauffman

One thing I'll grant you, kid: You're not a good photographer yet, but at least you seem to recognize that taking sellable photos and running a photo business require two sets of skills, and that you should be developing those skills in parallel if you are serious about creative work as a career. Those two books should get you on the right path for the latter.

Also, don't print a portfolio. You're not good enough yet and you'd be wasting money by doing so. Get a few photos you're proud of (and that have been critiqued well) before dropping real money on marketing materials. The money is better invested in the two books I linked above.

u/artfellig · 2 pointsr/photography

Not an easy question to answer, depends on many things, but here are a couple references:

http://www.cradocfotosoftware.com/fotoQuote-Pro/

http://www.amazon.com/Business-Practices-Photographers-Second-Edition/dp/1435454294



u/camerainmyhand · 2 pointsr/photography

Buy this book: Best Business Practices for Photographers, Second Edition and read it.

It will help you understand why you need to be paid for work you do.

u/sticklebackridge · 2 pointsr/photography

It is possible to make great photos with a T6, or any camera really, but like with any craft, that depends more on the experience of the person using the tool than the tool itself.

You should read up about the business of photography, something like John Harrington's book would be a good start. Another good resource is aphotoeditor.com. These are both geared toward more commercial photography than fine art selling, but have great information.

You're young, you should focus on making good work, and start reading about the business side of it now, so once your work and confidence is in the right place, you will be prepared to do a proper job. You can't expect professional results tomorrow, but if you start working hard now and have the willingness to hustle, you will see results over time.

On a side note, being a server would pay much better than being a dishwasher, so as long as you're working in the restaurant industry, you should try to do that instead.

u/piccoach · 2 pointsr/photography

Congrats on having your photographs well received.

Whenever you send photos to anyone, or give permission for use of the photos, you should be explicit, in writing, with what can and cannot be done with the images, and whether or not they need to be credited, etc. It's important to be very specific and include limitations (you can do use for social media, but not advertising; you can use the photos in a local market but not national; etc).

You're looking for info on what to charge for next summer, and also what to charge for photos that are already shot?

Here's a useful book about licensing your photos:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041IXRQQ?btkr=1

And photo business in general:
http://www.amazon.com/Business-Practices-Photographers-Second-Edition/dp/1435454294/ref=sr_1_1

u/GorgonZolla · 2 pointsr/legaladvice

I am: not a lawyer, only knowledgeable about the US, an amateur photographer, and have a copy of www.amazon.com/dp/1435454294

What you are doing is very common on Flickr, I've had this happen numerous times. I don't think it's a violation of their terms or that you're doing anything wrong, but that's just my impression.

What I think you are trying to accomplish here is to negotiate a license with the photographer to use their photos. They maintain copyright and it remains "all rights reserved" for them - but you have an agreement with them to use the photo according to some specific terms. I think that it's in your best interest to formalize this with a contract so that there aren't any questions further down the line (i.e. they agree to let you use it now and then realize you are making money using their art and get upset). Searching online will find lots of resources for this sort of licensing. Obviously an expert in intellectual property rights could draft something specifically for your situation.

As /u/lord_humble says, there may be concerns about releases as well. My understanding is that this can range from a model release for the person/people pictured in the image to releases for other copyrighted works shown in the picture depending on usage. There's some interesting "common sense" reading here that talks about releases: http://www.danheller.com/model-release-copyrights.html

The expanding stock photo market addresses many of these issues by letting you buy a license with a one time fee for specific use of imagery. You may want to pursue that approach if you believe your usage will become popular enough that this could be an issue.

u/GaryARefuge · 2 pointsr/photography

>Isn't there some kinda verbiage you need to have ready to go for how long they can use it for

Yes. This is called a licensing contract for usage rights (or something like that).

A book like this can help you understand how to handle writing such a contract:

https://smile.amazon.com/Best-Business-Practices-Photographers-Second/dp/1435454294/ref=pd_sbs_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1435454294&pd_rd_r=BYMEZ05X7ADQNZ28MG3X&pd_rd_w=qoJ3o&pd_rd_wg=eTKTp&psc=1&refRID=BYMEZ05X7ADQNZ28MG3X

You could also use those calculators on Getty and Corbis to understand each factor you need to address in the license you create. There is more than just "how long they can use it for."


-----

>proof that its your picture

This is on them to ask for.

You should be able to do this in a number of different ways.

The easiest and most important one is to have a copyright registration document to show them.

Without that, there are many other ways. Use common sense with this.

u/nattfodd · 2 pointsr/photography

Get yourself a copy of John Harrington's Best Business Practices for Photographers, that would be a good way to start with the hard part of being a pro shooter.

u/001Ratke · 2 pointsr/photography
u/Delicious_Kittens · 2 pointsr/Astronomy

As my stock answer to this question, I've found [this book] (http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Astronomers-Guide-Terence-Dickinson/dp/1554073448/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334180556&sr=1-1) to be the easiest to digest and most informative out there. It also serves as a jumping off point as it references many other great resources. I've got a Master's in Applied Physics and it does a great job of building up from the basics without being too dense (because who really wants to DO the Maths in their spare time?).

I also use Sky Safari Pro for my iPad to learn and control my computerized telescope. That's more of a safety net, and no replacement for knowing the night sky.

u/SKSmokes · 2 pointsr/BuyItForLife

Astronomy is an expensive hobby. I would start (for about $100) with:

  1. An introductory astronomy book (http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Astronomers-Guide-Terence-Dickinson/dp/1554073448/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368414312&sr=8-1&keywords=backyard+astronomer)

  2. A way of identifying constellations, stars and messier objects (this can be an android app, a laptop application, or a sky chart--the backyard astronomy book will have one as well)

  3. A pair of binoculars (10x50 or so, I have a pair of Baush and Lomb and they suit the purpose, here's one on amazon by Bushnell: http://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-Perma-Focus-10x50-Binocular/dp/B00005AXIV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368414522&sr=8-1&keywords=bausch+and+lomb+10x50)

    Where you go from there depends greatly on your viewing habits/locations (e.g. will you generally be looking in light polluted skies or nice dark skies, any interest in astrophotography or just viewing? Do you want to spend a lot of time viewing the planets?, etc.).

    Also keep in mind that having a telescope with no accessories is kind of like having a car with nothing in the engine compartment. You also need a few eyepieces, a telrad or some other mechanism to help with spotting, and soon you'll want filters, a spotting scope, a CCD (if you want to do astrophotography), a better mount, etc.

    Anyway, I'd advise to start with those first 3 components and see how you like it. :)
u/Melephant13 · 2 pointsr/GiftIdeas

Ideas for you:

u/TwoWheeledTraveler · 2 pointsr/motorcycle

First, (and I'm probably old and crusty enough that my advice will sound like it - I learned to shoot on film back when...) don't worry about the editing. Learn to use your camera. Learn what the controls are and how they affect the image you take. Learn to compose an image well, and how to get what you want in the image to come out that way. THEN you can learn / worry about editing. Way too many people think that the magic of "good" photography is in Photoshop or Lightroom, when really it's in knowing how to use your tools (i.e. the camera). I've shot for automotive and motorsports stuff for a good while now, and while I'm ok, there are guys out there who can out-shoot me with a potato phone camera because they really know what they're doing.

​

Get yourself a copy of Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson and learn what he has to teach. Once you learn how to use the camera and how to compose a good photograph you'll be taking awesome shots of your bike.

u/csis_agent0xB16B00B5 · 2 pointsr/Beginning_Photography

I still like Bryan Peterson's, Understanding Exposure.

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509

I have the third edition.

DarkTable, Huggin, and GIMP are free. Learning curve can be steep but they do more than just getting the job done.

https://www.darktable.org/

http://hugin.sourceforge.net/

https://www.gimp.org/

u/chulgor · 2 pointsr/Nikon

On the other hand, millions of unenhanced humans somehow managed to learn how to use film cameras with, at most, a light meter. I suspect you'll do fine. A good photography book wouldn't hurt.

u/shlotchky · 2 pointsr/SonyAlpha

I found this comment over in the main photography subreddit.

In particular, the first 2 youtube videos were extremely helpful for me. They were long, but worth it to watch the entire thing. The Sam Abell one in particular is great since he will show a sequence of his photograph attempts leading up to some of his more famous work. For me this helped me understand what are the minutiae that can make a photo great.

These videos are on the compositional/artistic side. For the more technical side of things, I have been learning a lot from the book Understanding Exposure.

u/DickieJoJo · 2 pointsr/Beginning_Photography

This book is absolute money: Understanding Exposure

u/Mun-Mun · 2 pointsr/photography

If your wife loves books I recommend this bookhttps://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509 it really gets down the basics, has lots of examples and it's all in a complete package. The thing about trying to learn stuff online is sometimes people online may not explain it as well

Also there is a Sony Alpha subreddit /r/sonyalpha

u/kinginthenorth78 · 2 pointsr/Beginning_Photography

My first DSLR was a Nikon D3100 and I remember finding it so intimidating I was almost afraid to hold it or pick it up. I've definitely been there! You have a fun adventure ahead of you, so enjoy it! Get a good book or do some youtubing to understand your camera. I recommend both of these:

  1. https://www.amazon.com/Tony-Northrups-DSLR-Book-Photography/dp/0988263408

  2. https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492692662&sr=1-1&keywords=understanding+exposure

    Before even diving into them though, I'd check out some web articles or youtube videos on your specific camera, but also on the exposure triangle so you have an idea of the basics of photography in general, and you can build from there. Your camera has a lot of bells and whistles, but the most important thing is learning aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Everything else is icing. Have fun!
u/patrickbyrd · 2 pointsr/pics

Close. I locked the auto exposure when aiming at the floor. (I said shadows before because I did not aim it at the light but looking at the floor there is a large reflection that helped to average out the exposure.) Then yes I recomposed the image and clicked the shutter.

A very accessible book that has a lot of these very useful hacks is.... https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=understanding+exposure&qid=1570121194&s=gateway&sr=8-2

u/Samazonison · 2 pointsr/TwoXChromosomes

I hope this isn't looked at as inappropriate. I share this only to say that you are right about the trees. They are truly amazing beings. I always feel safe in the trees. They will absolutely protect the little ones.

u/plasticTron · 2 pointsr/microgrowery

I've been reading this book, it talks about how trees react to their environment
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Trees-Communicate_Discoveries-Secret/dp/1771642483

I imagine cannabis has similar mechanisms

u/FrancesABadger · 2 pointsr/TheOA

np. I saw it posted (sorry can't remember who) right after I joined reddit. It's what helped me begin to understand how planned out and intricate Brit and Zal's story/puzzle is.

Beware, if you browse through past posts here or on r/forkingpaths it gets very addictive with sources from greek mythology to groundbreaking books to Leonara Carrington painter of SYGYZY & Q Symphony + the IRL Q Symphony, Nazi dream studies, this, etc. Plus theories like Fight Club HAP, forking paths from the start, interdimensional FBI (MIB), Sixth Sense Ending to S1, etc.

or just fun stuff. or things we want to believe, or ponder :)

u/cdnjimmyjames · 2 pointsr/SquaredCircle

Not certain, because I haven't read it yet (it's on my list), but it might be The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben that Bryan is talking about.

u/vanillawafercaper · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Coworker: I immediately thought she should get a really graphic Batman poster. You could even get it framed if you have enough left over. Here are some from Etsy: 1, 2, 3, 4, this one's a little different.. but it's video game related so.. here! 5
____

Boss: A nice photography book would probably be a safe bet: 1, 2, 3, 4, last one is $5 over budget, but 5
__

Professor: I'm sorry I don't have more original ideas for him but here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
__

GOOD LUCK!!

u/TheTabman · 2 pointsr/photocritique

Nobody hates you /u/MrGCar ,but your pictures are simply not good. They lack conceptual originality and basic technical quality in execution.
I suggest that you take some photography classes at your local community college and/or buy some books about photography.

A very good general book about photography: The Art of Photography.

And two books about learning to photograph: (aptly named) Learning to photograph Volume one and Volume two.
Also, if money is tight, there is also /r/photoclass2015 .

^(And finally, why do you assume there are only guys here?)

u/shafty91 · 2 pointsr/Beginning_Photography

Anything by John Hedgecoe. While they may be old, they are still usefull.

Also this book is good.
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Photography-Approach-Personal-Expression/dp/1933952687

u/TooTallGotVertigo · 2 pointsr/photography

I cant believe no one has mentioned this yet, but The Art of Photography is a beautiful book which covers a variety of topics. Total game changer once i started reading it!

u/LordPandamonium · 2 pointsr/photography

Well, I assume that you know much of the technical aspects of photography, I suggest reading into some resources that talk more about the art of photography, which by the way The Art of Photography by Bruce Barnum is an excellent book.

Everyone advances at their own pace, some have a talent, others are more slow and need to be more deliberate. For me, I have to work a little harder so that I could subconsciously take better shots.

Some tips.

Study some movies you like. Pay attention to the composition that they use as well as the lighting.

Take an art workshop, like painting. (or mooch off an artsy friend) Photography workshops like to delve into techniques and post processing, but other art forms like to do more on composition. you could learn a lot from the way painters think about composition.

Practice certain composition techniques. You don't have to do this on medium format, your digital setup will do just fine, especially if you are short on cash. Spend some time learning how use the "rule" of thirds (when shooting not cropping), "rule" of odds, negative space, texture, lines and shape. Spend a week shooting one aspect of composition. Every now and then start mixing up one or two aspects together. The idea is that you get these general concepts of photographic composition down to a subconscious level. My music theory teacher said this, "we learn these rules, so that we can learn how to break them." We have these "rules" of composition because we know what the human eyes prefer. Learning when use or break them can create a powerful composition.

Walk around with your hands in front your eyes framing the things infront of you, like a movie director would. Like this. You don't always have your camera on you, but you should still think about your photography. see something interesting? Frame it, play with it, and ask, is this a good shot?

Most importantly, write things down. Every shot you take, write down what you did. Write down what you wanted to get out that shot you just took, the settings you used, time of day, type of lighting, etc. On digital, we have exif data to tell us some of the stuff, but we still need to write down. I think your composition will get stronger as you learn what you want out of a photograph and being able to achieve it. Basically, knowing what your shot will be like, without actually seeing it (my ultimate goal).

I read that it is probably also best to shoot black and white exclusively, as it will force you to think about lines and textures even more, but I never did that, and maybe I am at a bit of a disadvantage for that. I don't know.

Like you, I am always striving to improve. I use these tips to help my composition as well. I like to think of every day as a chance to improve.

I hope this helps.

u/L000 · 2 pointsr/photography

Hey /u/buffalogriller this is a really thoughtful answer! You totally get what I'm trying to do. Unfortunately, I'm only going to visit him and he doesn't live nearby enough for us to share a camera. I actually did think about giving him mine with a 35 mm lens... but it's my only camera.

I'm definitely going to give him my great Henry Carrol books to try and stir something up too (this one and this one)

u/HumanSprinkles · 2 pointsr/photography

> Do you guys have any tips on how to start?

Get a camera

Invest in a decent DSLR, just an entry level camera, doesn't have to be fancy, and just start playing around with it.

Learning

Depending on your learning style, whether it be in a classroom environment or more hands-on, start learning the fundamentals, like ISO, aperture and shutter speed and how they work together. There are plenty of books, blog posts and video tutorials online to help you.

I found this book helpful: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Read-This-Want-Great-Photographs/dp/1780673353/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Once you get to know the basics, see if you can find a local photographer who would be willing to let you assist them.

Post-production

Find a tool that works for you that allows you edit your photos. I use Lightroom as it allows me to organise and make adjustments to my photos.

Practice emulating others

Find other photographers whose work you like and try emulate them. I don't mean blatantly copy them as your own work but this helps you to practice shooting and editing in different styles. This helped me to understand what I did and didn't like about someone's work. You might also find your own style along the way!


> What helped you getting in to photography?

My grandfather was a keen amateur photographer and his father was an artist so I guess it runs in the family a bit for me. I used to draw and paint a lot but sometimes I felt impatient because drawing and painting takes time. Photography was a little more 'instant' and it allowed me a lot more freedom edit in post-production. I also live in London now so I don't have a lot of space to store physical art equipment. Photography allows me to be creative, expressive and capture things/people but without taking up too much space!


> What inspires you?

There are a number of photographers out there who inspire me. I primarily shoot weddings and portraits so I guess people and people in love inspire me :)

u/FundTrain · 2 pointsr/pentax

There are lots of photography videos on YT for beginners and plenty of good books and I can recommend this one. The make of camera should not make any difference as they all have the same basic functions.

The K70 is a great camera as I have the same model bought it a few years ago and it's pretty damn good.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Read-This-Want-Great-Photographs/dp/1780673353/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2LGKL8ZRUGMS0&keywords=read+this+if+you+want+to+take+great+photographs&qid=1573052581&sprefix=read+this+%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-1

u/lui5mb · 2 pointsr/photography

I'm a beginner too, and I recommend you Read This Book If You Want To Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll.

It doesn't have a lot of technical stuff; this book talks about different techniques to take good photos (using different light, exposure, lenses, etc), and inspires you to be creative and to start shooting with your camera. It explains everything in a simple and effective way, and it's easy and entertaining to read.

u/technotime · 2 pointsr/Cameras

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs https://www.amazon.com/dp/1780673353/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Cgi1Cb5XKRJTX

I mean the title itself sounds pretty "clickbaity" but I did enjoy this book, it talks about perspectives and angles and technique. it's a pretty good and easy read.

or maybe even one of those photo challenge kind of books. I've never bought one but they're books that have like ideas and tasks in them and your job is to take a photo and place it in the book and that's how you complete the challenge. makes sense since she likes to make albums and such.

u/Tall_Charlie · 1 pointr/architecture

I'm not an architect but somebody who's moving focus into a design related field (who has a healthy interest in the field) - I'd get her the following.

To keep on her, a GOOD sketchbook, Mechanical Pencil, Pen, small Ruler and a Camera (a point a shoot should be fine) and a good backpack.

For the home, craft supplies and lot's of them, don't go to the store and buy them order them in bulk and online, get her a selection of cutting mat sizes and some scalpels and scissors and glue / tape, kid's want to create and they just love having the thing to hold and show off with.

Also book's there are lot's of really dry books on the subject but there are also wonderful ones as well, and also harking back to my suggestion of getting her a camera get her a book or two on photography - I live with a x100T on my at all times and it's taken so many pictures of interesting buildings new and old to serve as inspiration to me, I'd get this one for a start - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Read-This-Want-Great-Photographs/dp/1780673353/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500713320&sr=8-1&keywords=read+this+if+you+want+to+take+photographs

It's a older book but it's more about skill than it is the hardware she will learn a lot from just reading it to be honest.

u/retinareflex · 1 pointr/photography

The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression
by Bruce Barnbaum

Also, even experienced photographers can get something out of devouring a slew of books on composition. Many of them cover the same subjects, but I find value in the different photographic expressions they use. The library is the best way to go through a bunch of these, and even if your library doesn't have a particular book they can usually get it through interlibrary loan.

u/VallenAlexander · 1 pointr/photography

I'd suggest this book !

u/McClure_Esq · 1 pointr/Nikon
u/keightdee · 1 pointr/analog

For an absolute beginner shooting digital, Ken Kobre's Photojournalism and Bruce Barnbaum's The Art of Photography would be my pick, if only because those were the books I learned from in j-school.

For an intermediate film photographer who needs inspiration or thoughtful meditations on the medium more than they need inspiration, I am always going back to Vivian Maier: Street Photographer, Annie Leibovitz's A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005, and the exhibition book from Francesca Woodman's exhibit at SFMOMA/the Guggenheim. But I have an abiding interest in female photographers, self-portraiture, and the female gaze, so YMMV there.

u/Andawyr · 1 pointr/EarthPorn

The biggest tip I can give you is to pay attention to light. While you perceive the world as a bunch of 'things', you really need to pay attention to the light, and how it interacts with the 'things' in the scene. The tip on early/late day light is a good one, but should be treated as a guideline rather than a rule. You can make great photographs at any time of the day, but you may have to work harder when the light is less forgiving.

Check out this book by Bruce Barnbaum: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Photography-Approach-Personal-Expression/dp/1933952687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474377504&sr=8-1&keywords=art+of+photography

It spends a lot of time talking about light and composition, which may be useful to you. It also focuses (ha!) a bit on film photography, but the general concepts of photography are universal, so the book is still very useful.

One other tip is to look at photographs. A lot. Look at good ones. Bad ones. Try to understand why the good ones are good, and the bad ones are bad. This will help you with composition.

Equipment is a tool; learn to use your tools well. Don't think buying the best tools will make you a better photographer. It may help, but learning how to photograph will help much more.

Good luck, and photograph. All the time!

u/anugrah23 · 1 pointr/Needafriend

Try this. Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs https://www.amazon.com/dp/1780673353/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_4l06ybNTSSPHW

u/neworecneps · 1 pointr/Nikon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Read-This-Want-Great-Photographs/dp/1780673353

This book is an amazing starting guide that will help her get a lot out of her present.

u/Jatacid · 1 pointr/photocritique

I read this book. Just downloaded an 'ahem' pdf on my phone and read it during my spare time at work. It was extremely well written and entertaining and really puts photography into understanding. You start to think about light differently after reading this.

Depends on your style, but I don't think you NEEd to pay for a course just yet. There's so much info out there already.

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390

u/bbcjk · 1 pointr/photography

if you're just starting out, I'd recommend Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson

u/lowpockets · 1 pointr/photography

Maybe you could pick up a camera and start taking an interest in it with her? That way its something you could do together and you learing something.

A book that thought me an awful lot was,
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390/ref=pd_sim_b_1

From what I remember of it, I think it was pretty straight to the point, shouldnt be too much for an 11 year old, but you could fly through it yourself pretty quick and just explain it to her yourself.

As a few others have said too, the reddit photo class is fantastic.

Keep us updated on her (and yours?) progress.

u/Surf314 · 1 pointr/funny

Usually photographers use the terms "wide" and "long" to talk about angle of view. In the beginning it would make the most since to say zoom in or zoom out because that is how everyone learns. But there are lens called primes that have a fixed length and don't zoom in our out. The most correct way to talk about the length is probably in mm. Lens lengths are measured in mm because the further away the lens is from the sensor the narrower the angle of view is and the bigger far away objects are. This is why telephoto or long lenses are also in fact big and long. Lenses get shorter up to a point where they can't physically get closer to the sensor because of the mirror or whatever and then some trickery is used (which I don't understand) and they get bigger again. If you have a zoom that comes with your camera try zooming all the way out then zooming all the way back in. There is a good chance it will be getting shorter and then pop back out suddenly at the end.

The longer your lens the more exaggerated any movement becomes either from you shaking the camera on accident or from the subject itself. There is actually a quick and dirty rule photographers use to eliminate camera shake - if you aren't using a tripod try and keep your shutter speed above the mm length you are using. So if your lens is set at 80 mm try to have a shutter speed above 1/80th of a second. It isn't absolute but it will help you know when you need to start worrying about camera shake.

As far as learning the basics Understanding Exposure is one of the best books I've ever read. There is a reason it is a best seller. At the time I read it I already knew exposure pretty well but I still learned a lot. This is because the book has a ton of example pictures with explanations on how the photo was taken and what thought process was used to get them.

u/CarolinaKSU · 1 pointr/photography

I thought about picking this book and browsed around on Amazon for it and noticed that a new edition is coming out on the 10th of August so you might want to check it out since it will probably be much more up to date with the digital stuff at least (the other edition was from 2004)

Understanding Exposure New Release

u/svuori · 1 pointr/photography

There are a lot of good reading around, on the internet and books as well, like http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390

Also, this guy has pretty informative videos about basic stuff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3A3SnPFPk0 you can SEE what happens when focal length, aperture, distance change..

I must add that shooting a lot, experimenting, asking questions, thinking is something you should do too :)

u/Legasia · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I got the dummy book for my camera, and love it. So definitely give this a shot to get out of trial and error shooting.

This looks promising as well.

This may be another one to help get past the trial and error and help you understand more what you are doing.

This is one on my list because exposure can make or break a good photo.

This may help with your environmental/landscape photography.

And finally, this may help you challenge yourself to shoot things you wouldn't think of shooting normally, which will help you get better.

So hopefully some of those help you find what you are looking to do! :)

u/twentytwocents · 1 pointr/AskReddit
u/ira1974 · 1 pointr/photography

I would recommend this book if you're just starting out, http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390

u/thegoddamntrain · 1 pointr/Wet_Shavers

I should work on getting my camera fixed first. I have Understanding Exposure, but its been years since I cracked that book open.

u/adelcambre · 1 pointr/photography

One of the canonical books on large format photography is The Camera by Ansel Adams.

u/SureFireWaytoDie · 1 pointr/photography

DO NOT buy the 50 mm. not yet at least. its too long for dx.

first thing you need to do is to get this.
http://www.amazon.com/Ansel-Adams-Camera-Photography-Series/dp/0821221841

study this book. don't even bother with lenses unless you want something for low light. in that case you might want to get this

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/606792-USA/Nikon_2183_AF_S_Nikkor_35mm_f_1_8G.html

but get the book first.

some info about zoom vs prime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHDEA7jEkoY

u/Deckhand_Camera · 1 pointr/canon
u/sweetj3sus · 1 pointr/photography

I have read the Ansel Adams books, I liked them a lot. I currently shoot in digital, but the knowledge from those books will always be applicable no matter what you shoot. The first one in the series is: http://www.amazon.com/Ansel-Adams-Camera-Photography/dp/0821221841/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374611977&sr=1-3&keywords=ansel+adams

I have also taught a few people how to shoot, my suggestion, whatever book you choose, is to learn each topic separate from each other, take some time to practice it, and understand the concept completely before moving on to the next. Don't be afraid to shoot, you will take some crappy photos (I still do my self), learn from them, delete them, and try again. That is the nice thing about digital cameras. More importantly have fun with it. Cheers

u/CaptainTrips · 1 pointr/pics

Ansel Adams is the original HDR. Seriously. He has an entire book dedicated to the art of bringing out the desired, pre-visualized dynamic range of a print, via in-camera and darkroom techniques.

Of course, his images don't look like ass.

u/BrennanOB · 1 pointr/photography

I would recommend ["The Print"] (http://www.amazon.com/New-Photo-Negative-Ansel-Photography/dp/0821221868) by Ansel Adams. A techincally deep but easy to read book covering the zone system and how to capture different forms of light.

For thinking about photography Susan Sontag's ["On Photography"] (http://www.amazon.com/Photography-Susan-Sontag/dp/0312420099/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341440297&sr=1-1&keywords=sontag+photography) a great book on the meaning of photography.

Both are somewhat dated, but are the basis upon much has been written since. They are the touchstones.

u/xnedski · 1 pointr/analog

Here's a stab at answering this one.

In the context of b/w negative film density refers to the darkness of the dark areas, which will be highlights in the print. Increasing exposure increases density, as does increasing development. Each film/developer combination can produce a maximum density and has a minimum density (film base + fog caused by developer).

At the same exposure a high speed film will build more density than a low speed film.

Adding development time will increase density in highlight areas (and effective film speed) but will also have undesirable effects (increased contrast and grain, for example).

For a given scene, a film will have an optimal combination of exposure and development time that will accurately reproduce it the way the photographer intended. Fine-tuning the relationship between exposure, development, negative density and the final print is the whole point of the Zone System. For more information see The Negative by Ansel Adams (especially chapter 10) or The Zone VI Workshop by Fred Picker.

u/Phemur · 1 pointr/photography

I don't think there's a single answer to the question of "how much post-processing is the right amount?". I think it really depends on the type of photography and the photographer's vision. For example, for photojournalism, there are fairly strict rules about post-processing, in order to maintain the truth about the story, but for high art photography, the sky is the limit when it comes to post-processing.

Personally, I think as long as the photographer is honest about the amount of post-processing done, there are no limits, and the "right" amount of post-processing is whatever it takes to make the best picture possible. For example, I'm perfectly fine with with green screen photography. That type of photography necessarily requires a fair amount of post-processing, and not only is it a lot of fun, you can achieve shots that would be otherwise impossible.

I also want to respond to one comment made by the OP, where he answered "Yes" to the question: "Do you think Ansel Adams made great images by just using "in camera" negatives."

I think the OP needs to study Ansel Adams a bit, because that's not correct. Adams spent A LOT of time in the dark room, at least as much time as he did taking pictures in the first place. In fact, he wrote an entire book (The Print - https://www.amazon.com/Print-Ansel-Adams-Photography-Book/dp/0821221876) on the darkroom work required by his Zone System. There's even a quote of him saying darkroom work is 50% of the photographic process (http://expertphotography.com/10-photography-lessons-from-ansel-adams/).

To be fair, it's not to say proper camera technique isn't important. It absolutely is, and there's nothing wrong with challenging yourself to taking outstanding shots without post-processing. But similarly, there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing heavy post-processing to make fine art photos.

u/kirinaz · 1 pointr/camping

That was a great doco, and his book is really good. If you liked reading this article, grab the book - you'll love it!

http://www.amazon.com/One-Mans-Wilderness-Alaskan-Odyssey/dp/0882405136/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410281104&sr=1-1&keywords=dick+proenneke

u/2500ak · 1 pointr/whattoreadwhen

There is nothing like reading White Fang or Call of the Wild while in the Alaska backcountry. You start reading, and with no evidence of civilization suddenly it's 1890. Also read the short story, to build a fire.

Get a copy of a book or Robert Service poetry. You have to read the Cremation of Sam McGee at least once around a campfire (our most famous poem), it's even better if you cam manage to recite it from memory.

Here's a YouTube vid of Johnny Cache reciting it.

Here's one I read years ago where the sea breaks it's back it's the story of how captain Vitas Bearing and scientist George Stellar discovered Alaska. A truly harrowing tale.

this book is the memoirs or Dick Proenneke. He lived by himself in a cabin by a lake in remote Alaska for decades. The documentary based off of it (alone in the wilderness) is excellent but I haven't actually read the memoirs myself.

Since you're in the mountains read desperate passage this is an exceptionally well researched and written account of the Donner Party, it's chilling, I read while snow camping in the Chugach, powerful stuff.

Anther great thing to read in the wild, journals of famous adventurers. The Lewis and Clark diaries, for example.

A translation of the Poetic Edda (pretend your living in Viking times)

True Grit always an enjoyable slogging through untamed wilderness read.

Hatchet by Paulson, this book is aimed at a younger audience, but it's a good book for reading when out in the woods.

I'll second song of fire and ice, Alaska is the perfect place to read it and imagine themselves the king in the north, or wandering out beyond The Wall.

Also blood meridian is another good suggestion. Adventure in the wild lands with a big element of the unknown and sleeping under the stars. By that same token I'd recommend Dead Mans Walk by McMurtry, the fist prequel to Lonesome Dove, lots of slogging through the wilderness and mountains.

Those are all I can think of at the moment.

Also a note on into the wild, I've never read it but it a lot of people up here do not like it because it's caused a lot of people to come up and emulate the guy, some of them have died or almost died. So don't tell anything to the effect of that book being your inspiration for coming to alaska.

u/cybrbeast · 1 pointr/Documentaries

This perhaps? It's on my to read list since I saw this doc.

u/tsdguy · 1 pointr/pics

I did enjoy the PBS documentary. If you like, you can read the book written from his journals - One Man's Wilderness or another which is mostly his actual journals collected into a book More Readings From One Man's Wilderness.

The first book is a retelling of his life from the journals. However, Dick stated that if his journals were ever published, he wanted them in his own words (which the original book didn't) so the second book was put out.

Of course, if you don't want to drop any money or support the author, and don't mind reading from a PDF, the second book More Readings is available on the National Park Service website at http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/lacl/proenneke.pdf

And as a final esoteric entry, if you read his books and enjoyed all the sourdough cooking he did, you can purchase the actual sourdough starter he used at http://alaskasgoldenspoon.com/page2.cfm?recordid=45

Lastly I don't think it's fair or reasonable to compare Dick with Les or Bear as they have different goals. I don't think Dick's intent was to survive under difficult conditions. He like the Alaskan wilderness and wanted to live a comfortable life using his own skills to provide. He certainly didn't live off the land as his diet was primarily supplied by groceries brought in periodically by air. He did supplement his food with items he hunted (only legally during hunting season) and foraged food. But his main diet was sourdough products like pancakes and biscuits and beans.

u/Branch_McDaniel · 1 pointr/Survival
u/vincopotamus · 1 pointr/MountainMen

One Man's Wilderness by Sam Keith and Richard Proenneke is an absolute classic.

Indian Creek Chronicles by Pete Fromm is another of my favorites.

u/hornofhuman · 1 pointr/TwoXChromosomes

Not at all. I actually love living alone and I even have a little fantasy of doing what this guy did (but only for a year or two): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Proenneke

By the way this book about him is necessary reading for any real outdoorsy people: http://www.amazon.ca/One-Mans-Wilderness-Alaskan-Annivers/dp/0882405136

u/devlinrose · 1 pointr/AskReddit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Proenneke

Check out the PBS documentary or the book, One Man's Wilderness

u/whats_up_doc · 1 pointr/homestead

I read this book on Richard Proenneke a few years ago, and it's a really worthwhile read.

u/monumentshorts · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

One mans wilderness http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0882405136

Basically the diaries of Richard proenneke. I.e. this old guy goes up to Alaska, builds himself a cabin, and lives there for years by himself. Non fiction. I liked it a lot. Slow, but it's real and that makes it so much more interesting

u/Mayhall_ · 1 pointr/pics
u/potatofreudster · 1 pointr/Awwducational

[Relevant, cats have been making art way before elephants!] (http://www.amazon.com/Why-Cats-Paint-Theory-Aesthetics/dp/0898156122)

u/markth_wi · 1 pointr/funny

yeah or if that's to fascistic oppressive for our feline life companions this

u/echoseashell · 1 pointr/painting

Cats CAN paint! why Cats Paint

u/CheapIsHowIFeel · 1 pointr/ofcoursethatsathing

I think it's a take off of the book Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics, which is a delightful little book (it's satirical).

u/kobello · 1 pointr/funny

and also, "Why Cats Paint." one of my favorites. thanks, new zealand. here it is on amazon. i know you're all dying to read it.

u/dangerhaynes · 1 pointr/legaladvice

Maybe this is a good opportunity to upsell. Give the person a price the appropriate license...let's say OP decides it's $50. He/She can maybe offer a package that for $100 to provide that photo AND take a professional head shot or something else that could be useful for his website. Play with the numbers.


Since OP is potentially getting interest in his/her work, I suggest learning more about the business. This is my go to book for learning about the business side of photography, including pricing, licenses, taxes, etc.

EDIT: typos

u/jasonepowell · 1 pointr/photography

I have this book, which I found quite useful.

Laurence Kim's blog has also been quite useful as well, and his blog touches on a lot of what you're interested in (I'd suggest reading it in an RSS feed since his redesign destroyed any easy readability of post titles).

u/DarthHM · 1 pointr/Astronomy

My favorites are:
The Backyard Astronomer's Guide, http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Astronomers-Guide-Terence-Dickinson/dp/1554073448

A Guide to Backyard Astronomy (I found this one at a 2nd hand bookstore, not sure if it's still in print. This is my absolute favorite because of some great starhopping tours they put in the back)
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Backyard-Astronomy-Starhopping-Exploring/dp/187701933X

EDIT: Here's an example of one of the starhop tours in A Guide to Backyard Astronomy. http://imgur.com/a/enXLO
The icons clearly indicate whether the target is a naked eye, binocular, or telescope object.

Of course there's the ubiquitous Turn Left at Orion. I can't say much about it since I've never actually gotten around to reading it. http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972

Alternatively, check out http://eyesonthesky.com/
as well as Mr. Fuller's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/eyesontheskyDOTcom

The "Basics" playlists are damn good, and unlike a lot of other sources, the practical demonstrations on video make things super clear to understand.

u/KristnSchaalisahorse · 1 pointr/Astronomy

Turn Left at Orion is often recommended. It seems to be great for learning about navigating and observing the night sky with binoculars or a telescope and what you can expect to see.

I have the Backyard Astronomer's Guide, which is extremely comprehensive and teaches just about everything such as navigating the night sky, information about the various types of objects, observing with the naked eye, binoculars, and telescopes, details about different types of telescopes and accessories and how to use them, and a few sections on astrophotography.

However, it is a bit hefty and not super cheap. And it doesn't include a detailed sky atlas (but it does talk about them).

Stellarium is a very popular planetarium program. It's awesome. And free!

u/morridin19 · 1 pointr/Calgary

I run an 8" schmidt-cassegrain and from my backyard balcony on clear cool nights I can see some spectacular stuff in the city (some colours on Jupiter, the rings of Saturn if I am lucky, some larger nebula). If you don't want to spend a fortune, and are okay with something bulky get him a Dobsonian, the larger the aperture the better light collection and a better chance he can pierce through the light pollution of our city. Some Dobsonians can be broken down for easier transport.

For better viewing head to a park (nose hill, fish creek, etc.), or better yet out of the city (I know not feasible).

The U of C has an observatory south of the city towards priddis/millarville, and I believe they have open nights for amateurs that you and your son could visit to get taste for things. If you contacted the U of C they might be able to get you in touch with the people that go and you could car pool out there to see what its like. While there talk to the people on what to get him, and get some contact info help get things setup, they are super friendly as a community.

To feed his appetite you could buy him the The Backyard Astronomer's Guide which has tons of great info.

Edit: Forgot to say... When I got started it was with a reclining lawn chair and some binoculars, you can work your way up from there if he really stays interested.

u/Grunchlk · 1 pointr/Astronomy

Oh, gotcha. I understand now. Then yeah, get him a telescope and he'll appreciate it. More than anything it shows that you pay attention to him and care about his hobbies. Also, be sure he has a copy of Stellarium (it's free) and for future presents you can get him copies of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide and Turn Left at Orion not to mention the countless accessories that are available in the astronomy world. Just pop back over to /r/astronomy if you need more ideas!

Edit: Stellarium link

u/Mark_at_work · 1 pointr/Beginning_Photography

You can do a lot with the kit lens. I recommend you hold off on investing more money in lenses until you've reached the limits of what the kit lens can do. Then you'll have a better idea of what you want when you go shopping for the next one.

Also, pick up a copy of Understanding Exposure to learn how to use your camera.

u/thkie · 1 pointr/Nikon

> What's the most important things to know, the basics, what I should/shouldn't do, etc.

A lot of recommendations for blogs and videos, but I really found Understanding Exposure (amazon link) to be a great tool.

If you're reading replies here and are thinking to yourself "I don't even know what that is" this might be a good jumping off point.

u/guilleeee · 1 pointr/photography

I'd recommend any of Bryan Peterson's books; Understanding Exposure and Learning to See Creatively are the ones that really got me into photography a few years ago. He has one on portraiture if that's what you're looking for.

u/inkista · 1 pointr/AskPhotography

>And I saw the A7III with it’s kit lens 28-70 and I loved the picture quality you can get with it.

Just me, but before buying one, maybe rent one and see the pictures you can get with it. The fact that the pictures you see as examples of what an A7iii can do may have been taken by a very talented, experienced photographer who was willing to drop all that cash on the body+glass and may also be extreme skilled at post-processing sometimes doesn't occur to a newb. :D Composition, timing, subject matter, processing: those are still up to you.

Higher resolution, better tonal smoothness, wider dynamic range, better high ISO performance those are all very nice, but they don't always equate to "more beautiful," especially in unskilled hands. A full-frame camera doesn't turn you into a great photographer any more than buying a guitar turns you into a great musician.

>Should I leave the RX100 M7 and get that A7III and learn or what?

I'd vote for learn with the RX100.

Are you sure you've exhausted what your RX100 can do? Do you shoot with it in M mode? Do you post-process its RAW files? Have you used it on a tripod? Have you tried off-camera flash? (Dumb optical slaving can still work with its built-in flash). Have you taken a class or read a book on basic composition or exposure control? I'd say try those things (and price out the cost of those Sony FE lenses for an A7iii) first before sinking into the money pit that is interchangeable lens camera systems. It may turn out that an α6000 (or a Fuji X or Panasonic/Olympus micro four-thirds body) is a better starting point for getting into interchangeable lens cameras.

u/huffalump1 · 1 pointr/photography

You probably have a smartphone which has a camera, right? You can start with that. Just take photos, read, watch videos, learn, take more photos, ask more questions, read more, take more photos, etc...

/r/PhotoClass2017

Book recommendations (these are excellent):

u/sew3521 · 1 pointr/pics

This book has influenced my photography more than any other class I have taken or book I have read. I highly recommend it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607748509/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_-kzVBbTSXGZV7

u/tokyohoon · 1 pointr/japanlife

There's an excellent book called Understanding Aperture Understanding Exposure that's pretty much an essential read. Highly recommended.

Edit: Corrected title

u/mikeciv · 1 pointr/analog

So more about taking better photos than a film camera thing specifically. Here is a great book for learning the basics.

u/digiplay · 1 pointr/photography

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's a solid lens for your camera at a very affordable price. There are a few other options like random and sigma but he 55-250 optically surpasses them.

You really can't find a better lens anywhere near that price for that camera. Make sure you shop around for a good deal. Check Adorama. BH photo. Amazon. Ebay.

It's not a very long lens but like I said you have a camera with which you can crop and still get usable images. Take a look at the canon 55-250 on pixel peeper or the flickr pool for it.

That's a couple hundred thousand photos to show you the quality you can achieve.

Remember photography is not about gear as much as skill. This is a great starter lens and if you're unhappy with photos you're making there are plenty of good books to read to improve your skills.

I usually recommend these three to start

Understanding exposure
Learning to see creatively
National Geographic ultimate guide to field photography

u/nx_2000 · 1 pointr/CasualConversation

Understanding Exposure is a great book for beginners on the subject.

u/desertsail912 · 1 pointr/photography

Let's see, there was Understanding Exposure, which is especially helpful for people who have only ever shot digital b/c it explains so much of the basic functions of the camera that most people take per granted and can improve your pictures dramatically, another one of Peterson's books, Learning to See Creatively is also really good, I also like The Photographer's Eye. Another really good book if you're into B&W is Black & White: Photographic Printing Workshop, which was written for using enlargers in a darkroom but can equally be used with basic Photoshop technique, shows how to convert blah pictures into really amazing imagery using basic dodging and burning techniques. I'll post some examples of his later when I get home.

u/PsychoCitizenX · 1 pointr/photography
u/kabbage123 · 1 pointr/videography

What you need to learn is the core elements of photography, and not necessarily the camera itself. When one learns how to use a camera, you have to be able to ask specific questions, like 'How do I change ISO?' 'How do I adjust Iris?' 'How can I put this in a framerate that I like?'

If you don't have the core fundamentals down, might as well stick to point-and-shoot type cameras.

I suggest picking up a book maybe like this one to learn, and then you'll be able to ask the specific questions you need for your camera.

u/strawcat · 1 pointr/explainlikeimfive

If you’re interested in some reading, Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is fantastic at breaking it down and how the three relate to one another. In fact I’m a huge fan of this author and I own several of his books. Check your local library, I’d be shocked if they don’t have it.

u/donoteatthatfrog · 1 pointr/AskPhotography

This book, for example?
Understanding Exposure , by Bryan Peterson.
https://amzn.com/1607748509

u/Vociferous_Moose · 1 pointr/worldnews

Sure!

In terms of Western Science:

The Philosophy of Plants

OP also mentioned The Hidden Life of Trees (This one's a bit reductive, and Wohlleben's been accused of anthropomorphizing trees a bit too much by many ecologists)

This interview with Wohlleben at Yale360 is a good primer for his book *Free*

I've also mentioned Suzanne Simard and Stefano Mancuso. They've both done TED Talks on the subject which will pop up on a quick google search of their names. It's important to note, also, other thinkers have pushed back against their ideas!

In terms of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK):

EDIT: Forgot this AWESOME interview with Robin Wall Kimmerer, the author of the book below, a Citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, AND a plant ecologist *Free*

Braiding Sweetgrass (I'm sure with some googling you could find some PDF's of a couple chapters online)

As We Have Always Done

This article by Deborah McGregor is a good primer on the dangers of co-opting and viewing Indigenous Knowledge in a reductive way (that of the "Noble Savage," which one person in this thread was attempting to get at, I think)

u/warbird2k · 1 pointr/pics

You should check out Hidden life of trees if you haven't already.

u/wrong_read · 1 pointr/woahdude

I came across a nice book ads last time in the subway the book is called : The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate. great read!

u/Blindjudgment · 1 pointr/ZBrush

This is a great start! Anatomy is a tough subject to nail down. The biggest thing I can say to you is to work on your forms. It appears to me that you are falling into the trap that a lot of new artists do when starting with anatomy in ZBrush and thats "carving" in the muscle definition rather than building up the forms that create the muscles. By building the forms up in order form deeper muscles to surface muscles you will end up with a lot of the "Creases and lines" between muscles that a lot of people identify with being "ripped" or "shredded"

When I'm doing anatomy I like to use the clay tubes brush to build up base forms, hPolish to setup my plane breaks, and than the clay brush to do a final refining pass.

One of the best books I can recommend about true anatomy that looks at it for what it is and avoids the artists personal style is "Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist" by Stephen Rogers Peck (http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Anatomy-Artist-Stephen-Rogers/dp/0195030958/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1406854979&sr=8-2&keywords=anatomy+for+the+artist). Its a little known gem among most people and its super cheap. this guy really knows how to break down the subject into terms for an artist and avoids unnecessary detail.

Keep up the practice!

u/mxmlucas · 1 pointr/Art

Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist by Stephen Rogers Peck is nice. It covers the bones, muscles, and surface anatomy (fat, hair, veins, etc.). It also has sections ( smaller than the three above though) on proportion, equilibrium and locomotion, differences of age, sex, and race, and facial expression. It's 279 pages, will take a while to read, and can be exhausting if you're not interested. http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Anatomy-Artist-Stephen-Rogers/dp/0195030958

u/BadMinotaur · 1 pointr/learnart

I use Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist to learn human anatomy. It’s a bit dense but he goes into why things fit the way they do, which is important.

u/Telamonas · 1 pointr/greece

O Proko είναι καλός δάσκαλος για τα πρώτα σου βήματα και διδάσκει συνδυάζοντας την γνώση των πιο καταξιωμένων στον χώρο, πχ George Bridgman, Gottfried bammes, Loomis, Michael hampton κτλπ. Εάν μπορέσεις να βρείς και αυτό εδώ το βιβλίο ακόμα καλύτερα. ;)

u/wrexsol · 1 pointr/learnart

Yes, as you've mentioned the head is tiny, knowing is half the battle I guess. The contours are pretty nice, but the picture is missing value/shadings so it looks incredibly flat. A lot of folks here will recommend anatomy lessons, which would certainly be a good start. Understanding how the the arms relate to the chest, the chest to the head and neck, all the processes in the skeleton that compose the human figure and how they all interact with one another will greatly improve how you see those things.

If I may, I'd like to elaborate on something that is easy to miss as an upcomer: people in real life almost never stand up perfectly straight or are never seen straight on by the eye in a perfect symmetrical orientation. The body is not perfectly symmetrical in most cases. In this picture, we see your model looking off to the side while holding the bow, but it looks uncanny and stiff. The hand on the hip exacerbates this flaw because usually when the hand is on the hip, the body's weight is usually leaning into it even if it's only slightly. Shifting the body's weight will help make the pose less stiff and more natural.

My recommendation is to draw from a photograph or some other reference (real models are awesome)! If you don't have a friend that likes being drawn, there are some sites out there that can help you refine your chops. Then, you can revisit an imagined piece like this and be able to make the adjustments that will make her come life. One site frequently recommended on here is the Pixel Lovely Trainer (also in the side bar); it cycles through tons of different pictures that you can sketch out at your own pace.

Some books about Anatomy:
Artistic Anatomy
Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist

An awesome tome about Figure Drawing:
Figure Drawing for All It's Worth

Gesture Drawing Tutorial (video) - something that may help you develop your skill

Additionally, and some folks may not like this, but taking some kind of drawing course might help you build your skills efficiently. I know when I did a 101 Drawing class for a college elective, it kept me focused, forced me to explore different elements of drawing that I would never have considered, and really helped me understand the relationships of different shapes and objects in a space. (another thing it helped me do was force me to work within a deadline window, which becomes fairly important when looking for confidence).

All in all I think you are onto a great start and with a little direction you can improve pretty quickly. There's a shit ton of information out there and it's all waiting for you to check it out!

u/gigaquack · 1 pointr/learnart

Great job persevering. I recommend picking up Peck's Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist (or any similar volume) from your local library/bookstore/amazon/neighbor's house. Once you take the pain to learn the basic bone and muscle structure, a lot of guesswork goes out the window.

u/Phronux · 1 pointr/photography
u/eggzachtly · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I've recently taken up photography as a hobby. r/photography can be a little pretentious, but the resources linked on the side are generally pretty helpful.

Granted, there is a bit of a startup fee, whether that's buying a point and shoot with manual controls, a bridge camera, or springing for a full-blown DSLR. I started with a Panasonic DMC-LX5 which is a very, very good point and shoot, but I recently have been using my dad's Nikon D40x that he never uses since I felt increasingly silly looking into the screen instead of a viewfinder. Learning about exposure and being able to shoot in full-manual mode is incredibly rewarding.

To improve my photography, I plan to take a picture every day for at least 100 days. Having a guideline really helps motivate me to get out and shoot.

There are a lot of good books out there like the Tom Ang Digital Photography books, which are good technical information about exposure or The Photographer's Eye and its sequels for composition. Recently I've been reading The Passionate Photographer by Steve Simon, which is an incredible photo essay/photojournalism book that is my favorite photography book so far, and has inspired me to start taking more photojournalistic style pictures.

edit: fixed a link

u/jrandom · 1 pointr/photocritique

Edit: Whoops... my eyes completely skipped the word "skate". Ack. I'll leave this here since it's still good advice in general.

  • Read up on photography composition theory, but just the basics and don't take anything as gospel. The rule-of-thirds is a good starting point.
  • Learn your camera one button at a time. I started off in Aperture-priority auto-exposure mode. This let me manually set my aperture to control the depth-of-field and just experimented with that for awhile. Then I switched to shutter-priority for awhile. Once you've got a good handle on those, you can jump into manual mode and set both by hand.
  • When shooting JPEG it is pretty crucial to get your white balance setting as correct as possible.
  • Learn how to switch your ISO setting quickly and efficiently. ISO 100 == slower but less noisy, ISO 1600+ == faster, but grainier.
  • Take pictures. Thousands and thousands of pictures. I am not kidding. Thousands. (JPEG mode is a good place to start due to the reduced size.)
  • Experiment. In those thousands of photos, try every kind of framing you can think of.
  • Review the photos you took. Pick out good ones and examine why you like them. Pick out the worst ones and figure out why they're bad.
  • Only ever show people the very best photos you've taken. Out of a set of 100 images I'll usually wind up with maybe 6-10 good ones (if I'm lucky). The more I practice, the better my success ratio gets, but know now that you'll wind up not using the vast majority of pictures that you take.
  • Cropping can save a bad photo. Do not be afraid to crop.
  • Brightness/Contrast and Color Balance are your friends. Do not be afraid to digitally develop your images. Film photographers have been doing this sort of thing since the invention of photography.

    Do this for a year, and then you'll be ready to really start studying the "rules" of photography. I recommend getting The Photographer's Eye as a good all-in-one crash course in photography.

    Get Photoshop (or similar program) and learn Brightness/Contrast, Color Balance, Levels, and Curves. Shoot in RAW. Get addicted to expensive pro-quality lenses. Have fun. :)
u/WillyPete · 1 pointr/photography

This is one of the foremost and comprehensive books on composition and design with a photo. Michael Freeman shows you principles, then an example photo and then why that photo works so well in achieving it.
He also shows pitfalls and common errors.

I owned an earlier version of his work, this new one incorporates digital.
Michael Freeman: The photographer's eye - Composition and design for better digital photos.

http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Eye-Composition-Design-Digital/dp/0240809343/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301813663&sr=8-1

u/tonberry · 1 pointr/photocritique

Point and shoot cameras have their uses but most of them are severely limited, unfortunately. If you're interested in developing your skills in photography further, I think you should probably buy a SLR camera. They give you a completely different way of shooting, it's so much more direct and controllable. You don't have to sell a kidney to afford one either, a used Canon d40 sells for about $500. If that's too pricey, look for a nice Canon 400D, if should only set you back $200 or so without a lens. Other brands are just as good ofc, Nikon has a few really good beginner models too.

Also, SLR or not, try to get your hands on a copy of The Photographer's Eye by Michael Freeman, I think it's a very good introduction to composition and thinking in frames and light and color. borrow it at a library if you can't afford buying it.

Other than that, I dunno. Ask if you've got any questions or want tips.

u/DerPanzerfaust · 1 pointr/photography

I've been trying to improve my composition skills. I read [Michael Freeman's "The Photographer's Eye"] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Photographers-Eye-Composition-Digital/dp/0240809343/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331946138&sr=1-1) and it opened up whole new worlds for me. The problem is that when I go out in the field to shoot, I forget every damn bit of it (well almost).

I started to re-read it taking notes, but can't find the time to do it justice and end up with long gaps between sessions, and again, I forget stuff.

So now, I've typed all my notes into a document, and I'm going through each section, taking pictures that illustrate each point. I should end up with a nice photo journal. Hopefully the concepts will be driven more deeply into my pea-brain, and some of it might even stick.

It might take a while to get through it all, but hopefully it'll help me to grow as a photographer.

u/drummybear67 · 1 pointr/photography

They are not free, but I watch these videos by the National Geographic master photographers. Also, try this book; it's a bit weighty but very helpful in understanding the parts of composition. A blog I read is Eric Kim Street Photography, helped me out with understanding the basics of composition.

u/xboxfourtwenty · 1 pointr/photoclass2019

The Photographer's Eye is something I picked up a while back, I felt like a lot of the information was helpful in one way or another. Used copies are pretty cheap too!

u/webmonk · 1 pointr/photography

You've got a good eye for shots and it looks like you're willing to go to interesting places and get down at eye level with snakes and other various monsters (which is awesome.)

My main critique is that many of your photos need some compositional work. I saw a lot of bullseyed subjects, midline horizons, improper DOF, etc. Check out a book called The Photographers' Eye. It'll be a game changer for you. If you want something to start on tonight I'd suggest reading up on two things: a) The Rule of Thirds and b) Hyperfocal Focusing

Keep shooting!

u/diabetic_debate · 1 pointr/photography

I don't know how a purely aural medium can effectively convey a purely visual art form.

Instead, I think it would be a better idea to pick up some ebooks on composition, light or even painting to go through. Two books I would highly suggest are:

The Photographer's Eye

https://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Eye-Composition-Design-Digital/dp/0240809343

and

Learning to See Creatively

https://www.amazon.com/Learning-See-Creatively-Third-Composition/dp/1607748274

u/anotherep · 1 pointr/photoit

The photographer's eye.

Not bad for illustrating the basic "rules" of composition

u/jeremyfirth · 1 pointr/photography

I think you're looking for this book. Buy this one and Understanding Exposure, and you'll have all the books you ever need about photography. When you're finished with those two, read Strobist.com, and your photography education will be complete. After 5,000 photos, you'll start creating a few that you really like, and after about 10,000 more after that, you'll be taking photos that other people like. Have fun!

Edit: don't wait until you've read the books to start taking your 15,000 photos. Start today.

u/HappyonaShelf · 1 pointr/photography

I'm looking throught my new book "Light Science and Magic" by Hunter, Biver, Fuqua (Focal Press) that's been highly recommended in r/photography.

Every example I see of high contrast situations has a large, close diffuse light source (soft box or LED plate?) at a 90 degree angle with the camera. This book really is a fantastic resource. Amazon link.

Found this article that says when shooting high contrast to use the B&W camera setting because it doesn't waste range on color mids. I have no idea whether that works in practice.

u/westin1 · 1 pointr/photography

If you haven't already, you should read Light Science and Magic. It's all about light and how it affects your photos.

u/BlueYeti2 · 1 pointr/photography

A book that will help a lot with understanding lighting is Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

For Instagram, your cellphone is good! A large portion of it is the lighting.

u/idevastate · 1 pointr/photography

Get this book if you get the chance to: http://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0240812255

There's PDF's of it floating around the internet too. It'll be a really good tool.

u/tonivuc · 1 pointr/cinematography

So browsing the web since creating this post I've come across the following non-introductory options:

u/ts52 · 1 pointr/photography

If you don't mind buying a book, this is one of the best I've seen: http://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0240812255

u/tim_lingley · 1 pointr/photography

Hmm, in my opinion, these are the ones I'd pull: 9 (too much light behind), 13 (great moment, the sharpness and detail just aren't there), the two dancing/wedding photos, 21 (guy on the far left is creeping me out, no clearly defined subject), 25 & 26(need better lighting), 30, 34, 35, 36 (snapshots).

39 - I know what you were going for, I think you should go back and try to get the shot again, but try it from different angles. The posts in the water are blown out and your composition is unbalanced (too much stuff on the left, nothing to really offset it on the right).


If I might make a recommendation for lighting, check your local library to see if they have a copy of Light, Science and Magic for you to read through. It can teach you how to light everything.

u/qwertyberty · 1 pointr/photography

Also, get this and this.

u/MattTheMoose · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Also, this book is great for learning some basics, but not in a way that teaches you in depth. The author, Scott Kelby, takes an angle of just telling you what to do, not so often does he tell you why.

For that, I would look into a good magazine subscription, or Digital Photography for Dummies. Either way, you can't go wrong. Read Scott Kelby's book and you'll very quickly find yourself taking much better pictures.

u/slothlovechunk · 1 pointr/photography

I thought this series was good. Digital Photography by Scott Kelby. Go to a local store and look at one to see if you like the teaching style. The main concept to learn is how to use ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.

u/andres_leon72 · 1 pointr/photography

>I know very little about them

With all due respect, if you are asking such generic question, perhaps the best way to spend that money is to pay for a photography class or buy a good digital photography book.

Some examples:
http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Photography-Book-Scott-Kelby/dp/032147404X

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Digital-Photography-Ben-Long/dp/1584507004/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291507787&sr=1-4

Better yet, save the money. Just spend more time with your camera so you understand exactly how to use it and what its current limitations are for what you want to do. Once you know what these are, then you can begin researching a lens that will answer that need. For example. I enjoy outdoor wildlife photography. Therefore I quickly learned about my cheap 70-300 canon lens' shortcomings and deficiencies (compared to "L" quality lenses, of course).

My point is, once you are more knowledgeable, the answer to this question will become much more obvious. Good luck and happy shooting!

u/CuriousCreationist · 1 pointr/Marijuana

I always suggest The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby to any new photographer. Well, actually, I've only had my SLR a couple years, I'm new too.

There are two volumes out, and another being released in August. He explains most everything in terms of how to get a specific shot, and through that you learn what the different settings of your camera can do. It is geared toward SLRs, but most point and shoots also have many of the same settings.

Anyway, good luck!

u/scubsurf · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Surfing, Scuba Diving, kayaking, randomly capitalizing words For no reason, photography, painting, drawing, graphic design, gaming.

To start surfing: Get a long board. Less maneuverable, but easier to learn on. You can rent a "learner board" for fairly cheap.

Scuba diving is expensive and requires certification. Best way to check this out is to find a cheap event that will cover all the costs and has someone to watch your ass so you don't have to worry about certification (which normally takes several weeks).

If you pick up photography before you try scuba diving, you might be able to take some awesome pictures with a cheap underwater (disposable) camera, or a higher priced "usable up to xx feet underwater" camera. As a new diver, I doubt you'd go below 50 feet, so you could probably reasonably get one that is safe up to that depth.

There are photography resources everywhere, but for the sake of concision, you might just get [this book.] (http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Photography-Book-Scott-Kelby/dp/032147404X) Scott Kelby is decent about explaining things succinctly without being horribly boring.

Kayaking, go to a marina and rent a kayak and paddle around. It's more fun to do with a few friends, but if you have an area nearby with interesting landscape features, you could just go check them out yourself. Again, if you pick up photography before this, you could get some interesting shots, provided you have a water-resistant camera.

Drawing is hard, because it isn't something that I think can be picked up quickly. I would suspect they have videos on youtube that might be helpful.

Painting, honestly, seriously, listen to Bob Ross. For someone who has never painted before, he's a pretty good instructor, and he can show you results who never would have thought you could get. I showed him to a few art-illiterate friends and they all had pretty good luck with him.

Graphic design for me has always been more about obtaining desired results than exploring and experimenting, so what I would say for you to get into this, is come up with something you want. I want an icon I can use for my own personal logo, or I want to make myself a new desktop for my computer, or whatever. And do it. Learn what you need to learn to accomplish your goal. Others will be a better resource for this, I mainly do graphic design for work, but I had friends who did it for fun who could make some really incredible images.

Gaming, I would say pick up Steam, and go to town. Awesomenauts has had my attention a lot lately for being fun, fast-paced, competitive, and requiring that teams work together to succeed, but any online team-based games might be good for you to check out for a lark, and they would give you a chance to socialize to an extent.


Socialization seems to come along with competitive pastimes in general, so find out what is around you. I injured my knee a while back so I'm not much for bowling, but a ton of my old coworkers formed their opwn league and would go every week. Find a local bowling alley and practice some, you could meet people and have a good time, but you might also consider going to a driving range and renting some golf equipment or any number of other sports. Your options are open, though I would avoid contact sports until you feel a little more confident in yourself. Maybe around week 30 or so.

u/gosassin · 1 pointr/reddit.com

That's true, but even so it's perfectly understandable that she'd be upset about having her genitals photographed and made accessible for the law enforcement community. I think at the least the deputy made an unwise of photographic angles. Possibly he should read this book.

u/mojocookie · 1 pointr/photography

Not so accurate at describing the Nikon solutions.

One of the reasons I got a D300 was for the wireless iTTL capability. It can control any number of flashes in three banks. The main flash and each of the three banks can be individually controlled. Perhaps the 7D has this capability, but no other Canon does. Nikon's Creative Lighting System is pretty amazing.

I also disagree with the statement that using a hotshoe-mounted flash is a terrible idea. Better advice is to read Joe McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries and see how a real pro uses speedlights.

u/phidauex · 1 pointr/analog

I also like The Hot-Shoe Diaries for flash concepts. It is less science, and more "in the trenches", but I've gotten a lot of practical ideas from it. The only downside is that it is pretty Nikon DSLR centric, but since off-camera flash is usually done manually anyway, the concepts apply everywhere.

u/GETitOFFmeNOW · 1 pointr/photography

Get a good book on posing, try can learn a ton about how best to direct people. Also, might help to link inexperienced models to YouTube posing tutorials.

u/120r · 1 pointr/AnalogCommunity

Picture Perfect Posing by Roberto Valenzuela is a good book that would help https://www.amazon.com/Picture-Perfect-Posing-Practicing-Photographers/dp/0321966465

u/LoadInSubduedLight · 1 pointr/photography

These really are great skills to have as a photographer, and applicable to so many situations!

I'd really recommend Light: Science and magic to anyone who wants to learn about this.

u/ForTheChef · 1 pointr/FoodPorn

Thank you! Yes it's a plate. I love shooting on dark tables, plates, and backgrounds. It can add really nice contrast to an image.

The most important thing for food photography is the styling so being a chef should give you a huge advantage. Grab the book Light Science and Magic to get an understanding of lighting and you will be producing masterpieces in no time!

u/kr580 · 1 pointr/photography

Understanding Exposure

Agreed. When I first started a few years ago I read all these guides but was lost on the terminology and how to put it all in use. This book made a lot of things finally click for me. He explains everything in very easy to understand way. Good read for a someone getting into it.

u/shward · 1 pointr/Eugene

Get this book: http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390

It's a really great read. Explains the basics. And like several others here, I'd be happy to go over some photography basics with you.

It's been a while but the U of O had a group of people that met on campus and went on photography walks from time to time when I worked there. It might be worth investigating if they still do that.

u/knight_rider_ · 1 pointr/photography
u/Razor488 · 1 pointr/AskPhotography
  1. I would purchase a DSLR over a mirror less camera because DSLR's have better view finders and thus will greatly help you with your composition.

  2. I would understand how to shoot in manual mode, and that requires that you understand exposure (Aperture, shutter speed, ISO). There are many great books on this subject but here is one of many.

    Have fun!
u/President_Hoover · 1 pointr/trees

Anytime. I love encouraging new/young artists. If you get a chance check out this excellent book on photography. Even after years of photography this guy still teaches me amazing things. It's great for beginners and experts alike. It's easy to follow and is an amazing resource. Lots of people get frustrated early on, especially with modern/complicated cameras. This book breaks it down and makes it fun. Of course a little toke goes a long way in keeping it fun instead of frustrating. I wish you the best man.

u/billthemedic · 1 pointr/photography

Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is another excellent book. Instead of focusing on your camera, it explains the absolute basics of photography and you'll be able to apply that to any camera.

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Edition-Photographs/dp/0817439390

u/podcat2 · 1 pointr/photography

Since you already got answers I'll add some other stuff. Thats a great camera and hopefully you be able to get loads of good shots of your daughters in the future that you will treasure. Pick up this book: Understanding Exposure and you will learn lots about how to use the camera and skills you will need as a beginner photographer.

u/canon-shooter · 1 pointr/photography
  1. Use your camera, shoot everything you can. Analyze what you did that made certain shots good, and what made others bad.

  2. Buy a book or two, like this one.

  3. Like anything else... Time and experience will only make you better.
u/photothrow · 1 pointr/photography

One of the reviews on Amazon said that "...this book doesn't read easily, or fast. It forces the readers to engage both sides of their brain, since paying close attention to the images is as important here as carefully reading the words." Do you think this would be overwhelming for a beginner?

I'm also looking at another book posted in this thread, Understanding Exposure. Have you heard anything about that one? I feel like Understanding Exposure is more technical with some elements of design while The Photographer's Eye is more focused on purely design and composition (like the subtitle says :P). Maybe you could give me your opinion of which is more valuable for someone with not much "real" photography experience?

u/TheSturge · 1 pointr/pics

Well this is my bible, I bought it when I first got into photography as a hobby and it honestly is so enlightening.

Understanding Exposure

It pretty much breaks down the different conditions in which you can find yourself, from lighting to framing etc and talks practically about how to get your head around f stops. In truth there is no 'right' way of doing things, as long as you have a basic understanding and get the results that you desire.

If you do ever wish to invest more time and money into things I'd recommend getting a decent second hand variable lens that can give you wide angle for things like landscapes, and also a good zoom to help you with portraits and the like.

I hope you do find the time one day as it is such a rewarding passion.


u/dannybres · 1 pointr/canon

To address your exposure issue, completely black or grainy, read Understanding Exposure. It isn't too long and I found it so interesting and a great introduction to understanding the exposure triangle.

Basically you have a triangle to balance:

  • Shutter Speed (1/100, 1/200 etc)
  • Aperture (f/4, f/5.6, f/8 etc)
  • ISO (100, 200, 400 etc)

    You need to balance the three to get a correctly exposed picture. You can than use one to get the creative effect you want, Shutter Speed allows you to smooth or freeze movement, Aperture allows you to control depth of field and ISO allows you to compensate for the other two at the cost of Noise in the image.

    But if you change one, you need to change a different setting equally and oppositely to compensate. It is referred to as 'stops'. So if you go up one stop in one setting you need to go down one stop in another. A stop of Shutter Speed is doubling it (1/400 -> 1/200 -> 1/100 etc.); A stop of Aperture is decreasing it by sqrt(2) about 1.4 (5.6 -> 4 -> 2.8 -> 2 -> 1.4 etc); A stop of ISO is doubling it (100 -> 200 -> 400 etc.).
u/olydemon · 0 pointsr/photography

I found this book really helpful advancing understanding on composition and content.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Photographers-Eye-Composition-Digital/dp/0240809343

u/tysn · 0 pointsr/photography

Do not worry about gear. As a new photographer you may get caught up in the "I need more gear" phase. That phase is expensive and not correct. You can take great pictures using whatever camera you have now and great lighting. I would suggest reading Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. People take great pictures with little to no gear. Check out this video by Chase Jarvis He is one of the best Commercial photographers in the world and talks all about how you dont need as much gear as you think. Good Luck.

u/pl213 · 0 pointsr/photography

The Print, The Negative, and The Camera by Ansel Adams.

u/Torg0 · 0 pointsr/Frugal

I did not call her a mooch. I said she is mooching off her parents with regard to the construction location of her crap shack.

This may be shocking, but some of my experience comes from real life. For example, my uncle has built such a cabin and I have spent many a happy night in it. However, Dick Proenneke's cabin in Alaska would be an example of such craftsmanship. He documented the construction of his cabin in journal entries and with his video camera. He lived in this cabin year round for more than 30 years. I would highly recommend the book One Man's Wilderness

u/LivingInTheVoid · -17 pointsr/vegan