Macro

Shooting macro images is one of my absolute favorite photography genre. I just finished reading Shoot Macro Techniques For Photography Up Close by Stan Sholik. I learned some new techniques like focus stacking which was not really around when I started shooting macro back almost 10 years ago. So much has changed because of digital! But that subject is better left for another time. He also used fiber optic lights for many images which I found interesting. They allowed him to put the light right where he wanted it which is critical for lighting such small objects. Of course there are some outstanding images in this book and not just flowers which I feel end up as the fall back for a lot of macro photography. Not that flowers are a bad subject by any means but it's nice to see something else from the macro perspective. All in all a very good book.
Find it here:
Amherst Media
here:
Amazon
and here:
Barnes & Noble

Photograph The Face by Jeff Smith

This was a super book. Jeff details his process very well. By detailed I don't mean lengthy or boring. I mean he gives you the details to properly visualize what he is talking about as you read. He does this very well and you can tell he has the experience to back up his word. This book will help you understand more than just how to improve the faces in your portraits. By improving the face you improve all other aspects of the portrait as well. Basically a good portrait starts with making a pretty face. If you're so inclined to purchase this book you can find it here:
Amherst Media
here:
Amazon
or here:
Barnes & Noble

Moving Beyond Point and Shoot

Ok so point and shoots have their place such as in my purse for our fun days out when I don't really need all that a dslr has to offer. However when you get beyond automatic settings and move into a camera with settings and lenses it really is a whole new world of photography made available to you. If you've been wanting to move from that fun little point and shoot to something a bit more advanced but are feeling intimidated try reading a book about it. Such as Essential Elements of Portrait Photography by Bill Israelson. His book is a great little guide to take you into the dslr world without feeling so intimidated by it. He covers a lot of the basics of equipment, camera function, and composition in regards to portrait photography. If you are so inclined to purchase this book you can find it here:
Amherst Media
here
Amazon
or here
Barnes & Noble

All Is Not Lost

I'm going with a different sort of title for this post. It could be about nearly anything but it is a review of the book Lighting & Design for Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk. So why the title of this post then? This book will help you find the image you didn't think was possible given the scenario. Take a drab parking lot and make it into something from a fairytale. It covers a ton of different possibilities for images with options for lighting, equipment, posing and composition along with a bit of post work. My favorite part is the inclusion of the images that led to the final image as well as a pull back shot of what he was working with for a setting. You will be amazed when comparing the two but you definitely know he's legit when you see them.
If you want to own this amazing book you can find it here:
Amherst Media
here:
Amazon
or here:
Barnes & Noble

I like reading, if you couldn't tell by now.

My book review this time around is Sulty, Sweet, or Sassy Lighting and Posing Guide for Boudoir Photgraphy by Kay Eskridge. I like guide books with full page images. Being the visual person I am I learn the most by studying the examples so it helps when they are nice and big. The other part I really liked about this book, well ok there were lots of things, are the way the chapters are laid out by lighting setup. This way if I want to test something out I can easily refer back to where it was in the book. My favorite thing, besides all of the lovely images of course, was that each image was rated by the client and the studio so you know which images/poses are client favorites even if they weren't favorites from the studio. It's a nice guide for the those beginning in boudoir.
If you're interested in buying a copy for yourself find it at any of these places
Amherst Media
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Newborns - Photography Book and Real Life

This particular blog post is a two for one, a little about me and my life and a book review. The book is Photographing Newborns for Boutique Photographers by Mimika Cooney. I wish I had read it sooner as my little girl is now five months old and not a newborn anymore. Sad face. But she is growing fast and amazing to watch as she does. She is still just as snuggly but we are getting into the joys of teething. Had I read it while still pregnant I would have learned some great poses to try with her while she was still tiny. The book covers a great deal of the business aspect of being a boutique newborn photographer. Owning a business is a lot like having a baby. With a baby there's all the fun stuff- smiles, cuddles, belly laughs and then there are the not so fun things like diapers, crying, and teething. For a business the fun stuff is getting props, new gear, taking the image and the not so fun stuff insurance, contracts, deadlines. But Mimika stresses the importance of taking care of the not so fun stuff in order to be able to actually do the fun things. I liked this book a lot for that reason and I love it because a portion of the sales will be donated to the organization Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS). NILMDTS is an organization of photographers who donate their time and talent to give lasting memories to parents when a baby leaves this world before they are born or shortly after. It is an amazing organization and it is commendable for a photographer to donate their time for such a cause.
To learn more about what they do find them here NILMDTS

To purchase Photographing Newborns for Boutique Photographers find it at
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
or direct from the publisher
Amherst Media

Book Review

This time around its a landscape photography book- Magic Light and the Dynamic Landscape by Jeanine Leech. It's been awhile since I got myself out there to do any serious landscape photography. This book gives me the itch to get back out there and do some. We'll just have to see if that happens with my little baby holding me down in the mornings by her sleepy cuteness. But back to the book. The images are amazing of course and the lighting impeccable. I was familiar with a number of the techniques that she describes but there were several that were either new or hadn't tried yet. It also reminded me that I should really add a neutral density filter and graduated ND filter to my equipment bag. The images you can obtain with the help of either of them are just amazing and I should have added them long ago. I guess I just needed a little reminder.