Hi ,

 

 

The Photokina trade show is going on right now and there are some really exciting product announcements coming out. One of the biggest is the new full frame 24 megapixel Nikon D600, which I’ve written about in a number of posts lately. Of course, Canon answered with a new full frame DLSR of their own, the 20 megapixel 6D. While the D600 is in stores right now, the 6D won’t be available until December.

 

Fujifilm announced the XF1, a stylish new point and shoot with manual controls and a faux leather exterior. Classy picture taking right in your pocket! This was on the heels of the Fujifilm X-E1, an interchangeable lens mirrorless camera that’s designed to compete with the Sony Nex-7.

 

Lensbaby introduced a brand new budget lens, the $80 Lensbaby Spark that puts creative tilt effects in hand for a much lower price point than any of their other models. On the complete other end of the spectrum, Sony announced the RX-1, a $2,800 full frame point and shoot for the Leica-style crowd. And Lexar introduced a 256GB SD memory card.

 

Ok, enough gear-gasms, we could go on and on, but we all know that it’s not the next piece of gear that will make all of our photography dreams come true, it’s how we use the gear that counts. It’s our intellectual and creative brains that drive fantastic, memorable imagery. 

 

If you’re looking for inspiration, though, much cheaper than buying a new camera or lens, is opening yourself to some basic instruction. Reading. Studying. Learning. Then going out to practice and experiment. When I was out shooting cyclocross last week for no none but myself, someone asked me why I was out there. I replied, “because it’s fun and it makes me better.” Check out my Week 1 Photo set and my Week 2 photo set to see more from those shoots.

 

 

I love reading. I can’t seem to absorb enough information to feed my photography hungry brain. With bookshelves filling up, though, I’ve been turning to eBooks more often. Also, what I like about buying ebooks vs. gear is that you're helping to support the individual efforts of photographers who spend time documenting and sharing their knowledge.

 

Here are a few of my recent favorites and the ones that I think will make a difference in your photography. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although we don’t often refer to it as such these days, especially if we didn’t start out in the days of film and enlargers, dodging and burning is a craft that has as much relevance today as it ever did. In fact, Ansel Adams is quoted as saying “Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships.”

 

 

 

 

This one is more for beginners. It’s for people who have recently bought a camera and become enthralled with taking photos, but still don’t fully grasp all the technical basics of photography. If you wish you had a better understanding of your camera, how it works and how to operate it with mastery and competence, then this book is for you. It covers Lenses, focus, light, exposure, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance and metering modes. 

 

Photo Nuts and Bolts is about making you a more technical photographer, which will, of course, free your hands and mind so that you can explore your creativity to its full potential. Yes, it’s basic, but it’s thorough, and if you’re a beginner that’s exactly what you need.

 

 

 

In this 96-page eBook, Mitchell details not just how to use magic hour light- (that’s the easy one), he explains how to understand and use all different types of light in order to communicate and evoke the mood and emotion that you’re trying to bring forth in your imagery.

 

Photographers often get told to put their cameras away at midday, but the truth is that if you’re only shooting pictures at sunrise and sunset, you’re missing an entire day’s worth of great photo opportunities. Some subject matter can actually benefit from different types of light, whether it’s harsh, cool, soft, diffused or foggy. Understanding and gaining mastery of how to use these different types of light will indeed make you a better photographer.

 

In Natural Light, Mitchell covers the role and power of light in photography, how to deal with the technical aspects of shooting in different types of light, how to use quality, direction, diffusion, and reflection to your advantage when composing subject matter and how to control the light without having to resort to using lots gear.

 

 

 

Sorry, I can’t pick just one, they’re all really good. Ian Plant is one of the most talented landscape photographers in the industry today and his books do a wonderful job blending stunning imagery with rock solid tips, techniques and insight. I’d recommend starting with his first, Chasing The Light and going from there. I also especially love his Patagonia- Behind the Lens book. 

 

He’s also got a number of Photoshop tutorial videos, a number of which are free. If you haven’t spent any time on Ian’s site, I’d highly recommend doing so, you’ll definitely walk away inspired.

 

 

 

This authoritative guide by photography marketing guru Zach Prez is filled with ideas that will help you improve your visibility on the web and through social media. With 12 Facebook Ideas, 13 blog tips, 11 Google Strategies, 9 email marketing ideas and more, this easy-to-digest reference will show you lots of quick and effective ways to capture traffic and sales.

 

I’ve read Zach’s other books and can attest that he knows what he’s talking about. 55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers works. 

 

Of course, while we’re on the subject of eBooks, don’t forget to check out my three eBooks, How to Become a Pro Photographer, Making the Image and Going Fast With Light, and my latest, Creative Photography Techniques, which is still only 99 cents at the Amazon store. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the free Amazon Kindle app and read it on any device.

 

  

 

 

Fall officially hits in two days. For many photographers, it’s the most active season for creating beautiful and striking imagery. Read my ode to fall at The Photoletariat, and check out this great collection of fall imagery at Light Stalking. Maybe it will give you some ideas of your own. At any rate, I hope that you make plenty of time to get out and take lots of photos this season!

 

As always, thanks for reading. Have a great week and enjoy the posts.

 

Dan