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Use & Tips |
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Check your local library to see what photography books and magazines they have. Some will feature a series of photos by a particular photographer and others will be guides with tips and techniques to help you take better photos.
Browse through the photography section at local bookstores (both Barnes & Noble and Borders have extensive collections). Be sure to check the Bargain Book section also, as well as the magazines.
If you are a beginning photographer (or you just want to take better photos), start with some “basic” books. They should include such topics as composition and light. Many will also include tips and techniques for photographing various subjects such as people, animals, landscapes, etc. Some books will apply to film cameras, while others are written for digital cameras. Any discussions of composition and light, as well as tips for photographing various subjects are applicable, regardless of the type of camera you have. You will probably find it more helpful if you choose a book which has photos to illustrate the concepts.
* How to Take Good Pictures – A Photo Guide by Kodak (Ballantine Books, NY, 1995) (There may be a later edition, since this book is revised and updated periodically) Although this book is written for film camera users, it includes much usable general information.
* Photography for the Joy of It by Freeman Patterson (Key Porter Books Ltd., Toronto, 1986) This is one of Freeman Patterson’s earlier books and is designed for both the beginner and for those who have taken photos for awhile. It emphasizes the importance of “seeing” things around you and being aware of such things as quality and direction of light. It also includes tips and techniques for taking photos in special situations, such as taking pictures at night, taking pictures of children, etc.
There are a wide variety of books featuring specific subject matter – e.g.: people, buildings, landscapes, flowers, etc. If you enjoy taking specific subjects, look at some of them. If you prefer black and white, a great number of books are also available for that medium.
As for magazines, the most popular (largest circulation) include Popular Photography & Imaging, Peterson’s Photographic, and Shutterbug. More specialized magazines include Outdoor Photographer and American Photo. It is advisable to look at several issues before you subscribe, although you will find subscription prices for the more popular ones surprisingly low as they are heavily subsidized by advertising.
There also are some very good websites you might wish to check. Some of these (along with subject matter covered) are listed below. (Thanks to Eileen Camuto for her help in researching and selecting these sites.):
Photography composition articles-library
variety of info on cameras and photography
ABSOLUTE BEGINNER SITES:
For photo management in your computer --
A great piece of software (Picasa)
Also check the websites of the major manufacturers of cameras, film, and digital equipment. These include, but are not limited to: Olympus, Canon, Nikon, Epson, Kodak, Fujifilm. etc.
website page last modified on February 2013 by Donn