Camera Phone Obsession [Paperback]

Peter G. Aitken (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2004

Imagine your family getting to see your baby's first picture-in real time from the delivery room! Or imagine capturing a cool shot of a street vendor in Venice while you are on vacation and uploading the image to instantly share with your friends back home. Camera phones are quickly taking over the world, and users are in need of a guide that shows them not only how to take great pictures but how to share them in different ways.

Camera Phone Obsession is a unique guide that marries the technology of camera phones with the emerging culture. Author Peter Aitken shows you how to purchase the best camera phones, how to best shoot and print photos, what the best services are for sharing photos, and how to use your camera phones with your PCs. This book shows how camera phones are a breed apart from digital or film cameras. The book discusses the dos and don'ts of camera phone etiquette and privacy and legal concerns for camera phone users. The author expertly guides you through the basics of camera phone photography so you take the sharpest pictures, navigate through the technology maze of sending and storing photos, and save money and time with this emerging technology. The book features numerous hands-on projects and tips and techniques to create art and have lots of fun with camera phones.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Imagine your family getting to see your baby’s first picture—in real time from the delivery room! Or imagine capturing a cool shot of a street vendor in Venice while you are on vacation and uploading the image to instantly share with your friends back home. Camera phones are quickly taking over the world, and users are in need of a guide that shows them not only how to take great pictures but how to share them in different ways. Camera Phone Obsession is a unique guide that marries the technology of camera phones with the emerging culture. Author Peter Aitken shows readers how to purchase the best camera phones, how to best shoot and print photos, what the best services are for sharing photos, and how to use their camera phones with their PCs. This book shows how camera phones are a breed apart from digital or film cameras. The book discusses the dos and don’ts of camera phone etiquette and privacy and legal concerns for camera phone users. The author expertly guides readers through the basics of camera phone photography to you take the sharpest pictures, navigate through the technology maze of sending and storing photos, and save money and time with this emerging technology. The book features numerous hands-on projects and tips and techniques to create art and have lots of fun with camera phones.

From the Author

This book is the result of my exploration of the camera phone phenomenon. You'll find a wide variety of material here, from the technical to the speculative. Most interesting in my opinion is the perception of a developing camera phone culture--a fundamental change in the way society does and thinks about certain things. The combination of having a camera that you carry with you everywhere, along with the ability to quickly send photos and text via a wireless network at any time, has prompted thought and debate in areas as diverse as photographic aesthetics, personal privacy, and industrial espionage.

My goal for writing this book is to give you a real sense of what the camera phone obsession is all about. If you are like me, you are probably hooked on your camera phone. It’s probably your all-time favorite gadget. In this book I cover a range of topics that will be important to all camera phone users. This includes technical topics such as selecting a camera phone and service provider, printing, sending, and sharing your photos, and using software for photo manipulation.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Paraglyph Press; 1 edition (August 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932111964
• ISBN-13: 978-1932111965
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,704,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cutting edge aura, September 24, 2004

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Camera Phone Obsession (Paperback)

The ubiquity of cell phones has led to changing social situations and mores throughout the developed world. Then, in just the last year, cell phones have started to be commonly equipped with cameras, giving rise to the phenomenon of camera phones.

Aitken gives us many ideas about their usage. Still a feeling of novelty. Just as cell phones did in the mid 90s. The book has the expected tips for actual optimal photo taking. Experienced photographers may well wince at the current limitations, like no zoom lens, or low resolution.

All of these are valid critiques of camera phones. Yet, as the book shows, the sheer utility of a camera phone outweighs all these. Like the fact that the device is primarily for communication, so the camera is in some sense a bonus, without you have to lug around an extra device. Then, the all-digital aspect of the images is far more convenient than traditional wet film. Instant feedback. So you can make your own blog or website with photos you took. The book goes into extensive detail on these ideas.

A nice, cutting edge aura.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Learn digital photography with a cell phone, November 6, 2004

By 

Jack D. Herrington "engineer and author" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Camera Phone Obsession (Paperback)

I'm not sure the ideal audience for this book actually exists. The book is not about how to improve cell phone cameras, which is what I would have expected. It's a book about the fundamentals of digital photography using cell phones as a starting point. That's an interesting idea. I'm just not sure if there are enough people interested in doing that to successfully market a book.

All that being said, the book is a reasonable introduction to digital photography. It starts with a section on taking the shot and composing the picture, the goes into processing and printing the shot. Then there is a cell phone only section detailing mobile blogging. The final chapter, on projects with your cell phone has some interesting ideas to spark your imagination.

Overall I liked the book, though I found the subject a little quirky. I personally didn't find it all that helpful since I have been into digital photography longer than cell phones have been around and there wasn't much on taking better significantly better camera phone shots. However, if you are looking for a book on digital photography for someone who is new to the whole field and whose only device is a phone, this is probably the right book for you.