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42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some cool and unusual ideas..., May 22, 2004
This review is from: Digital Photography Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools (Paperback)
Are you a digital photographer who is always looking to try something different or learn a new technique for your shooting? If so, you'll like Digital Photography Hacks by Derrick Story (O'Reilly). Like all Hacks titles, the book is made up of 100 ideas or techniques that you can use to do something different or unusual. The hacks fall into the following chapter areas: Digital Camera Attachments; Daytime Photo Secrets; Nighttime Photo Hacks; Magic With Flash; The Computer Connection; Photoshop Magic; Camera-Phone Tricks; Weekend Photo Projects The thing I like most about the Hacks series is that if you don't like or can't use one tip, the next one may be exactly what you have been searching for. And this book is no different. To get the absolute most out of the material, you should have a digital SLR or a high-end digital camera that gives you a wide range of control over shutter speeds and aperture settings. You should also have a copy of Photoshop CS, as that tool will allow you to do everything in the PS hacks chapter. But even if you only have a good consumer level digital camera, you'll be able to try out some tricks you may never have thought about. I particularly enjoyed the hacks on nighttime photography and panoramic techniques. I've always loved the vividness and colors of great night scenes, and there are some great ideas on how to capture those elements. There are also some cool tips for using longer shutter speeds to get light movement effects, such as head and tail lights of cars. As for panoramic photography, I've seen it but never knew how it was done. This book shows you how it works and how best to line up your shots for that type of shooting. Very good book, great ideas, and you'll enjoy looking at your photography in new and unusual ways.
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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Photography Reference, May 18, 2004
This review is from: Digital Photography Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools (Paperback)
Photography, as much as it has changed in the past decade thanks to the advance of digital cameras and methods, remains the same fundamentally as it has for close to 100 years. The perfect shot consists of a number of factors including subject, background, angle, lighting, lense and exposure. Granted, digital cameras let us perfect the formula almost immediately, and that is where this book comes into play. One would argue that the book could be used by both a digital photographer and a traditional film photographer. The author described techniques that could really be applied to any photographer regardless of camera type -- for instance, how to mount a camera to get the perfect "stable" image at the correct angle. Many of the tips focus on the technique behind photography and how to set-up the perfect shot -- all before you hit the button. Overall, the book provides a good reference for the hobbyist who does not have the mega-expensive camera or setup. The author shows how to take pictures that rival many professionals without spending a fortune. I learnt a lot about when to use a flash, and when to use diffused lighting -- again, something that could be carried over to the traditional film world. By just applying these tips I immediately noticed that pictures I took indoors took on a new life; and looked a whole lot better. If you are looking for a book that strictly focuses on digital cameras and how to hack them, this book is not for you. If you are one of the hundreds of thousands of 'new' hobbyist photographers that the digital camera revolution has created and want to improve your technique and your shots then this book is a terrific resource manual to learn the tricks of the trade.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great resource for the amateur photographer, June 28, 2004
This review is from: Digital Photography Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools (Paperback)
"Hacking" has a different meaning to the photographer than it does in the computer world. This book is about hacks the way it is used in the world of photography and not the way it is used in the world of computers. When a picture doesn't come out quite like a photographer intended they often make changes in the darkroom via masks, burning, and other techniques. This is photographic "hacking" - enhancing and changing your digital photographs in ways you may not have thought possible to achieve the results you want. The first chapter focuses on digital camera attachments and how to use them to produce better results. From there the author leads the reader into various techniques of outside photography, nighttime photography, and flash techniques. Once you understand how to get the best picture it is time to change it into a work of art. For this process the author discusses the magic of Photoshop and how it can be used to achieve almost any effect you can imagine. This is a book for the amateur digital camera user who wants to create a professional looking result. If you are an advanced Photoshop user the part of the book about camera use could be helpful but the Photoshop portion doesn't cover even a tenth of what Photoshop is able to do. "Digital Photography Hacks" is highly recommended for the amateur digital photographer and anyone else interested in creating photographs instead of taking pictures.
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