Customer Reviews

Digital Photography Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools

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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.

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.

"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.

"Digital Photography Hacks" can be viewed as a supplement to the author's 2003 book, "Digital Photography Pocket Guide". While "Pocket Guide" is a basic introduction to digital photography, "Hacks" is a collection of real-world tips and solutions to everyday problems encountered by digital photographers. It is another addition to the growing set of "Hacks" books published by O'Reilly Media.

The 100 tips and tools are organized into 8 chapters covering camera attachments, daytime and nighttime photo secrets, flash photography, photo projects, computer-based photo processing and organizing, and a special section on camera-phone photography. A number of hacks cover traditional photographic techniques not new to digital photography but useful to any photographer who wants to improve one or two steps above mere snapshooting. The bulk of them, however, relate specifically to the new digital photography world. The most interesting are those pertaining to camera-phones which have outsold regular digital cameras in 2002. The author demonstrates how to get the best use out of camera-phones despite their limitations in resolution, power, and features. Hack #75 explains that the prime value of camera-phones is in their immediacy allowing unique opportunities to obtain images. This hack reinterprets the traditional photography maxim that the "best camera" is the one you have in your hand when a special event is occurring.

Hack #79 cleverly shows how one can communicate in a foreign country by displaying pre-loaded images in your camera to the natives in lieu of learning and speaking a foreign language. Everyone will understand the meaning of the photos. Load up your disk with images of toilets, taxi cabs, and cheeseburgers! #83 discusses how to set up and run a photo mo-blog - which is the mobile version of a traditional blog site. Portrait-taking amateurs will learn how to improve their people shots with pro-style lighting effects (#41-43) and Photoshop manipulations like whitening teeth and eliminating red eye and skin blemishes (#16, 69-70).

Learn how to add music to movies and slideshows (#61) and analyze meta-data (EXIF format) contained in most digital photo formats (#28).

This book doesn't have the natural writing flow of Mr. Story's "Pocket Guide", as the Hacks were contributed by a large handful of experts, but it is a nice resource for those many digital photographers who need guidance or inspiration in using their cameras.

This book could have been titled 'Stuff you really really ought to know about digital photography'. Heck, many of the tricks could be applied to point-n-shoot, disposable, even some pro equipment both in digital and film arenas. While most pros are keenly aware of most of the hacks in this book, many things only come after years of goofing up and asking others how they did something.

For example, we've all seen soft-focus portraits, but would you have thought to stretch nylons over the lens to get that effect? Or maybe you'd tear tiny holes in the nylons to get a more mottled appearance. Need a well-lit portrait but don't have a studio? Buy two flashes that can be fired by remote control, or consider using a mirror to bounce one flash around.

In the digital side, learn some tips about sorting an filing, backing up, and creating working copies so you don't lose your originals. Take your images into the 4th dimension by creating movies and slide shows - free! And learn to use the unique benefits of digital cameras to shoot many more exposures than you normally would with film, then combine the best parts of each.

The hacks in this book range from boring to quite imaginitive, and cover not only shooting techniques, but lighting setups, Photoshop tricks, archiving, weekend projects, and stuff you can do with a camera phone. Not all the hacks will be useful to everyone, but there is enough variety that most novice and intermediate photogs will be kept busy for quite a while.

The only drawback to this book is that many of the hacks rely on purchasing or building additional equipment. While this is not the fault of the author, it is a bit disappointing to open a book and be told to buy something else. However, Story does give plenty of information on do-it-yourself solutions, and generally provides alternates. Some things, like additional flashes, or more advanced digital cameras just can't be substituted.

Digital Photography Hacks really isn't meant for the shooter looking to solve very specific problems. Instead, the goal seems to be to get people thinking more creatively about their cameras and shooting. It might make a serious hobbiest of some, while give some inspiration to others. I've been shooting for a little while, and found lots of unique approaches to techniques I've already learned, and a few new tricks here and there.

This is a great book for anyone with a point-n-shoot digital camera who wants to do something more interesting than the typical travel or kid snaps.

This book is not a reading book, nor is this book a picture book. However, this book is an amazing collection of organized tips and tricks for the digital photographer; from beginner to expert levels there is something inside for all, and then some.

Author Derrick Story has gathered information from various other photographers who have tested the waters with incredible results and now he shares these secrets with you. As the editor points out in the Preface, "The practice of making creative imagery is more accessible to more people than ever. Access to innovation is what this book is all about." One thing we all know is that unlike film cameras, digital cameras allow us to make those mistakes and smile, or rather delete. We can explore regions of photography, risking an entire memory card because the price is right. If the picture isn't just right, the simplicity is in the deletion.

The O'Reilly people are quick to point out that "This book contains tips for working indoors, outdoors, during the day, at night, in front of the computer, and even with a camera phone in hand". There are also fabulous easy steps to video editing as well. Another very important aspect of this book is that you can open it up to any page where you will find exciting new things about the digital world of photography, things you may have yet to dream of, but now came make these dreams a reality.

Colour was no object in the publication, as there are tons of demonstrative pictures to show the before and after effects of this ingenious collection of photography methods. Each Hack (tip) is clearly marked whether it be for a beginner, moderate, or expert. Some screen shots are captured in Windows XP, as well, some use Mac OS X. This does not affect your work; it is the information, not the operating systems that count in this book. Are you interested in taking and editing panoramic photographs using a camera that lacks this feature...well it is quite easily explained in Chapter 2? Ever wonder why your night photographs remain black, well Chapter 3 has the tips and tricks to make those fireworks shine and the moon glow. Of course you own a computer, and you just got a digital camera. How can you make them both work to their full potential? Well, Chapter 5 solves this mystery quite easily and fast. Here is an in-depth look inside this gem of a book. The layout is very easy to follow and sectioned in 8 great chapters.

Chapter 1: Digital Camera Attachments.
Chapter 2: Daytime Photo Secrets.
Chapter 3: Nighttime Photo Hacks.
Chapter 4: Magic with Flash.
Chapter 5: The Computer Connection.
Chapter 6: Photoshop Magic.
Chapter 7: Camera-Phone Tricks.
Chapter 8: Weekend Photo Projects (this one will keep you busy for sure).

As you can see, this book is full of great ideas, tips and tricks for the beginner and expert. Who knows, after playing around inside this book for some time, I may just be able to get a great picture of those Canada Day fireworks! A must read, a must have for reference, in all it is an asset to any photographer's collection.

For anyone who is contemplating jumping into the world of digital photography, or one who has owned a digital camera for some time, this book is a fantastic guide, taking you places you never dreamed of, not to mention the amazing tips on a multitude of "how-tos".

My favourite section of this book is the final chapter: "Weekend Photo Projects"; this is where you come off as the hidden pro hiding inside just waiting to come out and do those great digital creations mentioned in this book.

Gregory West is the Editor of SCUG Report www.scug.ca
and affiliated with the Association of Personal Computer User Groups www.apcug.net.

Digital Photography Hacks is a part of O'reilly's hacks series, which provide tricks and solutions for different fields. This book gives you tips and tricks when dealing with your digital camera.

I read this book after reading Digital Photography Guide for the same writer, Direck. So, I found myself comparing between the two books and found the Digital Photography Hacks is an extension for the Digital Photography Guide. These tips and tricks complete your knowledge with some useful methods to create professional photos using tools and things around you.

If you know your camera well, you will find this book very useful and open your mind for new tricks to produce professional photos. However, if you were a beginner in digital photography I would prefer to start with Direck's Digital Photography Guide.

This book from the O'Reilly hack series differs from the other in that it has color images. Since there are colored images, the headers are blue instead of traditional black and that's why the book costs a tad more than the other Hacks books. The landscape photos are spectacular.

The first series of hacks covers tripods, travel-sized to one made for a bike. As expected, learn how to capture magic with flash and take professional portraits with a two flash-setup.

The hacks aren't just hardware-related. Receive tips on taking daylight and nighttime photos with and dealing with kids, whiteboards, passport photos, panoramas, and other objects. Almost 100 pages cover using the computer and software like Photoshop to manipulate images.

A chapter covers camera phones, providing creative ideas for their use. The chapter is brief, so those without an interest or a camera phone won't feel like a few bucks have been wasted. The next time you're bored, go to the projects section near the end of the book for ideas on what to do with photos. Such projects are guaranteed to keep you busy for hours and having fun in the process.

Who will benefit from the book? Those who want to learn the things the pros do without spending time experimenting. Those who aren't afraid to experiment or try new techniques. Those who want to make a camera do things without buying expensive equipment like professionals use. Traditional photographers making the move to digital will benefit. The group that won't benefit are the folks who use a camera on vacation or on special occasions and snap at everything in sight without a worry about how subject is lined up.

Digital Photography Hacks is a great book for the aspiring, or amateur photographer looking to flesh out their photographic bag of tricks. Though the book deals primarily with digital photography, several of the hacks are relevant for good old fashioned emulsion (film) photography as well.

The book is divided into 8 chapters:

- Digital Camera Attachments
- Daytime Photo Secrets
- Nighttime Photo Hacks
- Magic with Flash
- The Computer Connection
- Photoshop Magic
- Camera-Phone Tricks
- Weekend Photo Projects

Each of these chapters has a number of hacks, which consist of self contained tips, or suggestions for working with your camera. Each hack stands on its own, and can be read and used independently. This means that you do not have to read this book cover to cover, but can simply reference the tip that applies to your particular shooting situation. For example, if you need quick information on how to compose, light, and shoot a portrait, you can just pull the relevant information out of the book and get right to shooting. A definite plus for when you want to get right to shooting.

The tips for shooting daytime, nighttime, and flash photos are incredibly helpful, and contain information that will help eliminate the discrepancy between how you thought a photo should look when you took it, and how it actually looks when you print it out.

Overall, I would say this book maintains the standards I have come to expect from the "Hacks" books that O'Reilly has been publishing, and recommend it to new digital photographers and casual amateurs alike.

O'Reilly has released another pretty handy book by Derrick Story called Digital Photography Hacks, 100 Industrial Strength Tools and Tips. The Book is broken into 8 chapters that cover different types of hacks & tips. I have highlighted points from a few of my favorite chapters.

Chapter 1 covers attachments for your digital camera. This chapter has 15 hacks that cover different types of tripods, making a walking stick into a monopod or monopod into a tripod, along with flash brackets.

Chapter 2, Taking photos in daylight. The 13 hacks featured in this chapter are some of the best hacks in the book.

Chapter 3 goes into 10 notable hacks on nighttime photos. What I liked about this chapter is how he explains some easy ways to get some great pictures after dark.

Chapter 4 gives up Hacks 39-46 called "The Magic of Flash". Most snap shooters wouldn't even think of using the cameras flash on a bright sun shiny day, yet that flash helps a lot with shadows that are caused by a bright sun.


While this book isn't really Photoshop "How to" book, Chapter 6 makes it clear that Photoshop can be part of your digital camera lifestyle. The tips in this chapter are very easy to follow, making a complex program like Photoshop easier to use.

Seems that 2003 was the year of the camera phone. The 10 hacks in Chapter 7 cover tips that will help you get the most out of your camera phone, for better or worse.

While Mr. Story is mainly a Macintosh user, the book is also useful for Windows users too. If you're interested in improving your photography skills, I would recommend that you purchase this book.

Dave Birdsong - Michigan Apple User Group