6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very well written and illustrated, December 28, 2009
This review is from: 101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs (Paperback)
In his book "101 Quick and easy secrets to create winning photographs" the Author Mathew Bamberg takes us around the world capturing day to day things using various techniques, taking the mundane shot and turning into a visual masterpiece. Bamberg does an outstanding job of describing the photo techniques that he employed as well as the technical aspects of the shot, the use of color, light and shadow, for ground object, background object etc.. Bamberg describes his thought process behind the decision he makes about the framing of the shot, whether to use aperture priority, shutter priority, type of lens etc.
The book is divided into 15 chapters:
Chapter 1 Making your photographs look 3D. This chapter describes how to use objects to give your photo some dimensionality using foreground and background objects.
Chapter 2:Painting with light. The chapter covers using available light vs. flash vs. reflected light
Chapter 3 Adding action to your frame. This chapter covers using long exposures. It also covers taking shots of people in motion and how to convey what they are doing through photography.
Chapter 4. Adding or subtracting shadow. This chapter covers how to use shadows to emphasize the subject as well as how to get rid of unwanted shadows.
Chapter 5. Making Art from architecture. This chap0ter is basically about photographing buildings in interesting ways.
Chapter 6. Creating mood shots using weather. This chapter is about using exposure compensation to bring out color. It's also about using black and white photography to set the mood.
Chapter 7 Beautifying with color. This is about finding color in the shot and then emphasizing it. Making the color jump off of the page.
Chapter 8. Breathing life into people. This chapter is about using the lens, colors they are wearing and the environments they are in to create a photograph.
Chapter 9. Making animal photos sharp and fun. In this chapter Bamberg shows us how to capture the essence of the animal. He really made these images stand out.
Chapter 10. Spicing up photos with lens flare, noise and other unusual effects. Here Bamberg talks about using the settings on your camera and lens to really bring out unusual effects whether is lens flare, distortion or long exposure.
Chapter 11. Composing with landscapes. Here Bamberg covers using focal lengths, aperture, shutter speeds and combining many different camera settings to achieve the perfect shot.
Chapter 12. Shaping up with symmetry. This chapter covers using lines to direct the viewers eye.
Chapter 13. Technical tango. Here Bamberg talks about what equipment and settings to use in different situations.
Chapter 14. Daytime, nighttime, anytime. Here Bamberg talks about using the settings on your camera to capture the brilliance of light and color. Any time.
Chapter 15. Back to the future. Simply said., how to photograph old things and bring visual life to them with color.
This book serves as a multipurpose book. It can be used in the classroom and it can be used as reference material and it is very well suited for both.
The book is filled with beautiful photography. It's an easy read. What I really liked about this book is that it will be very easy for the novice photographer to understand and there is something here for the experienced photographer as well. Bamberg really captures the essence of photography in this book. Bamberg really makes the photos in this book come to life and he walks the reader through how to do this. Bamberg did an excellent job writing and editing this book as well. The points he makes are detailed but concise. The book flows very well from beginning to end and yes there are 101 very useful secrets here. This is worth 10 stars in a 5 star limitation.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Format for Fast and Easy Reference, July 15, 2009
This review is from: 101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs (Paperback)
They say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." This adage could not be more true in the world of digital photography where most of the costs accrued are done up front with the purchase of the equipment and the photographer has only to snap photo after photo with only card size limiting his efforts. However, what if once the photos are downloaded, that magic moment that presented itself for immortality was never adequately captured? The mood is wrong; the colors faded; the shadows wax ineffectually. My mind's eye saw it as clear as day, but the lens somehow muted the effect and the resulting picture certainly did not do justice to the one thousand words waxing eloquently in my head. In my long stint as a photographer hobbyist I can tell you I have had my fair share of disappointments. I pictured post cards with vibrant colors from eclectic vantage points that would be sure to wow every one with which I shared my photos. Fat chance of this happening every time I released the shutter until I happened upon Matthew Bamberg's how-to book "101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs."
I don't have a lot of time to read a book chuck full of technical terms and instructions. The layout of this book fits well into what I desire as leisure photographer that wants to memorialize events in my life or reproduce lovely vistas in nature. Bamberg provides a concise table of contents and a full index that allows the would-be photographer to check out their problem point and quickly flip to the two facing pages that outline the photo issue and offers a solution complete with photo examples.
For example: there are times when my portraits of people simply do not come out as crisp as I would like when I am shooting inside in artificial light. Bamberg's three examples about light in indoor photography quickly gave me good and fast suggestions about how to play with my subject. Each technique is explained in a two-page format where the issue (example: "Finding Available Light for a Clear Picture Indoors") is augmented by a highlighted box listing Supplemental Elements (like tripod, ISO speed, self-timer), the actual location of the shot he uses as an illustration and the Camera Settings he used to achieve the effect. In addition to the actual photograph illustrating the technique, Bamberg offers multiple paragraphs that explains his vision and his methods and delineates between older film photography rules and digital photography that has the added bonus of tweaking with RAW files and software like Photoshop. Instead of over-inundating the reader with a slew of information that takes hours to read, this simple format quickly gets to the point and gets the photographer away from the book and back to the actual doing of obtaining his shot.
Bamberg's book flows easily from one related topic to another. The result: he covers the spectrum of most photographer's needs. From the simplistic: "Keeping Your Own Shadow out of the Frame" under the topic of "Adding or Subtracting with Shadows" to a more specific technique of "Making Flowing Water Look Like Angel Hair" under the broader topic of "Composing with Landscapes", the book cannot help but aid any photographer in achieving better photographs.
Bottom line? Matthew Bamberg's "101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs" more than adequately details technical and artistic methods to add to any photographer's portfolio of amazingly compelling photographs. A joy to look at, this larger than trade paperback is laced with many interesting photographs representing places and subjects from around the world. Finding a solution to photography dilemmas is quick and easy with no more than two pages to read per technique. Recommended as a quick reference to enhance your digital photography experience and ascertain that your every picture is worth a thousand words.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Plenty of techniques and tips to improve your camera work..., May 31, 2009
This review is from: 101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs (Paperback)
Matthew Bamberg has put together a very nice book that can take you to the next level with your digital SLR photography... 101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs. He covers a wide variety of techniques and situations that can move you from ordinary to extraordinary results.
Contents:
Making Your Photographs Look 3D; Painting with Light; Adding Action to Your Frame; Adding or Subtracting with Shadows; Making Art from Architecture; Creating Mood Shots Using Weather; Beautifying with Color; Breathing Life into People; Making Animal Photos Sharp and Fun; Spicing Up Photos with Lens Flare, Noise, and Other Unusual Effects; Composing with Landscape; Shaping Up with Symmetry; Technical Tango; Daytime, Nighttime, Anytime; Back to the Future; Index
The layout of the book is perfect for picking up new ideas. Each two page spread (left and right) shows a photo, introduces a technique, and tells how he was able to pull it off. He also covers exactly what camera settings were used in the shot (f-stop, shutter speed, ISO, and lens length). Granted, knowing all that does *not* guarantee that your picture will come out the same, but at least you have a starting point. But more important than just the mechanics of taking the picture, he also explains the composition and lighting of the shot. That makes the most difference. For instance, his tips on photographing neon signs during the day and capturing the grandeur of an old movie palace really hinge on angle, color, and framing. An even better composition example is the item titled "Umbrellas Aren't Always For Rain". He shows how two pictures of the same basic scene can be light years apart in telling a story or capturing a concept. Many setting sins can be corrected with photo software if you're shooting in RAW format. But bad composition is pretty much a killer.
You'll probably be able to follow the technical setting details more readily if you are already familiar with the concepts and settings involving aperture and shutter speed. He doesn't spend much time trying to get you educated on that material if you don't already know that. But given the target of the book, I wouldn't expect him to. This is a solid choice to work on improving your skills behind the camera, and you'll have plenty of things to work on.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
