Customer Reviews

101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs

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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.

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

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.

I enjoy photography as a hobby, and often read photography related books. The books I choose are typically of a technical nature so I can better understand the tools I use or about composition so I can improve my creative eye. When asked to read and review 101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs, I was excited for the opportunity even though I felt I was more advanced than the audience for the book.

This book is designed to show beginner to intermediate photographers how to take creative photos using proven compositional methods. Broken into fifteen chapters each covering a specific theme, 101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs is filled with inspiring images for each topic with accompanying details. The topics tend to fill two facing pages, typically including two photos and a few paragraphs describing how to take the shots. Sidebar sections are found throughout, providing more detailed explanations on key points.

This book doesn't go into much detail on how to use a camera in manual mode. I don't believe it is the author's intention to educate the reader to do so. However, to fully understand the contents, the beginner should have basic knowledge of how to use their camera. Otherwise when exposure based instructions are given, the beginner may not fully understand how or why to adjust their camera as directed.

The books structure makes for an easy read. Each topic of a chapter seems to lead from one to the next. The selected images are excellent examples of the topics effectively showing the authors point. And from my shooting experience, the instructions are accurate.

For those that aren't familiar with using the manual modes of their camera, I would suggest reading Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson first. Once familiar with setting proper exposure, read this book to improve or challenge your compositional skills. The author has accomplished what he claims, providing an excellent resource for beginner to intermediate readers wanting to create winning photographs with quick and easy instructions.

PROS:
Plenty of relevant example images
Accurate instructions
Simple to read

CONS:
Some less than inspiring images (although they provided excellent examples)

as a shooter of the world in all its beauty and unsightliness,([...]) i had to learn the hard way teaching myself the camera, and what it can do for you. Matthew presents a concise & clear highly effective, instructional book on how to work the camera in the most common yet tricky situations. You do not have to read volumes of info to get to the point. Everything is presented clearly accurately and to the point.
Most common photographic situations are presented in a concise way and makes it a pleasure to read.
it is not intimidating at all.
I think for those starting out in photography this is an essential book to segue into the arena.
For those who want a refresher course this too is the book.
Thanks Matt for writing an excellent book making it all simpler than it seems and less frustrating than many other books do.

Glenn Losack MD

"Quick & Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs" is the perfect title for this book! Bamberg includes tips on photographing just about everything from landscapes to portraits and clearly explains the techniques used to improve those images.

Simple instructions are accompanied by samples of his own photography throughout the book. To better help you understand these techniques, each sample includes the camera setting/s, the location of the shot, and the elements he used to achieve a great picture. (Many of the photographs Bamberg uses in the book are from his own world travels.)

Most of the book is dedicated to improving photography in the field and getting better results while you are shooting. Bamberg, however, also touches upon Photoshop and shares some easy tips on tweaking and spicing up images already taken by devoting one chapter to Photoshopping.

The layout of this book keeps the reader attentive and interested. Composition, camera settings, lighting, depth of field, color, etc. are explained in an uncomplicated format and each "lesson" is complimented with photographs.

As an experienced photographer, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in improving their picture-taking skills. Whether using a DSLR or a point-and-shoot camera, you'll find Bamberg's tips and techniques easy to follow.

Matthew Bamberg's 101 QUICK AND EASY SECRETS TO CREATE WINNING PHOTOGRAPHS is a fine set of winning tips on how to blend composition and technical skills for maximum effect. Chapters cover themes in achieving these goals, use color photos to present results of different approaches, and teach everything form how to manipulate images with light and shadow to create moods and add special effects to applying skills to real-life challenges. An excellent course.

In "101 Quick and Easy Secrets to Create Winning Photographs", Matthew Bamberg covers all the critical ingredient of a good photographs that you will need to know in a very easy to understand, succinct and practical way. It covers all the basic concept and technique of camera and photography such as Aperture, Shutter Speed, Exposure, White Balance, ISO, Rule of Thirds, Panning, Macro, Framing, etc. It also covers most of the possible subject and scenario that you might encounter (landscape, portrait, action, street, photojournalism), except probably wedding or studio type photography (which I believe is an advance level topic, as it requires complex lighting/flash technique). This book also contains a lot of sample photos that makes it interesting to read. It also filled with "side bar" in almost every chapter which is kind of a "did you know" section. The sidebar adds additional interesting information about the topic that is being covered.

Though I personally think many of the photos can be improved (more vivid, sharper, better crop/framing, more interesting object), with the exception of some of the really nice landscape photos, and the flamingo photo, they do meet the primary objective which is to illustrate the point that the Author is making/teaching. Maybe my expectation is too high, as I was expecting to be inspired when reviewing the sample photos.

In my opinion, this book should be geared towards beginner photographer (or as a textbook for a Photography 101 class), and probably up to intermediate level (as a refresher). Overall this is a very good instruction book that are interesting and easy to read and understand. I recommend this book for those who want to improve your skills in composing better photograph.

The content of this book:
1. Making your photographs look 3D
2. Painting with light
3. Adding action to your frame
4. Adding or Subtracting with shadows
5. Making art from architecture
6. Creating mood shots using weather
7. Beautifying with color
8. Breathing life into people
9. Making animal photos sharp and fun
10. Special up photos with lens flare, noise, and other unusual effects
11. Composing with landscapes
12. Shaping up with symmetry
13. Technical tango
14. Daytime, nighttime, anytime
15. Back to the future

Pros:
1. Lots of sample photos that illustrate the learning point really well
2. Very practical and easy to understand
3. Covers complete of photography scenarios (except some advanced situation)
4. Interesting to read and can complete reading the book fast if you want to
5. Sample photos EXIF is included (camera settings of the sample photos) which is very useful
6. Covers all the basic but important concept of photography in an interesting way (not boring to read and learn)

Cons:
1. Many sample photos can be improved (to be more vivid, sharper, better crop/framing, more interesting object, etc)
2. Repetition about several basic topics such as ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed and rule of thirds (a bit too many times in my opinion but I guess it is critical for beginner photographers to grasp the concept and relationship between those critical attributes)

Happy Photographing!

Sidarta Tanu

Just a bunch of more or less mediocre photos with descriptions of their origin. Some useful tips for beginners, but those need another book explaining the photo terminology and camera techniques which is not done in this book.
B.t.w.: There's a photo with a tulip and the author talks about roses ... "The red rose is a sign of respect for the deceased". Tells a lot about the quality of the book when the autor can't even see the difference between those flowers.

Matthew Bamberg has style: he has looked through many lenses in his life as a photographer and in this richly colorful, very well illustrated book he shares his secrets of his success in a manner that encourages and never threatens practitioners of the art of photography - from beginners to advanced professionals. His technique is to keep the words at a minimum and the examples of his many discussions at assisting the man or woman behind the camera at a maximum. His own beautiful photographs of landscapes, still lifes, inanimate objects and live 'models' ranging from lotus blossoms flirtatious women and spunky children pepper every page of this well-designed book.

Bamberg's 'secrets' cover the fields of lighting, infusing action into a photograph, 'beautifying with color', using light from direct source during every hour of the day to reflected source from whiteboards, and framing architecture and vistas so that they mean more than the usual postcard view of a subject. For each example of 'how to achieve' information he includes supplemental techniques such as shutter speed, camera settings and other professional tidbits that make his suggestions reproducible by the reader.

And helpful as this book is in accomplishing what the title promises, the real treasure here is the portfolio of terrific photographs that are on every brightly colored page of this book. Whether the photographer is of the armchair variety or the actively working artisan, this is a book to cherish. Grady Harp, May 09