Digital Photographer’s Handbook

October is Craft Month at DK Canada and for a limited time they are offering a special deals for fans who love to create something new with their hands.  Whether looking for a long-term hobby or hoping to while away an afternoon, you will find the resources you need with this wide selection of books for kids and adults. From reference books that show the best lighting for a photograph to how to knit a scarf – these books will answer every question and encourage your creative side!

I have been offered some titles to review in order to present them to my readers.   Because I love photography, I have selected Digital Photographer’s Handbook as my last title to review for the Craft Boutique.

Digital Photographer’s Handbook

About the Book

Revised and updated for to include the latest advances in digital image-making, the Digital Photographer's Handbook offers expert advice to all photographers, whether novices or seasoned professionals.

Featuring exciting new photographic and image-manipulation projects, up-to-the-minute information on the latest technology and equipment, with revised and updated text and new pictures, the Digital Photographer's Handbook is on top of current trends and developments.

In Digital Photographer's Handbook Tom Ang teaches how to capture the best possible shots, how to enhance or transform any picture, and encourages photographers to practice their skills, so they can ultimately show their work.

Tom Ang is an award-winning photographer and best-selling author, and is the author of DK's Digital Photography Essentials, Digital Photography Masterclass, and The Complete Photographer.

My Thoughts

One of the passion that my dad did pass on to me while I grew up is definitively photography.  Through the years, I got in my hands various cameras – 110 (back in the days with the four faced flashes), a small 35 mm, and then a Nikon both with the film to bring somewhere to get developed.  I took a development course while in university.  Then when I got married, we bought digital cameras and two years ago my husband got me a Canon that I cherish and bring everywhere we go.  But even though I grew up loving photography and doing my best in taking pictures, I never really took a course to handle it to its maximum.  That’s the main reason why I selected this title from DK Canada… I want to expand my knowledge using my camera to the point that I can use all its features.

And this book is packed with numerous tips and tricks on how to explore and use your camera at the full potential you can have.  The table of contents itself is somewhat breathtaking:

• Core Skills – handling cameras, your first pictures, picture composition, focusing and depth of field, image orientation, image proportions, composition and zooms, movement blur, close-ups, extreme lenses, quick fix optical problems, influencing perspective, changing viewpoints, quick fix leaning buildings, quick fix facial distortion, color composition, adjacent colors, color contrasts, quick fix color balance, exposure control, silhouettes/backlighting, high-key images, low-key images, advanced metering, accessory flash, quick fix electronic flash, and electronic flash.
• Photography Projects – starting projects, abstract imagery, architecture, interiors, documentary photography, street photography, vacations and travel, weddings, children, landscapes, cityscapes, reflections, low-light photography, animals, plants and gardens, panoramas, live events, portraits, camera phone photography, and record-keeping.
• Image Development – scanning basics, workflow essentials, downloading, file formats, image management, capture defects, color management, cropping and rotation, quick fix poor subject detail, quick fix poor subject color, levels, burning-in and dodging, dust and noise, sharpening, blurring, quick fix image distractions, image size and distortion, quick fix converging parallels, quick fix image framing, white balance, color adjustments, saturation and vibrance, manipulation defects, curves, bit-depth and color, color to black and white, vintage effects, working with RAW, duotones, tritones and quadtones, sepia tones, sbattier effect, gum dichromates, split toning, hand tinting, cross-processing, tints from color originals, quick fix problem skies, filter effects, multiplying filter effects, high dynamic range, selecting pixels, masks, quick fix removing backgrounds, layer blends modes, text effects, cloning techniques, simple composite, photomosaics, and image stitching.
• Showing and Sharing – proofing and printing, output to paper, quick fix printer problems, art printing, online printing, presenting prints, sharing images, creating your own website, and selling your pictures.
• Buying Guide – the ideal camera, camera phones, compacts, SLRs, choosing lenses, photographic accessories, digital accessories, electronic lighting, lighting accessories, computers, computer accessories, choosing software, printers and other devices.
• Going Further – learning more, portfolio technique, building up your business, mounting an exhibition, copyright concerns, and shopping for equipment.

I know a bit about photography but I also know that I can become better.  Considering all the information packed in this book, I think that my challenge in 2014 will be to expand my knowledge and my artistic talent using my camera.   I will read through the book in order to expand my current knowledge and explore the manual settings on my camera. After going through the core skills and trying out the tips and tricks found there, I intend to explore the projects included in the book so I can apply my new knowledge in photography. 

Check out some of the pages included in this book to see how the information is presented.

 

The book is also perfect for homeschoolers who want to develop the skill of taking amazing photos while on a trip or on an everyday life.   We believe that practice makes perfect and we purchase smaller cameras for the kids to use when we are on a field trip or on vacations.  Every once and then, they pick them in our every day life to takes pictures.  Some of them are quite good to be honest.   And I believe that slowly the love for photography is getting built in them.   I am seriously considering incorporating the study of photography as part of the high school years for a year and giving challenges for my kids in order to exploit the full capacity of a camera.   After all, taking pictures is a life skill isn’t it?   How else would they be able to build their own memories with their families if they have not developed this skill earlier in life?  I want my kids and grand-kids to have amazing memories flooding them when they look back at the pictures that were taken throughout the year.

DK Canada is currently offering a 30% off on numerous titles in their Craft Boutique.  Not a photographer?  No problem, you can find books on how to brew your beer, knitting, photography, sewing, handmade gifts, flower arranging, wood working, drawing, painting, books for kids for craft ideas or drawing, and much more.

Simply click on the image below to get directly on the Craft Boutique of DK Canada.

Digital Photographer’s Handbook is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned title for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Photobook Canada

What is Photobook Canada?

Your story is special. That's why we want to help you capture and express the special moments in your life.

Our vision is to make custom, affordable and high-quality books. Every photo book we make is hand-made and therefore unique. With our easy-to-use free software and vast range of products, you can begin telling your story the way you want to.

We believe that it’s more than just a book. It’s the story that your book conveys.

All our books are: 

• Hand-made, with superior quality
• Made with imported premium materials
• Completed with the help of great customer service using various communication channels
• Completed within 5-7 business days
• Constantly improving

My Thoughts

I discovered Photobook Canada by pure chance and decided to ask for the possibility of reviewing their services.   They agreed and offered me a medium landscape image wrap hardcover book with 40 sides/20 pages on 170gsm paper and matte laminated hardcover.

The process is quite simply.  You download their software, select the pictures you want, the background image, and voilà.  You get a picture book that will bring back memories to you.

For the purpose of this review, I decided to use some of the best pictures we took during the current year.    Even the cover image is one that was taken while going to the Tulip Festival back in May.

 

Throughout the book, we can find various pictures that were taken at home, at the RV, while fishing, on our trips and much more.    Below are two examples of the pages produced by the software.

You also have the opportunity of including text throughout the book.   For this specific book, the only text I included was a Scripture that is dear to my heart this year and I decided to put it at the very end of the book.

My only small disappointment would be that the software does not recognize the  order of how the pictures were uploaded and mix them up through the book.  However, I find it interesting to take the book and flip through the pages and remember when it was taken.   This book helps us to go through the memory lane of 2010.

This would be a wonderful gift for a wedding or a special anniversary like 25 or 50 years of marriage.    Would I build a photobook on a yearly basis?  Probably not because of the price but for a special gift for loved ones I would consider it.

Photobook Canada is easy to use and you will have you photobook within a week.   The only glitch I had on the delivery is that somehow it got delivered three doors from my house.   If I had not realized this via the email I received for the UPS delivery, I would still be waiting for it…   Fortunately, I went one morning to this neighbour and ask for my package.

If you are looking to give a special gift for your loved ones this Christmas, I would suggest that you consider Photobook Canada.   They have various options you can choose from and this gift will be out-of-the-ordinary.  But be quick, you only have two weeks to do so and make sure you get it in time for Christmas!

Disclaimer: Thanks to Photobook Canada for sending me the featured products for review purpose. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way.  All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Easter Day picture

As I mentioned previously, we hid some eggs around the house for an Easter Egg Hunt the next morning for the kids...  Not sure my little Jérémy understood completely but the older ones did.   Of all the places to find an egg, my husband put one in the fish bowl...  I must admit that I really need to clean that bowl and that the water level was REALLY low so that Rob could put the egg in there.   His first attempt went directly in the water... Mind you we changed the chocolate eggs in there and washed the egg before trying again.   Here's how it look.

I wonder if Nemo (our fish) likes chocolate!/