Literary Recommendation: Read This Book If You Want To Take Good Pictures

Happy with the welcome that our section continues to have Literary Recommendation, we come with a new title. Although the previous literary recommendations were aimed at a somewhat more expert or advanced audience, today I bring you a proposal for all audiences, especially for beginners. do you want to know what is it about? Let’s get to it 😉

Read this book if you want to take good pictures

No, it’s not advice I’m giving you, but the title of the book 😉 . But if you ask me… yes, I do advise you to read it, that’s why I’m writing this, albeit with some nuance that you will discover throughout the article.

This publication is divided into: Introduction, Composition, Exposition, Light, Objectives, View and Annexes.

Introduction

A brief introduction where it shows that the important thing is not technical knowledge or the equipment that is responsible for a good photo, but the eyes.

Composition

He presents it as the pillars of photography and talks about lines of flight, framing, planes, symmetry, the rule of thirds, visual weight and violation of the rules.

Exposition

This section introduces the different shooting modes and the exposure triangle. Explains shutter speed, aperture, and ISO and how they relate to each other to capture motion, freeze motion, shoot light trails, cut out the background, or zoom in on the entire frame. It also talks very simply about exposure compensation and how and when to use it.

Light

Light as a theme, as an object, as a protagonist. This is what he presents to you in this part of the book where he talks about hard and soft light, its advantages and disadvantages, its beauty and its message. It also differentiates between artificial light and natural light and how they affect the color of the photograph, where it is used to present the white balance. It also has a dedicated space for built-in and fill-in flash.

Objectives

A section to situate yourself in what focal lengths are without technicalities. It begins by explaining what is zoom and fixed, focal length, field of view and sensor size, so that, from here, you understand how a telephoto lens, a standard lens or an angle lens works, and how they relate to the protagonists of the camera. scene and affect our relationship with them and the way we shoot.

Watch

This section is dedicated to awakening sensitivity, to understanding the difference between look at Y watch. It invites, among other things, to find the right moment to shoot, to appreciate the “perfect imperfections”, to capture the beauty of everyday life and to look with the eyes and not with the viewfinder.

Exhibit

Finally, in the annex, in addition to the index, credits and acknowledgments, you will find two pages dedicated to frequently asked questions and solutions.

Details

• Pages: 128
• Soft cover
• blume; Edition: Reprint 2014, 2015
• Dimensions: about 14.5 x 20 x 1.5
• Price: €14.95

Ideal for…

I have advanced it, it is ideal for all audiences. Mainly for newcomers to the world of photography, as it is written in simple, entertaining language, with just the right text, without many detours or too many explanations. In addition, it makes a summary of the most basic in terms of composition and exposition.

And I say for all audiences because it is also a good reminder for those who have been here a little longer and have more advanced knowledge, because although it does not bring anything very new (under the sun 😉 ), it does serve to bring back who has been a bit confused, or for those who have learned by trial and error.

About the Author

Henry Carroll, writer and photographer, publishes his work on the website henrycarroll.co.uk. He is founder of Frui, one of the UK’s leading providers of creative photography courses and holidays. He is the author of Fourteen Zebra, his first book. This is his second work, which has been translated into ten languages. He has been a columnist for City AM and a contributor to Time Out London, The Evening Standard, The London Paper, Next Level, an.co.uk and varioussmallfires.co.uk.

The best

It is written in very clear and simple language. With little text (the necessary) and with many graphic examples. In each of the sections you have a specific example and it points you to other pages where you can check that same rule or advice.

It is entertaining and short, far from those billets full of technicalities, impossible to read, long until boring and with more letters than photos.

Although the book is small, the photos are large enough to be seen comfortably and perfectly understand what the author wants to convey.

Another of its advantages is its size, since it is small and manageable, you can take it wherever you want, to your photographic outings, on the subway, etc.

Worst

That ends quickly 😉

If I have to say something badit is precisely that it contributes little for the most advanced, it is very basic, but to get started it is perfect.

And something that doesn’t quite convince me is the author’s aversion to photographing in manual, something with which the Photographer’s Blog team does not agree at all, because photographing in Manual opens up a world of magical possibilities that you could hardly discover by yourself. Another way. I understand that it is because it is a book to get you started and it prefers that you do not get stuck, that is why it recommends more semi-manual modes. I wouldn’t say the same if I knew our publication The Magic of Photographing in Manual Mode 😉 .

Another post by the author

In the same line you can find this other publication about portraits:

Conclusions

An enjoyable pocket book that you can take anywhere. To learn, remember and enjoy the photographs of some of the best photographers in history. A text that you will read quickly and without difficulty. A good gift for yourself or for whoever you want.

Reading makes us wiser, so don’t miss these other photography books that we think are essential.

Happy reading!