Complete Idiots Guide to Photography Essentials

This is the second book in my review of six new titles in the Complete Idiot's Guide series including Backyard Adventures, Photography Essentials, Weird Word Origins, Snack Cakes, Fighting Fatigue, and Fun FAQ's! Read along with me on this fun variety of topics while I give you my two bits on them as well as a giveaway or two! Enjoy!

A Complete Idiot's Guide to Photography Essentials

Also known as how to be Picture perfect!

I love to take pictures. Really, I do. And I have learned a secret that works for me. Want to know what it is? Use a digital camera and take a zillion or more shots because it is a numbers game...sooner or later, you will end up with some really great shots!

Wait...what? You wanted something a little more scientific than that? Well, then A Complete Idiot's Guide to Photography Essentials is just what you need. See, most of us are not highly skilled photographers..I have just shown you that I am not.:) But these days, you can buy a good camera that will produce high quality images without having to break the bank IF you know what to do with your camera.
A Complete Idiot's Guide to Photography Essentials was written by professional photographer Mark Jenkinson who happily shares tips and tricks for:

• • Understanding all aspects of the features and controls on a digital or film camera and how they affect the nature and quality of photo images
• • Making the best use of manual, aperture priority, and shutter priority settings on the camera
• • Shooting moving objects
• • Getting great, defined shots in bright light or nighttime settings
• • Adjusting depth of field to zoom in on objects in sharp focus and blurring the background to emphasize the subject
• • Improving composition and lighting

Mark has had an estimated 30,000 photographs published in virtually every major magazine in the world and has had photography exhibitions at major market galleries and art institutes across the country. Currently, Jenkinson teaches photography at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and works in the areas of editorial, corporate, and advertising photography. He has won numerous awards for photography, including the Meade, AR 100, and Society of Publication Design awards for corporate and editorial photography.

Mark has gone out of his way to make this book helpful and understandable to even the most novice of us. His writing style is clear and concise, with plenty of graphics to demonstrate what he means. On page after page, he provides a specialized Pro Tip to educate you as you go. He gives you the basics on the science behind how a camera works (which I found incredibly helpful) and helps you see your place in the event you are trying to photograph. It made so much sense! He even gives you tips on editing your images after the fact, how to adjust for moving objects, even tips on storing your images once you are pleased with the outcome.

I really felt like I was in a photography class, I learned so much. Again being paperback and only 200 and some pages long with loads of pictures, it was really an easy read. Released in May of 2008, A Complete Idiot's Guide to Photography Essentials will hopefully provide you with as much helpful and friendly knowledge as it did me., allowing me to go beyond my previously mentioned technique and capture the moment in just a few shots.

The book usually retails for $24.95 and can be found at Amazon as well as your local bookseller.

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Win a Copy Here!

The Prize: A copy of A Complete Idiot's Guide to Photography Essentials

How You Can Win:
Leave me a comment here letting me know what you like to do with your photos. That's it!

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This giveaway is open to US addresses only. Good luck!

Who is eligible:

You must have a US mailing address. You don't have to be a blogger to win, just supply a valid e-mail address. Make sure to leave me that email address though because if I cannot get a hold of you, you cannot win!

When the giveaway ends:

The giveaway will run now through October 27th at Noon CST. I'll pick the winner using Random.org as soon as possible after that. You may choose to check for your nickname at Prizey.Fetch, a cool site that compiles winners in one convenient place:

Winners will have 3 days to reply before another winner is selected.

Bonne Chance!!

Be sure to check out my other blog, 3 P's in a Pod!
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