The DVD I’m reviewing is called ‘Digital Photography Exposed’, and is available online here.

Here’s a small trailer for the DVD:

My Review

So, first off, I’d say that this DVD is aimed at the beginner-to-enthusiast photographer, and will definitely be great for you if you’ve just had a DSLR for a few months, but haven’t really been able to get to grips with just how to get the best out of it. One of the great things about the DVD is that your host and photographer for the film – a guy called Mike Browne – only uses and recommends equipment that beginners generally have; cameras such as the Canon 550D / T2i, or the Nikon D90. So all the advice and technique he shows you, including close-ups of buttons/LCDs etc, is going to be useful for you, the learning photographer.

My overriding feeling from watching this DVD (which runs at a good length of nearly an hour and a quarter) is one of ‘wow, I really want to get out and try that’. I had my camera with me as I watched the film, but I found it so inspiring – and, in particular Mike’s down-to-earth advice and enthusiasm – that I wanted to get outside and try out all the different things he’d showed me.

If you’ve ever felt confused from photography books, manuals or magazines, but haven’t wanted to take the plunge with physical photography lessons, this DVD is for you – it’s like having a personal, one-on-one photography teacher showing you just how to take great photographs.

I made lots of notes as I watched the DVD, so I’ll share and elaborate on some of the things Mike teaches us below:

• Composition and lighting; this is where the magic is. I really like this notion, as Mike makes it clear that equipment is only one part of photography, and rather it is the use of light – and knowing just how to make the most of any lighting situation – that really makes a great photographer.
• Without any equipment, however, we wouldn’t get any photos at all! So there’s a nice section on lenses, and a great description of focal length and zooms. Good tripod advice too.
• Exposure – great demonstration of shutter speed. Being able to physically see what happens when the shutter opens and closes is great; really helps you visualise what is happening in the camera. Mike gives a good explanation of what shutter speed looks like on your camera screen, too i.e. the difference between 4 (quarter of sec) and 4″ (4 seconds).
• A physical demonstration of aperture – so Mike actually shows us just what happens to the lens as we increase/decrease the aperture size. Just seeing this kind of thing realy helps you realise what’s going on inside your camera/lens, and makes aperture so much easier to get your head around.
• Explains lightmeter view on back of camera, changing shutter speed and aperture to ‘zero’ the lightmeter, and thus get a properly exposed shot. Sounds a little technical, but Mike shows you how easy it is.
• Depth of field, using aperture to blur the background, separating your subject from the rest of the scene nicely.
• Freezing motion or creating blur by controlling shutter speed.
  
  

  That's Mike above - he's a cheery chap, and a great host!

• ISO. Great advice: if you can either take the photo by raising the iso, or you would miss the shot, take the photo!
• Focal length. Demonstration with a model, using different focal lengths to take the same composition, but learning what the change of focal length does to the resulting image. Learning to move yourself, rather than zooming: know what focal length you want, and just moving yourself to get the shot, rather than zooming all the time. Great to see three different images and being spoken to about the differences. Changing depth of field, field of view, and perspective (how close spaces seem to be).
• How to get sharp photos. Where to focus by choosing focus point (auto focus doesn’t always focus on the things you want it to!). How to stop camera shake.
• Semi auto modes. Aperture priority and Shutter priority.
• Composition. Rule of thirds; don’t put your subject bang in the middle. Really great demo of putting the subject into rule of thirds. Creating depth/3D effect by utilising the notion of a foreground subject. A nice section on creating a ‘Frame within a frame’.
• Good advice about thinking/constructing images, rather than just ‘clickety clicking’.
• Light. This is a really great section on the quality of light, with physical demonstrations of different light types, and how they are suitable for different situations/people. For example, harsh, directional light is generally not good for people, but good for powerful subjects. Nice soft shade is diffused light for nice portraits.

As the review has probably shown you, I really like this DVD. I thoroughly recommend it to beginner DSLR-owners, and also think even an enthusiast photographer who’s had their DSLR for a year or so would still benefit hugely from giving it a watch. There really is a lot to be said for actually being shown how to work your camera effectively, and just how to use each mode, compose and shoot, to get the photo you want.

‘Digital Photography Exposed’ is available to order online via this link.

As well as all of the below ebooks being offered at the fantastic price of zero, they are all in PDF format, and thus viewable on PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone and, well, anything else that can read PDFs. They’re all full ebooks, too – no ‘preview’ or ‘sample’ books here.

Instead of putting direct download links on here, I’ve linked to the pages on the corresponding websites where you can download the eBook – that way their website is getting the much-deserved exposure and publicity, rather than you being able to download the book directly from this post without ever visiting their site. Seems fair to me! I’ve only linked to sites where the eBooks are explicitly stated as being free – I did come across more books in my search, but I couldn’t vouch for the legality of some, so I didn’t include them in this post; download any of the eBooks below safe in the knowledge that they are all available online for free, and legally so.

By the way, if you know of any more free photography ebooks that I may have missed, please let me know in a comment below, by email, twitter, or on our Facebook page.

General Photography eBooks

Using Your Digital SLR

This is a really nicely illustrated guide from the folk at Photoanswers. It contains lots of handy hints on starting out with your DSLR.

Download ‘Using Your Digital SLR’ for free.

Using Your Lenses

Everything you need to know about lenses, from sharpness, to telephoto, wide-angles and more.

Download ‘Using Your Lenses’ for free.

Shooting RAW On Your DSLR

Want help on how and why you should be shooting RAW? Check out this guide – it contains lot of great info that’ll have you using RAW in no time.

Download ‘Shooting RAW On Your DSLR’ for free.

Shooting Black & White

Improve your black and white photography skills with another great eBook from Photoanswers. Includes info on filters, RAW conversion and Photoshop.

Download ‘Shooting Black and White’ for free.

Creative Lens Techniques

Learn to make the most of your lenses, including focal length facts, aperture answers, selective focus skills and more.

Download ‘Creative Lens Techniques’ for free.

Get More From Your Digital SLR

Take your photography skills to the next level with more great advice from Photoanswers – including  focus points, metering modes and more.

Download ‘Get More From Your Digital SLR’ for free.

Vision by Scott Bourne

Scott Bourne writes about inspiration, creativity and ‘vision’ in his free ebook. A great ebook from one of the most-followed photographers on Twitter.

Download ‘Vision’ for free.

The Top 5 Creative Photography Techniques

Requires a free sign-up to PhotoExtremist’s newsletter (top-right of his site) to get an instant download. Recommended, as the book is lengthy and full of creative ideas.

Download ‘The Top 5 Creative Photography Techniques’ for free.

My 5 Easy Steps To Shoot In Manual

Want to shoot in Manual mode but not sure where to start? This great eBook by Kimberley Gauthier will get you up to scratch in no speed.

Download ‘My 5 Easy Steps To Shoot In Manual’ for free.

The Essential Guide To Digital Photography

Requires a free sign-up to Makeuseof.com – very easy, and registering enables you to download instantly. This ebook is a great overview of digital photography.

Download ‘The Essential Guide To Digital Photography’ for free.

Street Photography eBooks

Going Candid: An Unorthodox Approach to Street Photography

Thomas Leuthard shares his tips, tricks and advice on street photography, including lots of examples of his stunning work.

Download ‘Going Candid: An Unorthodox Approach to Street Photography’.

Collecting Souls: What Street Photography Means To Me

Leuthard’s second book about street photography goes deeper into the subject, including more advanced techniques and thoughts.

Download ‘Collecting Souls: What Street Photography Means To Me’.

Street Photography For The Purist

160 pages of great street photography insight and images. Note the download link is at the top-right of the page.

Download ‘Street Photography For The Purist’ for free.

Lighting eBooks

Lighting 101

David Hobby’s (aka The Strobist) fantastic Lighting 101 series of posts, compiled into one great ebook. Essential reading for anyone interested in flash photography.

Download ‘Lighting 101′ for free.

Tinker Tubes Personal Lighting System

A great DIY guide to building your own studio lighting rig. Includes step-by-step guides and diagrams.

Download ‘Tinker Tubes Personal Lighting System’ for free.

Introduction To External Flash

A great guide to using your flash to get professional results. Including bounce flash, the use of reflectors and more.

Download ‘Introduction to External Flash’ for free.

Good Photos In Bad Light

Darwinn’s great guide on how to make the most of any lighting condition, coming away with a great photo everytime.

Download ‘Good Photos in Bad Light’ for free.

Digital Editing eBooks: Photoshop

Getting Started With Photoshop

Requires a free sign-up to All-Things-Photography’s's newsletter (top-left of their site) to get an instant download. It’s a nice, beginner’s guide to Photoshop.

Download ‘Getting Started With Photoshop’ for free.

An Idiot’s Guide To Photoshop

Requires a free sign-up to Makeuseof.com – very easy, and registering enables you to download instantly. A great Photoshop ‘how to’ guide for beginners.

Download ‘An Idiot’s Guide To Photoshop’ for free.

An Idiot’s Guide To Photoshop: Edition 2

Requires a free sign-up to Makeuseof.com – very easy, and registering enables you to download instantly. Covers more advanced Photoshop skills.

Download ‘An Idiot’s Guide To Photoshop: Edition 2′ for free.

Digital Editing eBooks: Lightroom

Lightroom Tips and Tricks: Volume 1

A great collection of Lightroom tips and tutorials – can’t believe this is free! Over a year’s worth of Lightroom guides and advice, compiled in one great ebook.

Download ‘Lightroom Tips and Tricks: Volume 1′ for free.

Lightroom Tips and Tricks: Volume 2

More fab Lightroom guides from Joe Barrett. Includes workflow, rating, sharpening, mask adjustments and more.

Download ‘Lightroom Tips and Tricks: Volume 2′ for free.

Travel Photography eBooks

Take Better Travel Photos

Improve your travel photography with the great advice and examples in this eBook. Includes a nice section on creative composition techniques for iconic places.

Download ‘Take Better Travel Photos’ for free.

Following The Light

A lovely photobook and journal; covering the authors’ trip to the Glacier National Park – lovely landscape photography.

Download ‘Following The Light’ for free.

World Effect: All The Way Around

Requires a free sign-up to their newsletter (top-right of site) in order to download. Beautiful photos and stories from around the world.

Download ‘World Effect: All The Way Around’ for free.

Nature Photography eBooks

13 Tips For Better Wildflower Photography

Exactly what the title says! Includes tips on getting the right exposure, composition, how to get butterflies in your photos and more.

Download ’13 Tips For Better Wildflower Photography’ for free.

Dragonfly Photography

Want to photograph dragonflies? Then this is the eBook for you! Includes info on equipment, composition and behaviour.

Download ‘Dragonfly Photography’ for free.

Food Photography eBooks

How To Take Stunning Food Photos

Requires you to ‘Like’ their page on Facebook to get instant download. A fantastic guide on getting great food shots.

Download ‘How To Take Stunning Food Photos’ for free.

Business eBooks

Technique

Advice and tips on how to earn money from photojournalism. First half of an eBook; the second half is yet to be written!

Download ‘Technique’ for free.

Picture Perfect: Set Up Your Own Photoblog

Requires a free sign-up to Makeuseof.com – very easy, and registering enables you to download instantly. Learn how to set up your own photography website.

Download ‘Picture Perfect: Set Up Your Own Photoblog’ for free.

Portrait Photography eBooks

Mirror, Mirror: An iPad Photobook

Our very own free Self-Portrait eBook, made in conjunction with 28 Flickr photographers. Viewable on PC, MAC, iPhone & iPad.

Download ‘Mirror, Mirror: An iPad Photobook’ for free.

Do you know of any other free photography eBooks? If you do, please let us know by leaving a comment below, sending us an email, writing on our wall on Facebook, or sending us a tweet.

 SimpleSLR: Hands-On Photography Training, is a fantastic book from Andy Lim – well known in the photography world for his photography classes and tutorials (as well as great images, of course!). His new book (which is available to buy here) is an extension of his classes; fitting in lots of practical lessons and examples to get the new DSLR-owner up to speed and taking great shots in no time.

And that sentence above really sums up why I’ve found Andy’s book so great: it’s full of practical lessons. It’s not one of those books that’s just full of technical theory and jargon; instead, Andy has written it as if he’s guiding you through one of his personal tutorials.

What I Learnt

Well, where to begin? I’ve read and reviewed quite a few photography books now, and whilst I have learned something new from each and every one, Hands-On Photography Training is the one I’m coming back to the most. It’s not just about the knowledge that Andy imparts, but the way he does it – each section is easily and straightforwardly explained, with full illustrations and example photos throughout. He just seems to make everything so easy to understand, and I can sit there, camera in hand, and physically go through his lessons and examples – learning the best way, practically.

So, some examples, I hear you ask. And here you go!

How To Handle Backlight Situations

Learn to handle those dreaded backlit situations with ease!

You know those times when your chosen subject is standing in front of something really bright? And it frustrates you because your photo comes out with the subject looking far too dark? That’s because of the strong backlight, fooling your camera into exposing the scene wrongly (or, at least, not exposing the scene how you want it to look!).

One of Andy’s lessons in this book guides you through just what to do to get around this problem; working to get a photo where both the background and your subject are correctly exposed. Top stuff.

Using The Right Focus Point

Using the right focus point can be the difference between swiftly hitting the 'delete' button, and a keeper.

You may already be familiar with the ‘focus, lock, recompose’ technique, where you can get focus on your chosen subject, and then recompose your shot so they’re exactly where you want them to be in the frame. However, did you know that instead of using this technique, you can just choose a different focus point for your camera to use, rather than using the centre-point all the time?

Not only does Andy talk through this technique, step-by-step, but he also gives great tips on just where is best to get quick, effective focus, and how getting this right can improve the amount of photos you decide to keep tremendously.

OK, What Else Is In The Book?

Plenty.

Oh, you want more examples? Well, how about:

• A beginner’s guide to exposure
• How to use Aperture Priority mode effectively
• How to control Depth of Field
• Wide angle lens vs Telephotos
• ISO settings
• How to avoid camera shake
• …and lots more…

…and, one of the best features of the book, 12 ‘Analysing The Shots‘ examples – where Andy shows you a photo he took, and then explains in great detail just how he ‘got the shot’: camera settings, compositional tips and more. If you’ve ever read any of Scott Kelby’s great photography books, you’ll have seen something similar (what Scott calls his ‘Photo Recipes’) – but Andy goes into even more details in his book.

My Verdict

I think you may have guessed that I like this book!

As well as being a great resource for a beginner or enthusiast photographer, I really liked the fact that it is an e-book; I was able to put it on my iPad, prop it up on the table, and go through each lesson with my camera in my hands – the best way to learn. (Being able to read the book on your daily commute would be an added bonus!).

SimpleSLR: Hands-On Photography Training comes highly recommended, and is available to buy (and thus instantly download) at this link.

The Speedliter’s Handbook, by Syl Arena

The Speedliter’s Handbook, by Syl Arena, is the best book about off-camera flash photography that I have ever read. Go buy it – it’s that simple! (It’s available from Amazon US and UK, by the way).

If a three-sentence review isn’t quite good enough for you, though, you may want to read on for a little more depth…

What I Learnt

Wow, where to begin? Well, let’s start by saying that I learnt lots. The Speedliter’s handbook is amazingly thorough, and full of tips and tricks, but I think the biggest reason why it is so much better than other books on flash photography is because of the way Syl writes: he writes in such a down-to-earth, practical manner, that it is just so easy to understand what he is saying, and put it into practise yourself. In truth, he writes like I want to write like in this blog; trying to demystify the world of photography, writing so that the total beginner can sit down and understand what he’s trying to say.

So, if you’re totally new to world of off-camera flash, this book is the one you want to get. It doesn’t matter that it is mostly about Canon speedlites; a colleague of mine who shoots Nikon also got this book and raves about it – Syl’s advice and tips are truly universal.

Soft Light From Softboxes

A shot of my wife, using techniques learnt in The Speedliter's Handbook

Let’s jump straight to a shot that I took, using the knowledge learnt from this book – see the above photo of my wife in our kitchen. (And no, it’s not an advert for Cling Film, though it does look a bit that way!)

As well as shooting and exposure tips, Syl also covers recommended equipment too, so I took his advice and got a Lastolite Ezybox Softbox for my Canon 430 EX II flash. You can see what the softbox and flash look like in the shot below:

One of the main tips you’ll find in his book is that the closer your subject is to the light-source – in this case the softbox – the softer the light will be. So, with this in mind, I had my wife stand as close to the softbox (without it entering the frame) as she could. I triggered the flash by using my Canon 7D’s built-in wireless transmitter, and I’m really happy with just how soft the light is on her hair and face – really happy!

And it was just so easy to follow the tips in the book; really, really simple.

Here’s another shot from the same setup:

For Interesting Light, You Need Interesting Shadows

This is one of the main points that Syl makes sure comes across in his book: for interesting light you need to create interesting shadows. When you think about it, he’s obviously right – photos without shadows can look flat, texture-less and just plain boring, whilst photos with shadows look three-dimensional and, well, just far more interesting.

There’s a great section in the book where Syl talks about the different styles of lighting you can create by just moving your speedlite into different positions around the subject, with example photos of what each flash placement produces. Needless to say, when you just use your flash ‘straight-on’ at the subject (like when you ever use that little pop-up flash on your camera), the results are boring because there are no shadows. Simply move your speedlite at an angle to your subject, and you’ll create shadows, depth, and much better images.

With this in mind, here’s a shot of my hand, again shot through a softbox, with the speedlite up and to the right:

Even though it’s just my hand, I think it’s still an effective, interesting image because of the relationship between the light and shadows – caused by positioning my flash at an angle to my hand. The light on the background also comes from the same flash, and I purposely positioned it so that the light was uneven on the background; I like that kind of diagonal light/dark divide in the image.

When You Want A White Background

In theory, you’d think it would be pretty easy to get a white background – just stand infront of something white, surely? The thing is, if that’s all you do, that background will not actually come out super-white like those professional sutdio shots you see in magazines – to get that kind of result, you need to put a flash directly on the background.

Syl covers lots of examples of using multiple off-camera flashes, and how to set them up in groups, changing their power and so on. I used this knowledge to take the below shot of my wife, using one flash (in a softbox) to put light on her, and a separate flash pointed just at the background to make sure it came out pure white:

Dark, Dark Backgrounds

Conversely, you’ll find that the way to get dark backgrounds for your photos is by limiting the amount of available, ambient light in your photo to virtually none – which you can do so by shooting at high shutter speeds of around 1/200 sec, combined with low ISOs and small apertures (of around f/8 or smaller). By doing this, it means that your flash will be providing the only light source in your photo – no natural light at all. If you then make sure that the flash is positioned so that it won’t fall on your background, your background will come out nice and dark, another example below:

My Verdict

I think it’s pretty safe to say I like this book! I have only covered a very small part of what Syl’s book teaches in this review, too – there’s just not space for me to cover the wealth of knowledge encompassed in its 432 pages.

If you shoot Canon speedlites, then you really need this book. If you shoot Nikon, then I’d say that you’d still learn loads from it.

The Speedliter’s Handbook, by Syl Arena, is available from Amazon US and UK.

I’d also recommend you follow Syl on Twitter, and check out his website too.

Update 15th January 2012: I’ve just done a new off-camera flash shot of my pregant wife which you may be interested in seeing.

Photo by G. Russell on Flickr

Price

It may seem a little strange to start this review off by talking about price, but the great value of the 50mm f/1.8 II really deserves to be spoken about, as it’s just such an affordable loens to add to your arsenal. For example, it’s only about $150 from Amazon US, or around £100 on Amazon UK.

Photography is an expensive hobby at the best of times, so it’s great to find an excellent lens (which it is, by the way) that doesn’t leave us eating cheese and bread for a month or two…

How Will It Improve My Photos?

This is the biggie – afterall, why would you bother getting a new lens if it’s not going to improve your photography at the end of the day? There are a few reasons why you can benefit from getting the Canon 50mm, and I’ll list them in order of importance (in my opinion, anyway):

1. No Flash Needed

Yep, with this little baby attached to your DSLR, you can put away that little pop-up flash on your camera, because you just won’t be needing it – this lens’ maximum aperture of f/1.8 means that it takes in a whole lot of light at a time, which in turn means that you’ll be able to take sharp shots in lowlight situations with ease.

Don’t believe me? Check out my shot of a friend’s cat, below. It was taken inside at night, with no flash whatsoever:

f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO 1600

Check out the sharpness of the cat’s eye!

A shot like this, in such a dark situation, would not have been possible to take without flash with the 18 – 55 kit lens that came with my Canon 500D / T1i – the aperture of that lens just ins’t large enough to allow enough light in. But, with the Canon 50mm f/1.8, I just set it at its maximum aperture, raised the ISO (which is the camera’s sensitivity to light) to 1600, and shot away.

By the way, I did a tutorial on how to take photos in lowlight without using a flash, which you may be interested in too.

2. Shallow Depth Of Field

I love taking shots with a beautifully blurred background; love the way this makes the subject of my photos ‘pop’. And what’s the main way you can achieve such out-of-focus backgrounds? Yep, by using a large aperture again – another reasons why the 50mm’s f/1.8 is just so darn great.

You can see an example of this in the shot below: the nice focus on the eyes, with the background (his body) and foreground (his nose) a lovely blur…

f/1.8, 1/30 sec, ISO 3200

It’s also actually another example of the lowlight performance of the lens, as he is a dark dog, in a very dark room – there’s no way that my kit lens would have been able to take this shot without using flash, but the Canon 50mm had no problems.

Funnily enough, I’ve done a tutorial on how to blur the background in your photos too, which you may find useful.

3. Great Focal Length For Portraits

As most of us are probably using crop-sensor cameras – such as the Canon T2i or T3i – then the 50mm focal length of the lens is very similiar to an 80mm lens of a full-frame camera, and this focal length is just great for portraits. And if that talk of crop-sensors and full-frame doesn’t mean much to you, don’t worry, just know that by using the 50mm to take photos of your friends and family, you’re going to get some great results.

The 80mm-equivalent focal length means your subject will look natural, and not distorted – and the wide aperture means you can send the background out of focus with ease.

Check out the portrait of my mum (ah…) below as an example:

f/2.8, 1/1600 sec, ISO 100

I’m pretty sure my mum likes this shot, and she normally hates photos of herself, so the 50m is definitely working well here!

4. It’s Sharp.

Yep, it really is. At f/1.8 it’s good, and at slightly smaller apertures, such as f/2.8, it’s even better. You’ll definitely notice the improvement from your 18 – 55 kit lens.

I’ll include some more shots below – all showing great sharpness:

f/6.3, 1/800 sec, ISO 200

f/2.6, 1/200 sec, ISO 1600

f/2.8, 1/400 sec, ISO 800

f/2.8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 200

Verdict

So, you’re probably thinking I quite like this lens, and you’d be absolutely right! But what of its downsides? Well, you may have heard or read about the build quality of the lens. Yes, it is plasticy, but, you know what? It doesn’t matter. At all. It fits on your camera, and works. Surely that’s all we need it to do? We’re not going to be playing ‘catch’ with it, after all. For amateur/enthusiast photographers, there is just no need to go for a more expensive option just because of the plastic build.

It works, and it works darn well.

A photo I took with this lens was even published in my local newspaper, so, yes, I am quite a fan!

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is available from Amazon US and UK.

There are many reasons why I rate it so highly, but perhaps the overriding factor that makes it stand out from the rest is how it is written for the layman – simple to understand, dealing from the basics up, and full of practical advice that really works.

'Captured By The Light' by David Ziser

What I Learnt

One of the most important things I learnt from this book was confidence: the self-knowledge that I, too, can go ahead and get out there, taking photos of weddings. The book instills this confidence in you because of the wealth of advice and practical tips – from how to pose the bride so that beautiful window light makes the most of her features; to how to set up group shots painlessly – and everything in between.

I’ll get on to some more specifics from the book in a bit, but I do think this is really important – gaining the confidence to actually try it for yourself. For example, I read a different wedding photography book recently, and the advice was just so generic, and the example images just so ‘middling’ that it didn’t inspire confidence at all – by way of huge contrast, Captured By The Light manages to pull you in, teach you some great things, and give you the impetus to go out and try it for yourself. I don’t think you can come up with as high a praise as that, really!

But, I shall continue my praise, and talk about some specific details in the book that really helped me:

Bounce Flash Guides

Davd includes a wealth of information on how to get the most from your flash, and especially by bouncing it from the celing, walls, or even the best man’s shirt! Each bit of advice includes a really handy diagram so you can see just exactly how to set your flash, and example images of just how David has used the technique to get the shot he wants.

I used this knowledge to bounce my flash off the ceiling for the shot of the bride and groom dancing below:

Lenses and Camera Bodies

A really useful couple of chapters covers the lenses and camera bodies that David uses for his wedding photography, with each lens choice including details on just why it has become part of his kit bag.

I found these sections really handy, and if you’re also thinking of getting into wedding photography professionaly, then I’m sure his tips on what lenses work best for each situation will really help you out.

The Bouquet Toss

It’s the little specifics like this that really add up to make this book shine – specific guides on absolutely every situation a wedding photographer will come across. As an example, for the bouqet toss, David recommends a middling aperture such as f/5.6, as you’ll want to have a bit of focus-leeway, and also recommends positioning yourself in front of the bride, and to continue shooting as many frames as you can.

I used these tips to get the shot below:

‘Bringing It All Together’

When you read lots of photography books, you can sometimes feel slightly dejected at the amazing quality of the example photos, compared to the shots you actually end up taking. Nothing could be more true of wedding photography, where professionals’ websites are full of only their very best, ‘standout’ shots.

So, it’s great to see that David has included a chapter that shows an entire wedding’s final chosen album images, from start to finish. Because, although David is an absolutely fantastic photographer (and a great teacher, too), it’s really nice to see that not every single photo is a standout, ‘amazing’ photo. It’s just not possible for every shot to be magazine-publishable quality! And that little bit of information really helped me realise that I can give this wedding photography a shot too; that the example photos on wedding photographers’ websites are the 1 or 2 amazing shots that they have taken per wedding – and that the vast majority of a day’s photos will be good, but not ‘super amazing’.

I think that’s a vital bit of knowledge!

Conclusion

There are just too many great bits of advice in this book to list them all; needless to say, that if you have even an inkling of interest in wedding photography (and if you own a DSLR you’ll probably get asked to shoot a friend’s wedding some day) then you really should get this book.

By the way, although the book is called ‘Captured By The Light’, and does indeed give lots of info on how to use both natural light and flash, the majority of the book is taken up with down-to-earth, practical advice on how to shoot every part of a wedding succesfully – so don’t think that it’s just about lighting, because it really isn’t at all.

Captured By The Light is available from Amazon US and UK

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 (photo by pete92009 on Flickr)

As my kit lens already went up to 55mm, the 55 – 250 seemed the perfect counterpart – meaning that with both lenses, I could cover a range of 18  – 250, which is a fantastic range! The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 is also very good value for such a long telephoto zoom, at around $220 / £150 (you can buy it at Amazon US and UK).

There are lots of reviews of this lens on the ‘net, many going into extraordinarily specific and detailed technical analysis – my review will instead focus (pun intended!) on my ‘real world’ usage of the lens, and will show you some sample photos I’ve taken with the lens. So, without further ado, let’s start, shall we?

My First Day With The Lens

The photo of the robin, below, was taken on the first day I got my 55 – 250:

ISO 500, 1/250 sec, f/5.6

Needless to say, I was impressed with my new lens right away – see the detail of the bird’s feathers, the sharpness of its feet, and the lovely background blur too. Being able to get such a close-up, detailed shot of the robin, without having to be actually standing right next to it (I was a good few metres away when I took this), is fantastic – if I’d got physically nearer, then I would have frightened it away, so my 18 – 55 kit lens would not have been able to take this shot at all.

By shooting ‘racked out’ (which means using the lens at its longest zoom length – in this case 250mm), not only did I manage to capture a detailed close-up, but it also helped to produce that extensively blurred background that looks so good. Using longer focal lengths like this is one way of achieving such a background blur – if you’re interested, you can find out other ways of how to blur the background of your photos in the seperate tutorial I did.

Carry on to part 2: It’s great for wildlife and candid photography —>

So, this little gift guide is not only for people out there who have a husband/wife/parent/child who is a photography lover, but also for us photographers too: there’s nothing wrong with treating ourselves to a little Christmas gift, now, is there…?

Gifts To Make Us Better Photographers

We all want to improve our photography, always wanting to take better and better photos, and these will really help. It may be best to have a sneak peek at your photography enthusiast’s book collection before you get one of the guides, though, just in case they already have it.

The Digital Photography Book (Volume 1)

Whenever I’m asked what’s the best ‘learning photography’ book out there, I always say this one. I did a full review of The Digital Photography book over here, which you may want to check out, but, needless to say, devouring this book will definitely improve your photography. Well, only if you don’t take the word ‘devouring’ literally, that is – I don’t think it would be too appetising…

It’s the world’s largest selling digital photography book for a reason, and you can get it from Amazon US and UK. There have actually been three books written in the series, and you can get a box set of them if you really want to spoil your loved one! Again, available from Amazon US and UK.

Understanding Exposure

Likewise, this book is fantastic, and whoever receives it will thank you for broadening their photography theory – the fundamentals of which are really needed to start taking better shots. I did a full review of Understanding Exposure over here, by the way.

You can find this book at all good book stores, or that fantastic Amazon US and UK place too.

A 50mm Prime Lens

If you don’t know anything about photography, don’t be put off by the technical-sounding name – this is basically a great little lens that lets us take photos in lowlight without a flash. Yep, flash sucks, doesn’t it? If you’re tired of being blasted by your partners flash every time he wants to take a shot of you indoors, then why not get him one of these lenses? I wrote a guide on how to take sharp photos in lowlight without a flash, and one of the best things you can do is use one of these lenses.

Think they’ll be expensive? Think again! For around $100/£80, this is a fantastic addition to any photographers kit. If you know your friend only has the lens that came with his/her camera, then this would definitely be a great gift idea. All you need to know is if they’re a Canon or a Nikon user. If they’re Canon, then get the Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, available at Amazon US or UK. If they’re a Nikon user, then the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 is also available at Amazon US and UK.

A Tripod – But Not Just ‘Any’ Tripod!

There are times when every photographer needs a tripod: landscape photography in general, certain lowlight situations, and when wanting to set up ‘self-shots’, to name just a few. Standard tripods are fine, but to add a little spark to your Christmas gift, you may want to think about a Gorillapod, available from Amazon US and UK.

What’s great about these are that they are lightweight, small, and super-malleable – you can mold them around trees, rocks, doors… virtually anywhere! They really enable you to set up ‘self-shots’ wherever you may be, with the minimum of fuss. Check them out in the video below:

These are just a few gift ideas to be getting on with, and, I can honestly say, if I didn’t already have all of the above, then I’d be pleased as punch to get any of them!

Top Christmas image by ‘domesticat’ on Flickr

It’s a fantastically exciting time when you get your hands on your first DSLR – I remember when I got mine last Christmas (as a little treat to myself): my Canon 500D was like my new little baby, taking it with me wherever I went.

A shot I took on the 1st day I got my Digital SLR. I clearly had - and still have - a lot to learn!

Although I was thrilled with my purchase – and still am, by the way – I soon came to desire a little bit more – not just in equipment terms, but also photography skill and know-how. So, with that in mind, I thought I’d share what you what I think are worthwhile next steps for the budding new DSLR owner:

Devour Photography Books and Guides

The first place to to start is by learning as much as you can, and, chances are, that if you’re reading this, you’re really up for that anyway.

Although you can of course learn lots by getting out there, using your camera and taking as many shots as you can, I heartily believe that by getting a few books, or by utilising some of the fantastic free photography guides available on the ‘net, then your photographic skills and confidence will improve no end.

Free Web Photography Websites I Recommend

The internet is full of fantastic guides and tutorials, and, while I write some ‘How To Guides’ as well, the following sites are a great place to boost your knowledge:

• Lightstalking (also on twitter)
• Digital Photography School (twitter)
• Photocritic (twitter)
• Photoradar (twitter)
• PhotoTuts (twitter)

Specific Tutorials I Recommend

Regularly visiting those sites above will ensure you have a wealth of tips to get through, but I thought I’d also share some specific guides/posts that I’ve found particularly helpful:

• 12 Audacious and Creative Portrait Ideas (from Lightstalking)
• Visualising Studio Lighting (from Photocritic)
• Finding Fresh Angles To Shoot From In Photography (from PictureCorrect)
• 8 Ways To Unleash The Creative Photographer In You (from PhotoTuts)
• How To Shoot Group Photos (from The Discerning Photographer)
• Simple On-Location Lighting Techniques (from Niel Van Niekerk Photography)

Carry on to part 2 to read about the photography books I’ve learnt loads from and more —>

The ability to send a photo straight away to the photoframe is brilliant, especially if you’re into your photography (and you probably are, if you’re reading this blog!). If you have parents who live some way away from you, and you don’t get to see them much, just give them one of these, and whenever you have a great new photo to share with them, you just email it – and the photo will instantly show up on their frame! A great idea, and one that really elevates this from the typical photoframe.

Here’s a video review of the Kodak Pulse:

The Kodak Pulse is available available from Amazon US and UK