Google Play Books have some fantastic offers on photography books at the moment, with a number of great books on sale for £0.01 – yep, just one, solitary UK penny! The books on offer include the fourth book in Scott Kelby’s great Digital Photography book series (the first of which you can read my review of over here).

The books you buy on Google Play can be read via the web, on an android app, or on a ipad/iphone app.

I don’t know how long these will be at £0.01 for, so I’d suggest getting them quickly. Also not sure if you can get them in the US or rest of world at this ridiculously low price, but it’d be worth a few seconds of your time to try to find out!

So, without further ado, here are the books found so far for 1p!

The Digital Photography Book, pt. 4 – Scott Kelby

Picture Perfect Practice: A Self-Training Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Taking World-Class Photographs – Roberto Valenzuela

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers (Martin Evening)

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 Classroom in a Book (Adobe Creative Team)

Photoshop Lightroom: From Snapshots to Great Shots, Covers Lightroom 4 (Jeff Revell)

The Ipad for Photographers: Master the Newest Tool in Your Camera Bag

Google+ for Photographers

Creating DSLR Video

If you find any more super deals like this on Google Play, please let me know in a comment below, or over on our Facebook page. Cheers!

If trying this with your cat at home, please do make sure the cat’s happy and you have a safe landing area set up!

Created with cinemagr.am

Notice my wife blinking in the photo above? Pretty Harry Potter-esque, huh? It only took about 5 minutes to create, and you can do it easily – and for free – by getting the Cinemagram iPhone app.

These images where just a certain part of the frame are animated are also called ‘Cinemgraphs’; I remember finding some amazing examples about a year ago, and looking into how they were created – but the work involved just seemed immense! But this great iPhone app has come along now and it really couldn’t be easier. You simply record a small movie (about 2-3 secs), and then you just use your finger to highlight the area that you want animated – everything else in the shots stays still. You can then save your creation, and share it on Facebook and Twitter too. I love it!

Here’s another one of mine, featuring my lovely dog:

And another:

Have you created your own cinemagraph? Let me know in the comments below, and feel free to include a link to your creation too!

So, I wanted to say, if you’re on the fence about whether to go for a DSLR, and start to learn about this great subject, don’t hang around – just go for it.

The biggest reason for me, is the better photos of my family and friends. Now, i’m not saying that my ‘new’ photos are in anyway amazing, jaw-dropping, professional quality etc – because they’re not – but what they are is so much better!

Take, for example, a typical photo of my friends that I used to take, on a compact:

Shot on an old compact; pretty darn awful, huh?

And compare to a much more recent shot, taken with a Canon 500D:

That's more like it!

I’m Not Saying It’s All About The Camera…

…because it’s not at all. You can take fantastic shots on compacts. What I am saying is that buying a DSLR kind of ‘forced my hand’ in that it made me start to learn about photography; I’d made quite a hefty purchase, and I wanted to make sure I was getting the most out of it.

Being able to take better photos of my frends has made every penny, and every second learning, totally worthwhile.

Here’s another embarrassing before and after:

Ewww...(taken on an old compact, with no photography knowledge at all!)

Much better! This was also taken indoors, in lowlight, but a little knowledge (and a DSLR) has improved the shot drastically.

Go For It!

I know it can seem daunting, and I know getting a DSLR is a lot of money, but it’s just so worthwhile. Once you’ve learned some of the basics (which this site can help you with a bit – and you’re also more than welcome to pop over to our Facebook page and ask us a question) then you’ll be taking photos that are that much better that you’ll wonder why you were ever questioning gettting a DSLR at all.

I’m going to leave you with some more photos from a recent trip I took with friends (I’m based in the UK, by the way, and we all decided to go for a great south west holiday; definitely recommend it, there are some great holiday cottages in Devon – perfect for a group of friends looking for something a bit different to London or an 18  – 30′s holiday!).

Crash Taylor

I’m really thrilled to have another ‘learn from the experts‘ interview here on LearningTheLight.com, and this time with none other than Crash Taylor, one of the UK’s most inspiring and exclusive wedding photographers.

If you’ve followed this site for a while you’ll know that I have the utmost admiration for wedding photographers, and I think we can all learn so much from them; the wedding photographer has to be a master of virtually all type of photographer, and he/she has to do so under the most intense pressure!

So I’m really happy to be presenting some tips and thoughts from one of the world’s best… over to Crash after an example of his work:

Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, Crash, it’s really appreciated. My first question is about ‘style’. You have a distinctive style all of your own, and have won many awards – as well as being nominated as one of the Top 10 Winter Wedding photographers by Professional Photographer magazine. How did your style develop? Could you give our readers any advice on how to create their own style, how to differentiate their photography from everyone else’s?

Style takes time to develop within the soul of the photographer. You will only develop a style if you are in love with photography. Photography comes from within and you must work your ass off to develop a style that makes clients sign a big cheque! Constantly experiment and hopefully you find your path. Why? Because it’s the best path in the world and it never comes to an end. You just keep walking and lovin’ every vista it throws at you.

Tell us a little bit about you?

Born and raised in Los Angeles. The past 7 years Nottingham, UK.

How many weddings do you average per year?

25

What type of cameras do you shoot with?

Canon 5D Mark II’s.

What lighting equipment do you take on a shoot?

A suitcase full of all sorts of goodies. The case can cover 99% of what we need on a still or film shoot.

Could you let us know about your very first wedding as the ‘pro photographer’?

My first wedding actually took place in Marbella, Spain. My wife was assisting me and it was one awesome day!

What would be your top tips for people asked to photograph their friend’s/family member’s wedding?

Hire a professional

A lot of first-time wedding photographers are nervous at the thought of the ‘group shots’. Your group shots are full of fun, and just look so natural. How do you go about getting these relaxed, non stiff-looking shots?

If you as a photographer are nervous about taking group shots then you are in the wrong business. I love the group shots, we have lots of fun but the most important thing – I’m quick

What would be your gear recommendations for the beginner wedding photographer?

My recommendation is always to buy the best gear you can afford.

Your images contain a mixture of both posed and candid shots. Could you give us any tips, as photographers, on how to pose the bride and groom? Do you prefer to take candid shots?

I love all shots. No posing at my weddings, just natural directing the Crash Taylor way

You also deliver wedding workshops (crashtaylorphotoworkshops.com). What kind of photographers do your workshops attract, and do you ever end up learning anything from them too?

They attract delegates from all over the world. I tell the wedding photographer the good and bad about the business, everything they need to know to stay consistent and shoot £2K, 3K, 4K weddings.

If you only had one lens to shoot an entire wedding with, what would it be?

The new Canon 16-200mm 2.0 L IS lens

What would you like to be doing in 3 years from now?

The goal is to have  Taylor | Winter Films become a kick ass production company creating films, stills, commercials, advertising, and music videos.  We will be offering a very exclusive wedding film service to brides as well. Motion and editing will be a huge part of the business and I plan on personally photographing 10 pick and choose weddings starting in 2015.

Lastly, to end on a non-wedding question, what would be your top tip(s) for photographers trying to improve their photography?

Shoot everyday, no excuses.

Constantly Experiment!

Look at the world through a lens.

Work harder!

Learn the rules and then play!

Buy a good pair of walking shoes.

Our thanks again to Crash for this interview. You can see more of Crash’s work on his main wedding photography website, his blog, on Twitter or can find more details on his wedding workshops here.

(and if you enjoyed this interview, you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook to be the first to know when more interviews go up!)

Anyway, I digress, back to the review. Here’s a shot of me with the Sun Sniper strap on, with a Canon 7D (with a 17 – 55 f/2.8 lens) and a Canon 500D (with a 70 – 200 f/2.8 IS II lens). Bear in mind that the shots in the post are really not very good  – they were taken on an iphone, as my DSLRs were obviously not able to take shots of themselves!

Sun Sniper DPH Strap

I wanted to get this strap for this one, major reason: When I’m doing my wedding photography, I carry both my DSLRs at the same time – one with a shorter zoom lens (the 17 – 55), and one with the longer telephoto (the 70 – 200). Having two bodies on me means i don’t have to swap lenses all the time, and thus I stand a much better chance of ‘getting the shot’. The problem with how I used to do this, was that both cameras were around my neck, and so swapping between them meant that the straps got intertwined, and, well, it could be quite a nightmare. Putting the normal straps around my shoulders was no use, either, as they just weren’t safe like that. Enter the Sun Sniper…

To be short, I love it. The best thing? The fact that I can carry both my cameras, and quickly and smoothly go from shooting with one to the other. Here’s another shot of the strap in use:

See how the unused camera sits nicely at my hip, great!

The system works so simply, too – you just attach each camera to the strap system by using each camera’s tripod socket. It’s secure, and cleverly uses a great little swivel system, so the straps don’t twist, and you can quickly use the cameras in either landscape or portrait orientation.

Here’s a video which shows the strap in use (the video demonstrates each variant of the strap, all made by Sun Sniper – as you can just get a strap meant for one DSLR):

Another great thing about the strap? No more neck-tiredness, as the weight of the cameras are now on your shoulders, rather than all on your neck. That can’t be underestimated if you’ll be carrying two heavy cameras around all day! The shoulders straps are also nicely padded, so they feel really comfortable – even with the heavy 70 – 200 f/2.8 IS II lens on.

It’s also very secure, as the straps are lined with a steel cable – therefore, if security is an issue, such as if you’re walking around a busy market, or on holiday somewhere you don’t completely trust, your cameras are much less likely to get stolen by someone trying to cut through your strap – in fact, the strap actually comes with its own insurance; if someone does managed to cut through the strap and steal your camera, you’re covered up to $500/400 Euros.

I haven’t used the strap at a wedding yet, but I will do very soon – I’ll report back on its performance then, but I’m totally confidant that it will be superb. I do a lot of bending down at weddings, taking shots of children and so on, so another good thing is that each strap is adjustable in length, so I can bend down without worrying the long 70 – 200 is going to scrape the ground, as you can see from this pic:

Bending down is no problem either....

As a bonus, you can imagine you’re a wild west dueler too…

....draw!

The DPH can also be separated easily into two separate straps, should you wish to go out with just a single DSLR (they do also sell versions meant for just one camera, but getting the DPH means you can have the best of both worlds):

You can also wear just one part, for just one camera

It does also come with the means to attach a third camera – a small, compact camera, which would sit in the middle of your chest. I detached this, though, as I won’t be using it, so you can’t see it in my shots above. But it’s there if you really do want to have three cameras on you at once…!

So, as I mentioned, I’ll come back and do an update to this review after I’ve put it through a wedding, but I’m loving it at the moment; I’ve taken my normal straps off both my cameras, I won’t be needing them anymore…

The Sun Sniper DPH is made by Sun Sniper and is available from all good camera stockists.

'Pregnant Glow'

This is a shot of my wife; we’re expecting our first child in just under a week’s time (eeek!), and we wanted some nice photos of the ‘bump’ – this is our favourite shot from an evening’s photoshoot we did in our lounge last week. I’m still learning lots about off-camera flash, but I’m really happy with how this shot came out.

For anyone who’s on the fence about whether to try their hand at off-camera flash, I really recommend going out there and doing it. Sure, there’s a lot to learn, and it can seem daunting at first, but when you get a really nice shot, it’s all worth it. There’s also a fantastic book about off-camera flash called ‘The Speedliter’s Handbook’, which I did a review of – it really talks to you in a no-nonsense, practical way; cutting through all the jargon and just showing you how to light things – I heartily recommend it.

For this shot, we got rid of some paintings on the wall in our lounge, and I set up my 580 EX II Flash in a softbox, camera-right (using the fantastic Lastolite Ezybox 24″ x 24″ Softbox Kit). The below lighting diagram is my (incredibly bad) way of showing you how the lighting setup looked like (idea taken from the great GuessTheLighting.com)

Yep, I'm obviously not an artist...!

I couldn’t really show it in the drawing very well, but the softbox was actually positioned a little way behind my wife, so it was pointing a little bit more towards camera, rather than directly at her. This meant that the light from the flash wrapped around her somewhat, and gives a really nice sense of depth to the image.

I shot at ISO 100 so that the image was as clean as possible, and used a shutter speed of 1/250 sec and aperture of f/8 so that no other light – apart from the flash – was part of the exposure. There were some low-level lights in the room (so we could see what we were doing, and could achieve focus!), but because I was shooting at 1/250 sec, with an aperture of f/8 and ISO 100, it meant that this low-level light was not part of the exposure – exactly what I wanted, as I just wanted the light from the flash to be the only light source.

So, I dialed in those settings, and took a test shot (before turning on the flash). The shot looked totally black, which is what I wanted. I then turned on the flash, using the 7D’s built-in wireless trigger capabilities to fire the 580 EX II through the softbox. After some trial and error with changing the power of the flash (I shot in manual flash mode, changing the power of the flash down if I thought it was too bright, or up if it was too dark) I got the shot above!

As I mentioned above, I really recommend reading ‘The Speedliter’s Handbook‘ if you want to get into off-camera flash; I tried to find out information on the internet about doing it, but didn’t find information half as good (or half as easy to understand) as in The Speedliter’s Handbook.

The following in a guest post by Villian, from Villian Conception. You can also follow Villian on Twitter and Facebook – thanks for your guest article, Villian!

Visualizing in Photoshop is a skill that very few learn, it is something that pros do daily.  You must see before you can reveal to your audience.  Visualization in Photoshop is the process of planning your shot with overlay drawings and grids to get the most out of your project.  It is a pivotal step in making your project pop and in giving it a real jolt from your imagination into reality.

I wanted to introduce visualization to those who are not familiar with it’s process so, I will take you step by step so that you can understand what the purpose is and how to use it.  There are many ways to visualize in Photoshop but I will show you my method it is neither wrong or right it is just one way.  I will hope to find your own way as your journey into the visualization process.

Plan Your Shot

Before anything goes onto paper you must plan your idea even in it’s vague form a general idea is extremely important because this will reveal how you will actually shoot the piece.  For this shot I knew far in advance that I wanted him to be a warrior – somewhat like the Aztec warriors aggressive but really valiant in their traits.

The Outline

When starting to visualize it always starts in your head, the first step is getting it down on paper.  I generally jot down things that hit my mind like so.  Using action words and presence words that really give me a good image are the best way to go.

1. warrior
2. rough
3. tribal
4. conquering
5. defiant
6. honour

Writing down the outline is usually the most important part of visualization.   Ironically it’s words that will help you see your image more clearly.  I commonly go back and look at them to see if my picture symbolizes the words that I originally wrote down.  I have never been disappointed in my work that matches it’s original intent, without the outline my thoughts sometimes slip away from it’s true purpose.

The Skeleton

After writing down my outline for the picture, I do what I call a skeleton.  The skeleton is the basic building blocks of the actual visual things I plan on being in the picture.   In the Skeleton I plan out things such as light source, atmosphere, colours, particles, and digital makeup.  The skeleton literally is my road map to my final destination.  The purpose of the skeleton is not to confine but to refine your detail in a thought out way.   I find myself going outside of it from time to time, but usually not much.  Look below at the skeleton.

How to make a Skeleton in Photoshop-
-Make a new layer on top of your photo
-Always save a second copy of your psd.
-On the new layer use your favourite paint brush or pencil
-You can write with a tablet or use type words like me
-Using colours to represent your skeleton features is a good idea
-Repeat and Rinse add layers as necessary.

After you have your road map developed you can begin to actually build layers onto your photo and actually put in the puzzle pieces that will make your image complete.  Just remember to always visualize, it will make you more observant of the possibilities.  Keep in mind you may find your own method of visualization – there are plenty and don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t, you can and you will.  Good Day.

Villian

Thanks again to Villian, from Villian Conception, for this article. You can also follow Villian on Twitter and Facebook.

Jordan Weeks

I’ve been really lucky this week, and have managed to bag an interview with Jordan Weeks, an incredibly talented sports photographer from the UK.

Jordan has been commissioned for photography gigs all across Europe, and he caught my eye last week when I stumbled upon some of his brilliant surf photography – some examples of which are further in this post.

Anyway, enough of my rambling; on to the interview (after one of Jordan’s great action portraits)!

Hi Jordan, and thanks a lot for taking the time to do an interview for us. I love your photography, so it’s really exciting to be able to talk to you and share your work with the readers of Learning The Light. Anyways, I suppose I should get to my first question! And that questions is this: What drew you to action/sports photography?

I first got into action sports photography when I was at college studying photography. I was also a keen surfer at the time. One day, the surf was set to be huge, the weather conditions were perfect, and I decided to head down to my local beach for a surf. However, I had forgotten my surfboard, and only had my camera with me. So I started to shoot some pictures from the cliffs as these massive waves smashed onto the shore. Within a few weeks, these images were published in a local surf magazine, and I haven’t stopped shooting since.

One of my favourite shots of yours is the one of a female running through a field (above). I love the low angle and inherent drama. Can you tell me a little bit more about how you got the shot?

Yeah, this was one of those photo shoots which worked out really well. I was out with my girlfriend, and had planned to take some ‘self assignment’ portfolio photos of her running. The plan was to get a series of action and scenic photos, using as little camera kit as possible (I usually  end up taking too much kit with me on photo shoots). They were all shot using the available natural light, no reflectors or flash units. I felt that this technique would help to give a sense of natural freedom to the sport of running – and I think it worked out well. But I still continue to carry too much camera kit around!

You have some fantastic cycling photography on your website. For anyone trying to capture what must be such a difficult subject – a fast moving cyclist – can you give them any tips?

Yeah sure… it can be tough tracking cycling with your camera, especially road cyclists as they can be traveling at speeds in excess of 40mph on the flat. I think one of the best tips which I can give, is that if you plan to photograph the subject from the side, from a static position, as the subject moves past, make sure you pan with the subject as you take the shot. Learning how to pan your camera correctly can be tough, but once you get the hang of it, and successfully move the camera in time with subject, the results can be fantastic. If however, you are shooting a cyclist from an angle or head on as they come toward you, i’d recommend opening the aperture right up to f2.8 if possible, in order to blur out the background, which in turn will bring the viewers eye to the main subject.

Let’s cut to some gear talk. What’s your favourite lens for sports photography, and why?

Funnily enough I get asked this question quite often, and the answer is not what most would expect. I typically use my 300mm f2.8 lens for surfing shots, but my favourite lens of all is my Canon 17-40mm lens. Yes, I know it’s a wide angle lens, but when I shoot sports, I like to get up close and personal where possible. Sometimes this has brought me close to danger, and I’ve nearly lost my camera as a result, so I wouldn’t recommend getting close with anything too fast or dangerous. But for set-up running and cycling shots, when you can speak with your subject and tell them what you plan to do, the resulting images from getting a wide angle perspective can be awesome.

I love your surfing photography; you have so many stunning shots on your online portfolio. Are you a bit of a surfer yourself? How do you manage to get such close-up action shots without risking drowning your equipment?

Some of my surf shots were captured from the water using a custom built water housing which was made for my camera. You have to get seriously close with this set up as it uses a 15mm fisheye lens. So working with surfers who you know are good at their sport is an important factor. When shooting from the beach or shore, I use a Canon 300mm f2.8 lens with a 2x convertor (if required). This telephoto lens setup brings me right in on the action, and is super fast at auto focusing fast moving subjects too, which is a must for any good sports photo.

What’s been your most challenging photography assignment?

I remember photographing at the IronMan triathlon event in nice, france, back in 2005. It was during a heat wave, and I had been commissioned to photograph all day. There was no shade on the Promenade Des Anglaise, which is where I had to shoot from. I stood there all day, heavily loaded with all of my camera kit, in the scorching sun. I was sun burnt, dehydrated and tired. But I still got the shots which I needed, and the end client was still pleased with the results.

What tips would you give to someone who would like to break in to the professional photography world?

I think any type of photography requires you to have an interest in what you are shooting. I photograph what I love. If i’m not photographing the sports which I work with, it’s usually because i’m taking part in them myself. I love my subject matter, and I honestly believe that it is this passion and understanding of my subject, that enables me to produce a better quality of work.

Do you have a favourite type of sports photography that you really love to shoot?

Anything that makes me feel alive really. I try to capture the adrenalin and excitement in every sports photograph which I take. If I don’t feel excited about the subject, I probably wouldn’t shoot it. I have worked with runners, cyclists, surfers, triathletes, swimmers and much more. My subjects are usually all involved in outdoor sports, and their sports typically have an element of adventure. This is why I use the tagline ‘ADVENTURE. Captured and Delivered’ for my photography business.

I love your off-camera flash work. What equipment do you use?

I actually use standard flash units for these images. I don’t have any fancy strobes and generators. I use just one Canon Speedlite. It’s a technique which I use very little, but when I do, I have always been happy with the results, as have my clients. I tend to use the flash unit bare (no soft boxes of umbrellas) and point it directly at my subject, I then under expose the background of the photo by maybe 2-3 stops, and expose the subject (which is flash illuminated) at the correct exposure. This makes the background seem dark a dramatic and leaves the foreground or subject exposed as normal. The technique involves a little trial and error, but once you get the hang of it, the photographs produced can look great!

If you could work alongside any photographer in the world – past or present – who would it be and why?

I would have to choose Chase Jarvis. Chase is a commercial photographer from Seattle. I think his work is fantastic and I often find myself turning his way for inspiration.

Thanks again to Jordan for doing this interview for us! You can check out more of Jordan’s work at www.jordanweeks.com, and you can also keep up to date with him via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Google+. He also has a great newsletter, where he shares lots of photography tips; I thoroughly recommend subscribing to it.

We had two photo canvases up for grabs, supplied by the fantastic folk at Easy Canvas Prints. So, without further ado, I decided to award the main prize to Tom Czerwinski, for his beautiful early morning light capture – and for his advice about always having a camera on you! Here’s Tom’s shot:

Copyright Tom Czerwinski

The second prize winner was awarded by members of our Facebook page (come and join us if you haven’t already!), with Ed Larom’s photo of his wife the clear winner. Here’s his shot:

Copyright Ed Larom

You can follow Ed on his website (currently being updated at the time I’m writing this post), Facebook and Twitter, too.

Thanks again for everyone who entered (it was really hard for me to pick a winner with so many great shots and stories) and Easy Canvas Prints for supplying the great prizes.

Stay tuned for more photo competitions coming soon…!