| Shooting Digital Pro Tips for Taking Great Pictures with Your Digital Camera by Mikkel Aaland Softcover – 288 Pages (2003) SYBEX Inc. Publishers; San Francisco and London, ISBN: 0-7821-4104-8 book review by Rolando Gomez |
Shooting Digital draws on Aaland’s 28 years of experience in the photographic field and is filled with images from more than 30 contributors, many professional photographers—a book loaded with the wealth of wisdom, talent, experience and knowledge. In reading the book I found it a beginning to “prosumer” level authoritative source of information on digital photography—a form of photography still new even to the most upper-level professional photographers. Even professional photographers would find some benefit, as it’s not uncommon when I’m talking to some pro shooters to find something that is misunderstood or controversial when it comes to digital photography, whether it be white-balance techniques, working with RAW data digital files, shutter release lag or the extended tonal range of digital cameras, all which are covered in Shooting Digital. The book covers conventional photography techniques, fundamentals and rules with the digital touch, from shooting action to photographing pets, children, social events and making portraits. It however covers non-traditional photographic topics that apply to digital photography, such as shooting digital “minimovies” and working with animated GIF’s. Shooting Digital also helps the reader understand the film/digital gap, the makings of a digital camera, proper accessories that help make the difference in digital photography, and even helps you choose the right digital camera for the right results. You’ll also find helpful information on digital file organization, camera to computer explanations, how to share images online, proper emailing techniques and how to properly read and understand a histogram. Shooting Digital is a great book on learning photography techniques and genres as well as understanding digital today, in all genres of photography. The chapters in the book itself would make great “pocket books” one could carry as reference material and I highly recommend it to the beginner purchasing that first camera to the serious amateur who is looking to expand their wealth of knowledge in the digital arena. I can seriously say some professional photographers should read this book too, as there is just as much good information circulating out in the photoworld and industry as misinformation about digital photography and Aaland helps clarify some of those misconceptions while helping you understand existing information—it’s a book that helps transition the gap of the ever-changing technology in the digital world. Aaland took Ansel Adams’ words seriously as Aaland is accredited by Leo Laporte, in the forward of Shooting Digital, as one of the earliest adopters of digital photography as well as one of the first writers on the subject. You can also catch Aaland on Laporte's TechTV show The Screen Savers. As Laporte states, “There is no better guide to the magical transformation of light and dark into bits and bytes.” To add this book to your must read list, click here: If you would like your book reviewed and placed on Garage Glamour™ contact Rolando at rolando@garageglamour.com |
return to our main tips page