Book Recommendations

sharpcroft

sharpcroft

Messages
219
Name
Darren
Edit My Images
Yes
For digital slr photography.
Im not a noobie, but most things I photograph revolve around football, football and oh, did i mention football?
I've spent enough money on equipment over the years so want to try and hone my skills in other areas away from football.
Things like taking decent scenery/landscape/wildlife shots, how to make photo's of buildings etc pop rather than just look like picture post cards, how to improve portrait/family shots, basically how to get away from just point and shoot and take my pictures to that next level.
I know my way around my 7d fairly well and always shoot in M when at football (though i do use auto iso if the light is good enough) so i understand how to set my camera for good exposures, what i need is how to take "better" shots, its frustrating trying to put into type what i mean, i suppose the best way i can put it is i quite often see in my eye what looks a good picture but it often disappoints when seen on the screen so perhaps setting for a good exposure may not be enough, perhaps i need to learn to be more creative (longer exposures, off camera flash?).

Equipment list as follows:
Canon 7d
Canon 17-85
Sigma 70-200 f2.8
Sigma 18-250
Sigma 105 macro
Sigma 10-20
Sigma 1.4 and 2x teleconvertor
Canon 430exII speedlight
Yongnou TX (x2) RX (x3) + release cable.

Cheers in advance

Darren
 
I'm quite impressed by the Ilex Press series of Field Guides - most of them by Michael Freeman. Also his "Mastering Digital Photography", also by Ilex but quite a massive tome, whereas the Field Guides can be carried around in a pocket/camera bag. Browse through your local Waterstones.
 
I can find both of these in my local Watersones, so worth a browse before buying:

For specifically landscapes, The Making of Landscape Photographs by Charlie Waite can be picked up secondhand for a couple of pounds and is well worth it. With Landscape In Mind by Joe Cornish is a very accesible DVD and worth watching for the way Joe describes his approach to taking landscape photographs.

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I have on my bookshelf. Beyond these tutorial style books it's always worth looking at the work of others and thinking about why an image works or don't works. And applying that same thought process to your own images. The Michael Freeman book will give you the basic knowledge to deconstruct the composition of any photograph.

At the risk of sounding odd, try putting the 7D away for a month and shooting with a compact on auto modes. That way you can focus on taking interesting images without worrying about technical perfection. Sharpness is over-rated and interestingness is under-rated by most photographers.
 
Alastair said:
At the risk of sounding odd, try putting the 7D away for a month and shooting with a compact on auto modes. That way you can focus on taking interesting images without worrying about technical perfection. Sharpness is over-rated and interestingness is under-rated by most photographers.
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That part actually sounds like mad genius there.
 
DorsetDude said:
Just tried a bid for this on ebay on your recce. Bit pricey perhaps at £6.50 inc postage if I win but what the heck.
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I paid £3.61 (including delivery) from Amazon.. and available for £2.81 (delivered) on Amazon now..
 
DorsetDude said:
*****e! Ive just won the bid! :'(
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I'm not suprised at that bid! :clap::clap::clap:

I dunno.. I go and give a direct link to the cheapest price I know and he still goes and pays too much.. .. :exit:
 
Id already bid before posting in here... And I bid exactly the starting price, kind of half hoping Id get outbidden! Mine was the only bid. I'll know next time: Try amazon 1st.

If its in good nick I wont really mind
 
Update to Brian Peterson's book understanding exposure.

I'm almost done now and I have to say, I'm getting the impression that this guy wrote the book to showcase his pictures more than try to teach. Just my opinion I don't mean to offend.
 
My ebay saga continues, looks like the sellers a *****. Paid for my item on 2nd May. Nothing ever arrived. Contacted him monday asking if he'd sent it, assured me he had. I agreed to wait a few more days. Still nothing so I raised a report.

He's now sent this:
"'I asked you to contact me so that I could make a claim from the post office.You did not do that instead you opened a case against me.I have a proof of posting certificate. Unless you had taken out insurance the onus is on the buyer not the seller. I Intend to make a claim from the Post Office. I will refund you if and when they settle the claim."

Cheeky *******.
Didnt know you got a posting certificate with second class post! and "onus is on the buyer" ? wtf?!?! How?

Any advice?

Cheers
 
He should refund you plus the postage then he claims from the Post Office

Yes you can get a certificate of posting for 2nd class
 
DorsetDude said:
My ebay saga continues, looks like the sellers a *****. Paid for my item on 2nd May. Nothing ever arrived. Contacted him monday asking if he'd sent it, assured me he had. I agreed to wait a few more days. Still nothing so I raised a report.

He's now sent this:
"'I asked you to contact me so that I could make a claim from the post office.You did not do that instead you opened a case against me.I have a proof of posting certificate. Unless you had taken out insurance the onus is on the buyer not the seller. I Intend to make a claim from the Post Office. I will refund you if and when they settle the claim."

Cheeky *******.
Didnt know you got a posting certificate with second class post! and "onus is on the buyer" ? wtf?!?! How?

Any advice?

Cheers
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Paypal will almost certainly find in your favour.. they are almost always the Buyers friend. Keep your communications through Ebay, follow the dispute procedure. Keep checking on the status of the dispute because you may have to provide a response at a couple of stages in the process. It takes a couple of weeks to get a refund (usually). And Paypal will not always email and tell you they've refunded it, you have to monitor your account and check for it.
 
Cheers guys, I thought I'd be in the right with Paypal and get my money through them even the seller refuse to cough up.
 
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