Introduction
This is my third post tagged photography. However, I’m no photographer. I would say that I’ve got a fairly good eye for pictures, but doubt I’ve taken anything above mediocre. Not to worry, these things can be learned and with practise one can get better at anything. So today I picked up a copy of Lonely Planet’s Best Ever Photography Tips.1
The Gist
I’ve only just got the book so this isn’t an in depth review. Just a quick scan to see whether it’s worth my / your time. From what I’ve seen, all the advice seems simple and sensible. The book is broken up into the following sections:
- The 10 Golden Rules
- Take Control of the Picture-Taking Process
- Learn to See the Transformative Power Of Light
- Practise, Practise, Practise
- Research & Plan
- Develop a Picture-Taking Routine
- Be Patient & Commit to the ImageUse a Wide-Angle Lens
- Show Landscapes Some Love
- Shoot Early or Late
- Use a Tripod
- Override the Light Meter
- Fill the Frame
- Move Around
- Light Your Lunch
- Capture Cityscapes at Dusk
- Gauge Light to Shoot Interiors
- Use a Fast ISO
- Get to the Parade Early
- Visit Famous Places
- Grab a Window Seat
- Add a Sense of Scale
- Anticipate the Moment
- Capture Reflections
- Make Sunsets More Interesting
- Avoid Lens Flare
- Shoot Wildlife
- Set Your Alarm Clock
- Be Patient
- Record Light Trails
- Don’t Put Your Camera Away
- Protect Your Camera
- Back Up Your Images
- Work With Your Images
- Pay for Photos Only When It’s Appropriate
- Shoot Raw Files
- Become Proficient With Image-Editing Software
- Critique Your Photos Objectively
- The 45 Best Tips
- Choose the Correct Camera
- Accessorise!
- Use the Quality Control Settings
- Select a Suitable File Format
- Adjust Your Exposure
- Capture the Widest Tonal Range
- Check the Exposure is Correct
- Stay Within Range of Your Flash
- Reduce Red-Eye
- Use Your Phone Like a Camera
- Prevent Blur
- Highlight Your Subject
- Follow the Rule of Thirds
- Vary the Look of Your Images
- Vary the Depth of Field
- Reduce Reflections
- Talk to Strangers
- Use a Short Telephoto Lens
- Use a Wide-Angle Lens
- Show Landscapes Some Love
- Shoot Early or Late
- Use a Tripod
- Override the Light Meter
- Fill the Frame
- Move Around
- Light Your Lunch
- Capture Cityscapes at Dusk
- Gauge Light to Shoot Interiors
- Use a Fast ISO
- Get to the Parade Early
- Visit Famous Places
- Grab a Window Seat
- Add a Sense of Scale
- Anticipate the Moment
- Capture Reflections
- Make Sunsets More Interesting
- Avoid Lens Flare
- Shoot Wildlife
- Set Your Alarm Clock
- Be Patient
- Record Light Trails
- Don’t Put Your Camera Away
- Protect Your Camera
- Back Up Your Images
- Work With Your Images
Each tip has a page of text and a page with a photo demonstrating the tip. It’s clearly aimed squarely at people like me. Comfortable looking through a viewfinder or at a screen and just pressing the button. People who’d like to feel a bit of pride in their future photos. The book is written in a conversational, non-technical style. When technical jargon is necessary, it’s briefly explained beforehand.
Conclusion
At first glance (after only about ten minutes scanning through), I like the format Lonely Planet has chosen. It’s not dense with text and at only about 140 pages, it’s not intimidating like some photography books.
Afterword
Over the next few days, I’m going to read the book cover to cover and use some of these 55 tips. Anything interesting or important will be added to this post.
Footnotes
1 I got the 2013 edition. An updated edtition was released in 2017.
