Jeff Wignall's Photography Books
I am a photographer and writer and the author of numerous books on photography including The Joy of Digital Photography (Lark Books, 2006), The Kodak Guide to Shooting Great Travel Pictures (Fodors Travel Publications, 2003), Kodak's Most Basic Book of 35mm Photography (Silver Pixel Press) and Winning Pictures (Silver Pixel Press).
My newest book, The Kodak Most Basic Book of Digital Photography was released in March. This is a very basic book intended for photographers who are brand new to digital or even new to photography--there is nothing in this book that will intimidate you technically! I am currently at work on a new book that will be published in Spring 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Free Online Digital Photography & Photoshop Tutorials
This is the Chateau Chenonceau in the Loire Valley region of central France.
Jeff's Photography Tips
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Getting to Know Your Digital Camera
• Read your manual
• Read more online
• Take a course
• Take small bites
• Experimenting with one new control each time you use the camera
Caring for Memory Cards
• Always store memory cards in their original plastic cases or in a digital film wallet
• Keep cards away from strong magnetic fields
• Let cards adjust to changes in temperature before shooting with them or downloading
• Protect cards from extremes of heat or cold and keep them away from moisture, including wet fingers on a rainy day
Getting the Most from an On-Camera Flash
• Stay within flash range
• Turn on additional lights
• Avoid reflective surfaces
• Shoot down at people
• Keep batteries charged
Landscapes have been one of my favorite photographic subjects since I first started taking
pictures (when I was about 10!) and they continue to be the one thing I photograph most. |
More Photography Tricks
• Don't ask people to freeze. Capture the moments of people laughing and having fun. This is much more interesting than having them pose together in front of the camera.
• When we ask children to say cheese we force them to make very strange smiles that don't really reflect who they are. Just strike up a conversation about things that interest them.
• Expect to take a dozen photos to get one good "keeper".
• Turn off the flash and use natural light sources - like the window or outdoors.
• Use flash outside to brighten up faces and minimize dark shadows on face.
• Put yourself at the eye level of your subject, even if that means holding the camera just an inch or two above the floor.
• Avoid clutter in backgrounds. Make sure your subject doesn't appear to have a foreign object "growing" out of his head (i.e., lamp post, tree trunk, telephone pole).
• Try a new perspective: let the kids take photos; take vertical photos; place the subject off-center, or try a 45 degree angle as a twist.
• Look for interesting reflections and shadows. Reflections and shadows lend a touch of artistry to an otherwise plain picture.
• Lock the focus to create a sharp photo of an off-center subject. Center the subject, hold the shutter button half-way down, reframe, then shoot.
• Use the highest resolution. You can always reduce the resolution (and file size) after the fact, using a photo editing program; but you can't add resolution to a low-resolution photo. High resolution will come in handy when it comes to editing your photos.
• Aim for a steady hand. A tripod is particularly useful when you're shooting portraits or have low light. If you don't have a tripod, try sitting your camera on any nearby solid object (a table, a rock or a stack of books for example.)
• Zoom, Zoom, Zoom! Get close and create more dramatic photos.
This is an ocotillo plant in bloom photographed in the Saguaro
National Park (West) just outside of Tucson, Arizona.
“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”
- Dorothea Lange |
Times Square on a Hot Summer Night
Note: Click on any photo in this companion page
to see more of Jeff's inspirational photos. |
