• Discover visual poetry in the creative process
• Use less to say more with your subject matter
• Learn to see light, color, shape and expression
• Understand what gear is essential
• Create compelling portraits

Book Description
A great photograph has the potential to transcend verbal and written language. But how do you create these photographs? It’s not the how that’s important, but the who and the what. Who you are as a person has a direct impact on what you capture as a photographer.

Whether you are an amateur or professional, architect or acupuncturist, physician or photographer, this guide provides inspiration, simple techniques, and assignments to boost your creative process and improve your digital images using natural light without additional gear.

Chris Orwig’s insights—to reduce and simplify, participate rather than critique, and capture a story—have made him an immensely popular workshop speaker and faculty member at the prestigious Brooks Institute. His engaging stories presented as lessons follow his classroom approach and highlight what students say is his contagious passion for life.

In this accessible and beautifully illustrated four-color guide you will:

• Discover visual poetry in the creative process
• Use less to say more with your subject matter
• Learn to see light, color, shape, and expression
• Understand what gear is essential
• Create compelling portraits
• Make lasting memories of your family and kids
• Capture the outdoors and adventure
• Begin the transition from amateur to professional

Chris also includes exclusive interviews with such photographers as: Steve McCurry, Chris Rainier, John Sexton, Rodney Smith, Joyce Tenneson, John Paul Caponigro, Marc Riboud, and Pete Turner.

Share your work with the author and other readers at www.flickr.com/groups/visual-poet and visit the Web site: www.visual-poet.com.

Visual Poetry: A Creative Guide for Making Engaging Digital Photographs

Book Description
Scott Kelby, author of The Digital Photography Book, volume 1 (the world’s best-selling digital photography book of all time), is back with a follow-up to his volume 2 smash best seller, with an entirely new book that picks up right where he left off. It’s even more of that “Ah ha—so that’s how they do it,” straight-to-the-point, skip-the-techno-jargon stuff you can really use today to make your shots even better.

This book truly has a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott describes it: “If you and I were out on a shoot and you asked me, ‘Hey Scott, I want the light for this portrait to look really soft and flattering. How far back should I put this softbox?’ I wouldn’t give you a lecture about lighting ratios, or flash modifiers. In real life, I’d just turn to you and say, ‘Move it in as close to your subject as you possibly can, without it actually showing up in the shot.’ Well, that’s what this book is all about: you and I out shooting where I answer questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I’ve learned, just like I would with a friend—without all the technical explanations and techie photo speak.”

Each page covers a single concept on how to make your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you’ll learn another pro setting, tool, or trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. If you’re tired of taking shots that look “okay,” and if you’re tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, “Why don’t my shots look like that?” then this is the book for you.

This isn’t a book of theory—full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts. This is a book on which button to push, which setting to use, and when to use it. With nearly 200 more of the most closely guarded photographic “tricks of the trade,” this book gets you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos every time.

The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3

PictoBrowser is a neat slideshow builder that helps you to easily display your Picasa or Flickr photographs on your website or blog. See the example slideshow below, built from one of my Flickr sets.

How to build your own photo slideshow

This photo slideshow tool is very easy to use and recommended for all skill levels. You simply load the online builder, type in your Picasa or Flickr screen name, then customize to your liking. Once completed, mouse click the tab that says ‘Get HTML Code’ to copy and paste into your blog or website. Can’t be easier than that!

PictoBrowser is freely available as an online slideshow builder at: PictoBrowser

Or as a Wordpress plugin, offered as a free download from: Kumara Sastry

Requirements

All you need is a website or blog, as well as a Picasa or Flickr account.

Shown below is a list of photography podcasts that I have found useful for photographic information and inspiration. All the photography podcasts are free to download. Many you can subscribe to through itunes, for a regular fix of encouragement. Others, you can download to your PC / MAC, or view from the website. Either way, they are definitely some of the best photography podcasts I have come across to date …. Enjoy!

Free Video Podcasts For Photographers

1. Chase Jarvis Photography IPod / IPhone edition – download 27 free podcasts from

These podcasts include behind the scene video footage of how award winning Chase Jarvis creates his images. Podcasts include: High Speed Photography, Packing Photography Gear, High Speed Strobed Sequences.

2. Within The Frame Podcasts – download full free 20 podcasts from Peachpit

Quick photography tips for those who don’t like reading or just don’t have the time!

#10 Why you should buy a cable release for your SLR camera

Tip 9 talked about turning off the image stabilization on your lens when you have an SLR camera sitting on a tripod. If you followed this advice, you should have noticed sharper results.

“Hey, I want even sharper photographs” I hear you say! Instead of pressing the shutter button down yourself, invest in a cable release for your SLR camera.

I can’t count the amount of times I’ve seen photographers with tripods, but no cable release. Doesn’t this defeat the purpose? The reason photographers use tripods, is to reduce camera movement when taking photographs. So why touch the camera at all? Use a cable release instead!