PhotoWalkPro

It would have been easy to just re-hash the Lightroom 2 book and add in new features from Lightroom 3 but then that just wouldn’t be Scott Kelby, now would it? I’m always amazed at how each book series update he does seems like something brand new and this latest book is no exception. From the moment I first opened the cover until I turned the last page, I was pleasantly pleased to see so many new features in this book. So let’s talk about the real meat and potatoes of this book.

The book starts out just like you would work in Lightroom, by importing images. It’s hard to believe that there is so much to know about just getting your photos from your camera into Lightroom but everything is well covered in this Chapter. The Import function was completely overhauled for Lightroom 3 and the book uses a step-by-step approach to guide you through importing from camera, computer, even video. There’s also a great section on using the new tethered shooting section.

Next it’s on to the Import module. Once again, everything is laid out in a step-by-step fashion including how to create custom metadata templates for copyright, custom naming templates, and tips on navigating through your images. The next chapter is all about organization. There are tons of different strategies for organizing photos in Lightroom and Scott shares his personal methods for sorting, searching, and keeping all of your shoots organized.

The next chapter is very cool. It’s full of tips on how to customize Lightroom to get the most out of the program. In it, you will find things like setting up two monitors, customizing panels, setting the loupe magnification, and even adding your studio logo to the top of the program banner.

The rest of the book follows the same pattern of instruction, covering the Develop, Slideshow, Print, and Web modules, each in great detail but with a simplicity that never leaves you feeling overwhelmed.  If that was all there was to the book, it would be well worth the money but wait, there’s so much more. First of all, every chapter ends with a section of Lightroom Killer Tips. These are short little tips and hints that you probably won’t find in any other book.

The final chapter is by far my favorite because it really pulls everything together. In it, Scott has taken his 7-Point System and adapted it to Lightroom. There are four different projects where Scott walks you through his entire process for adjusting images, including a fashion shot, a landscape, a travel photo, and a sports shot. By following along you will discover just how easy it is to take your good shot and make it great by applying his 7-point system in the develop module. It’s this personal insight into Scott’s Lightroom workflow that really takes this book over the top and gives you the benefit of his vast knowledge of this powerful program.

The bottom line is that, even if you were pretty comfortable using Lightroom 2, version 3 is a whole new ballgame with lots of great new features and this book is the perfect guide. Not only will you learn all of the features and tools that Lightroom 3 has to offer but also Scott’s keen insight on how to leverage them all to your advantage. It’s definitely another winner for Scott and Lightroom users everywhere.

Last October at Photoshop World I was chatting with Rich Harrington about all the new DSLRs with video capability when he told me about a book project that he was cooking up.  I’ve been a photographer for a long time but when it comes to video I am a real newbie.  After talking to Rich, I realized just how little I knew about what it takes to shoot video.  Nevertheless, Rich asked me if I would be interested in being a tech editor for the new book.  His reasoning was that in order to really connect with photographers that are trying to cross over, he needed the perspective of a photographer and I was honored to be that guy.  What was most appealing to me was being involved in a project that would really teach people what it takes to make production quality videos.

See, the big myth about DSLR video is that just being able to shoot hi-def with traditional camera lenses will make for a professional video but that couldn’t be further from the truth.  Having a camera like the Canon 5D Mark II is a great start but without a firm knowledge of lighting, sound, and production the best you can hope for is an average looking hi-def video.  This is what is so great about From Still to Motion: A photographer’s guide to creating video with your DSLR, the book from Rich, James Ball, Robbie Carman, and Matt Gottshalk.  These four video veterans took an interesting approach to tackling this subject.  By guiding you through several different projects, you will see how to utilize different camera gear, lighting, audio, and post production techniques to make a quality video project.  Included with the book is a DVD with over 6 hours of video training that delves deeper into each topic, as well as high-definition footage, hands-on project  files, and templates to experiment with and follow along.

If you are interested in expanding your reach into the world of DSLR video, you really need to check out this book and get started on the right foot.  You can find From Still to Motion at Amazon or any of your favorite booksellers.

Hey everyone, I just received word that my latest book, Nikon D3000 – From Snapshots to Great Shots is available for pre-order.  I expect to have the writing all wrapped up by the end of this month if all goes according to plan (maybe sooner if I get a few more snow days).  I don’t have an official shipping date but I would expect to see it on store shelves by around the beginning of April.  I’m also checking out the possibility of another book after that but I don’t want to announce anything just yet because you all know how things go in the camera market. Just when you decide on one thing, BANG, here comes another camera out of the gate. Read the rest of this entry »

Late last week I received a package from my friends at Nikon that will help me to usher in the next installment of the Snapshots to Great Shots series of camera/photography books from Peachpit Press.  That’s right, I am working on another Nikon book and this time the D3000 will be the focus of my efforts.  The D3000 was one of the top selling DSLR cameras this past Christmas and hopefully this book will provide the knowledge and guidance that new camera owners need to start improving their photography. Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know if you saw the news from Amazon a few days ago but Christmas day saw the sales of Kindle books top regular books for the first time in history. Couple that with the fact the the Kindle was Amazon’s most gifted item ever, topping the 8 and 32GB iPod Touch, which came in 2nd and 3rd.  That’s right, the writing is defintely on the wall.  With electronic delivery of books now starting to eclipse printed versions, it won’t be long until your local Barnes & Noble is turned into just another strip mall vacancy.  In a blog post yesterday, Seth Godin wrote that “The typical American buys just one book a year for pleasure. Those people are meaningless to a bookstore. It’s the heavy users that matter, and now officially, as 2009 ends, they have abandoned the bookstore. It’s over.”

I don’t know about you but I find this to be kind of sad.  I don’t buy 200 books a year but I do probably buy about 15 to 20 and half the fun for me is browsing the aisles of my local bookseller, browsing through the unknown titles, looking for something that strikes my fancy.  It’s hard to imaging that in a few years, every book that I read will be viewed on some handheld type tablet.  Sure, it will be convenient but I really enjoy skimming the pages, bouncing from chapter to chapter, flipping back and forth, marking pages by bending back a corner, and sometimes writing notes in the margins.  Of course I’m sure that someone will figure out a way to do all of these things and more as the technology advances.  Rumor has it that Apple has been working on an eReader that will change the industry forever, with beautiful color touchscreens, Internet connectivity, and more.   And I’m sure we will browse for new titles in the iBook section of iTunes.

Here’s the real question though, what am I going to put on my coffee table, coffee?