Now what?

[KartGirlsMom]

I've had my 10D for 5 months now and have taken over 5000 photos. 3 or 4 of them are good. I went to Borders the other day to look at how-to books on photography. There were at least 50 of them. I was so overwhelmed, I left without anything and came here to read what you all recommend. What have you read that was worthwhile? Someone recommended John Hedgecoe. He has several books, is one better than another?

I want to know some fairly basic stuff that I have been learning from trial and error.

I really don't understand how flash works. I have an old flash that someone gave me for my Elan7. I really don't know how to use it- what the heck is ttl? Every picture I've ever take with it is blown out.

Thanks you all, you're the best.

[Belmondo]

If the flash is anything other than an EX-series (or E-TTL compatible) unit, it won't work. Chances are, the flash is firing at full power, and that's why your shots are all blown out.

Do you have the same problem with the 10D's pop-up flash?

[PacAce]

What kind of flash is it? Is it one of Canon's EX series flashes? The 10D won't work in ETTL mode with any other flash except the EX flashes. If your flash is not an EX flash, what's happening is that the flash is firing at full power so you have to compensate for that by adjusting the aperture based on the distance the subject is from the flash. And to do that, you need to know what the guide number of the flash is. Your best bet is to probably get yourself one of the EX series flashes such as the 420EX, 550EX or the 580EX.

{doh! I see Tom posted a reply while I was still typing mine up. :)]

[KartGirlsMom]

I was kinda figuring out that the flash wasn't compatable. It worked ok on my Elan7, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I hardly ever take flash photos, but maybe if they turned out better I would.

So I guess I'll do what is the answer to most photography problems, buy new equipment. :)

Any ideas on the how-to books?

[PacAce]

All the books I have are really old so I'm not going to mention them. Have seen this thread, though?

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=51385

[Belmondo]

Mom:
What I would suggest is that you go back to the book store and look at the books from the standpoint of how well you relate to them.

Most of the information is going to be similar. How it's presented can vary significantly, and you really need to find a style and format that appeals to you.

Within the general topic of photography there are books on just about every facet you care to mention. There are books as esoteric as RAW imaging, color correction, studio lighting, landscape photography, and just about every other sub-topic you care to mention. Some books on general photography will deal more heavily with one discipline than another.

I also think you will find that for general photography, it won't make a lot of difference whether the book is oriented more towards digital or film. The principals are very much the same.

I know this isn't an answer. You probably want specific titles and authors, but I think you're better served finding a book that you're comfortable with. I predict there will be many books in your future, and trying to find the one 'perfect' reference is just not going to happen.

[KartGirlsMom]

Pac-no I didn't see that. Thanks so much. I did do a search, but that I didn't see that thread.

Belmondo- what I want is to just know all this stuff :) I'm old, my brain is full and so much info just leaks out. Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'll give the bookstore another try.

[Belmondo]

Pac-no I didn't see that. Thanks so much. I did do a search, but that I didn't see that thread.

Belmondo- what I want is to just know all this stuff :) I'm old, my brain is full and so much info just leaks out. Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'll give the bookstore another try.
Mom:
I've seen some of your work and you're not a beginner by any stretch of the imagination. I'm very confident that you can spend a few moments leafing through a book and determine if there's anything in it that you might deem useful. The important thing is that you find it easy to read, helpful, and not written at a level too far above or below your current level of expertise.

BTW, I'm a sucker for shiny paper and color graphics---hardly a useful measure for the quality of the information.:lol:

[IndyJeff]

KatesMom and any others who are comteplating buying books on photography, save your money. Go to the library and look at what they have. Check out a few and if you find one you really like then you can buy it online or at the bookstore. If there is a specific book your looking for, do a search on your libraries website. Indianapolis's library has a great website. You can search for a book by subject, author or title and have the book held for you or if it is at a library not close to you, have it shipped and held for you at your local branch.

It has been my experience that a book on photographey is either really good or isn't worth a crap, full of useless info. Well maybe it is not useless but, I just didn't get a lot out of it.


Your taxpayer dollars go to support your local library so make the best of it.

[Harry Settle]

You've taken 5000 shots with the 10D and only have 3 or 4 good pictures, in your opinion. If it's truly the case then it's time to slow down and think.

I would recommend you look at some of the stuff available online, http://web.archive.org/web/20020414013950/www.zuga.net/freelessons/portrait.shtml
comes to mind right off the bat. Lots of good suggestions to start with, some good lessons etc. . .

Concerning books. I have, and still do, peruse the shelves at Borders, Barnes and Nobles and others, looking for the magic book. So far, most of the books I have found at these places only show examples of someone else's photographs, with little technical information. I am still searching for the down and dirty lighting book with diagrams and examples. It seems like these types of books were common back in the sixties and seventies.

[perfectpixel]

geez! IndyJeff beat me to it:
L I B R A R Y :)
check it out. Save your money.
You'll soon see what's worth while. I havent found much use for books that are geared towards digital cameras specifically. Better to start with "regular" photography books and then if you need to get a book for Photoshop (or your software)
You've taken 5000 shots with the 10D and only have 3 or 4 good pictures, in your opinion. If it's truly the case then it's time to slow down and think...
I'll have to disagree with Harry on that one. First of all, we are our own's worst critique. I'm sure she has at least 8 good pix ;):) Secondly, take the next 5000 pix and exercise the delete button freely but learn as you go, so think, but don't slow down :) I love the 10D with the little LCD and the histogram...ooh, wait I think I'll go hug it....

(BTW, I've had mine for ~18 months and shot ~14000 pix. maybe I have 100 "good ones" )

[IndyJeff]

PerfectPixel, I can't tell you how many books I thought were good just by glancing at them and then when I started reading them, they weren't very informative at all.

The first year I got a Photographers Market Guide I almost bought one but, I am glad I didn't. I did pick up one at the library. I took notes on what was relevant to what I was looking for and returned the book. The next year, I got the new one at the library again. A couple of the places I had listed in my notes weren't mentioned in the next edition. I called one and got a "This number is no longer in service".

Remember, the library is your friend and the best deal in town.

[thomascanty]

A few weeks ago while searching the web for info on Canon flashes, I found this site: http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-flash/ -- it seems to be a pretty good and thorough explanation, though it is a bit dated (no mention of the 20D or 580EX that I've seen).

[KartGirlsMom]

Duh, why didn't I think of the library? Thank heavens for Hoosier brains!
I can't tell you how many books I thought were good just by glancing at them and then when I started reading them, they weren't very informative at all.
That's exactly why I'm asking. That has happened to me so many times in other applications. Books are expensive and while I don't mind spending money for a good book, I hate it when I'm wasting my money.

[stoneylonesome]

I just picked up a good book on the Art of Nature Photoraphy. it's one of many books published by Amphoto books, this one I got a Borders they are in the $20 to $25 dollar range and are quite good. Another source is books on some of the old masters of photography. For example Henri Cartier Bresson, Stieglitz, or Ansel Adams.

Here is a link to some of the Amphoto books
http://isbndb.com/d/publisher/amphoto_books.html

online of course there's Amazon or Barnes and Noble

[Longwatcher]

I found that for learning (at least for me), a subscription to a good photography magazine can help. It will allow you to asorb the information more slowly (way more important as you get as the brain fills up with the wisdom of several decades).

And if it didn't show up elsewhere, also check out www.luminous-landscapes.com
It is an excellent website, which provides a lot of tutorials and subject essays on just about everything. It is focused on landscape photography so is not going to help much with your flash problem, but for other topics it is a very good resource.

On the other hand, I have bought several books over the year, some help, some just have pretty pictures.