Book ~ "Clever Digital Photography Ideas: Starting to Make the Most of Your Camera or Camera Phone" (2012) Peter Cope

From Goodreads ~ A practical, accessible guide to the ingenious and creative things that can be done with a digital compact or camera phone. 

"Clever Digital Photography Ideas: Starting to make the most of your camera or camera phone" is a chapter from the book "100 Clever Digital Photography Ideas" and provides a variety of simple ideas for getting even more from your camera or camera phone than just a record of those memorable moments. 

Open your eyes to the creative possibilities with your digital photo technology, from using a basic compact camera to the latest smart phone. Whether a novice or a pro, "Clever Digital Photography Ideas: Starting to make the most of your camera or camera phone" will show you how to break out of your comfort zone and try something exciting and new.

I like reading books about photography to learn more about how to take better photographs and give me fun ideas.

The chapters in this book include:

• Clever ways to get started - comparison of cameras, different parts of a camera, improving your auction site pictures, etc.
• Clever ways to keep records - creating a visual inventory of your home, recording a car crash, copying with your camera (ie important documents), etc.
• Clever ways to tackle problems - determining if you remote control is working, seeing around corners, etc.
• Clever ways to carry out surveillance - what's going on in your backyard, burglars, etc.
• Clever ways to boost your memory - creating a manual when you take things apart, remembering a number, etc.
• Clever ways to shoot hobbies and interests - coins, stamps, children and pets, theatre, sporting events, etc.
• Clever ways to improve colour rendition - white balance, etc.
• Clever ways to transform and present your photos - special effects and presenting your photos
• Clever jargon buster

This book doesn't tell you how to take pictures (ie shutter speed, aperture, etc.) ... it's about giving you ideas to try something new and different.

Book ~ "Clever Digital Photography Ideas: Using Your Camera Out and About" (2012) Peter Cope

From Goodreads ~ A practical, accessible guide to the ingenious and creative things that can be done with a digital compact or camera phone. 

"Clever Digital Photography Ideas: Using Your Camera Out and About" is a chapter from the book "100 Clever Digital Photography Ideas" and provides a variety of simple ideas for getting more from your camera or camera phone when you are out and about, beyond your travels and holidays.  Some ideas might be obvious, like tips for shooting landscapes, but many are more obscure and fun, like creating a visual gift list and using your camera as binoculars. 

With so many people owning camera phones these days, there's no excuse not to be taking photographs whilst you are out and about.  All ideas and projects are presented with easy to follow instructions and striking photographs across colourful pages. 

Open your eyes to the creative possibilities with your digital photo technology, from using a basic compact camera to the latest smart phone. Whether a novice or a pro, "Clever Digital Photography Ideas: Using Your Camera Out and About" will show you how to break out of your comfort zone and try something exciting and new.

I like reading books about photography to learn more about how to take better photographs and give me fun ideas.

The chapters in this book include:

• Clever ways to shoot travel pictures - get inspired by postcards, using your sunglasses as a polarizer, shooting at different angles, etc.
• Clever ways to resolve travel problems - taking a picture of your ID in case you lose your camera (the finder will know who it belongs to), taking a picture of where you park your car in a lot (I can't tell you how many times I've "lost" my car!), etc.
• Clever ways to use your camera while travelling - using your smartphone as a photo accessory (downloading apps for weather, GPS, etc.), getting permission (or not) to take pictures in certain areas, turning your camera into a light source (ingenius!), using your camera as binoculars and/or a magnifying glass, etc.
• Clever ways to shop with your camera
• Clever jargon buster

This book doesn't tell you how to take pictures (ie shutter speed, aperture, etc.) ... it's about giving you ideas of different ways your camera can be used.

Book ~ "100 Ways to Make Good Photos Great: Tips & Techniques for Improving Your Digital Photography" (2013) Peter Cope

From Goodreads ~ A practical, accessible guide to turning your good photographs into great ones whether you are shooting on the latest digital SLR or a camera phone! 

Discover 100 simple and fun ways to improve your photographs both in-camera and through post-processing image manipulation. Every key photographic genre is covered, from perfect portraits and the great outdoors, to travel photos and shooting at night. Filled with inspirational examples of great photographs compared against the more average images, with easy to follow techniques for how you can achieve the same results. 

Whether you are an aspirational amateur wanting to make your photographs even better, or an enthusiastic beginner who just wants to produce more satisfying results, "100 Ways to Make Good Photographs Great" will provide you with useful professional tips and techniques to take your photography to the next level.

I have three cameras ... a Canon point-and-shoot that is usually in my purse, a Nikon D5100 DSLR along with some lenses, and a Nikon CoolPix (that's in between the two) that I use often.  Needless to say, I take a lot of pictures.  Gord and I took some classes last year to learn how to (1) use our cameras in other than auto mode and (2) take photographs, not just pictures.

I'm still an amateur and like reading photography books to see what professionals take pictures of and how they do it.

This book isn't a "how-to" use your camera ... it assumes that you know about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc.  What it does is provide 100 tips on how to take better photos.

There are eight chapters plus a glossary:

1. Turning the Good into Great
2. Capturing the Perfect Portrait
3. Shooting Social Photography
4. Photographing The Great Outdoors
5. Taking Great Photos on Your Holidays and Travels
6. Photographing Around the Home
7. Shooting Night and Low Light Photography
8. Getting the Very Best from Your Shots
9. Jargon Buster

Each chapter has an introduction and then the tips.  There are also short pro tips and pictures as examples.  Each chapter ends with a summary with essential things to remember, things to watch out for, exposure modes, things to have in your kit bag and "good to great" tips.

I liked this book.  It's written in an easy-to-understand manner. I knew most of the things but it was a good reminder.  I did pick up some tips I didn't know before (like how to take a picture of lights at night and have them look like stars rather than blobs).

I found there was a bit too much focus on taking photos with cell phones and fixing pictures afterwards with a computer program.

I'd recommend this book if you are a basic to intermediate photographer ... you know the basics but aren't sure what to do with them.