Book ~ "Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs" (2014) Henry Carroll

From Goodreads ~ Photography is now more popular than ever thanks to the rapid development of digital cameras. "Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs" is for this new wave of DSLR dabblers and users of compact system, and bridge cameras. It contains no graphs, no techie diagrams and no camera club jargon. Instead, it inspires readers through iconic images and playful copy packed with hands-on tips.

Split into five sections, the book covers composition, exposure, light, lenses, and seeing. Images taken by master photographers – including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Fay Godwin, and Martin Parr – serve to illustrate points and encourage readers to try out new ideas.

Today's aspiring photographers want immediacy and see photography as an affordable way of expressing themselves quickly and creatively. This book answers that need, teaching readers how to take photographs using professional techniques.

I take a lot of pictures with my phone and/or camera but it's been a while since I've taken photographs ... yes, there's a difference.  I like reading books about photography and using cameras.

This book is directed to beginners to give them a high level explanation of the different things they should know about their camera:

• Composition - framing, symmetry, getting close, leading lines, etc.
• Exposure - modes (program, shutter, aperture and manual), ISO, exposure compensation, etc.
• Light -  hard, soft, natural, artificial, etc.
• Lenses - wide angle, telephoto, prime, macro, etc.
• Seeing - dangers of perfection, a different point of view, etc.

While it is directed to beginners, I don't think there is enough information to fully educate a beginner.  But it lets them know that there is so much more to know so they can move on to read other books, websites, etc. and get out there and practice and figure it out for themselves.

Though I didn't learn anything new, it was a good reminder that I've gotten lazy.  I always shoot in "P" mode (program, which the author approves of) but it's been a while since I've shot in "A" (aperture) mode (I used to all the time).