New D-SLR users: learn from a master (Digital SLR Masterclass - Andy Rouse)

Member Name: markos9

Product:	Digital SLR Masterclass - Andy Rouse
Date:	12/10/09 (62 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of professional advice, delivered with little jargon.

Disadvantages: Photo manipulation is not covered in any great detail.

Andy Rouse is one of Britain's foremost wildlife photographers and has published several books on photography as well as presenting a popular television series 'Wildlife Photographer'. He is, therefore, well placed to teach new digital SLR camera users the most effective ways of obtaining excellent photographs.

Rouse's book "Digital SLR Masterclass" is aimed at the new D-SLR user who is looking to succeed as quickly as possible with their exciting new camera.

The author points out in his introduction, that this is not a technical manual. Digital photography is beset with many technical terms and abbreviations. It is necessary to understand some of this, but much can be ignored; the author focuses on using the camera, rather than understanding the technology behind it.

Many readers will find this approach refreshing; too many digital photography books go into great detail about this relatively new technology to the detriment of actually teaching the reader how to use it!

The book is written in a chatty style, almost as if the author was instructing and guiding the reader during a photography session. The book's excellent format, with its bright glossy pages, well laid out text, and large photographs enhances its friendly, expert feel.

Digital SLR Masterclass covers three main areas of D-SLR usage; operation of the camera, image manipulation, and workflow procedures including backing up.

Anyone keen on wildlife photography will be thrilled to see that the book is packed with Rouse's own images. Some of these are simply stunning and make a real impression as soon as the page is turned.

These images are used to explain techniques and problems with D-SLR use, but also give the reader something to aspire to (although most of us will have nowhere near the skill to obtain images such as these).

The mechanics of using a D-SLR are covered in enough detail for the new user to understand each of the functions of the camera (including a small amount of information on how digital sensors function). Topics such as focusing, white balance, dynamic range and noise are all simply, but adequately explained.

With the basics of how to operate the camera covered, the author moves on to taking images 'in the field'. As a wildlife photography professional, it would be expected that Rouse would have many tips for the beginner. He does, these are given as 'Pro tips', as well as in the main text.

As Rouse says, if his client does not like his work, or it gets lost or damaged, he doesn't eat, so it's important that he gets it right. The workflow he uses to ensure that that once a million shot is captured and stored correctly are shared with the reader.

Most of us will not rely on our shots to pay the rent, but it's reassuring to know that the images we take, which will often have an emotional element for us, will be accurate and safe.

This is not a Photoshop manual, so the author spends little time on how to use photo manipulation software, but gives hints on which parameters should be checked and tweaked, before the image is finalised.

As a professional photographer, he will take many thousands of images in a year. It is therefore important to have a good naming and cataloguing system to ensure that clients' files can be quickly and safely retrieved and Rouse shares his techniques with the reader.

Finally, the important topic of backing up and archiving is covered. Many PC users will have suffered the heartache of a crash that wipes their hard drive, erasing all their personal files in the process.

The author gives the reader tools to avoid this nightmare scenario, ensuring that their images remain safe and secure in years to come.

As a non-technical, readable introduction to D-SLR photography, this book works brilliantly. Rouse is not only a superb photographer, but an accomplished communicator too. In this book, he manages to get his tools and techniques across to the reader in a friendly, informative way.

Any new D-SLR user who is keen to learn about their new camera is sure to learn a lot from this book. 'Digital SLR Masterclass' is not a complete solution to the newcomer's problem, however, since the area of photo manipulation is so sparsely covered. For this, he or she will need to buy another book.

The book is available from £7.19 from Amazon.

Summary: Will develop the new user's D-SLR expertise.