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Pro Secrets to Dramatic Digital Photos
Jim Zuckerman, a photographer known for his vivid, surreal images, reveals a lifetime's worth of tricks and techniques for taking photos with that huge WOW factor.
His pro secrets range from the technical to the abstract, from making an impact with complementary colors to getting picture-postcard photos of scenic sites. He'll reveal which editing tools bring out a photograph's hidden assets, how to pan the camera to control the appearance of movement, and much more. Filled with compelling, colorful photographs, this eye-catching volume will inform and inspire both beginners and more experienced photographers.
His pro secrets range from the technical to the abstract, from making an impact with complementary colors to getting picture-postcard photos of scenic sites. He'll reveal which editing tools bring out a photograph's hidden assets, how to pan the camera to control the appearance of movement, and much more. Filled with compelling, colorful photographs, this eye-catching volume will inform and inspire both beginners and more experienced photographers.
- GenresPhotographyNonfiction
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2010
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62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 22, 2011
Geared toward SLR digital photography, but still several good tips applicable for those with point & shoot digital cameras. Only a few tips provided regarding lens adapters were new to me, but I like how he provides the reader with good vs great images for comparison.
A lot of the photos Zuckerman includes are fixes done after the fact via Photoshop to illustrate what should have been done initially. Other reviewers have complained about their inclusion, but I think it's helpful to see how you can also improve your photos after the fact when circumstances at the time of shooting didn't allow for the perfect shot - often a common issue during vacation trips. Most of the fixes are easy to accomplish with other photo editing software and do not necessarily require Photoshop expertise.
A lot of the photos Zuckerman includes are fixes done after the fact via Photoshop to illustrate what should have been done initially. Other reviewers have complained about their inclusion, but I think it's helpful to see how you can also improve your photos after the fact when circumstances at the time of shooting didn't allow for the perfect shot - often a common issue during vacation trips. Most of the fixes are easy to accomplish with other photo editing software and do not necessarily require Photoshop expertise.
April 16, 2014
WARNING: This book is not for people who don't already have a basic understanding of the technical aspects of a digital camera! I found myself lost during much of this book, because I am a novice photographer and I made the mistake of thinking this book would start at my level. It doesn't.
I picked this book up on a whim at my library, as I've always wanted to get better at photography. Clearly the author/photographer has a huge amount of artistic and technical talent, and all of his photos were lovely to look at as I was reading. However, I can't say he really made me feel like I was a better photographer by the end. As mentioned already, the author starts off assuming the reader already has a strong understanding of the basic technical aspects of digital cameras: apertures, lenses, ISO, exposure, depth of field, etc. I enjoy taking photos, but have never learned about those technical terms, so I had a lot of trouble making use of much of the author's advice, since I didn't really know what he was talking about sometimes. I thought the book could have really used a glossary section to explain all the terms used. The near-tsunami of information presented in the book was overwhelming, and made me feel much less optimistic about ever being good at photography, which probably wasn't what the author was going for.
I was also really disappointed to find out that one of the main ways the author "takes" great photos is by using Photoshop. I personally do not like photo-manipulations that are passed off as actual, naturally occuring photos. I know some people are ok with that sort of thing, but for me, finding out that the author has a stock of sky or foliage photos that he inserts into the backgrounds of other photos so he can get a "great shot" was a bit of a let-down. For me, finding out that a photo was manipulated to such an extreme takes away a lot of the magic of the photo. It's no longer a "great shot" to me; it's just a "great Photoshop project".
And to add salt to the wound, the author doesn't even go into much detail about HOW he manipulates his photos! To exhibit your photos in a how-to book and say you take great shots with the help of Photoshop, then to not go into specifics about it, was really off the mark to me--not to mention unhelpful.
Some of the tips presented were a little too obvious; even I know that using a tripod and finding great subjects will make your photos better. Probably the one piece of advice that I appreciated the most was to "think how the camera lens sees, not how your eyes see." It's the type of seemingly-obvious but often unrealized advice that I appreciate.
While I was able to learn some useful terminology from this book, I think the author tried to do too much with too little space. He either needed to write a much bigger book that had more in-depth explanations, or write a shorter one on a more concise topic. Somewhat helpful, but probably a disappointment overall. I will be looking for another book to help me learn photography.
I picked this book up on a whim at my library, as I've always wanted to get better at photography. Clearly the author/photographer has a huge amount of artistic and technical talent, and all of his photos were lovely to look at as I was reading. However, I can't say he really made me feel like I was a better photographer by the end. As mentioned already, the author starts off assuming the reader already has a strong understanding of the basic technical aspects of digital cameras: apertures, lenses, ISO, exposure, depth of field, etc. I enjoy taking photos, but have never learned about those technical terms, so I had a lot of trouble making use of much of the author's advice, since I didn't really know what he was talking about sometimes. I thought the book could have really used a glossary section to explain all the terms used. The near-tsunami of information presented in the book was overwhelming, and made me feel much less optimistic about ever being good at photography, which probably wasn't what the author was going for.
I was also really disappointed to find out that one of the main ways the author "takes" great photos is by using Photoshop. I personally do not like photo-manipulations that are passed off as actual, naturally occuring photos. I know some people are ok with that sort of thing, but for me, finding out that the author has a stock of sky or foliage photos that he inserts into the backgrounds of other photos so he can get a "great shot" was a bit of a let-down. For me, finding out that a photo was manipulated to such an extreme takes away a lot of the magic of the photo. It's no longer a "great shot" to me; it's just a "great Photoshop project".
And to add salt to the wound, the author doesn't even go into much detail about HOW he manipulates his photos! To exhibit your photos in a how-to book and say you take great shots with the help of Photoshop, then to not go into specifics about it, was really off the mark to me--not to mention unhelpful.
Some of the tips presented were a little too obvious; even I know that using a tripod and finding great subjects will make your photos better. Probably the one piece of advice that I appreciated the most was to "think how the camera lens sees, not how your eyes see." It's the type of seemingly-obvious but often unrealized advice that I appreciate.
While I was able to learn some useful terminology from this book, I think the author tried to do too much with too little space. He either needed to write a much bigger book that had more in-depth explanations, or write a shorter one on a more concise topic. Somewhat helpful, but probably a disappointment overall. I will be looking for another book to help me learn photography.
August 5, 2016
While Jim Zuckerman is an amazing photographer and the pictures are WONDERFUL throughout the book (it made a great picture book for my kids!), I found it incredibly UNhelpful as far as providing me with tips for improving my photography. "Shoot great subjects" is obvious, etc. It is more about analyzing his photos and what he did in them (most of which I could never recreate simply because of the part of the world they are in) than actually giving you ideas. I guess it could be some good inspiration but I was a little put off by it.
December 22, 2011
It gave several good pointers, but *spoiler alert* mainly it was:
1. You need extraordinary subjects for extraordinary photos; good subjects aren't good enough.
2. You need multiple expensive lenses and flashes for extraordinary photos.
3. If a background isn't to your liking, it is perfectly acceptable to Photoshop it something that is more desirable to falsely create your extraordinary photo. (Although I will note here that he says to try to find different angles first so the background will be better.)
1. You need extraordinary subjects for extraordinary photos; good subjects aren't good enough.
2. You need multiple expensive lenses and flashes for extraordinary photos.
3. If a background isn't to your liking, it is perfectly acceptable to Photoshop it something that is more desirable to falsely create your extraordinary photo. (Although I will note here that he says to try to find different angles first so the background will be better.)
March 22, 2011
Loved, Loved, Loved this book! It was the perfect compliment to the photography class I just took, breaking down all the best elements of picture taking... moving the advanced beginner to the next level. The chapters are pretty short allowing the reader to focus on key elements and incorporate into your own photoshoots. The Carnival costume photos are ahh-mazing! Inspiring and educational. Absolutely one of the best photography books I've read!
April 5, 2011
Lots of good tips and easy to understand, but a few too many (heavily) Photoshopped "final" images for my taste. If you're interested in what you can do in Photoshop to make your photos more dramatic, then this is a great book. My tastes just lean a little more a naturale.
April 22, 2011
Some nice tips are included. I wasn't particularly impressed with the author's reliance on Photoshop, though.
July 6, 2011
I had this book along on a recent river rafting trip and enjoyed consulting this book in my attempt to take better photos. Good examples and tips that helped.
October 7, 2011
great book. The author had some wonderful tips to make your photos sing. I especially like the picture samples so I can visualize the techniques and tips he was saying.
September 18, 2020
The number one tip in the book is to "find great subjects," which seems to involve a lot of travel and taking pictures from airplanes. Also, many of the photos included in the book were Photoshopped after the fact to give them a better background. The average person seeking tips that can be replicated easily will not find many here.
December 19, 2020
Jim Zuckerman's 176 page guidebook includes colorful arresting photographs ; what a pleasure to peruse. His presentation with accompanying pertinent remarks are excellent teaching tools, reminding aspiring photographers what tools and guidelines are important in quests to create not just good, but great portfolios.!
August 26, 2012
Really enjoyed this book. I found it to be very insightful and filled with general principles that would be well worth keeping in mind to improve one's photography and even expand into different areas of the trade. I am of course somewhere between the beginner/intermediate level in my photography skills, but have been an enthusiast for years and have read many books, blogs etc, only to find that many of them are filled to the brim with instructions so specific that it becomes difficult to apply more than a couple of things at a time (at least as a "weekend photographer". The principles discussed by mr. Zuckerman, on the other hand, feel like the kind of information you can read over and over and keep in the back of your mind and apply it more and more deeply as you go.
I understand the critics who disliked (a) the use of so many shots from exotic locations many of us are not likely to visit or (b) the use of photoshop to correct backgrounds, etc, but in both cases, I feel the ending product (the pictures shown) provide good examples of the general principles being discussed.
All in all, it was a pretty easy, enjoyable reading experience. Will definitely read again.
I understand the critics who disliked (a) the use of so many shots from exotic locations many of us are not likely to visit or (b) the use of photoshop to correct backgrounds, etc, but in both cases, I feel the ending product (the pictures shown) provide good examples of the general principles being discussed.
All in all, it was a pretty easy, enjoyable reading experience. Will definitely read again.
April 5, 2011
Van een waardeloos boek gesproken - ik heb letterlijk *niks* bijgeleerd. Het boek gaat compleet voorbij aan de emotionele inhoud van beelden (wat ik zelf dan weer net hun essentie vind) en levert tips aan om technisch en compositioneel gezien eenheidsworstprentjes af te leveren. Het enige wat 'pro' is aan dit boek is de manier waarop de auteur me er ingeluisd heeft om het aan te schaffen :-(
January 13, 2015
This book was so helpful! I loved how down to earth this author was and how he gave so many great examples of his work-both good and bad. It was such a beautifully visual book as well. The chapters were organized well and covered information that even the most novice photographer could grasp. I really learned a lot from reading this book and will revisit it often for reference.
January 3, 2015
The best thing about this book are the example photos, with "good" vs. "great" photos of the same subject to compare with one another. The tips are useful in a somewhat non-specific way but maybe that is as good as it gets when discussing composition. Overall I found it to be generally helpful in improving my photos. For better or worse the author has no scruples about heavy editing in Photoshop!
February 8, 2015
Having just acquired a new DSLR camera, I want to improve my photography abilities. I found many helpful suggestions and took a lot of notes. Zuckerman's examples are beautiful and are taken all over the world. I like that the book is short and not too cumbersome with a lot of text. Like other reviewers, I did not like his reliance on Photoshop to improve/change his photographs.
October 25, 2011
This book is full of great tips on how to see and take great shots under all kinds of conditions using your digital camera. The author has a ton of experience and is a real expert, I plan on reading this book again in a year or so, the tips are just that good.
Read
June 20, 2011pg 141, 130
October 16, 2011
Helpful for a beginner who is interested in breaking into the commercial world of photography. Not for someone who is looking to get into the art scene. I found a few helpful tips.
February 3, 2012
Well writte, informative, well illutrated, good photography tips. Would like to read more by this photographer
July 4, 2012
A very good reference for anyone who is looking to learn more about how to take more dynamic photographs.
November 29, 2012
Lots of good tips for taking more dramatic pictures. I also like how unashamed he was of saying when he used Photoshop to fix a background or do other work needed to make the portrait work.
March 26, 2013
the author comes across as a little pompous, but i found it worth it for the advice sprinkled throughout the book. worth reading.
May 20, 2020
Beautiful and useful. Not groundbreaking but packed with great suggestions and examples of masterfully done photographs. Similar to a collection of ideas books with high quality pictures.
August 7, 2016
I liked this book. It shows great pics and how to see the beauty in everything. But what I didn't like is that it really doesn't show technique in how to get a photo to look awesome.
October 2, 2015
Good tips, but pretty basic. I was hoping to find a couple of good rules of thumb about setting up shots,or how to correct for difficult lighting situations.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews