Another tool to help you get your feet wet. This presents a series of exercises using (at first) a minimal of equipment just so you can get the most "Wow!" with minimal effort. Controlling your light results in WAY better pictures than just buying an expensive lens!
Learning wireless flash is the best investment you can make in taking your photography to the next level. Take the plunge and learn to use this essential tool the non-intimidating way! http://friedmanarchives.com/WWWF
A collection of 25 ideas and additional compositional rules designed to get your creative juices flowing and to help you take the kinds of pictures that make people say "Wow!" (the goal of every photographer!). It is available for only USD $5.95 as an instantly-downloadable .pdf file from www.FriedmanArchives.com/ebooks and search for "25 ways".
This e-booklet (instantly downloadable and priced right!) delves into more technical issues that just couldn’t be squeezed into this book. Advanced Topics 2 covers:
Learn more at www.FriedmanArchives.com/ebooks.
Throughout the ebook you’re reading, I tried to provide all of the practical uses and configurations of decoupling the focusing function from the shutter release button. But it turns out that some people just love to dig into this level of customization, as witnessed by the pages and pages of threads on this subject on photo discussion forums.
And so, for you, Ross Warner created a specialized e-booklet designed to cut through the confusion for the uber-detailed enthusiast and provide even MORE ways to customize the camera for specific uses.
There are different situations where configuring your camera this way would be beneficial, ranging from portraits to landscapes to shooting movies, both in AF and MF mode - and this booklet covers each of these scenarios in detail and shows the optimal configuration for each one.
It's a different way to work, and taking the time to learn to use the camera in this way can actually make the camera to be a more natural extension to your mind.
This full-color, 68-page e-booklet is being offered in .pdf format only, allowing it to be viewed on any electronic device you own. http://bit.ly/1RuYb9B
For as long as I can remember, the vast majority of the “Popular” photography magazines served as a vehicle for their advertisers. And as I got older things seemed to get worse, as content took a back seat to both the latest gear AND the will of the graphic layout artist.
The problem with these magazines is that its content leads the crusade of mis-information the photo industry loves to impose on the masses: If only you had the latest gear, or if only you understood this obscure feature of the intimidating camera you can’t ever hope to understand, only THEN can you get the great shots you see in their pages. (In one issue they managed to write a FOUR PAGE spread on how to use the shutter release button! Geez.) They would showcase a guest photographer and only talk about what gear he used, not the light or how he approached the shot in his mind (sending the message that if you bought gear like his, your shots would be as good).
Fast-forward to today. When legendary publisher David Kilpatrick visited me in June 2012, not only did he pose for the cover of a book, but he also wanted to talk to me about his latest project: A new quarterly photo magazine which returns to the forgotten roots of great photography and spends more time talking about light, composition, mindset, backstory, and the things that give photographs an emotional edge. It would be printed on high-quality stock rather than over-bleached, uncoated newsprint with pulp and fillers. It would be brand agnostic, and inspire its readers creatively by showcasing works and thought processes of other photographers. And while it will contain some ads, the intention is to publish for like-minded readers and not to chase the mass circulation demanded by today's advertisers. Best of all (at least in my mind), he offered me the position of Associate Editor, which I enthusiastically accepted.
The magazine is in its 4th year of publication, and I continue my duties of curating content, editing submissions, and writing a regular column discussing the "mind game" behind important shots. The magazine has had great acclaim.
I invite you to come be inspired once again about the power and mindset of photography and become a charter subscriber. A subscription link appears below -- Share this with every artistic person you know! (Better yet, subscribe today!) I promise you will find it worth your while.
http://friedmanarchives.com/Cameracraft
I started the Friedman Archives High-Impact Photography Seminars because I got tired of seeing so much poor advice disseminated on the online discussion forums when a beginner would ask how to improve their photography. “Start shooting in Aperture priority mode”, one person would opine. “Learn Photoshop” blurted another. “Examine the EXIF information of pictures you like online and see what they did!” And the most ill-prescribed advice which I see all too often: “Shoot RAW!”
Well, that kind of advice may be well-meaning, but it's not effective. Never in my life have I seen a rank beginner switch to RAW (or shoot in Aperture Priority mode) and then suddenly start producing "Wow!" type images. Clearly the secret to high-impact images must lie elsewhere. And so I thought it was time to share the (seemingly) forgotten knowledge that all successful Kodachrome shooters knew back in the day – how to take pictures that make other people say “Wow!” with nothing more than a point-and-shoot. (Even Photoshop is optional if you know what you're doing!)
And so the seminars were created with the goal of dispelling no end of online myths and explaining what's REALLY important in photography. And they've been a hit with both newbie and experienced photographers alike, all over the world. All in a fun, friendly, supportive, and nurturing environment.
TIP: Don't live near a major city? A condensed version of the Friedman Archives Seminars is now available to view in the comfort of your home, anywhere in the world! More details at www.FriedmanArchives.com/seminars |
Here are some of the things you’ll learn from this 2-day seminar:
Day 1 ("The Creativity Day", or "The camera can do quite a bit by itself. Teach me about creativity and light and things that only the human can do!")
The difference between snapshots and photographs (and why both are important)
Day 2 ("The Technical Stuff")
There are also ample discovery exercises to allow you to become familiar with your camera’s operation and experiment with particular features.
The Friedman Archives High-Impact Photography Seminars are a wonderful way to help you get the most out of your digital camera investment, and to invigorate your creative spirit all at the same time. More information (including cities and schedules) can be found at www.FriedmanArchives.com/seminars . Come visit the site and register your interest in having a seminar in your city! If you’re a member of a photo club you can get me there even faster. I’ll go wherever there’s demand, anywhere in the world.
What Others Are Saying
“It’s the best money you’ll ever spend for a photo class. Gary obviously loves what he does and can also make a complex topic easy to understand, which is a great combination. It made me a better photographer!” - George Saadeh
“In a world of dry, artsy information, you bring a vibrant, humorous and fun approach to the subject. Best of all, I feel a renewed enthusiasm for photography. You are an excellent teacher.” – Lee Friedman (no relation)
"Well worth it!! Learned sooooooo much from Gary in San Mateo! My wife went for the 2-day, and raved about it so much after Day 1, I signed up for Day 2! Ya, that good - thanks for all the after-seminar advice, and 'being there' for technical questions, a year later! Fun and informative." – Daniel Devane
“Best seminar I have ever taken. – THANK YOU!!!” -Joseph R. Conklin
I write a blog which expounds not just on cameras, but on the more general themes of photography as it relates to experiencing life. Many who follow it say it’s quite worthwhile. Unlike many bloggers who feel compelled to find something (anything!) to say several times a week, I tend to only post to it once every six weeks or so, and even then only if I feel I have something worthwhile to say. (This way I don’t add to the noise in your life.) If you’ve purchased the downloadable .pdf version of this book, then you’re automatically on the blog notification list (to which you can easily unsubscribe). If you bought the printed version of this book and registered your copy with me (as you were encouraged to do, for you get free .pdf updates like everyone else if you do), then you’re on this list too.
You can read back issues of the blog by visiting www.FriedmanArchives.com/blog . And a compendium of the "Best of the Blog" can be purchased here: http://friedmanarchives.com/BestOfBlog (case sensititve).
In August, 2003 I made arrangements to teach English in China, but when I got there, there was no job. So begins a very interesting six-month stay in Beijing, and I blogged about my adventures there. Within these pages you'll hear stories of college life, the move to a market economy, corruption, burnout, mobsters, government as benevolent parent, the surprising gravitation to all things Western, and the tribulations of a foreigner trying to start a new business. (Oh, yes, and the experiences of a 
newbie teaching English in a foreign land!) You are also introduced to some of my students, who, in their own words, talk about their lives, aspirations, and frustrations.
This highly-acclaimed work is now available in a printed edition, in both Color and B&W. You can learn more by visiting www.FriedmanArchives.com/ebooks.
There’s no better way to make friends in a strange land than with photography. I have also found another way - it is a musical instrument called a Xaphoon (www.Xaphoon.com). It looks like a recorder (about 12 inches in length) but sounds like a cross between a saxophone and clarinet -- much deeper and richer than its size would suggest.
It’s great because it doesn’t weigh me down, it’s always with me, and no matter where I go, I can sit down on a street corner (usually next to a good acoustic space) and just play. What happens next is almost always magical, for you can elicit smiles and eye contact from complete strangers as they walk by.
This has little to do with photography, other than to reinforce the philosophy that the whole purpose of travel is to interact with the locals and perhaps spread a little joy throughout the world. There's always one in my camera bag. If you’re an independent thinker and musically inclined, (or if you know someone that is), this is a must-have instrument!
(Full disclosure: I love the instrument so much that I became a distributor, and I created and run the Xaphoon.com website. I figured that while I’m on this shameless self-promotion spree, why not share my enthusiasm for this amazing instrument as well? :-) ) You can read more about the Xaphoon (both the plastic and original handmade bamboo versions – the backstory is pretty amazing) at www.Xaphoon.com.
Congratulations! You have successfully plowed through one very large and very detailed book! I hope you enjoyed reading this book as much as I did writing it.
Books like this are a monumental effort. As mentioned at the time you bought this book, I have no advertising budget per se – instead, I rely solely on the enthusiastic recommendations people make to their friends and online. If you liked this book, if you feel it stands apart from all the other commercial-grade, corporate-backed, dryly written photography books out there, then I encourage you to speak up and let the world know about it! :-) Here are some things you can do:
Many thanks, and may your pursuit of great images give you an excuse to go out and see the world in new ways!