Good books for Digital learner?

[rsv gone!]

Hi chaps

Can anyone recommend a decent book to lead me through improving my ugly snapshots into something closer to the great pics I've seen on here?

My camera is an Ixus 960 (which is a 12meg pixel model)

[GetCarter]

Hi there

12 mp onto a £200 camera may cause you some problems! (It's the size of the sensor, not the amount of pixels that will make the difference).

To be honest I've never read a photography book that has helped me (Tis probably why I'm so crap), but looking at forums like this and jumping in with questions when you see something you like (possibly a technique), is, I think a really good way to learn.

I know I'm not the norm when it comes to these things, but photography is to me like music. It's all about doing, not reading about doing.

I'd get out there and take some, shove 'em on here and ask for peoples opinions. You'll need thick skin, but it works.

Good luck (and it's a bottomless pit financially!).

Steve

[jon-]

I'm with Steve. There's enough information here, on various photography sites and on flickr groups to tell you everything you need to know, in about a thousand different ways

[rsv gone!]

GetCarter said:

To be honest I've never read a photography book that has helped me (Tis probably why I'm so crap), but looking at forums like this and jumping in with questions when you see something you like (possibly a technique), is, I think a really good way to learn.

I know I'm not the norm when it comes to these things, but photography is to me like music. It's all about doing, not reading about doing.

Unfortunately, I don't speak the lingo

It would be nice to have something to guide me through the early steps. Something to help with composition. I can recognise a nice picture when I see one but when it comes to trying to figure out how to take it, I'm at a loss.

[Gold]

This is a great book for a little bit of inspiration and I've found it a great help when trying to explain aperture, shutter speed and ISO to people:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Exposure-Pho...

[Gold]

Actually having googled your camera it apparently does not include full manual controls?

If this is the case the book above is a bit useless if you cannot adjust aperture or shutter speed, the best way to improve would therefore not to waste money buying any books but to buy a DSLR (if you buy an old model used it can be relatively cheap) and just play.

[Simpo Two]

RSV, you seem most concerned with composition - the great imponderable. You say you can recognise a great picture but can't capture it. What goes wrong?

[GetCarter]

Gold said:

the best way to improve would therefore not to waste money buying any books but to buy a DSLR

I told you it was a bottomless pit!

[rsv gone!]

Simpo Two said:

RSV, you seem most concerned with composition - the great imponderable. You say you can recognise a great picture but can't capture it. What goes wrong?

I wouldn't say I can offer critique, but I know when a picture looks obviously better than my snapshots.

I thought composition was the important bit? Am I starting in the wrong place, running before I can walk?

[Simpo Two]

rsv gone! said:

I wouldn't say I can offer critique, but I know when a picture looks obviously better than my snapshots. I thought composition was the important bit? Am I starting in the wrong place, running before I can walk?

You're right, composition is important and it's arguably the one thing that can't be learned, being largely instinctive. The human eye is cleverer than any camera so capturing exactly what you see might be asking too much. But unless you can tell us exactly what the problem is, we can't help. The problem is that you can't define the problem! OK, so how about posting a photo with your thoughts on why you'r enot happy with it?