My latest on Digital Photo Pro is about the book Make Better Pictures: Truth, Opinions, and Practical Advice.
It’s a flip-through style book ($13.98 on Amazon) with great examples and is easy to read. Intended for aspirational photographers, I suggest Make Better Pictures as a good read for anyone who wants to take better pictures. Makes a good gift too.
To that point, all the pros I’ve met are constantly improving their skills by trying new techniques, gear and even genres. Earlier this year, I jumped into a pool for underwater photos. And, shot air-to-air at Miramar.
As a street and sports photographer, getting into a studio setting periodically informs my composition as well.
100 Tips
Written by Henry Horenstein, acclaimed professor of photography at RISD and bestselling author of Black & White Photography (which has sold over 700k copies to date), Make Better Pictures offers over a 100 tips and techniques to improve everyday photography using everything from a mirrorless camera to a smartphone.
In an interview, Henry discusses why it took so long to write a short book
I decided to rethink the whole thing and write a shorter book, highlighting some of the things I’ve learned over the years that I think are important, interesting, worth knowing. Then sprinkle that with some pure facts and pure opinions.
Of those opinions, I agree with the author on 3rd-party lens (lenses not made by the brand). There was a time when 3rd-party meant cheap, but not anymore…
Not long ago, third-party lenses were strictly for bargain-hunting amateurs and poorly regarded. Their construction was often shoddy, as was their optical quality. But modern versions have made great strides, and a few are even rated better than their branded equivalents, if user reviews are any measure.
For Sony, Sigma’s lenses are an excellent value and what I recommend; especially, when purchased with a deal like the a7 II kit. Read the rest of my review on Digital Photo Pro.
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My daily shooter is Sony A1 with a vertical grip and various Sony lenses attached like the FE 20mm F1.8. Find more gear recommendations in our shop. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.