Here are a few clips from my book – Rethinking Digital Photography
Mushroom – © John neel
HDR
“In photography, capturing details in low light areas of the image scene (the shadows) as well as information details in the bright areas (the highlights) is desirable but usually difficult to achieve. The human eye sees a larger brightness (luminance) range than a digital sensor. At this point in time, neither film nor digital sensors are capable of showing detail in the deep shadows and the brightest highlights at the same time due to their limited dynamic range. High Dynamic Range Imaging is a technique used to capture levels of brightness from selective portions of the scene that can be merged together to achieve an expanded tonal range.” © John Neel RDP
Skink Pinhole Mounts – © John Neel
Lensless
“Believe it or not, there are a few image makers like myself who occasionally use a camera without a lens attached to the front to see what they can capture. In fact, the lens mount opening at the front of the camera is actually a very large pinhole in that it can capture the rays of light from different areas of the scene. The resulting image can have a soft gradation between the colors and contrasts of the subject mater.” © John Neel RDP
Shadow – © John Neel
Auxillary Lenses
“At first, I thought I had thrown my dollar away. The images from this lens when mounted on the front of a short zoom stretch the image in weird ways with only the center in somewhat focus. The images are great for photo painting because of the distortions that are created.” © John Neel RDP
Cloud – © John Neel
Mindfulness
“Sitting in my lawn chair watching the clouds roll by, a crow breaks the silence as he calls a friend. Tufts of cottonwood seeds sail overhead landing everywhere. The light is beautiful and I feel the wind on my face. I look down and see a bright green caterpillar pulling and stretching and falling along long blades of grass, a bumble bee flies low to the ground and hovers over a small group of tiny blue flowers. A small toad is headed for the edge of my garden while a tiny colorful bug lands on my arm. I have my camera and they all seem to pose for a moment. I take a few pictures and they all continue along their paths. If you look you will see a vast world of incredible things. I am as much amazed as I am humbled by the smallness of most things and by the immensity of others.” © John Neel RDP
Open your eyes and RETHINK DIGITAL!
Rethinking Digital Photography is not your average digital photography book! Instead, this book shows you, ways to play with your camera and your photography in order to create unique images. The book is meant to inspire creative thinking and promote the concept of exploration and play. While the book is written primarily around digital cameras, lenses and techniques, nearly every concept will work for analog cameras as well.
This inspirational book is filled with great examples of unique and playful creative imagery covering many great techniques such as HDR photography, alternative lenses, digital zone plate photography, 360˚panorama imaging, camera and lens hacks, homemade tilt-shift lenses, TTV cameras, digital pinhole, digital painting, homemade photographic macro and fisheye lenses, stereo imaging, alternative software and a multitude of other great ways to produce fun, creatively satisfying and unique photographic images.
Never too technical, full of great examples and galleries, easy to read and to understand, Rethinking Digital Photography is meant to appeal to all levels of photographer, from beginners to advanced professionals.
The Library Journal named it one of their Best Books 2011: Rethinking Digital Photography.
Read more about my book and where you can purchase a copy – Rethinking Digital Photography.
You can also buy the book here – Rethinking Digital Photography.
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