Rethinking Digital Photography [Paperback]

This is just a wonderful book. Full of all sorts of innovative and original photographic techniques to explore. It functions in about equal measure as both a detailed manual and an inspirational guide. So, there are shooting techniques described, which involve actually physically modifying your camera or cameras - and expert instructions (and appropriate warnings!) are provided in most of these cases. Plus, tutorial material is provided in other chapters on post-processing explorations - much of this involves specific software tools. And inter-connections are forged also: some of the images which are postworked come directly from the adapted and "foreign-lens-to-body-combination" cameras. Well done.
Each of the chapters has as at least one Gallery segment - where the author provides a range of examples of the images he has taken or processed. There are nine chapters in all. The two longest - "Painting the Photograph" and "Multiple Dimensions, Multiple Media' - are amongst the best. Where the author deals with digital painting (via the Painter Essentials, Painter and Studio Artist software packages), there's a really thoughtful pre-amble in the preceding chapter, on creating so-called HDR imagery. And, the painting work described sets itself apart, from many others who have written whole books on this topic, in a disavowal of the replication of traditional "wet-media" painting characteristics. Much of the final chapter deals with 3D effects (eyeglasses are included under the back folding-cover of the book). Now not everyone is going to shop for two identical digital cameras to mount side-by-side and so get to grips with the possibilities written about. But it is fascinating to see what can be done (with skill and enthusiasm) along this path.
I think that Mr. Neel deserves fulsome congratulations on this, his first book. It's not flawless in production (some of the illustrations have no captions, and a couple have captions which are incorrect), but the writing is clear and concise (unlike this review I'd guess!). Some of the claims on current and future developments in the digital imaging domain are probably optimistic. And Photoshop is confused with Photomatix Pro at one point ... But these are tiny detriments - this insightful book is great, and a great bargain to boot.

A couple of images on pixiq.com and the title draw my attention to this book. I assumed that the book would inspire me to take a fresh look at taking pictures. Unfortunately I had not taken literally the subtitle: "Making and Using Traditional & Contemporary Photo Tools". Had I known that the book predominantly deals with constructing and modifying specific camera bodies and using specific software (e.g. Painting, Stitching, Panorama software), I could have saved myself the disappointment.

The book is for you if you are curious to find out how a "picture" taken without a lens would look like or if you are looking for inspiration on how to tinker with old cameras and lenses (provided you own any) or how to take completely blurred pictures (Digital Zone Plate Photography).

If however you are interested in specific photographic techniques like Macro Photography, HDR Photography or Panoramas you might want to consider more specific or in-depth resources.

Before purchasing this book
- make sure to carefully read the Table of Content
- make sure you understand and take literally the subtitle (see above)
- look at the author's desperate almost daily pitch for his book on pixiq.com: you could be pleased by the teaser HDR images shown, but eventually disappointed by the content of the book

Strap on your seatbelts as Photographer and Digital Imaging Wizard John Neel takes us "behind the curtain" in his laboratory of seemingly mundane gadgets and graft-ons, merging traditional and non-traditional hardware and software to produce wondrous and artistic imagery. Unlike magicians who leave the viewer in a befuddled state of amazement John shares enough theory and technique to make this readily accessible to the everyday Joe who wants to extend his image making horizons. Can photography be any more fun than this?