Feelin’ the Love

No fancy equipment required—a little red paper and yellow poster board can go a long way! After taping the poster board to the side of our house, I got into position while my husband Emir took the shot. Easy!

Your digital camera loves you.

It always has. Sure, it gets stuck shooting in “auto” mode most of the time and graciously takes the blame when the photos aren’t what you’d hoped for. And yet, it’s still there for you. Silently waiting and patiently hoping for that one day—the day you come around and realize how good you’ve had it all along, finally giving it the chance to live up to all the impressive functionality it was built for. (Cue the heroic music.)

But, more often than not, before your camera ever gets the chance to shine, it gets kicked to the curb by a newer model. A neighbor, friend, or relative innocently shows off his or her latest camera acquisition—and before you know it, you’re smitten. You are certain, beyond a doubt, that a new camera will solve all your photo problems. A newer/fancier/more mega-pixel-y camera will make all your bad photos a thing of the past, right?!

Sorry to break it to ’ya, but the problem isn’t your camera. And the idea that buying a new one will magically morph your pictures into photographic gold is like believing that a new high-end glue gun will make you the next Martha Stewart. (Just bein’ honest, folks!)

The path to better pictures starts not with a new camera, but with learning to use the one you’ve got. As it turns out, cameras don’t take great photos—people do. And believe it or not, people have created incredible images with cameras made from an oatmeal box (seriously). The buck stops here.

(Courtesy of What the Duck Comics © Aaron Johnson, www.whattheduck.net)

Really, any Camera Will Do!

In an effort to prove that having a fancy camera isn’t required to capture stunning photos, I made a point of including images in this book that were captured with a variety of cameras, ranging from a high-end professional model dSLR to a compact point-and-shoot camera that’s at least six years past its prime. The figure captions will point this out in cases where I felt it was helpful or interesting to note.

About This Book

This book is about redefining the relationship you have with your camera—from one that may be somewhat adversarial to one of respect and cooperation.

Though you may wish otherwise, this book is not a replacement for your camera’s user guide. Seriously. It’s not. So don’t toss yours! (If you’ve already lost it, do a quick Google search or check the manufacturer’s website to find a copy you can download. Or, if you prefer a hard copy, call the manufacturer to order one or check eBay.com.)

The camera’s user guide is actually so important that I recommend you dig it out and have it on hand while you go through this book. (Seriously. You can go grab it now—I’ll wait here.)

Carefully crafted to be applicable to any camera, anywhere, anytime, this book is meant to be a broad overview of how most cameras generally function. The exact way in which it applies to you and your camera will vary by model. If you have questions about locating a certain feature or menu option on your camera, you bet your sweet pixels I’ll be referring you to your user guide for the answer. If you can make peace with that now, the rest will be easy!

Chapter 1 will give you a basic overview of some important terms and a broad understanding of the magic that happens every time you click the shutter, making it the best place to start, even if you plan to jump around to other chapters later. (For best results, I suggest that you read this book sequentially, as each chapter builds on the previously covered topics.)

Whether you have a dSLR, a pocket-size point-and-shoot camera, or something in between—sit back, relax, and read your way to triumphant photographic bliss (without the usual techno babble)!