Crash Course Book in "Top 10" Amazon Photo Books

I'm not sure what caused the sudden surge in sales, but the book that I wrote that is based on this blog Jeff Wignall's Digital Photography Crash Course: 2 Minute Tips for Better Photos (Lark Photography Book) made it to the top 3,000 books (among all books) on Amazon today. And it landed in the "Top 10" of all photo books. In other words, it's a bestseller. As I said, the book grew out of this blog and it features roughly 150 or so tips that each began as a posting on this blog. The tips were expanded in most cases and I added extra illustrations, but the real genesis of the idea was this blog. What's really amazing to me is that the book is selling even better than my flagship book, The NEW Joy of Digital Photography (Lark Photography Book). Go figure! The Crash Course book was reviewed this week on a few blogs--including a major photo blog in Australia--so perhaps that is helping. In any case, I love having another bestseller! I'm sure you can find it at the local Barnes & Noble if you are looking for a last minute gift (and who isn't?).

My New Digital Basics Book is on Amazon

If you're new to digital photography, or still confused by some of the basic concepts of exposure (shutter speed, aperture, etc.), you might be interested in my latest book Focus on Digital Photography Basics (A Lark Photography Book). It was just released on Amazon today! This is a true basics book and starts at ground zero, so there's nothing in it that will scare anyone away. Other topics in the book include:

Digital Camera Basics

Learning About Lenses

Exposure

Understanding Light

Using Your Flash

Getting Sharper Picutres

Composition and Style

and Going Beyond Your Camera (printing, organizing, archiving, etc.)

There are also dozens and dozens of good photo examples--including photos that I've never published before. Hey, Mom's Day is coming--what more can I say!

Become a Storm Cloud Chaser

While taking pictures during a thunderstorm can be kind of messy (not to mention dangerous), taking pictures just before or just after the storm can create some great photo opportunities. I find that the turbulent mix of storm clouds and sun almost always produces some very intense nature shots. If you can add a harbor or perhaps a nice red barn to the foreground, great, but often just the clouds alone are enough for a dramatic image. These clouds were photographed from a beach on Long Island Sound, about ten minutes from my house, just moments after it stopped raining. I saw the sun starting to pierce the clouds and hopped in my car and drove to the beach. The cloud formations tumbled and morphed for about a half an hour and I shot nearly 200 frames. Photos from that half-hour shoot have shown up in three of my books.