Hot Shots by Kevin Meredith (aka Lomokev)
Inspiration Monday # 07
After last weeks lack of Inspiration Monday, due to me being away, I thought that this week better be a good one, so what better than to plug my husbands debut book which was released back in 2008, there has been another book published since then entitled 52 Photographic Projects (UK version) or Photo Op (US version) but I thought I’d leave this new book for another Monday….
Hot Shots is a friendly little “how to” photography book that guides you step by step into taking better, more interesting and exciting photographs. The book is laid out in such a way that it is easy to dip in and out of, with a photograph on one page and an explanation on how to achieve the effect opposite. Kevin has selflessly shared all of his knowledge and tips to create a book that you could never get bored of, each page can be a project in itself and it is simple to understand and follow.
You don’t need a specific camera to use this book, it applies to those who shoot digitally or to those who have a love for the old school and shoot on film, you can be a beginner looking for basic advise or a pro with an open mind for some new ideas or direction. The techniques covered include taking portraits, from action ones to silhouettes and close ups, different effects achievable by varying the focus, how to achieve lens vignetting, shooting from different view points, adding narrative to your shots, cropping and the rule of thirds and shooting at night using different flash methods and long exposures. The book opens your eyes to different subject matters that you may think would lead to a boring photograph or be impossible to capture, it helps you to view the world in a different way, from different angles, encouraging you to see things that you would have overlooked in the past.
There is also a section at the back of the book explaining all the essentials such as different camera and film types, Photoshop essentials and online photo sharing info, a great tool for thickies like me!
If you have already got a copy of “Hot Shots” then I suggest that get it out and get inspired again if not then you can buy a signed copy here. You can see more of Kevin’s work on flickr and follow him on his blog and on twitter. What better way to get through the winter than with your camera and this book.
01/11/2010
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