The author starts out in those first seven pages by trying to convince the reader that the books he/she is about to read were written by a socially challenged ten year old. He then has three volumes to try to climb out of this hole and just when he appears to be succeeding, he manages to slide back in. Had I been reading this online, I would have aborted the effort by page 3. Given the long list of acknowledgements, it is surprising that none of these people have been able to convince the author that he is neither funny nor witty. Isn’t that the publisher’s job? Hint: When you feel the need to apologize for your wit or tell the reader where the funny parts are…

If you can get past this nonsense, this three volume set is an excellent reference for those of us who don’t take pictures professionally (i.e. daily). Each page has a picture and text demonstrating a specific point, categorized into chapters by subject (wedding, travel, portrait, etc.). This makes it easy to read the first time, and provides a quick refresher on a specific subject you are about to photograph. The author focuses on quick glimpses of what to do when presented with a situation without the supporting explanation of why you want to do it that way. Scientists may find this approach disturbing (lack of proofs), but it has its value. It does make the quick review process just that.

Rating: 3 / 5