Book Review: From Camera To Computer: How To Make Fine Photographs Through Examples, Tips, And Techniques by George Barr

From Camera To Computer asks the question "Do you ever wonder what it would be like to get inside the head of an accomplished photographer as he chooses a subject, works the scene, selects the image, and turns that image to a piece of photographic art?"

As a follow up to his book "Take Your Photography to the Next Level" George Barr now lets you in on the methods that he uses when he is working on his photographic works of art. This book is 296 pages in length and is divided into 23 chapters. Each of the chapters begins with an examination of the subject and then works through the things that made the shot

Chapter One, "Athabasca," looks at the falls just south of Jasper Alberta, Canada. Here you explore the falls and will edit your image with Curves, dodging, and the using selective color. Chapter Two, "Bluffs and Bush," looks not only at texture, stitching and panoramic basics, but examines when to stay with color or work in Black and White to create this image.

Chapter Three, "Grain Elevator," shows a classic scene and in this one you will work using separate exposures, applying perspective correction, and working the scene. Chapter Four, "Fruit," examines a classic take on still life. Here you will use multiple curves, removing noise, and increasing local contrast.

Chapter Four, "Sculpture and Architecture," looks at how by putting more of "You" into the picture, the results will look less like a snapshot. Then you will look at some of the fine points of composing images. Chapter Six notes that "People" are not hard to shoot, but to make the best of the image, you want to capture your subject in a way that says something about them.

Chapter Seven, "Racks," examines how you should take opportunities when you can because later they may not exist. Here you will work with distracting backgrounds, cropping, working with repetitive patterns and more. Chapter Eight, "Stony Park," looks at working with friends out in the field, fixing the less than perfect images, and knowing when you have gone too far in working an image.

Article Author: T. Michael Testi

T. Michael Testi is a writer and a photographer out of Edmond Oklahoma. You can see his photographic and art work at T Michael Imaging.

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