I don’t know about you, but when I see a book with a great cover or a book about a subject I like, I have to have it. There’s a physical pull I feel and it consumes me and my thoughts until I have purchased the book. If I leave the book store without buying it, I’ll think about it for a while and kick myself for not making the purchase. Maybe I should see someone about this…I mean, they’re just books. (Side note: This sadly appears to be genetic because I’ve passed the trait on to my daughter.)
Here’s the kicker, though. If I buy a book that’s going to help me improve my skills or learn to eat healthier, or whatever the subject may be, (basically, if it’s not a fiction or traditional non-fiction book) I never, ever read it cover to cover. I skim it, look at the pretty pictures, and use it as a reference book to look up specific information about a specific question I’m having. While this is helpful, it’s not using the books in the manner they were meant to be used. Someone put a lot of effort into that book, I’ve purchased it, the least I can do is read the thing.
So, last month, I sat down and started reading some of my helpful books on food photography. I finally read Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling
See? I read it. I made notes, I even learned a lot about basic photography principles that I hadn’t known before. Now that I know what I know, would I still recommend it like I have in the past?
Yep. And here’s why.
This book was quite helpful to me when it comes to food styling, an area that I’ve said before is a struggle for me. It teaches you to look at food photography differently. Oftentimes, when taking a food photo, we look at the dish and picture how it would best photograph. What this book does is teaches you to consider what message/feeling you’re trying to convey in the image. Even I was surprised at how my mindset changed while reading this, and I’ve taken countless numbers of food photographs.
That being said, this book is clearly aimed towards someone who has a basic understanding of photography. She mentions camera phones and point and shoots, but you will get so much more out of this book if you have a basic understanding of the exposure triangle and all of the basic settings on a camera. Not there yet? No worries, my book choice next month will help you get there. Even if you don’t feel comfortable with all these concepts, (yet!) I still recommend getting this book. You can use the images for inspiration right now and as your knowledge base grows, you can begin reading through this book and learning even more.
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