A lot has changed since I wrote and published this first volume of what became this guide series. One thing hasnÕt. I still have the same enthusiasm and joy in photography I had way back at the beginning of the series. I have a lot more knowledge and experience now and, occasionally even get close to taking good photographs. ThatÕs the thing, see. I didnÕt know a lot when I originally wrote this guide. I had been working in photography since 1982 professionally. Everything I knew, pretty much, was self-taught. In general, thatÕs still true. ThereÕs no need for you to do it all by yourself, too, though. This book and this series are meant to help you get going with the basics fast. Yes, OK, I tend to relate my own experiences, but that, too, is meant to help you avoid some basic mistakes I made. And, perhaps, I write in a tad too friendly manner, but think of it as sitting down with me to have a friendly talk about a passion we share: Photography!

Simply put, medium-format photography is quite a bit more complex than shooting with 35mm film SLRs or 35mm-style DSLRs. It takes a bit more skill - and experience - to handle medium-format cameras. Not only do you need to learn to think differently about how you shoot, but you also have a whole new type of equipment to learn. Medium-format cameras produce bigger images, which allows for more detail and greater enlargement. And because they, in general, were designed for professional photographers, the lenses tend to be of better quality that most 35mm lenses, which also adds to the detail in the images. In this book, we'll take a look at medium-format SLRs and TLRs, and we'll even touch upon some other types. We'll also consider a few lenses, although these largely are a matter of choice. And there are far fewer choices for medium-format cameras than for other types. Time to do some weight training and heft those medium-format cameras and lenses into position. Let's go.

The Nikon D7000 was aimed at the Enthusiast photographer when when it was released in 2010, but it proved to be such a tough, reliable camera, it became the darling of semi-pro photographers everywhere. At 16.2 megapixels, this APS-C/crop frame DSLR has great resolution and handles nearly every Nikon lens ever made. In this volume of Shawn M. TomlinsonÍs Guide to Photography, the Nikon D7000 proves itself to be one of the best mid-range DSLRs available for the budding photographer at the Enthusiast and Semi-Pro levels.

The designers at Nikon in 2004-05 were looking for a way to reach the semi-pro photographer. The semi-pro is someone who has another job but shoots photos Ñ often at weddings Ñ as a part-time job. TheyÕre sometimes called weekend warriors. They tend to be serious and dedicated, but they had no need for the pro digital single-lens reflex behemoths like the Canon EOS IDX Mark II or the Nikon D5. What they needed then and now is a DSLR camera that is built strong, is always reliable and can handle their workload. That led to the first true semi-pro camera from the company, the Nikon D200. The D200 may have been overshadowed by its successor, the Nikon D300, but itÕs still a great camera. A great camera that can be had relatively cheaply, and that makes it an even better camera.

The folks at Nikon produced the first practical digital single-lens reflex camera with the Nikon D1 in 1999, but Canon was hot on their heels, reaching out to the Enthusiast photography market first with the Canon EOS 30D. Always in direct competiion with Canon, Nikon pushed to get its first Enthusiast DSLR on the market by 2002, the Nikon D100. It may be old now, but it still is a viable choice for the frugal photographer starting out. In this volume of Shawn M. TomlinsonÍs Guide to Photography, Nikon D100 takes center stage, showing exactly how good this camera is and why it makes a great first DSLR.

I have been somewhat reluctant to write about the absolute best digital single-lens reflex camera I have ever used, the Nikon D800E. The reason is that I like to write about older cameras that have become cheaper to buy and use for the frugal photographer. Although some of the cameras I have written about were terribly expensive when first released, by now they are reasonably cheap. For example, IÍve written books about the Canon EOS 1DS/1DS Mark II, the Nikon D1 and the Nikon D2X. These all are pro DSLRs and as such were released at prices ranging from $6,000 to $8,000. By now, however, the most you will pay is around $400 for any of them. In a few years, the Nikon D800E, too, will be much cheaper and an obvious choice for the frugal photographer. No matter the price, the D800 and D800E are two of the best DSLRs ever made. Either will change you as a photographer in fantastic ways.

The top-rated and top-selling photography ebook since 2012 and the first ever Gold Honoree of the Benjamin Franklin Digital Award, gives you five innovations no other book offers: Free video training. 9+ HOURS of video training integrated into the book’s content (requires Internet access). Travel around the world with Tony and Chelsea as they teach you hands-on. Appendix A lists the videos so you can use the book like an inexpensive video course.Classroom-style teacher and peer help. After buying the book, you get access to the private forums on this site, as well as the private Stunning Digital Photography Readers group on Facebook where you can ask the questions and post pictures for feedback from Tony, Chelsea, and other readers. It’s like being able to raise your hand in class and ask a question! Instructions are in the introduction.Lifetime updates. This book is regularly updated with new content (including additional videos) that existing owners receive for free. Updates are added based on reader feedback and questions, as well as changing photography trends and new camera equipment. This is the last photography book you’ll ever need.Hands-on practices. Complete the practices at the end of every chapter to get the real world experience you need.500+ high resolution, original pictures. Detailed example pictures taken by the author in fifteen countries demonstrate both good and bad technique. Many pictures include links to the full-size image so you can zoom in to see every pixel. Most photography books use stock photography, which means the author didn’t even take them. If an author can’t take his own pictures, how can he teach you? In this book, Tony Northrup (award-winning author of more than 30 how-to books and a professional portrait, wildlife, and landscape photographer) teaches the art and science of creating stunning pictures. First, beginner photographers will master: CompositionExposureShutter speedApertureDepth-of-field (blurring the background)ISONatural lightFlashTroubleshooting blurry, dark, and bad picturesPet photographyWildlife photography (mammals, birds, insects, fish, and more)Sunrises and sunsetsLandscapesCityscapesFlowersForests, waterfalls, and riversNight photographyFireworksRaw filesHDRMacro/close-up photography Advanced photographers can skip forward to learn the pro’s secrets for: Posing men and women. including corrective posing (checklists provided)Portraits (candid, casual, formal, and underwater)Remotely triggering flashesUsing bounce flash and flash modifiersUsing studio lighting on any budgetBuilding a temporary or permanent studio at homeShooting your first weddingHigh speed photographyLocation scouting/finding the best spots and timesPlanning shoots around the sun and moonStar trails (via long exposure and image stacking)Light paintingEliminating noiseFocus stacking for infinite depth-of-fieldUnderwater photographyGetting close to wildlifeUsing electronic shutter triggersPhotographing moving carsPhotographing architecture and real estate

In some ways, the Nikon F5 is easier to use than the Canon EOS 1N, but it is not nearly as elegant.There's just something about the way the Canon EOS 1N feels in my hands when I'm shooting with it that makes me never want to put it down.In that way, it reminds me much more of the Nikon F4S than the Nikon F5Practically since I placed the order for the camera, it was inevitable that I would need to write about it.If you are seeking the perfect late-model film SLR camera, you need look no further than the second-to-last pro level Canon EOS 1N.Just load a roll of film, take the camera in your hands and start shooting.You, too, will never want to let it go.

It has been a long, strange road, and probably has no end clearly in sight. Many more books are in the works as I write this in early December 2018. For example, I have published nine novels to date, and am writing nine more, with plans for some beyond that. The Shawn M. Tomlinson's Guide to Photography series has 29 titles in print, with another five or six nearly complete, and plans for 30 to 40 more. I'm also trying to rework and rearrange those books into omnibus editions by chronology and by theme.I never will get every book done I want to do, but it keeps me busy.I always planned on putting out a catalog of all the Zirlinson Books, but kept getting waylaid for one reason or another until now. This catalog is available as a print book in color. The color print book will be cost prohibitive for many people, so there likely will be a black and white version available, too.