Product Description

Using stunning yet unintimidating photographs and simple techniques, this photography guide teaches parents or grandparents how to take better photographs of their children. The images are the main teaching tools, so the reader is not bogged down by jargon. The supporting text is strong but simple, as are the instruction-filled captions. Every photograph profiled in the book was taken with a basic digital or 35mm camera in natural or simple lighting, so parents do not need to worry about using complicated lighting gear or techniques. Parents will learn to take strong photographs that capture the personality and spirit that only their children have.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #623444 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

About the Author
Jay Forman is a professional photographer specializing in photographing children

Customer Reviews

A Must-Have for Every Parent
I am a terrible photographer-or at least, I was, until Jay Forman's simple lessons. I had no idea how just a few little "tweaks" in my technique could produce such amazing photos-better than any cheap mall photo shop with silly props. I can use my own camera and get some beautiful shots of my kids at home, doing what they love. This is by far the best photography book I've ever read. It is, sincerely, the one investment that is paying off for me every time I use my camera. And this book, giftwrapped, would make a great way to announce to your hubby or parents that a baby is on the way!

Surprisingly Helpful Book
A friend loaned this book to me with the recommendation "There are some decent tips in here." I initially put the book away, thinking that my two high school photography classes had been enough instruction for something as simple as taking snapshots of my daughter. Turns out I was wrong.

The book is filled with practical advice. And more importantly, each tip is illustrated with side-by-side photos to show what happens if you do it right, and what happens if you don't. With each chapter you learn a new tip or technique, understand the "why" behind it because you see it in the many photo comparisons, and you begin to internalize it. I imagine with time and a little practice, the tips will become second nature for me, and then I'll loan the book to someone else.

One last note. This isn't a book for photography buffs with big gear bags. All the photos were taken with a basic 35mm camera and no special lenses, and I found the content highly relevant for my own photography, which is 95% shot from an everyday Olympus digital camera.

Wonderful manual full of simple tips for great photos of children!
This is a great book on photographing children, covering basic rules of good photography (eg, the rule of thirds) as well as more specific ideas particularly applicable to children. I especially liked that this book is full of photographic examples: every page has at least 2-3 photos displaying various options, which helps the reader to immediately get a clear visual sense of what makes for a "good" picture of children. The author begins by focusing on general principles such as composition and light, then moves on to address more specific topics, including photographing infants, setting the stage, and taking candid shots. He also focuses on picture-taking for special occasions, from sporting events (including how to position for each sport) to birthday parties to holidays. Finally, there is a small but helpful section on scrapbooking. Although this book covers children of all ages, it would make a great baby shower gift (which is why I bought it). Overall, this is an excellent picture-taking guide which I think would serve to help virtually anyone improve their pictures of not just children but people in general; highly recommended!