The Ultimate Photography Ideas Book is a compendium of photo projects published in Digital Camera World magazine during the past six years.
Covering a wide range of photographic genres, including landscapes, wildlife, macro, action and portraits – among others – the 60 assignments are a blend of tried and tested photography projects, plus a selection of more creative approaches.
All projects have clear and easy-to-follow instructions plus behind-the-scenes photos to explain the necessary techniques, and are allocated one of five skill levels, from beginner to advanced.
And it doesn’t matter what type or brand of camera you use – the principles behind the projects are universal and they can all be attempted with a basic camera and lens setup.
Everyday accessories can be used, and there instructions for improvising your own – if you don't own a reflector, for example, then the book explains how you can use paper or card instead.
Landscape photography is well represented in The Ultimate Photography Ideas Book, with 20 projects covering a wide range of techniques.
From how to blur a waterfall (above) to making sunsets sparkle, from learning how to use a polarizer and adding mood with a neutral density filter, lovers of outdoor photography are very well catered for.
Anyone keen on capturing action can learn the techniques for freezing a dancer mid-leap (above), how to execute perfect motorsport panning shots, shooting indoor light trails, capturing falling food and having a smashing time with wine glasses.
Plus, get up close and personal with the varied selection of portrait photography projects in The Ultimate Photography Ideas Book.
You'll learn all about photographing horses (above), creating enigmatic silhouettes, elevating an outdoor fashion shoot by adding smoke, and getting a professional portraits vibe by using colored gels.
For street and documentary photographers, you can learn how to shoot arty street scenes, spark your creativity by capturing a photo alphabet while taking a walk, and get all nostalgic with your camera by photographing a heritage railway.
Ideas for wildlife and macro projects include shooting close-ups of ice (above), using a dot sight to improve your chances of bagging successful shots of erratic subjects, a tutorial on mastering long-lens shooting – and more!
Still-life and creative ideas include creating a cyanotype image, adding light streaks to an indoor still-life, fashioning an infinity backdrop with a piece of colored card, getting creative with cutlery captures and photographing smoke spirals.
60 top techniques to try today!
The Ultimate Photography Ideas Book features content from Digital Camera World's Photo Active projects section, plus individual tutorials from larger technique features – it's a collection of highlights from the magazine in convenient book form.
Contributors to the book include familiar names on digitalcameraworld.com, including Editor-in-chief James Artaius and How-to editor Mike Harris, plus contributors Claire Gillo, Dan Mold and Lauren Scott.
The Ultimate Photography Ideas Book was curated by Niall Hampton, editor of Digital Camera magazine.
"Thanks to smartphones in our pockets, everyone is a photographer now," he notes in the introduction.
"So moving beyond taking snaps and making your photos stand out from everyone else's has never been more necessary – or easier, thanks to this book."
Ilex Press is one of the UK's leading publishers of creative books, with an extensive roster of subjects spanning art and design, photography, popular culture.
Part of the Octopus Publishing Group, Ilex releases books under its own imprint, and in North America its books are published by the likes of Focal Press, Chronicle Books, Abrams, Harper Collins, Pixiq, Running Press and O’Reilly.
Buy the Ultimate Photography Ideas Book
The Ultimate Photography Ideas Book is published by Ilex Press (ISBN 978-1-78157-963-3) priced £25/$29.99 and is on sale now.
