Photography DVDs
My Top 10 Favourites

Photography DVDs for beginners, intermediate and advanced photographers who want to take their creativity to a new level.

Seeing is often more powerful than just reading and many people are coming to realise that the best way to learn something is through visual means. This is particularly true for photographers who are highly visual people.

So I've brought together a selection of the best photography DVDs to help you on your photographic learning journey. All the DVDs are rated 4.5 or 5 stars by customers so you can be sure that each one is really high quality.

DVDs that are suitable for beginners start here and as you move down the page they become more advanced - just check what it says inside the brackets next to the title to find the right one for you, and mouse-over the blue text links for more information.

Digital Photography Unleashed: Capturing Wildly Great Pictures (Beginners)

Jim Miotke & Jacqueline Greff

Amazon Rating

Learn the basics in Jim Miotke's new photography DVD, Digital Photography Unleashed. This exciting and dramatic DVD is fun to watch even for non-photography enthusiasts. With the help of Triple "D", we explore the universal tips and techniques while photographing wildlife models, cowboys, colorful horses, and Yosemite Valley.

Bonus materials include a buyer's guide, a collection of tips for easy reference, and interviews with the Triple "D" staff and ranchers who put on the wildlife photo shoot. Jam-packed-with-info photography course... well organized and nicely paced, this is highly recommended.

Digital Photography For Dummies, DVD + Book (Beginners)

Barbara Obermeier & Mark Justice Hinton

Amazon Rating

Digital Photography for Dummies is a full-color book, plus a 60-minute photography DVD, the perfect how-to package for novice digital photographers who want to start taking great pictures right away.

1. Ch 1: Choosing and Using Your Camera
2. Ch 2: Fast and Easy Picture Taking
3. Ch 3: Getting the Right Exposure
4. Ch 4: Composing Better Shots
5. Ch 5: Photographing Special Subjects
6. Ch 6: Transferring and Organizing Your Photos
7. Ch 7: Easy Edits and Modest Makeovers
8. Ch 8: Major Makeovers Using Adobe Photoshop Elements
9. Ch 9: Sending, Posting, and Copying Photos to Disk
10. Ch 10: Printing and Scanning Your Photos
11. Ch 11: Ten Tips for Better Photos
12. Ch 12: Ten Benefits of Using Flickr
13. Ch 13: Ten Uses for Adobe Photoshop Express

Jump Start Your Photography 3 DVD Set (Beginners)

Emanuele "Manny" Pontoriero"

Amazon Rating

For a great photography education in one package, Jump Start Your Photography covers the most important aspects of photographic technique on just 3 DVD's.

1. Learn the foundation of award-winning composition.
2. Step-by-step approach helps you answer the question "Where do I put the subject in the frame?"
3. Learn the relationship between f/stop, shutter speed and ISO in precise terms.
4. Find out how lens selection plays a major role on how your pictures look and feel.
5. Get a firm understanding of lighting techniques that provide detail throughout the photo.
6. Find out how to get the perfect exposure for what you want to see.
7. Follow actual photo sessions providing clear instruction on applying these techniques.
8. Learn how to use lighting to create a certain mood.

The Skilled Photographer 3 DVD Set (Beginners Plus)

Emanuele "Manny" Pontoriero"

Amazon Rating

Whether a serious amateur or a budding professional, you probably now realize that it's not the camera but the person behind it that creates the stunning images we see in museums, art galleries and print ads. Now you can learn those technical secrets that make those images possible.

The Skilled Photographer 3 DVD Set covers 3 areas of photography:

1. In the "Composition" DVD you will learn about repeating lines, 3 types of framing, the s-curve, the diagonal line and the rule of thirds.
2. The "Lighting" DVD explains the 5 types of lighting including Flat, Rembrandt, split, back 45 and back lighting. The Golden Hour and angle of light are also explained.
3. In "Camera Functions" you will finally understand depth of field, master the art of using reflective and incident light meters and how to work with on camera flash lighting techniques as well as off-camera flash.

Nikon School Presents: A Hands-on Guide to Creative Lighting (Beginners to Intermediate)

Nikon

Amazon Rating

Nikon's Hands-on Guide shows you how you can make light work for you with the power and versatility of the Nikon Creative Lighting System, featuring the SB-900, SB-800, SB-600 and SB-R200.

Bob Krist will lead you on a tour of lighting fundamentals and techniques in the studio, joined later by Joe McNally in the field. Watch and learn as the amazing potential of Nikon's Creative Lighting system is unleashed in a variety of real-world shooting scenarios - from the Boston Ballet School to the charm of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Digital SLR Photography, Show Me How Videos (Intermediate)

Mark Duehmig & Steven Showalter

Amazon Rating

In Digital SLR Photography you will learn to:

• get the most from the functionality of your camera
• understand what makes digital SLRs different to film cameras
• take control of your camera exposure
• use manual control of shutter speed for better stop-action photos
• adjust your camera for any lighting condition
• avoid common mistakes with multifunction cameras
• get the best results from your lenses
• adjust the aperture to make your subject stand out
• Use the controls of your camera to achieve specific affects

How to turn the flexibility of your camera into better photos:

• Composing photos for best creative effect
• Understanding depth of field
• Using light metering systems to make sure your subjects are perfectly exposed
• What accessories are must-have and what you should do without
• Choosing a tripod and camera bag
• Reviewing your photos in the field
• How to protect your equipment from drops and weather
• What to do with the photos once you are ready to transfer them

HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography Made Easy (Intermediate to Advanced)

Tony Sweet & Gregory McKean

Amazon Rating

Shot on location at Eastern State Penitentiary, HDR Photography Made Easy simplifies the steps of fine-tuning exposures in capture, merging with HDR software, and tone mapping the final image.

Ten compositions with a range of tonal challenges are set up, captured, and processed. The program covers traditional and pseudo HDR, and double-image processing.

Tony also shows additional manipulation and finishing in Photoshop to create his unique signature look. HDR Photography Made Easy will have you creating your own amazing HDR images in no time!

Tony Sweet's Visual Literacy: Photography Workshop (Intermediate to Advanced)

Tony Sweet

Amazon Rating

Renowned fine-art outdoor/nature photographer, workshop instructor, and seminar speaker, Tony Sweet takes viewers on a personal workshop experience through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park and into his studio to teach his digital image workflows and describe the real working environment of a successful professional photographer.

Tony Sweet's Visual Literacy Photography Workshop two-disc set runs more than 4.5 hours. Filled with practical shooting advice, tips, and all the secrets of a seasoned professional.

Disc 1 - In the Field: Join Tony while he shoots on site in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, capturing the stunning spring-time scenery.

Disc 2 - In the Studio: Tony opens up his studio to show how he process his digital images, creates fine art prints, shoots macro flowers, and even manages a series of lectures on getting into the outdoor/nature business itself.

Visual Artistry: The Art of Pre-Visualizing in Modern Digital Photography (Intermediate to Advanced)

Tony Sweet

Amazon Rating

Join master photographer Tony Sweet on location in Charleston, South Carolina, and learn how to take advantage of digital optimization tools to give your images a unique, one-of-a-kind look. Understanding how digital post processing effects your photographs is invaluable while working in the field and can lead to new creative possibilities.

Shot in the springtime, Tony works in a variety of locations from historic downtown Charleston and Drayton Hall, to the magical landscapes of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.

Visual Artistry DVD is filled with compositional techniques, tips and tricks from Tony's many years as a professional photographer and workshop leader.

Completing Your Outdoor Photography with Landscape Filters (Intermediate to Advanced)

Adam Barker

Amazon Rating

Learn how to get the most from your outdoor photography with landscape filters and take your images to the next level. Featuring outdoor & active lifestyle photographer Adam Barker, "Completing Your Outdoor Photography with Landscape Filters DVD" introduces the most useful filters for landscape and nature photography. Adam remembers when he first began using these filters in his photography and was amazed at the results. Finally, he was able to capture the scene in front of him as the human eye saw it, allowing him to create what he describes as "the complete image".

Filters covered include:

• Graduated Neutral Density Filters (Reverse Grads, Hard Step Grads & Soft Step Grads)
• Polarizing Filters (Warming polarizers, Color Intensifiers & The Gold-N-Blue Polarizer)
• The Vari ND from Singh-Ray Filters
• The Vari-N-Duo from Singh-Ray Filters

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