Review of "Nikon D600 From Snapshots to Great Shots"...

Today we have the pleasure of another guest review, today from wedding photographer extraordinaire (and friend) Michelle Turner.

Here is Michelle's review of the book Review of Nikon D600: From Snapshots to Great Shots:

Aimed at the beginner to intermediate photographer, Nikon D600: From Snapshots to Great Shots is so much more than a manual for the D600; rather, it is a guidebook that can help you improve your shooting. Rob Sylvan's goal is to give his readers an understanding of the features available on the D600, but he also aims to give his readers the tools to evaluate and choose the appropriate settings to achieve the best shots. It's a bold undertaking-- can he possibly deliver?

Sylvan's book is laid out in simple chapters with a logical progression, and there are assignments at the end of each chapter to help the reader start putting their new skills into practice. It starts with the moment readers open the box of the D600-- he takes you through the settings, not only explaining them but also promising to go into greater depth later in the book. Some of them (for example, enabling the setting which locks the shutter in the absence of a memory card) are unbelievably valuable settings that are often overlooked and can save the reader from serious problems down the road. Others are basic settings that are important to the use of any camera, so it's a good primer for the photographer who needs to learn or brush up on the basics of digital photography. From an explanation of the different types of jpeg settings available to a how-to on reading the histogram (as well as why a photographer might want to do that), he covers all of the bases.

Although Sylvan starts by covering the auto modes of the D600 in depth (and provides a detailed explanation regarding the best use of each), he quickly moves on to the "professional modes", providing a good primer for the use of P, A, S, and M modes. Along the way, he touches on some important points, including (but certainly not limited to) lens selection, how to shoot a long exposure, HDR images, panoramas, and using flash. Sylvan goes into some detail about focusing modes, which mode will be useful under which circumstances, and how to change the focus mode on the D600. As he covers each section, he gives tips and tricks and shows the viewer how to create more dynamic images through a thoughtful composition.

If you are a beginner to intermediate, reading this book and heeding much of the advice given could definitely make you a better photographer. After all, good photography is not about the camera you use, but rather understanding how to use it as a tool to capture your vision. Rob Sylvan not only tells you how to use your camera, but also how to use it while stepping up your game. Really, much of the information given in this book could be used no matter what camera you shoot with. And if you are an advanced photographer? You will still pick up a few nuggets about the camera itself, especially if you find the Nikon manuals difficult to get through. Sylvan's description of the menus and the functions available are certainly prettier than Nikon's own work.

Michelle is a wedding and commercial photographer based in Maine and Pennsylvania. She is also coveted national speaker and author and has published two books about fashionable wedding photography. Her work has appeared in many wedding, fashion and travel magazines worldwide.

You can learn more about Michelle (and see some outstanding imagery) at her website and check her out on Facebook.

She also has a course starting today over at "Clickin Moms", "Lighting 101: One Light Off Camera Flash".