FDQ: In Focus

by Pat Henry

GREAT PHOTO BOOK

Genres: Art

143 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[khrome · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some good information, however you have to dig for it. Written by the editors of FDQ Magazine, it reads like very long articles rather than a textbook or instructional book, which is what I was expecting. There is also a definite magazine writing style, which I suppose sounds friendly and engaging, but can get annoying after a while. Different editors were invited to contribute and their words were included verbatim, in *their* own writing style. At first I thought, maybe it's because I'm used to reading computing-related books and you kind of expect a straightforward, consistent voice all the way through. But then I also have read instructional art books, and they read similarly to my computer books. :-) FDQ excels at magazine writing - not so much instructional writing.

There is also a question of the level of the reader. I think this book would like to target the newbie photographer, but it's lacking in photography fundamentals which are going to be essential to good photography. If you are a seasoned photographer, you won't get anything technically useful from it. But depending on how experienced you are with photo editing tools and web software, you might get some useful info on those things.

If I were asked if I would recommend this book to a beginner, I'd have to say 'no.' The writing style makes it too difficult to follow, and the information is not organized in a way conducive to learning. If I were asked if I would recommend this book so someone who's interest is in art photography - I would say 'no' as well. The information and tips are geared towards creating editorial photos. If, however, you want to learn more about taking photos for magazines and print, then there are a few gems in here for you.