How To Take Great Vacation Photographs, by John Hedgecoe

This book is precisely the sort of book one would expect it to be. Most of the book consists of the author showing off his photography technique and giving some advice to the reader on how this insight can be mimicked in one’s own photography. What is perhaps most telling about this book and its vacation photographs is that these photos are not as spectacular as one would assume, but rather are fairly mundane shots of partly overcast skies, wilderness scenes, or various European peasants. This is not a standard of photography that will be beyond the capabilities of most readers, even those who have only modest natural gifts. Techniques about framing shots and asking permission to shoot are certainly worthwhile ones, and making the most of the conditions that exist is also something that many photographers can do to improve their technique. This book is not flashy, but offers good advice to digital photographers on vacation.

Digital Landscape Photography, by George Schaub

Again, as is the case with many books of this kind, this book is not particularly flashy but if you are someone who likes to take landscape shots, and I know that is especially true of some friends of mine and even true of myself sometimes, there is still a lot to enjoy here as well. This is a practical book that discusses the adventure of digital photography, producing the best photographs in color and black & white, especially using in-camera tools, capturing great light, learning how to master exposure, using lenses, and exploring the advantages of digital. At times the author appears to be trying to sell various sorts of lenses and camera types and he is certainly a booster for digital photography which may not work nicely with those who are more fond of old-fashioned photography. Still, there is a lot to appreciate here nonetheless.