portraits

I've been a [semi-]professional photographer for about 15 years, but I've mostly done forensic photography, insurance work, accident scenes, etc. Not a whole lot there to help a soon-to-be dad take a decent picture of a kid. Nick Kelsh gives us three big secrets (one of which will improve all your photos immediately, even if you do nothing else), and a bunch of littler tips which combine into a solid introduction to taking really good photos. Some of these are so simple you will be amazed you never thought of them yourself!

I've liked the work of Nick Kelsh in "Naked Babies" and "Siblings," and I was very excited to see that he's sharing some of his vast experience with us. In addition to being a great "how to" book, the photos themselves are also very nice in and of themselves.

Kelsh does all this while not overwhelming the reader with technical terminology, and in a format that busy (and tired!) parents can read in one sitting -- yet go back to over and over to improve technique.

If you have a kid and you have a camera, you really should have this book!

When I first read this book, it was a borrowed copy from a friend. I read it in under an hour, and the following week I tried out a couple of the techniques recommended. My results were FANTASTIC! I now have incredible photos of my son (he was 9 months at the time) that capture his personality.

I didn't purchase this book right away because it seemed too simple for the money - it was so easy to use the techniques and it didn't take long to read the book. So, I went to the library and checked out some other books on photography - the National Geographic Society's Field Guide, another book on photographing children, etc.. All the other books were definitely more "meaty" in terms of what you can do to take better pictures. However, I got very lost in the talk of F-stops and aperture. I have a couple of point-and-shoot cameras and my subject matter, now a year old, is always on the move. I don't have the time, energy, or financial ability to get involved with the SLR cameras - that's a whole separate profession! So.. after months of looking, reading, and testing, I come back to this book -- deceptively simple, but PRICELESS in value. I am so thankful I got a copy before Amazon marked it unavailable.

If you were on the fence about this book, I would urge you to make the investment. There are still copies in bookstores (albiet at retail price) and it's probably available online somewhere. You can't lose!

Every new mom and dad should have this book to study before their baby arrives on the scene. It will make a difference in the quality of the photos they take of their baby. Little ones grow so fast!!! The photos we preserve hold a lifetime of memories.