Notes for Publishers

Published

For me it's important to be a writer who can take good pictures, and to be a photographer who can use words effectively. It's a combination that doesn't always go together. It means that publishers don't waste time or money correcting lousy grammar or reshooting images so that the book looks good and jumps off the bookshelves. I've written 5 books, all available via this page:

• Step by Step Digital Black and White Photography, Ilex/Thomson in 2004
• Photoshop Blending Modes Cookbook, Ilex/O'Reilly 2005
• Photoshop Fine Art Cookbook, Ilex/O'Reilly 2006
• Adobe Lightroom Essentials, Ilex/Lark June 2007
• Advanced Digital Black and White Photography, Ilex/Lark, late 2007

Capabilities

I've particular skills in some of the less graphical aspects of digital imaging - workflow, scripting, databases, XML, XMP. If you're a publisher checking me out for a book project, I can take on anything involving these programs which I use daily:

• Image editing - Photoshop - Lightroom - Aperture - Nikon Capture
• DAM - iView / Expression Media - Extensis Portfolio - Bridge
• Web design - Dreamweaver - Fireworks

Methodology

When you write a book for photographers, you need a consistent underlying approach, and that's often as important as previous experience of the program you're trying to explain. To suceessfully transfer your knowledge you need to appreciate their ultimate goals and ways of thinking, then have the skills to reflect on the range of alternative approaches and work out which is the best and why.

 

So while I list programs where I've plenty of experience, contact me about any projects.