If you have one thing in common with me, you may be the type of person that does not take five minutes to read instruction manuals and leaflets.

Like me you may have had furniture such as shelving that ends up looking like a modern piece of abstract art.

You may also have turned the air blue while trying to figure out how to tune, program and use that new computer, DVD player or games console.

I often find instruction manuals boring, confusing and sometimes difficult to understand; that is why I often find my self getting frustrated with new technology and putting those abstract art pieces together!

Buying my first grown up camera and wanting to take some reasonable images of family and friends that I would want to keep; I changed the habit of a lifetime and I decided that I would read the instructions.

Yep! In typical instructions manual style, it was a case of reading a bit, scratching my head, reading it again and then that particular section referring me to another part of the manual. Grrrrr!!

Not to be put off I went to a bookshop to look for a basic digital photography book. What I found was a book specifically for my camera. Great!

Armed with my new book and my camera I decided that I should probably sign up for an introduction to digital photography course. I found a course starting within a good time frame that also fitted in with my shift work. Fab!

I’ve got to say that I would highly recommend both the book and the course to those that are new to photography or those with a very basic understanding that have a desire to improve.

My teacher on the course was a photographer called Charlotte Ashworth.

The course was great fun and very informative. Charlotte was supportive and hugely encouraging. If you want to learn how to use your camera or improve your photography you really should consider signing up for a course.

(As that may look like a shocking plug here is the disclaimer: I am not related to Charlotte Ashworth and have not been paid or canvased. This is a recommendation based on my own personal experience).

Back to the book review……. David Busch’s book ‘Guide to Digital SLR Photography’ does exactly what it claims.

Easy to read, Easy to follow & none of the exasperating toing and froing that has thwarted my plans and progress in the past.

David Busch does a series of books; in my case the camera is a Canon Rebel T3i/600D and I really can not recommend this book strongly enough. It really did make it all very easy.

(Again I do not know Mr. Busch and have not been paid, canvased or endorsed in any way). I’d like to have books and equipment sent to me for review but that hasn’t happened. Yet!  (Yes dear reader & publishers, that was a subtle hint).

Kind regards,

Jim Jimmy James