Unlike most "how to" books Milburn begins with buying the camera, the computer with a minimum 2.4 Ghz processor, multiple programs including Adobe CS, Corel Painter, and many plug-ins for the respective applications. Although the preface explains all of the cross platform aspects of the tutorials, the entire volume is illustrated using Windows screen shots.

What sets Milburn's offerings separate from other tutorials is his broad yet detailed discussions about many of the Photoshop plug-ins. My earlier reference to the wad of cash becomes understandable. First the author sets his readers sights on the DSLR camera types, beginning about $1500.00, suggest archival software such as Canto Cumulus for about $150.00, Photoshop CS for $600.00 (buy the whole suite for $1,300-includes Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat Pro and Image Ready), archival printers, inks and papers and a variety of the plug-ins. The Nik collection seems excellent and Sharpener Pro will set you back $319.95. Milburn incorporates the details on how these programs operate within the Photoshop CS environment. The RealViz Stitcher does an incredible job of creating panoramas for another $580.00. Corel Knockout, $90.00 for removing backgrounds, Genuine Fractals, $300.00, for enlarging digital files to murals and many, many more.

Milburn concludes with discussions on printing, the use of archival inks, papers and even suggestions about framing and storage. Truly this is a book for a person whose shutter clicking will be more for profit than fun. Parenthetically the book requires the same intense commitment you would languish upon your new pro photo business.

I recall my days in college earning beer and gas money taking photographs for a couple of private investigators. I had a small darkroom in the basement bathroom, shelved with odorous chemicals, expensive light sensitive papers, red lights, plastic tanks and trays, temperature controlled baths and the expensive enlarging equipment. Do it the way Ken Milburn suggests and you can do it all in your computer. You probably won't have to work in the bathroom, and probably will make enough for beer and gas.

While Milburn's Digital Photography—Expert Techniques is excellent and detailed it seems a clearly geared toward the true professional photographer on the Windows platform. I'm reviewing it for the Mac enthusiast and therefore give it 3 of 5 Apples.

Reviewer: Mark Corchin

[ home | newsletter | past | join | listserve | shareware | directory | links | md9 ]

© 2004 by Mark Corchin & MLMUG
Posted 05/23/04
Updated 09/15/04