Book review: 'Clickologie' offers pro tips to aspiring photographers - East Idaho News
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Book review: ‘Clickologie’ offers pro tips to aspiring photographers

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"CLICKOLOGIE: Elevating Your Photography from Beginner to Pro," by Erin Summerill, Plain Sight Publishing, $19.99, 173 pages (nf)

From composition and camera basics to lenses and lighting gear, Erin Summerill covers the essentials for taking beautiful photographs in her book “Clickologie: Elevating Your Photography from Beginner to Pro.”

“Clickologie” is a term coined and defined by the author as the science of an individual’s photography journey from a beginner to a creator of photos that make an emotional impact.

The author’s first-person, warm, informal style makes learning the ins and outs of taking great photos seem easy and fun.

Summerill begins by sharing her beginnings as a photographer and credits her father, an amateur photographer, with her initial exposure to the art. However, she writes, it was a high school crush on a good-looking basketball player that motivated her to begin a serious study of photography — a journey that has taken her all over the world.

Erin Summerill is the author of "Clickologie: Elevating Your Photography From Beginner to Pro." (Erin Summerill Erin Summerill)
Erin Summerill is the author of “Clickologie: Elevating Your Photography From Beginner to Pro.” (Erin Summerill Erin Summerill)
The rest of the book is divided into seven chapters that include titles such as “Composition,” “Gear Up,” “Lighting” and “Photography Foundations: Mastering Your Camera.”

Techniques such as framing, cropping and lighting are illustrated with numerous examples from Summerill’s portfolio. Each section of the book contains her unique photos — sometimes whimsical or tender — featuring weddings, families, babies, children and teens.

The author, a Utah resident, explains terms such as aperture, ISO, shutter speed and white balance with language and analogies that are simple and easy to understand.

A couple of chapters offer suggestions for creating natural-looking poses with subjects of any age. Sidebars containing tips, homework assignments and pop quizzes are sprinkled throughout the book. A glossary of photography terms is included.

Beginner photographers will appreciate Summerill’s straightforward, encouraging approach to becoming a pro one step at a time.

Summerill is a professional wedding and lifestyle photographer and co-owner of Ever Smitten, an online digital design company.

Rosemarie Howard enjoys creating multimedia projects. Her website is at dramaticdimensions.com.

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