The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX
by Jason Odell, Ph.D. first edition 2006
published by Luminescence of Nature Press
www.luminescentphoto.com

Instructional materials are often written by experts who have forgotten the viewpoint of what it is like to NOT be an expert in their own subject. As a result the author's manual can overshoot the tyro's reality and end up talking to other "experts" who don't need the manual in the first place as they are already experts. Fortunately, The Photographer's guide to Capture NX by well-known Nikonian, Jason Odell, doesn't make that mistake. It is one of those rare instructional manuals written by an expert who is also in touch with the viewpoint of someone who is NOT familiar with the materials.

When one studies any subject there are three barriers: 1) lack of graphic or physical representation of what one is studying 2) technical terms which aren't defined and 3) complexities are entered into before the basics have been reviewed. On all three counts Jason's Guide does splendidly. The strength of the book is in its step by step approach combined with graphics on every page. In fact, the photographs of before and after edited images and computer shots of the editing take up the majority of space. To slightly modify the truism, "a single picture can be worth more than any number of words."

Frankly, I don't know what I would have done without the GUIDE. Nikon's manual was daunting (and verbally, not visually oriented) and I didn't have time to laboriously wade through it. I needed results immediately so I could jump in and produce for clients. That's what the Photographer's Guide did for me. Within a few minutes I could apply what Jason was communicating and get a handle on the technology with a learning curve that I could win at. At this time, I'm not aware of any other after market instruction manual on the subject of NX. That was another advantage of Jason's Guide. It got there first and it got there fast with the data the pro photographer or photo enthusiast needed.

Kudos to the author.

David Ziff
Ziff Photography