I bought the book “How to Photograph Absolutely Everything”, by Tom Ang
The book assumes a very basic level of photography knowledge and is perfect for beginners (which my Dad is by no means). There is no assumption that you have a top end DSLR or the like, and for the large part discusses which program mode of a point and shoot would be most suitable for a situation. The book begins with an introduction to various elements of photography, and discussing aspects such as choice of lens (or zoom level for the low-end camera), lighting, and ISO setting. That introduction is done in a very easy to read format, with hints and tips throughout. It is also sufficiently non-technical that nobody should be put off by it. The remain 80% of the book consists of double page spreads talking about photography in a particular situation, broken into broad chapters such as people, landscapes etc.
For example, there is a page on how to photograph the “Colours of the seashore”. This starts of with an introduction saying you don’t need to be in the Caribbean and that you should pay attention to the light and the water. That is followed by 3 tips (try different views, set the scene, give the scene a sense of scale) with a brief paragraph on each. There is an additional box on avoiding distracting elements which could be considered an extra tip. On the facing page there is a example shot with a few details about what makes in good, and as for all situations there is a “settings” box which details the sort of setting that would be appropriate, i.e. use “program” or “landscape” mode, and a wide angle lens.
