The shelves at Waterstones are positively heaving under the weight of books full of iconic images, from pictures of paintings in the Sistine chapel to photographs of the latest graffiti adorning the walls on the streets of Berlin. Many of these publications are independently published collections from photo enthusiasts around the world. The style of photography is very much of a documentary aesthetic, with the images often containing passers-by, traffic and the odd stray cat. This type of publication is essentially a digital photo book; a collection of images caught by an eagle eyed photographer and presented in a way that a viewer can peruse at leisure. It\'s the kind of book that adorns the coffee tables of creative people the world over, and thankfully for those with an artistic flair to show off, no longer exclusive to whoever has the money to kick start a vanity publishing contract. Thanks to the revolution that is digital photography, the general public are now able to make their own coffee-table worthy gems. We have all been subjected to the darker side of photography; the collection of family photos in a dust-covered photo album, waiting patiently for an outing intended to embarrass a family member in front of their first love. The digital photo book is the photo album evolved, it is an item that reflects an everyday passion for photography and the desire to have our skills recognised. Thanks to the availability of cheap yet quality technology, the number of good quality photographs to be enjoyed is rising exponentially and suddenly we are faced with a new outlook on the role of the photograph album. Rather than being a treasure chest of cringe worthy fashion choices and bad hair cuts, the digital photo book is a medium through which a photographer can express themselves, and leave the family photos to the other new photographic development, the digital photo frame. The photo book is setting its sights on plush presentation of photographic excellence, giving even the amateur photographer a chance to collect a series of favourite images and display them professionally. There is an essence of importance and pride placed upon the chosen pictures, and those that find themselves a slave to the shutter will have hours of almost painful deliberation deciding which images to include in which collection. For the keen photographer, this is a great way to produce a portfolio, or to create a book for consideration by a publishing company. For professional photographers, creating digital photo books of work from events is a good way to increase revenue from photographic sales. Either way, choosing to present photographs in book form is definitely one up on using a photograph album. The photographs are regarded with more viability as a work of artistic skill as the mode of presentation reflects the language of the media. This achievement has been mostly due to the rapid advancement of digital camera technology. The processing methods used with digital images are much cheaper than standard processing and the latest cameras offer auto focus so sharp that it is nearly impossible to take a picture not worthy of a magazine spread. Whether the book you create is destined for your own coffee table or super stardom, you can be sure that it will be a treasured item and the most impressive way to showcase photographic skills.
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