Aug 27th

2009

My new eBook – "10"

TEN-cover-blog

This is my new eBook. It’s called 10. The subtitle “Ten Ways to Improve Your Craft. None of Them Involve Buying Gear.” just about says it all.

10 is my 32 page answer to everyone that’s ever written in and asked me “So, what can I do to make better photographs now? I have the basics but want to take my images up to the next level. Where do I go from here?”

10 is not a bunch of cheezy tips cranked out to make a few bucks. It’s an effort to move us collectively towards better photography without feeling the need to contribute to the growing pile of Quick Tips to Shoot Like A Pro. Anyone who’s been at this long enough knows that “shooting like a pro” (whatever that means) takes time and effort and anyone that tells you otherwise is selling snake oil.

ten-comp10 is being sold as a downloadable PDF, and I’m offering it at half price as an introductory offer to my blog readers. It ain’t cheap. At a whopping $5 it’s going to deprive a few of you of your latte for the day. :-) But I’m moving the price to $10 in the fall, so this is your chance to get in on it and my chance to say thank you for being so loyal. If you loved Within The Frame, you’ll love this one.

See? 5′ll getcha 10 :-)

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Comments (82)
  1. August 27, 2009 at 12:13 pm

    I just bought it and will read it tonight! Thanks!

  2. August 27, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    *forks over the $5*

    Love it!

  3. GKB

    August 27, 2009 at 12:55 pm

    Excellent. I’ve been in a slump lately, and while I won’t complain too loudly about all these paying gigs, the reminder to go out and play, and practice, and try new things was timely. Thanks for sharing your wisdom, DD.

  4. August 27, 2009 at 12:56 pm

    I guess i would have bought it even if there was no text inside… just for the pics :-)

    Will be reading it in the next days… can’t wait!

  5. olivier

    August 27, 2009 at 1:17 pm

    very nice litte ebook …. and beautiful photos as allways
    en un mot…. superbe

  6. August 27, 2009 at 1:18 pm

    Just seing a picture of the legendary Henri was worth the $5 :-)

  7. Owin Thomas

    August 27, 2009 at 1:23 pm

    Looks good for £3.56 … that’s 1.5 lattes I will have to forgo.

    The sacrifices I make!!! ;)

  8. August 27, 2009 at 2:08 pm

    The muffin I can forgo easily but the latte is going to be painful! But, to catch some nugget from what you say will be worth the price.

  9. Harry Amyotte

    August 27, 2009 at 2:15 pm

    Nice. It’s the price of a couple subway trips in NYC. For that I get inspired and a good walk : )

  10. steve d

    August 27, 2009 at 2:21 pm

    What do you mean gear won’t get me there? I’ve got to see this!

    Can’t imagine!!!
    ;)

  11. August 27, 2009 at 2:35 pm

    Just got my copy – Great stuff David. The ebook is excellent and the Creative Exercise sections are such a nice bonus. Plenty of activities for me to get schedule now. Thanks

  12. August 27, 2009 at 4:15 pm

    Just bought it! Thumbs up for the 5$ man!

  13. August 27, 2009 at 4:43 pm

    Absolutely great. Perfect annex for “Within the frame”. Thanks so much for sharing this kind of stuff, it really helps a lot.

    I really do like the meaning of timing. It reminds me when I was a child and I used to go to a small lake in the north of Spain to draw frogs (yep, kinda weird, I know).
    The thing is, they usually jumped into the water the very first second you got close to them so then you needed to seat down without to make any movement for some minutes till they started appearing on the surface. It was kinda exciting, the 6th chapter brought this to my mind.

    Patience and patience, an almost lost value. We all have so many things to do.

  14. August 27, 2009 at 5:02 pm

    OMG. I’m on the cover. What an honor!

  15. August 27, 2009 at 6:04 pm

    Thank you for the new eBook! Within the Frame has been such an encouragement! Once again, thank you.

  16. Heath Foley

    August 27, 2009 at 6:41 pm

    Sweet, thanks David…love the creative exercises!

  17. Andy Wilson

    August 27, 2009 at 6:44 pm

    Hey, I get my coffee for free at work. So this was a no brainer. It’s a great little workbook to accompany WTF. Splendid teaching method. Each chapter is one principle clearly stated with any relevant sub-issues noted, well illustrated with great images and with a practical exercise so that it can really sink in. I see tremendous potential in this. I already know some folk I am going to recommend this to (alongside WTF). I think it would be great for say formal or informal photoclubs to help newbies get started and more experienced folks brush up.

  18. August 27, 2009 at 7:36 pm

    Thanks David, I look forward to reading it. I like the budget minded price. :)

  19. August 27, 2009 at 9:07 pm

    Pardon my stupidity, but….. is this a PDF file we can read with Acrobat Reader or do we need a real eBook reader hardware thingy? (pardon the technical terms)

  20. August 27, 2009 at 9:25 pm

    After the countless times you’ve inspired me Dave, this is a no brainer

  21. August 27, 2009 at 10:10 pm

    Bought it, love it, recommended it. Keep them coming!

  22. Andy Wilson

    August 27, 2009 at 10:54 pm

    Les, its a pdf that works fine in acrobat reader.

  23. August 27, 2009 at 11:38 pm

    Got it, thank you :)
    Will be reading tonight :)

  24. Tim

    August 28, 2009 at 3:06 am

    Done deal. Thanks David. Looking forward to reading it when I get the chance.

  25. August 28, 2009 at 8:59 am

    Will you have signed copies with you at the RS thing next week? Ha ha! Great little book. Worth way more! (I am glad I waited for the revised edition!)

  26. August 28, 2009 at 9:11 am

    Awesome! Just DLed it, looking forward to reading after work!

  27. August 28, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    I’m getting this now! Looking for to reading it.

  28. August 28, 2009 at 2:47 pm

    WOW! I’ve downloaded it and it’s great! Along with your books you are probably my favorite read regarding photography.

    Thank you

  29. August 28, 2009 at 2:53 pm

    Get it while its hot because at $5 you can’t go wrong with this eBook. Best eBook I have read in 6 months!

  30. Marianne Bush

    August 28, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    Thanks, David. Will be studying it this weekend. I sure need the inspiration.

  31. August 28, 2009 at 5:24 pm

    Well… may I suggest you should make it 11 things, and add an English (American will do) grammar book? “None of Them Involve Buying Gear.” Should be “None involves…”.

  32. David

    August 28, 2009 at 5:31 pm

    Marcel – You can suggest it but I doubt it’ll happen. I know the author and he’s mildly apathetic about such things at times :-)

  33. Karlo dL

    August 29, 2009 at 1:38 am

    Just got your book (Within the Frame) and ebook (Ten)! Browsed through it.. both are amazing :D

  34. August 29, 2009 at 10:23 am

    Just bought and started reading it. Having enjoyed WTF so much it was simply a non-brainer…
    Two observations:
    * It seems impossible to configure acrobat to shwo the correct page spread – the title page is counted as a page and so all the double spreads are offset by one. I will play with some pdf tools to remove the title page for better reading experience
    * The subtitle is counter-productive now that Sony has announced its sub-2k USS FF camera body and I try my wife to convince that this is a necessary tool ;)

    Thanks for sharing your experience and pointing out the common flaws – Markus

  35. August 29, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    Just got my copy…thanks for the great work David.

  36. August 29, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    David,

    Like you, I held National Geographic staff photographers (back when there were National Geographic staff photographers) in the highest esteem. For me, ‘Within the Frame’ has been like having a veil lifted to reveal the inner sanctum. In essence, you have been a conduit to the ‘why’ of my search for vision. So, I gotta ask, ” Why leave the electrical junction box in the cover image?” You could have framed the shot tighter, you could have cropped it out during printing, or you could have PS’ed it out. Is it an element of contrast — new world meets old?

    And now, a riddle. Who was the first photographer to shoot digital for National Geographic?

  37. claude etienne

    August 29, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    Rooster,

    Joe McNally was the first photographer to do an all-digital shoot for The National Geographic. The 32-page cover story was published in December 2003. It was entitled “The Future of Flying”.

  38. August 29, 2009 at 7:41 pm

    Right you are, Claude!

    He used a D1x, which sits on a shelf next to my d700. Well, not JoMac’s actual D1x, mind you. Here’s a nifty link to his field notes.
    http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0312/feature1/assignment2.html

    Cheers!
    Rooster

  39. August 30, 2009 at 12:28 am

    Hey David,

    Just bought your book (at 5$ even for a student it’s affordable) and I look forward to reading it tonight!

    Great work!

    Cheers

  40. Ian

    August 30, 2009 at 12:44 am

    Hey David,

    A great read as ever . . . thought-provoking and inspiring.

    I’m treating myself to two days solo in London in a couple of weeks, just me and the D90, and know that ‘WFT’ and ’10′ will be my mental primers, informing the why as much as the how (and hopefully breaking through my awful mental block about photographing people).

    Keep up the good work.

  41. Ian

    August 30, 2009 at 12:48 am

    er, of course I mean ‘WTF’ . . . oops!

  42. August 30, 2009 at 4:50 am

    Have been watching your podcasts and just bought your e book. Thanks for the $5 off! :) You really are great at teaching and explaining photography and am learning a lot!

  43. August 30, 2009 at 4:51 am

    [...] The light eBook is also coming very soon, but meanwhile check out the wonderful David duChemin’s eBook on 10 ways to improve your craft. [...]

  44. Andy Wilson

    August 30, 2009 at 6:11 am

    Markus
    In Acrobat reader go to View/Page display and then click to select both ‘Two-up’ and ‘Show cover page during two-up’ (very bottom of the menu). It works on a PC anyway The cover page becomes a separate page and the other pages are in order.

  45. claude etienne

    August 30, 2009 at 9:39 am

    Rooster,

    Thanks for the link.

  46. August 30, 2009 at 10:45 am

    @Andy: Thanks for the hint (David already explained the same thing to me). I had used the context menu which does hide the ‘cover page’ option and therefore I was somewhat at a loss. The main menu only gives this option which I now happily use.

  47. Alan

    August 31, 2009 at 3:16 am

    Absolute bargain at $5. Thanks David, I need some inspiration at the moment.

  48. August 31, 2009 at 4:05 pm

    [...] duChemin’s new e-book, “Ten Ways to Improve your Craft” is not a DIY guide for aspiring boat builders. David duChemin’s new e-book is all of [...]

  49. August 31, 2009 at 9:40 pm

    [...] as opposed to just the how to, and to that end he’s just released a new e-book called 10. In it he offers ten ways to improve vision, and he promises that none of them require purchasing [...]

  50. Eli

    September 1, 2009 at 4:25 pm

    Not bad. I’m not sure I’d pay $10 for it (it’s about the length of an online article) but at $5 it’s totally worth it. I should read more photography books.

  51. Tim Vailoces

    September 3, 2009 at 4:02 am

    Thanks Dave, That was a great and inspirational read. You write great stuff. What I love about your books is that I leave feeling like I really have a grasp now about the subject!

  52. Raul

    September 3, 2009 at 3:59 pm

    I’ve got my copy last night and I’ve already gone through it first time. I sincerely thank you for taking the time to let us to know your POV and foremost to share your knowledge. I think part of my brain is still stucked in the technical part of the craft yet not improving substantially on the creative side. I firmly believe your book will help. Great deal!

  53. Bill

    September 4, 2009 at 3:47 am

    David- I downloaded and read your ebook TEN, over the weekend. It is a great, short, precise and informative. I have been making mediocre pictures for waaaay too long and “TEN” has given me some insight to what I need to take my photos to the next level. Many thanks.
    I am leaving for a Mediterranean cruise in a couple of weeks and plan on making lots of pictures, some I will hope to share.
    (new to blogging and posted this on Moday morning to Monday Miscellanea

  54. September 4, 2009 at 8:53 am

    All,

    I’ve never used Lulu before, and was a bit put off by their terms and conditions. Specifically, they want to keep credit card info on file. Should I be concerned about this ?

  55. September 8, 2009 at 2:01 am

    [...] My new eBook – “10″ [...]

  56. September 9, 2009 at 6:35 am

    [...] 1º livro intitula-se «”10″ – Ten ways to improve your craft. None of them involve buying gear», de David duChemin. Talvez seja suspeito para falar do livro, dado que o autor é um dos [...]

  57. September 12, 2009 at 10:13 am

    I’d like to order the book but Lulu wants to keep my payment information online. I am not willing to let them do that, and have sent them an e-mail asking if there is an alternative.

  58. September 15, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    [...] Självklart har han en blogg som är väl värd att följa, där han bjuder på massor med kunskap, och för en billig penning säljer sk e-böcker. [...]

  59. September 24, 2009 at 11:55 pm

    Hi David,
    I spent 10 minutes on your site and knew I found the right spot to explore my newly renewed interest in photography. I wasn’t disappointed with the ebook.

  60. September 26, 2009 at 1:13 am

    [...] Travelightly on My new eBook – “10″ [...]

  61. September 26, 2009 at 11:32 am

    Just bought both versions of the book. Will read two books in one evening! :)

  62. October 2, 2009 at 2:01 am

    [...] quick post about the whole eBook thing, so now’s my chance. Just over a month ago I released “Ten” and the reception it got was incredible. Then last week I released “Ten More” and the [...]

  63. October 5, 2009 at 5:17 pm

    [...] highly recommend you pick up David DuChemin’s two eBooks Ten and Ten More if you really want to get inspired, get out of a slump, make improvements without [...]

  64. October 6, 2009 at 12:13 am

    [...] of this blog turning into a David DuChemin fan site, I’m going to review my second DuChemin work. Ten is an e-book I found once I wandered over to DuChemin’s blog, Pixelated Image. The subtitle [...]

  65. October 9, 2009 at 9:07 am

    [...] have had “10″, an e-book by David duChemin in my iPhone for a little while, and will read a chapter here and there when I [...]

  66. October 12, 2009 at 4:55 am

    [...] can get the book through David’s blog or via [...]

  67. October 15, 2009 at 1:16 pm

    [...] which he attributed as an extension of the lessons from David DuChemin’s ebook “Ten“.  I’m not a great photographer, nor to I have any particular inclination to be one [...]

  68. October 15, 2009 at 10:49 pm

    [...] of e-books that David is produced in the last three months. The first one  was titled “TEN (10 Ways To Improve Your Craft. None of Them Involve Buying Gear.)” and was just as good as it sounds. The second was simply called “TEN MORE (10 More [...]

  69. October 21, 2009 at 9:03 pm

    [...] TEN and TEN MORE, DRAWING THE EYE is a 32-page downloadable eBook, in PDF format, and it’s [...]

  70. October 26, 2009 at 2:04 pm

    [...] I go, I absolutely have to mention David’s earlier eBooks “Ten” and “Ten More” . Again, read about them by clicking on the hyperlink titles. These two eBooks [...]

  71. Rik Stavale

    November 1, 2009 at 2:02 am

    A heads up to anyone thinking about purchasing these e-books from David duChemin.
    I purchased the 3 books promoted by Digital Photography School, “10 ways”, 10 more ways” & “Drawing the Eye” on 30.October (2 days ago). The link to download the books never came after the purchase as it should have.
    I contacted David duChemin immediately by email regarding the problem and to his credit he responded quickly and forwarded (only) the “Drawing the Eye” book in his reply. I sent a response straight away asking for the other 2 books I purchased and included a copy of my purchase receipt to validate the purchase. Now it’s 2 days later, 1.November and have yet yet to receive the books or a reply from David duChemin.

  72. David

    November 1, 2009 at 6:32 am

    Rik – I immediately replied to the first email and as far as I can tell did not get a second. If you did not get this email, just email me, Rik. My email and my phone number are clearly marked on my site and you are welcome to call it anytime if there is an issue. I have had very few issues with the e-commerce part of this this site, and on occasion when I have it has been resolved within hours, if not minutes.

    I appreciate you alerting my readers and potential clients, but making sure you connect with me is the fastest way to resolve this and get your ebooks.

    Your first email to me reads: I made a purchase as well and am unable to find where to download it from. Someone….anyone?

    I replied with: On purchase you get an email with the download link. If your current email differs from the email Paypal has on file for you, you might not have received it. If you still have no email with a download links please let me know and I’ll help resolve it for you.

    I have no record of further emails, so clearly we’ve been mis-firing on the emails.(instructions attached for download of missing ebooks)

  73. Rik Stavale

    November 1, 2009 at 4:03 pm

    All is well. Once Dave resolved the e-commerce problem I received the links and was able to download the books from e-junkie without a hitch. Thanks for the personal attention Dave.

  74. Cornish

    November 12, 2009 at 12:20 pm

    Just downloaded “10″ and printed off.
    Arranged pages in Clear Sheet Protectors with the ‘twin pages’ opening as one, installed in binder, perfect! Now I can read in my easy chair or in bed. Don’t have to sit in front of the Comp all the time. Looks as if it will be great reading too. Have to dwnld some more later and put some of these fab tips into practise.

  75. November 29, 2010 at 10:01 pm

    [...] TEN (10 Ways To Improve Your Craft. None of Them Involve Buying Gear.) [...]

  76. October 19, 2011 at 8:02 pm

    [...] what he writes – it always feels to hit home. The blog has been going for some time but on August 27th 2009 David released a pdf and called it an eBook. It was a nicely formatted 32 page pdf listing 10 rules [...]

  77. November 18, 2011 at 6:12 pm

    [...] of a pier in Ko Samet, Thailand. Check it out, and while you’re there, take a look at his new eBook “10″. David is on Twitter as [...]

  78. March 6, 2012 at 3:14 am

    [...] the same vein, David duChemin has a new ebook for sale called 10: Ten Ways to Improve Your Craft. None of Them Involve Buying [...]