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Quincy, the Hobby Photographer is a humorous illustrated how-to book for young readers
interested in taking up photography as a hobby. It would also be very appropriate for
children who have received a camera as a gift but may not have the skills to use it properly.
Upon first glance of the book, I was entranced at the
nine photographs on the cover, along with the busy illustration and the words “the complete guide to do-it-yourself dog photography.” Dogs and photography are
a few of my most favorite things in life, so I began this project with a personal interest in the back of my mind. I was not disappointed. This book is a wonderful step-by-step approach to photographing animals in the neighborhood. I enjoyed the author’s suggestion that readers practice the hobby
indoors when the weather is inappropriate for outdoor photography. Parents and caregivers will certainly appreciate this rainy-day activity for their children. With digital technology,
there's no worry about the number of photos being taken, because the cost of printing is reduced when the photos are sorted and evaluated on the computer.
Just inside the front cover, the author includes about 40 small photos of dogs
- or parts of dogs - along with an occasional surprise for the readers to find. Readers begin by learning a little about the history of dog photography, or “Portraiture”, and how artists often use photographs for subjects and scenes that do not hold a pose very long. The reader finds basic instructions on how to run a camera, advice on how to handle common hazards, and some artistic aspects involved in photography.
Author J. Otto Seibold is a well-known children’s book author and illustrator,
having played parts in renowned children’s tales such as
Olive, the Other Reindeer, Gluey: A Snail Tale and
Mr. Lunch Borrows a Canoe. His most recent release, Quincy, the Hobby Photographer is written in such a way that he doesn’t talk down to the reader. The book is dotted with funny commentary and unusually humorous illustrations – such as the two-page illustration filled with images like horns for sale that you can’t blow
and a goofy elephant walking a tiny gray dog in a red sweater. The illustrations were created on a Mac computer using Adobe Illustrator software.
Quincy, the Hobby Photographer is published by Harcourt Books and printed in Singapore on chlorine-free paper. The hardcover is made with reinforced trade binding and uses a different illustration and photo combination than the slipcover. This 62-page book
is appropriate for a variety of ages, as it is a light-hearted way to learn the basics of photography.
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Quincy, the Hobby Photographer