Jon Sparks – författare

Manchester and Salford boast an extraordinary historical legacy. In particular, nowhere has a better claim to be regarded as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. The area played a pioneering role in transport history, with the Bridgewater Canal and one terminus of the world’s first fully fledged passenger railway. It saw the collaboration of Marx and Engels, the birth of what became the Suffragette movement and the groundwork for the computer revolution. More recently Manchester saw the discovery of graphene – a form of carbon. All this and much more is reflected in the two cities’ rich heritage of great architecture and urban landscapes. Much of this heritage and many of the important buildings are from the nineteenth century onwards, but there are remains dating back to Roman times.This book of exceptional photographs reflects the area through the lens of award-winning photographer Jon Sparks. Here are the contrasting scenes and buildings, old and new, that define the essence, identity and vibrant spirit of Manchester and Salford. From industry to sport, leisure to worship, culture to transport and listed buildings to modern skyscrapers, this is a stunning portrait of two eternally fascinating cities.

The D3300 is Nikons latest entry-level DSLR. It is designed to marry the versatility and image quality of an SLR with the simplicity and ease of handling of the best digital compacts. Nikon has always valued continuity as well as innovation; e.g, it has retained its tried and tested F lens-mount (originally introduced in 1959). This means its possible to use many classic Nikon lenses with the D3300. At first glance, the D3300 may look like a modest upgrade to the D3200, but there are some significant changes under the surface. The camera is almost exactly the same size as its predecessor, but significantly lighter. It has a 24-megapixel sensor; the pixel count may be the same as the D3200, but theres a major difference as the D3300 has dispensed with an anti-aliasing filter in front of its sensor to make images even sharper. The other significant innovation is not so much the D3300 itself as the lens that accompanies it. The collapsible 1855mm F3.5-5.6 VR II kit lens makes the camera/lens combo smaller and lighter, but still delivers good optical performance. The Nikon SLRs the D3300 is part of a vast system of lenses, accessories and software.

Nikon's D5500 DSLR is an update to the popular D5300, featuring a touch-sensitive rear LCD screen and improved ergonomics. In almost every other respect, it's a compact, lightweight 24MP entry-level DSLR similar to its predecessor. This is a comprehensive step-by-step guide to the Nikon D5500 that includes a pull-out reference card. Author Jon Sparks provides practical tips on how to get the best from this versatile camera.