Mastering – serie

Drawing on The Medic Portal’s established track record, the third edition of this popular revision aid, retitled Mastering the UCAT to reflect the extension of the former UK-specific exam to prospective medical and dental students in Australia and New Zealand, takes you, step by step, through the proven techniques that have already helped thousands of our students achieve top scores. Our expert authors deconstruct all question types before leading you through core strategies, common pitfalls and top tips – as well as the tactics examiners use to trip you up.

Drawing on The Medic Portal’s established track record, the third edition of this popular revision aid, retitled Mastering the UCAT to reflect the extension of the former UK-specific exam to prospective medical and dental students in Australia and New Zealand, takes you, step by step, through the proven techniques that have already helped thousands of our students achieve top scores. Our expert authors deconstruct all question types before leading you through core strategies, common pitfalls and top tips – as well as the tactics examiners use to trip you up.

This book focuses on the aptitude test, scientific knowledge and applications, and writing task of BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) exam, explaining how they work and what strategies can be adopted to help the readers score highly.

This book helps the readers to pass the Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and makes them competent and confident in the management of women and their reproductive or sexual problems within the primary care setting.

This is the first BMAT theory and practice book on the market, providing not only practice questions but breaking down the BMAT exam step-by-step. The authors, both leading specialists in BMAT training, focus on each section in turn, using many sample questions to carefully illustrate the theory rather than simply testing rote learning. A concluding mock exam allows candidates to consolidate learning through self-assessment, with model answers to refer to at the end.

Landscape photography can be a solitary experience, but award-winning landscape photographer David Taylor believes creativity requires a certain amount of peaceful contemplation to flourish. What skills or requirements, therefore, does a successful landscape photographer need? An ability not to mind getting cold or wet is one that springs to immediately to mind, but a landscape photographer also has to understand how the weather and the seasons affect the landscape. Navigational skills are useful to find potential subjects. Above all, empathy for the natural world is a prerequisite.  Beginning with a comprehensive guide to the choice of cameras, lenses and other equipment and accessories, Taylor goes on to discuss the fundamentals of exposure – aperture, shutter speed, ISO, dynamic range – and an appreciation of the effects of light on the landscape, at various times of the day and in all types of weather. Practical advice on planning for an outdoor shoot covers the basics of assembling a travel kit, using maps and choosing a location, consulting sunrise and sunset times, weather forecasts and predicting tides. The author's own stunning photography transports the reader from coastal regions to hills and mountains, through woodland and moorland, in all seasons and weather, in the light of day and the dark of night. Authoritative text explains the theories and "rules" of composition: the importance of balance, harmony and symmetry, the power of leading lines, visual weight, and the ability to create depth in an image. Completing this definitive guide to capturing beautiful and compelling images, a final instructive chapter details the practical techniques of postproduction workflow, from the processing of images to proofing, to displaying or printing the final results.

Wildlife is one of the most challenging and popular subjects for photographers. With strong emphasis on the ethics and legalities of animal welfare, the protection of the environment and the responsibilities of the photographer, Richard Garvey-Williams’ concise, comprehensive yet accessible text covers the practical techniques of photography and how they relate to capturing stunning images of quarry that is invariably erratic, often endangered, and typically shy and elusive. Stressing the need for meticulous preparation and research in planning a field trip, he covers scouting locations, timing of trips relative to the seasons, in addition assembling a kit of equipment and transporting it overseas; there’s in-depth insight into field craft, including the use of hides, feeding, baiting and stalking, while remaining vigilant to danger.The book also contains an essential guide to lighting, composition, the emotive response to the subject, how best to photograph groups of animals or birds, plus techniques for capturing action, close-ups and studies of botanicals.

Jargon-busting text, illustrated with the author's own stunning images, explains the theory behind digital photography, along with a guide to the equipment and software needed to take outstanding images. The book explains the basics of exposure and good composition, file types, manipulating captured images using popular software, and applying special effects (such as split toning, simulating film grain, lith prints and using cyanotypes). A printing chapter discusses outputting and displaying images.

Aimed at the more experienced amateur photographer, this concise guide explains the fundamentals of exposure and how varying three parameters—shutter speed, aperture and ISO—can be used creatively and practically to determine correct exposure, but deliver substantially different results. The mechanics of exposure are discussed: the nature of light and how metering affects exposure; light's relationship to colour; the importance of white balance; the use of flash; an appreciation of dynamic range; and the ability to read histograms. Illustrated with the author's own stunning images, the book analyzes the effects of exposure on portrait, landscape, night and low-light photography, and when capturing action and sports images. Post processing techniques in the digital darkroom round off this invaluable guide to getting the best results from your photography.

In Mastering Street Photography, fully updated to include the latest technologies and software, acclaimed photographer Brian Lloyd Duckett presents the techniques that can elevate images of the urban landscape from the ordinary to the extraordinary. A practical guide to equipment and technical skills leads into lessons in finding inspiration, developing projects and composing different subjects and scenes – laying the foundations for you to capture the candid moments that reveal life in the raw and as it happens.One of the great joys of street photography is that it can be practiced just about anywhere and at any time. With a little planning and a handy camera, there is a world of great shooting opportunities.

With more manufacturers than ever before producing macro lenses and accessories, and digital technology offering fresh creative possibilities, there has never been a more exciting time to explore this macro world with your camera.The author explores digital techniques such as focus stacking and the use of smartphone apps both to compose shots on a camera via WiFi connection and to trigger cameras when shooting at high speed. With subjects ranging from classic close-ups such as plants and insects to micrographics and abstracts, plus showcases of the greatest exponents of close-up, this is a complete manual for achieving creative and professional results.

Whether you're taking photographs in the dead of night or looking to create an ethereal effect with water or clouds during the day, long exposures are among the most challenging areas of photography. Very often there are physical obstacles to overcome, whether it's being unable to see to frame your shot or focus, an inability to predict movement during the exposure, or simply the need to hold your camera steady while the shutter is open. There are also numerous technical issues to resolve, such as striking a balance between ISO and noise, dealing with high dynamic range, and maintaining the best possible image quality when the laws of physics are working against you. Yet, just as the demands placed upon the photographer are exceptional, so too are the images that can be created when you push your camera to its limits.Packed with stunning photography throughout, the author's expert advice, tips, and tricks are augmented by Masterclasses from some of the world's leading long exposure champions, each sharing the secrets of their success. So whether you want to master star trail photography, shoot cityscapes at dusk, paint with light, or use blur creatively, this is the only book you'll need.

Whether you prefer the term retro, vintage, or “old skool,” there’s an undeniable truth to the familiar quote: “What’s old is new again.” This is increasingly obvious among next-generation photographers who are already reacting to the established digital norm and actively seeking out something more soulful and personal than the pixel-pushing, quick-fix of the digital age. And that something is film. Yet this is a generation that has never experienced film photography. They have not felt the unique combination of fear and excitement at taking a once-in-a-lifetime shot and not knowing if it’s perfect; nor have they waited with bated breath to see if their labors are good, bad, or indifferent. And they certainly won’t have experienced the “happy accidents” associated with badly loaded film, light leaks, collapsed shutters, or any of the other “defects” that can transform an average shot into a one-of-a-kind photograph. Mastering Film Photography is a fast-track guide to shooting emulsion in the digital age. After a crash course in how film works and how to choose the ideal camera to use it with, readers will learn how to overcome the challenges of getting the exposure right when there’s no instant feedback; how to use flash systems in the pre-TTL era; and the importance of filters before Instagram; as well as exploring the creative world of lensless photography. With profiles of leading film practitioners along the way, the book is rounded off with a guide to the traditional, digital, and hybrid processing options that will enable you to make the most of your negatives and slides.

Photographing children is not easy. They move around, they look the wrong way, and, as any parent will tell you, they never do what you want them to do when you want them to do it! It is this unpredictability that makes child portraiture the fascinating challenge that it is.Mastering Child Portrait Photography contains everything you need to master the art. For the keen enthusiast, this is an accessible guide to capturing images of your children that will last a lifetime. For the aspiring professional, it is a complete handbook for a wonderful lifestyle business, one in which you can create mini masterpieces that will enhance family homes and bring pleasure to lives for generations.

Aimed at the serious amateur, this is a practical guide to achieving professional results in digital photography.Light is at the very heart of photography and plays a fundamental role in creating successful images. Not only does light affect brightness, it also determines tone, mood, atmosphere, texture, color and luminosity. Mastering Lighting & Flash Photography contains everything you need to know about controlling and manipulating light to capture the beauty of the world around you in your own signature style.Written and photographed by a multi award-winning photographer, the book describes and demonstrates all the key topics: from understanding light and how to use it; through choosing the best kit and mastering the essential techniques; to different forms of flash photography and studio lighting, tips from leading professionals, and elevating your prints in post-production.

Fully updated to include the latest technologies and software, Mastering Composition is the definitive guide for taking great photos, considering visual weight, balance, negative space, and depth. Author and professional photographer Richard Garvey-Williams argues that success lies in a combination of four elements: an impactful subject; dynamic composition; effective use of lighting; and, perhaps the most crucial, an ability to invoke an emotional response in the viewer. Citing examples gleaned from a study of history (the Ancient Greeks' Golden Rule, Fibonacci's mathematical ratio, and the principles known as Gestalt theory) the author analyses the concepts, rules and guidelines that define successful composition in photography and offers practical guidance to achieving great results. In clear, concise and jargon-free text he also considers the role of tone and colour in good composition and offers invaluable tips and the tools to help the photographer take control of the creative process. The book is illustrated with examples of the author's own beautiful nature photography, along with diagrams and notation to explain techniques most clearly. A final chapter in this definitive guide for all serious photographers discusses photography and its relationship to art before offering a considered conclusion to the exploration of this fascinating topic.

In Mastering Street Photography, fully updated to include the latest technologies and software, acclaimed photographer Brian Lloyd Duckett presents the techniques that can elevate images of the urban landscape from the ordinary to the extraordinary. A practical guide to equipment and technical skills leads into lessons in finding inspiration, developing projects and composing different subjects and scenes – laying the foundations for you to capture the candid moments that reveal life in the raw and as it happens.One of the great joys of street photography is that it can be practiced just about anywhere and at any time. With a little planning and a handy camera, there is a world of great shooting opportunities.

Award-winning photographers Paul Wilkinson and Sarah Plater believe that portraits should not be formal, corporate style poses that reveal nothing of the subject’s emotions or personality. Their modern, fresh and vibrant approach to portraiture aims to capture a moment of the person’s lifestyle and make a lasting impression. Mastering Portrait Photography discusses all the requisite skills for taking compelling portrait photographs: from choosing the best kit and mastering the essential techniques; to using the most effective lighting and setting to achieve your desired atmosphere and effect; to learning the secrets of working harmoniously and professionally with people of all ages and using the best postproduction techniques to get the most from your prints. This accessible guide shows how to capture beautiful, timeless images that will bring pleasure for generations.

Mastering Emergency Medicine is a concise, revision-focused textbook that covers everything that candidates need to know in order to pass the College of Emergency Medicine's (CEM) membership examination (MCEM) to enter training, and to the pass fellowship examination (FCEM) to complete the Certificate of Specialist Training.With over 100 OSCE scenarios designed to stimulate everyday emergency department clinical encounters, Mastering Emergency Medicine covers all the key areas of the CEM syllabus, including: clinical examinations and practical skills, communication skills, teaching and management.This book takes a practical approach to the subject - core facts are presented and common scenarios are explored using an OSCE style, as used in the Part C MCEM and the FCEM examinations - which makes it an invaluable blueprint for management of cases.Closely linked to the current CEM syllabus, each chapter comprises three parts:Core topics that supplement revision for Part A and B.Clinical scenarios, including data and relevant practical skills that can be used to prepare for Parts B and C.Mock 'Scoring Scenarios' that give specific guidance on how to perform in OSCEs.Mastering Emergency Medicine is a highly detailed revision guide for the OSCE examinations and an essential study guide for all those who are preparing for the MCEM or FCEM examinations. It will also be useful to those who are wishing to pursue a career in Acute Medicine.

Mastering the DRCOG directly reflects and fulfils the DRCOG syllabus set by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Chapters are laid out precisely following the DRCOG syllabus format. Starting with an overall introduction to the exam, Mastering the DRCOG covers the seven core modules of the syllabus:Basic Clinical SkillsBasic Surgical SkillsAntenatal CareManagement of Labour and DeliveryPostpartum and Neonatal ProblemsGynaecological ProblemsSubfertility and ContraceptionThese modules are then followed by a section of 'hot topics' not specifically mentioned in the syllabus, but of real interest for all those working in the area of women's health. Hot topics include the menopause and its management, abuse of women, and ethical issues such as fetal sex selection and eugenics, egg donation, breast augmentation surgery, and surrogate motherhood.Mastering the DRCOG is written in a clear and straight-forward style and is illustrated throughout. Written by a newly qualified GP and edited by two highly experienced Consultants, one in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the other in Community Sexual and Reproductive Health, Mastering the DRCOG is a fantastic resource for all candidates preparing for the Diploma. The book will also be of great value to medical students learning Obstetrics and Gynaecology for the first time, to overseas doctors preparing for the PLAB, and to experienced GPs looking for a refresher.

Highly acclaimed wedding photographer Mark Cleghorn discusses how to photograph all types of weddings. It offers invaluable advice on the best poses and explains the full-post production process. It is packed with inspirational photographs and pro tips throughout. Mastering Wedding Photography is packed with expert advice and top tips on capturing those treasured memories. Acclaimed wedding photographer, Mark Cleghorn offers comprehensive information on choosing equipment, manipulating the light, taking candid shots and organizing formal portraits, as well as clearly explaining all the key photographic techniques. Mark also gives plenty of suggestions on what to capture before, during and after the ceremony and how to go about it, plus tips for post-production.