Ronald White

 DVD Instructional DVD's

Blue Crane Digital make training DVDs for photographers buying their first Digital SLR, or for film users making the switch to digital technology. They will quickly get you up to speed with your new camera and are available for Canon 350D, 400D, 30D and Nikon D40/x, D50, D70, D80 and D200 cameras. Each 95 minute video explains the cameras controls and how to capture the best image under all conditions. Each subject is contained in a separate chapter, so you can proceed at your own pace.

Topics include:
Be Prepared (To Get the Shot), Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority/Depth of Field, Depth of Field Preview,
Picture Styles, AF Modes, Metering and Bracketing, White Balance/Color Temperature, ISO,
Using Playback to get Great Images, Understanding Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Flash Overview,
Using Physical Filters, Lens Selection, Custom Functions, Programmable Buttons, RAW Files, Composition,
Data Photo Professional Software, Camera User Settings, Bulb Setting, And Much More....

 Jumpstart Instructional DVD's

JumpStart Guides are clear, comprehensive, user-friendly DVDs that help camera buyers to get the most out of their new digital camera – from the reasonably priced camera to state-of-the-art name brands.

The Guides are a great resource for people who don’t like to read manuals.

The newbie will easily make the transition from taking snapshots to producing inspired images to cherish forever; the pro will quickly adapt skills to shooting with digital cameras.

Jumpstart Guides Cover...

• Camera features and functions
• White balance
• ISO settings
• Quality settings
• Using a histogram
• Principles of photography
• Depth of field
• Aperture and shutter priority
• Program modes
• How to get sharp images
• Storing and carrying cameras
• Choosing and using a tripod
• What lens to buy next
• Using filters
• Digital media options
• Getting photographs into a computer
• Improving photos
• Printing options
• Storing photos on the web
• And much, much more

Philips Astronomy Books

Astrobox

This best-value set contains all you need to start the fascinating hobby of astronomy: "Philip's Stargazing with a Telescope": a guide to choosing the right telescope and setting it up; "Philip's Star Finder": a planner showing planets, stars and constellations; "Philip's Star Chart": the stars of the night sky in three superb colour maps; and "Philip's Planisphere": pinpoints the stars and constellations visible on any night of the year.

Astronomy Dictionary
This is a completely updated new edition of this comprehensive A - Z dictionary, covering all aspects of astronomy. Written in a style that is both interesting and accessible, it is an invaluable reference source for all fans of astronomy, whether active observers or armchair enthusiasts. It contains more than 1,000 entries, ranging from aberration and ablation to Zond and Zwicky, and is illustrated with 250 colour photographs, diagrams, and tables.

Phillips Atlas of the universe

This guide to the cosmos includes the latest discoveries made by recent space missions. Illustrated with images from nearly four decades of robotic exploration, it includes a history of astronomy and space exploration, practical advice for beginners and more advanced astronomers. 

Deep Sky Pack: Guide, Chart & Calendar
This is a brand new pack for the amateur deep sky observer. It contains three essential items for exploring the universe beyond our Solar System: "Philip's Deep Sky Observer's Guide": a practical guide to deep sky observing; "Philip's Deep Sky Chart": a large wall chart by Wil Tirion; and "Philip's Deep Sky Calendar": a full-colour wall poster featuring a deep sky object for every week of the year.

Guide to Northern Constellations

This is a beginner's guide to the major stars and constellations visible with the naked eye in the northern hemisphere. This brief introduction will help the novice to get his or her bearings in the night sky.

Guide to Stars & Planets
Written by one of the world's most famous astronomers, this comprehensive handbook contains colour star charts of all 88 constellations, plus new up-to-date location charts for the planets.

Moon Map
This large-format map is drawn by Dr John Murray, a research lecturer at the Open University. More than 500 physical features - craters, seas, mountain ranges, peaks, valleys and rilles (elongated depressions) - are named and indexed, and the landing sites of unmanned and manned spacecraft are also marked. The observer can thus readily identify objects seen through binoculars or telescope, or pick targets for a programme of observation. The chart includes a small map of the far side of the moon, never visible from the Earth. The map is accompanied by a practical guide to lunar observation, describing the various types of feature to observe, illustrated with drawings and photographs. Tips are given on the best point in the lunar cycle to observe the most interesting of these features. Guidelines on drawing or photographing the moon are also included. Colour artworks explain the moon's orbit and why its phase changes during the course of month. Also explained, with the help of illustrations, are the path of the moon during the course of the year, and why lunar and solar eclipses occur.

Night Sky Atlas
The brand new Philip's Night Sky Atlas is a highly practical atlas for observers using binoculars or a small telescope. It is an ideal choice for the back-yard astronomer, with a sturdy, damp-proof binding and pages that can be opened out flat without coming loose. Philip's Night Sky Atlas begins by presenting the whole sky in a series of six maps, showing stars down to magnitude 5.5 - all visible with binoculars or a small telescope. These maps are drawn with black stars on a white background, so that observers can pencil their own observations on to the charts, and are printed on tough paper that can withstand repeated 'rubbings out'. Opposite each map is a 'photorealistic' image which shows how the same portion of the sky appears to the naked eye. The next group of maps show the most interesting parts of the sky at a much larger scale, in 40 full-colour constellation charts, accompanied by colour photographs and drawings and a detailed explanatory text. The next section deals with the Moon and planets. A fully annotated map of the Moon is accompanied by an introductory guide to lunar observing. A map of Mars shows the major zones of the planet as they can be seen through a telescope. Photographs, drawings and tables of location data are provided for Mars and the other planets of our Solar System. The final section of the atlas provides further data on deep sky objects such as galaxies, double stars and nebulae, and includes lists of interesting targets for observation.

11.5" Planisphere North & Europe 51.5°
This lightweight and portable planisphere should be of interest to both beginners and experienced observers, enabling the user to locate stars, constellations and planets and to work out sunrise and sunset times for every day of the year. It is suitable for use in the British Isles, Northern Europe, Northern USA and Canada. The oval panel is turned to the required date and time to reveal the whole sky visible from that location at that time. The map shows stars down to magnitude 4, plus some deep-sky objects, such as the Pleiades, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and the Orion Nebula (M42). The increased size of the star map makes it easier to read during an observing session. On the back of the planisphere are tables giving the positions of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn for every month until 2011. New for this edition is the full-colour wallet which is divided into two main sections - "Using the Planisphere" and "Exploring the Skies". "Using the Planisphere" contains illustrated instructions on how to set the planisphere to the right date and time, how to locate the planets and how to work out the time of sunrise or sunset. It explains the detail seen on the map - the magnitudes of stars, the ecliptic and the celestial coordinates. "Exploring the Stars" is a beginner's guide to stargazing and introduces the novice to the principal celestial objects visible at different times of the year. Major constellations are used as signposts to navigate the night sky, locating hard-to-find stars and some deep-sky objects.

Pocket Star Atlas
"The Philip's Pocket Star Atlas" is a highly practical atlas in a compact format for use out of doors. It contains a series of maps showing the entire night sky, as well as a mass of useful astronomical data. It is suitable for use anywhere in the world. This popular atlas is now in its fourth edition, for which it has been revised, updated and expanded. It presents the sky in a series of 16 maps, showing stars down to magnitude 5.5. This means all stars are visible to the naked eye in semi-rural conditions.

Solar System Observers Pack
A brand new pack for the amateur Solar System observer. It contains three essential items for exploring and enjoying our corner of the Universe. Philip's Solar System Observer's Guide This practical 224-page illustrated guide is suitable for observers with small- to medium-sized telescopes, or binoculars; it can be used throughout the world. Peter Grego, a well-known writer on astronomy and an experienced observer, shares his enthusiasm and expertise in a straightforward and informative book. It describes how to observe not only the planets but also the Moon, Sun, comets, meteors, asteroids and all other objects found within our Solar System. A separate chapter is devoted to each type of object, and in each case the author explains how and when to find the object, how to observe it, what you can expect to see and how you can record your observations. Philip's Map of the Solar System A new large-format chart that uses mapping returned from space probes to provide a close-up view of the Solar System. The Sun, Moon and planets, as well as selected asteroids and comets, are illustrated using maps and images returned from space probes as well as clear, colourful artwork. The detailed and informative captions explain what's on view. Philip's Solar System Phenomena Poster A magnificent, full-colour, A1-sized wall poster featuring the top 25 phenomena to observe within the Solar System. Included are solar and lunar eclipses, aurorae and fireballs, as well as the planets and their satellites, comets, asteroids and our own Moon. Each phenomenon is illustrated with an image obtained using typical amateur equipment, and the picture is accompanied by details about how it was taken, and a symbol indicating the type of equipment - if any - needed to observe it.

Star Chart
This publications details the stars of the night sky in three superb colour maps.

It also forms part of the Astrobox.

Star Finder
This title provides a concise month-by-month calendar for star watchers in the northern/southern hemisphere. Star charts show the position of stars, constellations and other celestial objects for each month of the year, in both northerly and southerly directions. The introduction explains the basic facts that observers need to know, including the apparent motions of the stars, seasonal changes and star brightnesses. Location tables are provided for Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

Stargazer Complete Astronomy Pack
This excellent starter pack contains three essential items to get the beginner started on the fascinating hobby of astronomy: "Philip's Star Chart": the stars of the night sky in three superb colour maps; "Philip's Planisphere": pinpoints the stars and constellations visible on any night of the year; and "Philip's Guide to the Northern Constellations": an introduction to the stars and constellations.

Philips Stargazing With Binoculars 
This is a brand new title for Philip's bestselling astronomy list following the success of Philip's Guide to Stargazing with a Telescope . Binoculars provide a great start in astronomy. Compared with telescopes, they are comparatively cheap and easy to use, they are light and compact, and can be used for many other activities such as bird-watching. But when you are out there on a starry night, how do you know what to look at? Where are the best objects to observe through binoculars? Just how much can you see, and what are the tips and tricks of getting the most out of them?

Philip's Stargazing with Binoculars reveals what to expect from a pair of binoculars and how to choose the right ones if you are buying for the first time, or up-grading. It gives straightforward explanations of how they work, and how to progress from first-time user to hobby observer. It gives practical help for setting up and using any binoculars, and provides lists of objects to look at with different sizes of binoculars, from both town and country, including the Sun, Moon, planets, comets, asteroids, stars, clusters, variable stars, double stars, novae, nebulae and galaxies. Aimed principally at newcomers to astronomy of all ages, who would like to begin observing for themselves, and perhaps make contact with other amateur observers, Philip's Stargazing with Binoculars describes a wide range of binoculars that are internationally available, with examples of objects to observe taken from both northern and southern hemispheres. The guidance given is appropriate for all observing conditions. This brand new title includes a glossary of technical terms and an index, making it even easier for the beginner to use and understand. It is a practical guide to binoculars and how to achieve the best results. It is fully updated to include the latest equipment on the market. It is full colour throughout. 'What if...' boxes suggest simple solutions to difficulties. There are specially commissioned 'step-by-step' illustrations, and easy-to-use star maps covering the whole sky.

Other Titles

Philip's Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe

An easy-to-use rapid identification guide to more than 500 species, including all the resident and regular migrant birds in the geographical continent of Europe. The region covered extends from Iceland, Ireland and Britain in the west, to the Ural Mountains, Black Sea and Western Turkey in the east.

Philip's Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe is a highly practical field guide in a convenient pocket-sized format, and is organized for maximum ease of use.

The birds are arranged in the now standard sequence of orders and families, starting with waterfowl and ending with passerines (perching birds). Each double-page spread shows a group of related birds illustrated together on a single plate, which facilitates rapid comparison for confident identification. A full-colour illustration is provided for each of the featured species, and includes the indication of important distinguishing features, plus a descriptive text and distribution map.

The text provides concise, detailed information to enable easy identification of the species. Standard data includes common English name, scientific name, size, habitat, plumage, characteristic flight pattern and behaviour, song and call. The illustrations show the adult male of each species in breeding plumage, and in winter plumage if different. Female, immature and juvenile plumages are also shown if their plumage differs from the adult male. Birds often seen in flight are also shown on the wing. The guide excludes the rare vagrants shown in other guides, whose inclusion can cause confusion in the field.