Hedgecoe's book walks the reader through photographic topics, lab-style. The book consists of 73 projects, each one of which focuses on one element of effective photography: shape, composition, pattern, color, uses of color, over- and under-exposure, black-and-white, positioning subjects...using examples, short 'technical tips' and discussion, I found it easy to begin assembling my own "photography workbook" by doing the exercises. In less than a year I was doing work good enough to start entering amateur photography competitions---and REALLY enhancing my scrapbooking.