The Digital Photography Book

The Digital Photography Book #1

by Scott Kelby

Scott Kelby menjelaskan premis brilian buku ini: “Saat kita hunting foto, Anda bertanya kepada saya, ‘Hei Scott, aku ingin bunga itu terlihat in focus, sementara latar belakangnya buram. Bagaimana caranya?' Saya tidak akan memberi Anda kuliah panjang lebar tentang fotografi. Saya hanya akan mengatakan, ‘Pasang lensa zoom, atur diafragma pada bukaan f/2.8, fokus pada bunganya, lalu ambil gambarnya.’ Beginilah cara kerja buku ini: Anda dan saya hunting foto bersama-sama dan saya menjawab segala pertanyaan, memberi saran, dan membagi rahasia yang saya pelajari kepada Anda—tanpa penjelasan teknis dan petuah-petuah ala teknisi foto.”

Ini bukanlah buku teori—yang dipenuhi jargon-jargon membingungkan dan konsep-konsep mendetail. Ini adalah buku tentang tombol mana yang harus ditekan, seting mana yang harus digunakan, dan kapan menggunakannya. Dengan hampir 200 trik fotografi yang paling banyak diikuti, buku ini membuat Anda dapat mengambil foto yang jauh lebih baik, lebih tajam, lebih berwarna, dengan kualitas seorang fotografer profesional.

Setiap halaman memuat satu konsep yang dapat membuat foto Anda lebih baik. Setiap kali Anda membalik halamannya, Anda akan mempelajari trik, tool, dan setingan baru, persis seperti yang digunakan fotografer profesional, untuk mentransformasikan ambilan gambar Anda dari sekadar jeprat-jepret kilat menjadi karya seni yang layak dipajang di galeri.

Scott Kelby adalah penulis buku komputer nomor satu terlaris di dunia (setiap tahun sejak 2004), Editor dan Penerbit majalah Photoshop User, dan Presiden National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). Mengajar dalam pelatihan fotografi dan pencitraan digital di seluruh dunia, Scott adalah penulis pemenang penghargaan yang telah mengarang lebih dari 50 buku, termasuk The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographer, The iPod Book, dan Scott Kelby’s 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Reference, Art, How To, Self Help, Art and Photography

329 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2006

About the author

Scott Kelby is an American author and publisher of periodicals dealing in Macintosh and Personal Computer software, specifically for design professionals, photographers, and artists.

Kelby is editor and publisher of Photoshop User and Layers magazines, president and co-founder of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and is president of Kelby Media Group, an Oldsmar, Florida-based software training, education, and publishing firm.
Kelby is a photographer, designer, and the award-winning author of more than 40 books.

Reviews

[Rolf Häsänen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott Kelby aka Mr Photoshop dishes out some no-nonsense and excellent tips for improving your photography skills. I have added some of my pics, so you can judge your self ->










I think my photos have improved after reading both of his books, some tips were so simple but oh so good. I still get crappy pics but the ratio of good pics is much higher and i can plan for my shoots now.
The books are not for the pro photographer but for us that are coming back to photography in the digital age and anyone starting with it. Even if you consider yourself experienced (all is relative eh?) they are worth a look. The book contains a mix of tips between technique and gadgetry.

NOTE: I found a small error regarding Nikon cameras in the book do not take all technical details at face value it is not meant to be a tech reference book.

[Bart · Rating 4 out of 5]

My veteran photographer friends would laugh at me if they knew I bought this book. I'm a real novice, and many of my friends are professional art and event shooters. I liked this book, though, because it reminded me a lot of having a conversation with a photographer friend. In fact, this is a goal clearly stated by the author: he wanted to cut out the technical explanations and write as if he and the reader were out shooting, giving flat advice and instructions. It works for what it is, I picked up a lot of tips from the book. Its main limitation is that it does leave me wondering too much at the "whys" while it answers the "hows." The author suggests going out to buy one of the many other photography books out there if I want those answers. I agree, if you want concise answers and quick results, it's a good book, but if you want to understand the principles behind the tricks, then there's more reading to be done.

[فهد · Rating 5 out of 5]

اذا كنت مهتم بالتصوير الفوتوغرافي فلابد ان تقتني هذا الكتاب, فهو يحتوي على نصائح وتجارب احد اهم المصورين في العالم "سكوت كليبي", ستسفيد منه اذا كنت تملك كاميرا مدمجه وستستفيد اكثر بكثير اذا كانت كاميرتك احترافيه.
مازلت اردد عبارة "حادّة كالمسمار" منذ ان قرأتها في الصفحات الاولى من هذا الكتاب ( :

[Zainab · Rating 5 out of 5]

رآئع ~ تعلمت منه مبادئ ومصطلحات التصوير بطريقه ممتعه ومبسطه
آعجبني جداً آسلوبه في الطرح ، هو لطيف ^^ وغير ممل آبداً

آنصح كل هواة ومبتدئي التصوير به

:)

[هاجَر · Rating 5 out of 5]

من صفحة إلى صفحة ، ومع كل خطوة تتحسن صوري بشكل كبييير
عملي جدا ودقيق ، ومناسب للمبتدئين

[Hayel Barakat هايل بركات · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب جيد للمبتدئين في التصوير الفوتوغرافي

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guys writing will drive you nuts at the beginning because he is constantly joking. He calms down towards the end though. And in the meantime, he gave great PRACTICAL advice with shooting digital. For example, he doesn't use complicated words when explaining how to get great flower shots. He just tells you as a friend would. Set your camera at this setting, do this, do that, and there you go.
I want to try out everything he explained. It's one of those books I would like to have on hand to have as a reference or learning companion as I continue to progress in digital photography. Extremely helpful. I would recommend this book to beginners or anyone who doesn't have a clue when it comes to lighting, how far you should stand from your subject, what height to shoot from, or if you want to learn professional techniques. I would not recommend this book to professionals--you can have the complicated-wording books.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I have been shooting my pictures in auto and without a tripod for way too long. I have a basic understanding of photoshop, but I was ready to begin understanding my Nikon, and stop shooting in auto (or a preset). This book got me hooked, I have a better understanding of aperture, shutterspeed, ISO, and white balance--as well as a better understanding of all of the "tools" out there to use. I love photoshop, but knowing how to take a great picture in the first place is just as important.

There seem to be so many complicated photography books out there, this one is short, simple, and to the point; yet covers tack sharp photos, flowers, weddings, landscapes, sports, portraits, problems, travel and city, and printing.

Here is my favorite quote:

The idea is to use Photoshop to finish your photos--not to fix them. You want to spend your time being creative and having fun, not fixing things you should have done correctly in the camera.

[أغيد · Rating 4 out of 5]

الكتاب ممتاز، ومفيد جداً للمبتدئين والراغبين في دخول عالم التصوير الفوتوغرافي، ولو لم يكن بنية الاحتراف
يفترض بمن لديه الرغبة بقراءة هذا الكتاب، أن يعلم مصطلحات مثل سرعة الغلق وزاوية العدسة ومداها وتوازن الأبيض والأسود وغير ذلك من المفاهيم الأساسية في عالم التصوير.
من يعلم ولو بشكل متوسط هذه المبادئ، فالكتاب سيساعده حتى لو كان يصور بكاميرا متوسطة الجودة والميزات.
أسلوب الكاتب جميل وسلس أيضاً.
الكاتب ينصح القارئ بعدة نصائح سواء على مستوى كيفية التصوير، أو على مستوى البرامج والمعدات، والتي يؤكد دائماً أن نصائحه لشركات محددة نابع من تجربة شخصية، وليس بنية الترويج الإعلامي.

[Chuck Slack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for a novice photographer. It demystified some of the photography lingo.

Highly recommend to one that is learning their digital SLR.

[Barack Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

301-The Digital Photography Book-Scott Kelby-Tool-2006
Barack
2021/01/01

" The Digital Photography Book ", first published in the United States in 2006. It explores several important aspects of digital photography and studies on how to use the skills of digital photography professionals to take professional-quality photos.

Scott Kelby was born in the United States in 1960. He is a photographer and writer. He is the editor and publisher of " Photoshop User Magazine " and the co-founder and chairman of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). Representative works: " The Digital Photography Book ", " Digital Photography Killer Tips ", etc.

Table of Content
Chapter One. Pro Tips for Getting Really Sharp Photos
Chapter Two. Shooting Flowers Like a Pro
Chapter Three. Shooting Weddings Like a Pro
Chapter Four. Shooting Landscapes Like a Pro
Chapter Five. Shooting Sports Like a Pro
Chapter Six. Shooting People Like a Pro
Chapter Seven. Avoiding Problems Like a Pro
Chapter Eight. Taking Advantage of Digital Like a Pro
Chapter Nine. Taking Travel & City Life Shots Like a Pro
Chapter Ten. How to Print Like a Pro and Other Cool Stuff

“ Having photos that are sharp and in focus is so vitally important to pro photographers that they actually have coined a term for them. They call them "tack sharp." ”

In 1909, SLR cameras came out. As its price gradually decreases, it becomes more and more popular among the general population. Has a large number of fans all over the world. Photography has also become an art.

Since it is an art form, then a very important factor is that, to be able to ensure a prominent theme. This is the other type of art that is also very very clear. Literature required character image to be clear, the building required characteristics significantly, sculptures pay attention to a neat and tidiness. Then a picture should have prominent theme features.

" I've never seen a field where the equipment makes as big a difference as it does in photography. Don't get me wrong, hand Jay Maisel a point-and-shoot camera and he'll take point-and-shoot shots that could hang in a gallery, but the problem is we're not as good as Jay Maisel. ”

In different activities, the degree of influence of equipment is also different. For example, a special soldier holding a cold weapon may be able to defeat an ordinary person with a pistol. But for most ordinary people, their own strength may not be so high, so they need to use equipment to make up for their lack of strength.

“ TACK stands for Technically Accurate Cibachrome Kelvin (which refers to the color temperature of light in photographs), and SHARP stands for Shutter Hyperfocal At Refracted Polarization. ”

In digital photography, color, shutter, focal length, and aperture are very important indicators. Many of the techniques discussed in this book are based on these.

" So, while there are a number of things you'll need to do to get tack-sharp photos, the most important is shooting on a tripod. In fact, if there's one single thing that really separates the pros from the amateurs, it's that the pros always shoot on a tripod (even in daylight). ”

When shooting during the trip, I actually rarely use a tripod. Mainly it is troublesome, but when I took a hand-held shooting, I took a lot of photos that were discarded later. Thinking about it now, it is actually better to reduce the number of shots, but improve the quality of each shot.

" Pros will do the little things that most amateurs aren't willing to do; that's part of the reason their photos look like they do. Keeping the camera still and steady is a tripod's only job, but when it comes to tripods, some do a lot better job than others. ”

Professionals in various fields actually grew up from amateurs. The reason why they are professional and one step closer than amateurs is not only because they study theoretically and systematically, but also because they must also consider the details. They need to spend more time on points that amateurs do not pay attention to, and they need to pay attention to points that amateurs ignore.

Of course, this also means investing more energy and paying more. Not everyone has to become a professional. If it's just pure entertainment, it doesn't hurt to entertain in an amateur way. The key is to grasp this degree.

" Best of all, good ball heads keep your camera locked down tight to keep your camera from "creeping" (slowly sliding one way or the other) after you've set up your shot. Like tripods, a good ball head isn't cheap, but if you buy a good one, you'll fall in love with it. ”

Now more and more people use mobile phones to shoot, and the head of the design is also advancing with the times, there may be specifically designed for mobile phones head appeared. In fact, it also makes the threshold of shooting lower and lower, I think this is a good thing.

" That way, when you press this button on the end of the cable, it takes the photo, but without you actually touching the shutter button on the camera itself. So, why is this such a big deal? It's because, believe it or not, when you press the shutter button on the camera, it makes the camera move just enough to keep your photos from being tack sharp. I know, it sounds like a little thing, but this one is bigger than it sounds. ”

Tripod, PTZ, wireless shutter that their role is to ensure the camera is in a fairly stable state at the time of the shooting, without interference from the outside world,

“ I know, you normally think of using this so you can run and get in the shot real quick, but think about what does the self-timer do? It takes the shot without you touching the camera, right? Right! ”

The purpose of using the time-lapse shooting function that comes with the camera is also to prevent shaking. Although compared to the hand-held camera shake, the shake caused by pressing the shutter is not so serious, it can still affect the picture quality will be.

“ If you're thinking of getting a cable release to reduce vibration, you're better off getting an electronic cable release rather than one that actually presses the shutter button with a plunger-style wire. ”

In order to reduce vibration, the infrared remote control is better than a wired remote control. Wireless makes shooting easier and more convenient and also improves the quality of photography.

" The next trick we're going to employ is mirror lock-up. What this essentially does is locks your camera's mirror in the up position, so when you take the shot, the mirror does not move until after the exposure is made limiting the movement inside your camera during the exposure and therefore giving you that much sharper a photo. ”

Locking the mirror is to reduce jitter from inside the camera, thereby further improving the sharpness of the photographic work, which is also a very detailed operation.

“ If you are shooting on a tripod with a Nikon VR lens, to get sharper images to turn the VR feature off (you do this right on the lens itself by turning the VR switch to the Off position). The non-technical explanation why is, these VR lenses look for vibration. If they don't find any, they'll go looking for it, and that looking for vibration when there is absolutely none can cause (you guessed it) some small vibration. ”

So in summary, if we use a tripod, there is no need to open the shock absorber on the lens. If we hold it by hand, we need to turn on the shock absorber. This is because when the camera itself is not vibrating, turning on this device may produce some kind of vibration, which may result in unsatisfactory results.

“ Another trick the pros use is, when possible, shoot at your lens' sharpest aperture. For most lenses, that is about two full stops smaller than wide open (so the f-stop number you use will go higher by two stops). For example, if you had an f/2.8 lens, the sharpest apertures for that lens would be f/5.6 and f/8 (two full stops down from 2.8). ”

The recommendation here is to use the maximum aperture allowed by the camera to shoot. The purpose should be to increase the amount of light entering, thereby shortening the exposure time, and making the possibility of vibration less likely.

“ Does buying a really good lens make that big a difference in sharpness? Absolutely! ”

If the investment on the SLR is gradually increased, the economic expenditure on the lens is a major item. I still have to do what I can according to my actual situation and invest gradually.

" When you're shooting on a tripod in dim or low light, don't increase your ISO (your digital equivalent of film speed). Keep your ISO at the lowest ISO setting your camera allows (ISO 200, 100, or 50, if your camera's ISO goes that low, as shown on the Nikon menu above) for the sharpest, clearest photos. ”

ISO stands for the International Standardization Organization. Here, it refers to the exposure rate. The higher the exposure rate, the less exposure time is required, but the noise may also increase.

F refers to the ratio of the lens aperture (clear aperture) to lens focal length. If the focal length of the lens is 50 mm, then f / 2.8 means 50 mm divided by 2.8, which is equal to 17.85 mm. This is the diameter of the aperture opening degree. In other words, the actual opening area radius is 8.925 mm, which is equal to approximately 250 mm ^2. Therefore, when the focal length of the lens is 50 mm, f / 2.8 means that the opening area of the aperture is 250 mm ^2.

“ Raising the ISO adds noise to your photos, and you don't want that (of course, if you're hand-holding and have no choice, like when shooting a wedding in the low lighting of a church, then increasing the ISO is a necessity, but when shooting on a tripod, avoid high ISOs like the plague you'll have cleaner, sharper images every time). ”

When the sensitivity is lowered, in order to get a clear picture, the exposure time must be increased. At this time, handheld shooting is almost impossible, because shaking will definitely occur.

" Well, the next time you're hand-holding in less than optimal light, and you're concerned that you might not get a tack-sharp image, try a trick the pros use in this sticky situation switch to continuous shooting (burst) mode and hold down the shutter release to take a burst of photos instead of just one or two. Chances are at least one of those dozen or so photos is going to be tack sharp, and if it's an important shot, it can often save the day. "

If you are in a situation where you really have to hold shooting, you can consider using continuous shooting mode. In this way, there is a certain probability that at least one available photo will be obtained.

“ For people: Amount 150%, Radius 1, Threshold 10 For cityscapes, urban photography, or travel: Amount 65%, Radius 3, Threshold 2 For general everyday use: Amount 85%, Radius 1, Threshold 4 ”

Given here, it is the post-photo sharpening parameter when dealing with these parameters is more of an experience to talk about it, may not have a very clear reason. It may just be because these parameters can achieve a better sharpening effect in most cases, and make people look more comfortable.

“ It's designed to give you extra stability and sharper shots while hand-holding your camera by wrapping your camera strap around your arm (just above the elbow), then wrapping it around the outside of your wrist (as shown above) and pulling the strap pretty tight, which makes your camera more stable in your hand. ”

Practice here, it is the camera strap wrapped around the arm to be fixed, so the purpose is to allow the arm may play a similar role in the bracket so that the camera shakes a little less obvious. But in general, this is not stable enough, especially when the exposure time may reach a few seconds.

" If you want to create flower shots with some serious visual interest, you have to shoot them from an angle we don't see every day. That usually means not shooting down on them, and instead of getting down low and shooting them from their level. "

This is actually a matter of perspective. On the same subject, different people may have different angles and different effects. Not only this involves experience, but also one's own aesthetic taste.

“ A macro lens (just called "macro" for short) lets you get a 1:1 view of your subject and reveal flowers in a way that only macros can. A macro lens has a very shallow depth of field so much so that when photographing a rose, the petals in the front can be in focus and the petals at the back of the rose can be out of focus. ”

The macro lens is mainly used for shooting close objects because its focal length is very short, so when shooting, the focal length control must be very careful. And macro lens actually is the details of lucidity demonstrated.

“ Shoot in aperture priority mode and use the smallest number f-stop your lens will allow (in this case, on this particular lens, it was f/5.6) to keep the flower in focus but the background out of focus. ”

Most ordinary players may choose the automatic mode, but for some of the more advanced photographers is, the AV mode, aperture priority mode is probably more appropriate. The abbreviation of AV is the Aperture value. When the photographer has actively selected the aperture value and set the shutter speed, the camera's exposure time will be automatically adjusted.

“ It's called the Canon Close-Up Lens (even though it's from Canon, you can get a version that screws onto a Nikon lens. It's the only thing I know of from Canon that's designed for Nikon cameras. I use the Canon Close-Up Lens 500D to attach to my 70200mm Nikon VR lens [it's 77mm], and it works wonders). ”

What I understand is that this refers to the close-up circle, which is actually added between the body and the lens. Although it is a little troublesome in operation, it is cheaper than buying a new lens.

“ One of the most dramatic compositions for shooting flowers is to position a single flower on a black background. ”

Because the purpose of shooting, in order to focus on the target we were shooting, so the goal behind to put a solid color board, used to mask other debris, is a good choice. As for why black was chosen, I think it might be because the color of the flower itself is already very bright, so I chose black to avoid overwhelming people.

“ Instead of waiting for a rainy day to shoot, take a little spray bottle with you, fill it with water, and spray the flowers with water yourself. ”

When shooting flowers, you can use a spray bottle to spray some water drops on them, so that the flowers will be more charming. This little suggestion is good.

“ Another popular look for a flower photographer is to shoot on a white background. ”

In addition to choosing black as the background, you can also choose to use white as the background. Its purpose is also to reduce interference and conflict in the background.

[Abdullah · Rating 4 out of 5]

يصطحبنا سكوت كيلبي لرحلة فوتوغرافية يخبرنا فيها بأعظم أسرار التصوير الرقمي بأنواعه المختلفة، فيبدأ في شرح الأسرار خلف أهم مبدأ في التصوير ألا وهو حدة الصورة، (فالصورة التي ليست حادة ليس لها قيمة) ثم يشرح الطريقة الصحيحة لحمل الكاميرا.
ومن ثم يشرع سكوت في الحديث عن تصوير الزهور، ثم تصوير الأعراس، و تصوير الطبيعة و البرية،
مرورا بتصوير الألعاب الرياضية (و هو الأكثر كلفة برأي المؤلف)، و تصوير السفر و المدينة.. و يختم بالحديث عن بعض المشاكل و الأمور التي يجب الانتباه لها أثناء عملية التصوير، و يعطي بعض النصائح والأسرار الذهبية في هذا المجال

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the first "general" digital photography books I've read that isn't specific to my camera. I'd heard many good reviews on Kelby's series, so I knew going into it that I'd get some good advice and information.

This book is extremely well-written - not a stuffy textbook written with explanations of aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation that would put an amateur photographer to sleep; rather, Kelby uses humor and "recipes" to show tips on how best to set up shots. His approach is to show the reader what it would be like to be on a shoot with him - the situations one might encounter, and the subsequent advice he would give. I learned a lot of really interesting tips and tricks on how to approach my shoots, what will make my photos look sharper, and how to better compose them.

One of the best parts of the book is the way it is set up - each chapter covers a main idea, with each page breaking down one tip or one concept. Each page has a new idea or a new setting to try out.

I'm looking forward to reading volumes 2 & 3...and to get back out with my camera and try what I've already learned!

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great. I am 16 and I am very into photography as a hobby. I have checked out many books about photography from the library but most books I checked out were boring, dry, very hard to understand, and full of a bunch of technical terms; this is not the case with this book. This book is easy to understand and it give simple tips to improve your photography. Scott Kelby also uses a lot of (not so funny) humor to get his point across, which makes the book enjoyable to read. This book also goes by "themes" so it is easy to reference back to this book whenever you need to. For example there is a "theme" about wedding photography, a "theme" about sports photography...

[Abdurrahman AlQahtani · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wouldn't recommend this book for both beginers or pros. I'm a beginner my self, but the style of this book can't match any of those categories. What I hate about this book is two things:
- Humor/jokes that are not funny at all, unfotunately :(.
- Telling the basics in too much elaboration.

I highly recommend you to go and read the 1- and 2-star evals of this book on Amazon, and you bet you'll agree with them 100%.

A book that I believe is ourstanding in photography is "Understanding Exposure - How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera". That's a great book in my opinion.

[Motaz Nachwati · Rating 4 out of 5]

لقد كتب في زاوية الغلاف ..
ممتــاز لمستخدمي الكاميرات الرقمية المبسطة,أيضاً!

حسنـاً .. لا تصدقوا هذه العبارة

هذا الكتاب لهواة و مستخدمي الكاميرات الرقمية الإحترافية DSLR فقط

و لكنه رااائع و خاصةً للمستجدين و الهواة
لقد جعلني أفكر بشكل جدي بشراء DSLR

اذا كنت من هواة التصوير الإحترافي .. لا بد من شراءه
و إن لم تكن كذلك .. فلا تقترب منه

[Areej Kiwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب بسيط و سلس ..
تحتاج فقط لمعرفة المصطلحات المهمة عن التصوير لفهمه جيدا
يتناول نصائح مختصرة عن كيفية التقاط صور مثالية لمناسبات واماكن مختلفة للتصوير
( المناظر الطبيعية , حفلات الزفاف , تصوير الاشخاص و الزهور الشوارع اثناء التجوال و السفر و الابنية و غيرها )
متشوقة لتطبيق توجيهاته مع كاميرتى و رؤية نتائجها ^^

[عبد العزيز القباني · Rating 5 out of 5]

مترجم الكتاب للعربية يستحق عشر نجمات !!

[maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's awesome.

[Hillary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Granted, I could not get beyond the first chapter, but I have no idea how this book has a single good review! This book is ridiculous! I wanted information and the author gave me fake-outs and stupid humor.

[Rizky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saya cukup skeptis saat pertama kali melihat judul buku ini: The Digital Photography Book. Judul yang sangat lazim ditemui dan terkesan tidak berbeda dengan buku-buku fotografi lainnya. Awalnya saya menduga buku ini tidak berbeda dengan buku fotografi abal-abal yang membahas istilah-istilah fotografi mendasar seperti diafragma, kecepatan rana, iso, atau istilah-istilah lain yang biasanya ada dalam fitur dasar DSLR. Awalnya saya kira buku ini tidak lebih dari terjemahan buku manual kamera yang diadaptasi. Jenis buku fotografi abal-abal. Ternyata saya salah.

Jangan nilai buku dari judulnya saja (don’t judge book by it’s title) batin saya setelah menelusuri halaman demi halamannya. Hal pertama yang membuat saya tertarik dan agak penasaran ialah pemilihan kertasnya yang bagus (provokasi “the best selling digital photography book all time” yang tertera di kaver depan tidak cukup untuk menggugah saya) sehingga buku ini terasa cukup berat secara harfiah. Lanjut ke daftar isi, saya mendapati sub-sub judul yang cukup detail dan cukup menarik. Buku ini tidak membahas pengertian diafragma, kecepatan rana, atau iso secara khusus tapi situasi dan kondisi yang harus dihadapi dalam berbagai situasi pemoteretan dan tips dan triknya. Meskipun pembahasan tips dan trik tersebut secara otomatis membahas ketiga hal tadi, namun pembahasaannya disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan/kondisi tertentu. Maka tidak salah jika menyebut buku ini adalah buku yang pragmatis.

Pragmatisme buku ini dijelaskan dalam bagian akhir bab satu, terutama ketika penulisnya, Scott Kelby “mulai serius” menulis buku ini. Kelby berusaha menempatkan dirinya sebagai teman Anda saat berburu foto (padahal dia cuma menulis buku) alih-alih menguliahi pembacanya dengan istilah-istilah asing yang mungkin terdengar keren tapi tidak berguna dalam pemotretan. Kelby ingin agar pembaca dan buku ini seperti ia dan Anda pada saat memotret bersama. Alasan inilah yang menjadikan buku ini terasa padat dengan tips dan trik-nya. Ini buku tentang MENGAPA dan BAGAIMANA dalam fotografi.

Tentang Mengapa dan Bagaimana dalam fotografi tentu tidak mudah dijelaskan dengan singkat karena cakupannya sangat luas. Oleh karena itu buku ini mencoba mempersempitnya dengan membahas situasi-situasi yang paling umum dijumpai dalam fotografi seperti pernikahan, pemandangan, perjalanan, peristiwa olahraga, memotret manusia dan memotret bunga. Selain itu disertakan pula pembahasan mengenai masalah-masalah yang biasa dihadapi dalam pemotretan secara umum seperti masalah baterai, guncangan, etika pemotretan di tempat tertentu, dan lain-lain.

Pembahasan mengenai masalah-masalah yang biasa dihadapi dalam situasi-situasi di atas disajikan dengan padat dan cukup lengkap, setidaknya bagi amatir yang ingin menjadi profesional. Pada bagian memotret lanskap misalnya, Kelby memberikan saran kapan harus menggunakan tripod, mengapa kita sebaiknya tidak terburu-buru memasang tripod begitu sampai di lokasi, saran untuk memotret hutan, gunung, dan air terjun. Kelby juga menjelaskan kapan sebaiknya aturan sepertiga diikuti, kapan pula harus dilanggar.

Saran-saran dan penjelasan Kelby disertai dengan contoh foto yang keren meskipun besarnya tidak satu halaman penuh. Meskipun hal ini agak mengurangi kemegahan foto, namun foto bagus masih tetap terasa bagus. Selain itu, penyertaan contoh foto ini memudahkan pembaca dalam memahami penjelasan Kelby dan bisa memprovokasi pembaca untuk membuat foto seperti yang ia buat. Bahkan dalam bab terakhir, Kelby memberikan penjelasan foto per foto tentang bagaimana cara pengambilannya. Penjelasan ini tidak sekedar info diafragma atau kecepatan rana, namun juga saran untuk mengatasi kondisi-kondisi sulit yang mungkin dihadapi dalam pengambilan foto tersebut.

Buku ini merupakan volume pertama dari tiga volume The Digital Photography Book yang ditulis Scott Kelby. Setelah membaca isinya, tidak salah rasanya jika buku ini mendapat predikat “the best-selling digital photography book all time”. Menurut saya, predikat ini bukan sekedar bualan saja. Meskipun begitu, tentu saja buku ini tidak dapat membahas seluruh situasi pemotretan karena keterbatasan tempat.

[Gianfranco Nerdi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not really a book for teaching the basics in a systematic, orderly fashion (although it does teach some).
This is a book that presents a variety of practical tips - each occupying a page - that a beginner with already some understanding of the basics might find useful.
Many of the tips are pretty trivial and ones that I already knew about and really had no need to be reminded of, but some have stuck and would have definitely come in handy in my earlier days as a photographer. What are some of those tips? Well,
1. If you cannot beat them, join them - if you cannot get a perfectly sharp image because of wind, try to emphasize the movement caused by it instead, and try to be creative.
2. Don't try to capture everything - if you can't, focus on details and consider showing one part. As Bruce Barnbaum aptly put it, photography is not an art of inclusion, it is an art of exclusion. (not that I really believe photography is an art) If something does not add to the composition, it usually takes away from it.
2. Do not be shy about using the flash in outdoor situations. Sometimes, you need it.
3. Don't cut off joints.
4. If shooting JPEGs, use a preset white balance.
5. For landscapes, shoot either at dawn or at dusk.
6. Do not put the horizon line dead in the center, depending on what you are seeking to emphasize, you might want to put it at the bottom third of your photo if you want to emphasize the sky, or at the top, in order to emphasize the ground.
7. To show size, shoot the main subject with something else in the picture for comparison.
8. Remember: Manual mode is just another exposure mode on your camera. It isn't a magic silver bullet for taking great pictures. If the Auto mode gets you the result that you want, there is nothing shameful in using it.

Curiously, most of these are not the kind of hands-on tips most of the book is comprised of.

The photo-recipes at the end are pretty interesting.

That's basically all I have to say about this book. The second book is probably a tad better as it seems to start with tips on professional lighting, which is actually tough to master.

[Cedric Jean-marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally bought this trilogy for my wife when she got into photography, shortly after however I got suckered into it as well and am now more involved in it then she. Since we had these books I figured I'd give them a once over. I believe if the books reach their intended audience they are sure to be a valuable asset.

From the get go Kelby explains his thinking behind these books as a casual conversation between friends where he leaves out much or all of the theory and just tells you straight up how to get the shots. The topics range all aspects of photography from portraits, wedding photography, landscapes, sports, flash and studio tips, and so much more.

Each book weighs in under the 200 page mark and every page is graced with a photo which quickly gives you an idea what the subject is about, if the title doesn't give it away. I like Scott and his method and am subscribed to his online training catalog of videos, unfortunately much of what is covered in the books I've already seen in his videos. I did learn plenty despite feeling a little underwhelmed with the level of detail but I can't fault him for that as it was quite clear from the outset what his goal was when he wrote them and I say when keeping that in mind he's achieved that goal quite well.

I personally would have preferred more theory and detail but that isn't really the authors fault. I'm still glad I read them and recommend them to anyone looking for exactly what he describes. Want to know how to get that effect where the subject is in focus but the background or foreground is out of focus (known as depth of field or bokeh) he'll tell you straight up how to do it. Overall easy reads and they achieve what the author set out to do despite not meeting my entire needs I feel it would be unfair to give the books a bad score simply because I ignored the authors intent from the beginning.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very light read and not something for someone who wants to know the ins and outs of photography.

I would describe it as a book of handy hints and tips for getting a good shot composition-wise, as the emphasis is on the end result rather than the process. If you want to learn about exposure, shutter speed et al look elsewhere first as this book merely touches on them.

Admittedly, Kelby's writing style was rather wordy and I found myself scanning pages at times, trying to find the tips among the chit-chat.

Still, I'm glad I read it and in the future, once I'm well versed in how to set up my camera, I will probably read the other volumes.

[Antigone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book but isn't for the advanced photographer..... its for those of us who got a spiffy Nikon DX40 and are trying to harkin back to the old SLR photo classes we took in highschool to remember what ISO and Aperture and such mean. He is an amazing read - very funny and direct. But again.... this ISN'T a book for advanced users - though I kinda thought by the awesome cover it would be.

Also, he has an amazing blog you should subscribe to. And this week, I learned from his blog, all his books will be on sale an Barnes and Noble... in an end cap! Look for them.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I am not a complete digital photography novice, I do have a lot to learn still, I looked at the reviews of this and decided to give it a go.

It gives good practical advice which is written in an easy to understand manner. His humor may not be to everyone's taste, but it does lighten the mood of the book, making it very readable. It is the type of book that you can just delve into the sections that you want to find out more information about. He does not waste time on technical explanations but just writes what you have to do in order to achieve a certain target.

[Jenna ❤ ❀ ❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It's full of so much useful information for amateurs like me who wish to learn more about photography. The book is very readable; interspersed with all the photography wisdom, know-how, and tips, are funny scenarios, sarcastic sentences, and downright silliness, that made me bust out laughing many times. The author, Scott Kelby, is a riot and very fun to read! I just wish I had read this book before the recent trip I took. I will for sure be reading the other 3 books in this series --- and certainly before any future trips!!

[Ramzy Shrayyef · Rating 5 out of 5]

بعيداً عن الشروحات التقنية المملة، يقدم سكوت كيلبي في هذا الكتاب العملي مجموعة من النصائح حول أساليب التصوير الاحترافي كما ينصح أي مصور محترف صديقه في رحلة تصوير!.

الكتاب لا يتطرق لمعاني المصطلحات الرقمية أو يقدم الشروحات حولها، فالقارئ بحاجة لمعرفة أساسيات التعامل مع الكاميرات الرقمية الاحترافية ومعاني المصطلحات المستخدمة قبل البدء في قراءة الكتاب.

الكتاب هو الجزء الأول من السلسلة المؤلفة من أربعة أجزاء.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been into photography recently (very original, I know) and sometime last week, I decided to browse photography books. Browsing turned to reading of course. I think the guards at Powerbooks Greenbelt recognize me already.

I certainly have picked up a lot of tips from the book. I like that it's very easy to read and doesn't use "photography jargon." I'm looking forward to applying what I've read the next time I take my camera for a spin.

[Amy Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it because it's written in such a way I can almost flip right to the page I'm looking for. Nice large photo at the top of each page references what is taught there. Easy read style packed with much information! I get the author's desire to be funny and engaging, sometimes it's a little much is all. I'll be putting it in my gear bag to take with me. Time to practice these tips in the field!