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Get the Most from Your Digital Camera: The Ultimate Guide to Digital Cameras, Software, Printing and Technique
Applicable to all digital cameras from the most basic compacts on up. From basic information about what a digital camera can do, to simple and easy-to-follow methods of touching up your photographs, Get the Most from your Digital Camera gives invaluable tips and ideas on using digital photography to its full potential. It explains the basics, tells how digital cameras work, plus offers information about image files, how to take better pictures and how to manipulate them. Readers will find detailed information on how to print the best digital images, arrange them into electronic albums, send them by email or post them on a website, as well as learn how to perform a host of other tasks not possible before the advent of digital cameras.
- GenresPhotographyNonfiction
Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 19, 2012
This book got me started in photography, and it's the best book I know for getting serious with photography. It assumes no prior knowledge, it's loaded with pictures, and it focuses on universal techniques that work with any equipment (so there's no pressure to spend a lot of money before you get started).
The first few chapters cover the usual basics: camera anatomy, pixels, sensor size, ISO, aperture, depth of field, shutter speed, focal length, focusing, and so on. Everything is demonstrated with examples (e.g., a noisy, high ISO pictures compared with the same picture taken at a lower ISO). The author also covers digital basics like types of memory cards, computers, software, important file formats, printers, color calibration, and the overall digital workflow. Importantly, all of this is covered from a practical perspective: it's concise, there's enough information to get a good understanding of each topic, but it's not so much depth that it gets dry. There are lots of sidebars for special topics, which helps break up the reading too.
The next few chapters cover the artistic side, including composition basics and general tips for going out shooting. This section goes into detail about shooting several kinds of photos: night shots, flash photos, movement, portraits, landscapes, architecture, travel, still-life, macro, animals, and abstracts. This section is especially valuable because it's full of practical advice for taking all kinds of pictures as well as great photos (which I continue to use for inspiration).
The book ends with basics of post-processing, including various kinds of composites. This is important background too, though I personally find it less interesting.
The only downside about this book is that some of the technical recommendations (types of cameras, memory cards, and computers) really are getting a bit dated. (The newer edition may be better in this regard.) But the selection of topics, the coverage, and (of course) the photos that reinforce each topic make this an excellent starter book. It gave me enough runway (in terms of foundational knowledge as well as inspiration) for me to practice for quite a while before reaching the point where I wanted to learn more.
The first few chapters cover the usual basics: camera anatomy, pixels, sensor size, ISO, aperture, depth of field, shutter speed, focal length, focusing, and so on. Everything is demonstrated with examples (e.g., a noisy, high ISO pictures compared with the same picture taken at a lower ISO). The author also covers digital basics like types of memory cards, computers, software, important file formats, printers, color calibration, and the overall digital workflow. Importantly, all of this is covered from a practical perspective: it's concise, there's enough information to get a good understanding of each topic, but it's not so much depth that it gets dry. There are lots of sidebars for special topics, which helps break up the reading too.
The next few chapters cover the artistic side, including composition basics and general tips for going out shooting. This section goes into detail about shooting several kinds of photos: night shots, flash photos, movement, portraits, landscapes, architecture, travel, still-life, macro, animals, and abstracts. This section is especially valuable because it's full of practical advice for taking all kinds of pictures as well as great photos (which I continue to use for inspiration).
The book ends with basics of post-processing, including various kinds of composites. This is important background too, though I personally find it less interesting.
The only downside about this book is that some of the technical recommendations (types of cameras, memory cards, and computers) really are getting a bit dated. (The newer edition may be better in this regard.) But the selection of topics, the coverage, and (of course) the photos that reinforce each topic make this an excellent starter book. It gave me enough runway (in terms of foundational knowledge as well as inspiration) for me to practice for quite a while before reaching the point where I wanted to learn more.
February 3, 2013
An easy read for beginners. Highly recommended to learn the jargon and basics.
April 11, 2019
The only reason i didnt give this 5 stars was that it was an old edition from the library and some of the aspects towards the end of the book talking about editing and storage of photos was outdated (written circa 2008?)
It had good illustrations of how different an image can look with slight tweaks and how vastly different two images can be with different settings. I liked the "tips" box on each page, covering the main points to remember. The title headings were well structured and held my interest.
Written at a good pace for a beginner to advance to a more intermediate level and suggestions of new techiniques to try. Not presented in a patronising way to the reader.
I would be interested in ourchasing a newer version to keep as a reference.
It had good illustrations of how different an image can look with slight tweaks and how vastly different two images can be with different settings. I liked the "tips" box on each page, covering the main points to remember. The title headings were well structured and held my interest.
Written at a good pace for a beginner to advance to a more intermediate level and suggestions of new techiniques to try. Not presented in a patronising way to the reader.
I would be interested in ourchasing a newer version to keep as a reference.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews