The Digital Photography Book Reviews

• Good info, but Kelby's "fooled ya!" sense of humor is a NUISSANCE

  
  By A2GWZ040EO79IJ on 2006-12-09
  I really wanted to write a glowing review for "The Digital Photography Book"... I've been looking for a good tome of insider tips for digital SLRs for a long time, so when I found Kelby's book I was ecstatic! A quick skim showed many great tips; however, after reading the first page of chapter 1 where he carried on about the phrase "TACK SHARP" I began to lose faith.
  
  Here is an excerpt (talking about the origins of the phrase Tack Sharp - meaning a "clear photo"):
  
  "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. Now, these may seem like highly technical terms at first, but once you realize that I totally made them up, it doesn't seem so complicated, does it? Now, you have to admit, it sounded pretty legitimate at first. I mean, I almost had ya, didn't I? Come on, you know I had you, and I'll bet it was that "color temperature of light" thing I put in parenthesis that helped sell the idea that it was real, right? It's okay to admit you were fooled..."
  
  Is this for real? Maybe his editor was asleep. He makes a lame joke out of trying to fool the reader, then carries on for half a paragraph laughing at how clever he is! I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he continued with this 'fooled ya' theme by writing fake subheadings on the next SIX sections:
  
  The Real Secret to Getting Sharp Photos
  "sorry about duping you with "The Real Secret to Getting Sharp Photos" headline..."
  
  Perhaps Even More Important Than That
  "Again, ignore that headline. It's just a cheap come-on to get you to keep reading."
  
  If You Skip This, Throw Away Your Camera
  "Still a fake headline. Don't let it throw you."
  
  If You Do This Wrong, It Will Lock Up
  "It's not as good as the last fake headline, but we're only one more page away from the real chapter content, so I'm backing it off a little."
  
  It's Time to Get Serious
  "I have good news: Not only are we at the end of this "fake headline" thing, you'll also be happy to know that from here on out, the rest of the book isn't laced with the wonderfully inspired (lame) humor you found on these first few pages."
  
  Oh... Okay - so he's dropping the annoying stuff. Good. On to learn.
  
  But NO! In Chapter 2, right away he's at it again! Below he describes ways to get around the problem of pollen dulling the color of flowers (???)
  
  "Now, there is a special photographic filter (called the Flora 61B from PhotoDynamics) that can help reduce the effects of this pollination and both bring back the sharpness and reduce the graying effect, but because of U.S. trade sanctions imposed by the Federal Trade Commission, we can no longer buy this filter direct. Especially because I totally made this whole thing up. I can't believe you fell for this two chapters in a row. Seriously, how are you going to get good flower photos if you're falling for the old Flora 61B trick? Okay, I'm just teasing you, but seriously..."
  
  I hate having to stay on constant patrol for full paragraphs of combed cr*p when I'm trying to learn something new! I don't care how good the "real" content is, I'm not going to sift through fertilizer to get to it!
  
  If you find this type of humor funny, or wonder what I'm making such a big deal about, then you'll probably find this a very fun, interesting read.
  
  If you don't like wondering whether or not the author is "pulling your leg this time, too", then you'll probably chuck this book out the window.
  
  I hope he has the sense to release a second edition with all of the un-funny stuff removed.
  
  

• How you can get professional results with your equipment.

  
  By A1EX58ZXEZR46C on 2006-09-07
  I have enjoyed photography as a hobby for 50+years. I own a Canon 20D and am a Scott Kelby fan. He is a great photoshop expert, yet emphasizes the importance of getting the best possible shot when taking the picture, to make your time in photoshop more enjoyable. You don't have to work as hard if you make the correct exposure to begin with.
  Scott approaches each chapter with some humor, and really understands what you really need is a clear bottom line on how to approach the person or subject you want to photograph.
  I received my book Sept 4th, read it and used some of his tips shooting 500+ volleyball pictures Sept 5th. I think I can see some improvement in my pictures already.
  He has equipment recommendations and shooting tips for the person that has just bought a digital camera to the person that uses it to make a living.
  He has worked alongside of professionals learning tips on how to process the digital photographs and how to best print them. Scott believes photography can be more fun if you get results you like by using some of the basic principles used by professional photographers.
  I have unhesitatingly recommended this book to several of my friends.
  This is one of the least expensive camera related purchases that I have made to bring my excitement of photography to a new level.
  I am quite certain you won't be disappointed, especially if you own a Nikon or Canon digital SLR.
  I expect my copy to become dog eared from use.
  
  
  

• If you Own a Digital Camera You Will Benefit from This Book

  
  By A1AHG76Y8S89BJ on 2006-09-05
  
  This is the most practical and useful book on digital photography that you will find on the shelves. The book is Filled with tips and tricks of the trade that the professional photographers use every day to get wonderful looking pictures using nothing but a digital camera similar to the one you have. Why their photographs look better than yours? Well is not always the camera, most of the credit is to know how to take advantage of the camera you have: selecting the right settings for different situations, choosing the right location, etc.
  
  Full of examples and straight to the point tips, this book will definitively improve the quality of every single shot you take. When I compare the pictures I took before I read the book with my latest pictures, it looks like I am know using a far better or more expensive digital camera, but the only difference is the know-how I gained from the book.
  
  

• A Good Book That Begins Beyond the Basics

  
  By A1SUABPLMXZXCK on 2006-10-21
  Since I'm offering an opinion (and review) on the book, The Digital Photography Book, I think a brief look at my background may give what follows a bit more veracity. I am an enthusiastic advanced amateur photographer with roughly 40 years of experience that includes a goodly number of awards and published photos. I shut down my wet darkroom a few years ago and have happily traded film and silver-based images for electrons, pixels and ink jet printing.
  Enough about me; now let's look at the latest book by Scott Kelby (of National Association of Photoshop Professionals fame): The Digital Photography Book.
  This is a different kind of animal in the world of self-help photography books. The author describes the experience of reading the book as having your good friend--who also happens to be an expert in digital photography--standing besides you while you're taking pictures.
  The book lives up to Scott's description--complete with the frequent interjection of his quirky sense of humor. (Warning, watch out for the first page of Chapter One.)
  I don't feel this is a book for complete novices--either in photography or in the use of digital equipment. Scott assumes the readers already know the basics of how their cameras work (what and where the controls are) and have used their cameras long enough to know what else they want to learn to take better photographs.
  Another reason some basic knowledge of photography is necessary to get the most from this book is that Scott doesn't shy away from including the terms in common use by digital photographers today: ISO, white balance, focal length, lens aperture, etc. He also assumes the readers have the desire to move up in the ranks from point-and-shooters to at least competent amateurs. Therefore, Scott includes numerous suggestions about photographic gear he feels can help any photographer take better pictures--and, although he breaks his suggestions down by price range, much of the gear still comes with a hefty price tag.
  A look at the chapter titles also confirms that Scott was not writing a teach-everything book for all readers. The 11 chapters include specialized topics, such as, Shooting Flowers like a Pro, Shooting Weddings Like a Pro, Shooting Sports Like a Pro and Taking Advantage of Digital Like a Pro. For me, the final chapter, Photo Recipes to Help You Get "The Shot", was the best part of the book. This is where Scott puts everything together and takes his readers into the field to practice what they've learned.
  So, do I like The Digital Photography Book? More importantly, do I recommend it? Yes, to both of these questions; but, as I mentioned above, to get the most out of the book, the reader should have at least point-and-shoot digital experience and a basic vocabulary of photographic terms.
  One final note. The book can be read front to back, or chapters can be sampled at random to learn just the techniques each reader needs. At the offered price, I think The Digital Photography Book definitely has a place in a well-rounded photographer's library.
  
  
  

• THIS BOOK WILL STAY IN MY CAMERA BAG!!!

  
  By A3R7DOF2RIIT3L on 2006-09-02
  I have never written a book review before but after reading almost the whole book in one day I had no choice but to give my opinion. I just received this book today 01 Sep 2006 and I can't put it down. It covers so many aspects of shooting in various modes and makes it simple enough for me to understand. I use a Canon 5D and 20D and have been into photography for about 6 months. All I can say is that I have looked at several books and read several online forums and tutorials...etc. This book covers everything I need to know to get that WOW factor out of my shots. Scott Kelby you are the best and this book is more than GREAT. When does "BOOK 2" get released....Anyway, I hope others that get this book enjoy it as much as I do.
  
  
• Beginner to Intermediate Book for great results.
  By A3RF8S2A2KDWJF on 2006-10-18
  This is a wonderful book for beginning and intermediate photographers who want to know the tricks of the professional photographers out there. Although this book could be useful to those with pocket digital cameras, I believe this book is best suited to owners of DSLR Camera's.
  
  The chapters of the book are as follows:
  
  1. Pro tips for getting really sharp photos.
  2. Shooting flowers like a pro.
  3. Shooting weddings like a pro.
  4. Shooting landscapes like a pro.
  5. Shooting sports like a pro.
  6. Shooting people like a pro.
  7. Avoid problems like a pro.
  8. Taking advantage of digital like a pro.
  9. Taking travel & city life shots like a pro.
  10. How to print like a pro and other cool stuff.
  11. Photo recipes to help you get "The Shot".
  
  I found the chapters to be laid out in an easy to understand format and each chapter builds your knowledge for future chapters. This book is also small enough that I can shove it into my camera bag or backpack as reference material for those times when I just can't remember which aperature setting or lens I should be using to get "The Shot", as Scott calls it.
  
  Overall, I can't see anyone except for professional or advanced photographers being disappointed with this book. At $15-20 for the book you really can't go wrong.
  
  
• Good read for intermediate DSLR user, bad jokes aside
  By A3P60QO5L6XW87 on 2006-12-25
  It's obvious Kelby's book was too short and he needed lots of fluff to get his minimum word count. The jokes are absolutely terrible. It's a classic example of someone who's not funny trying to be funny. Hey Scott, leave the jokes to Deke ok?
  
  This is an intermediate book. Advanced users aren't going to get much out of it, just a basic reminder of what they already know. Beginners are going to enjoy it, but they'll also need another book such as Understanding Exposure by Peterson.
  
  One thing I really liked is he didn't waste too much time on basics, especially aperture etc. This was a relief. The second thing I really liked is it was written as if we were out shooting together and I was asking questions. I love this casual format and the book was extremely easy to read (I read it all in one sitting). He also turned me on to some equipment I wasn't aware of (the stop down filter, which goes from 2 to 8 stops is very cool until I almost had a heart attack when I saw the $300 price). He really stresses the importance of a tripod and shooting at dawn & dusk. I've heard these before but for some reason am still disappointed with my hand-held midday photos. I think this is a big one, because most people want magazine quality photos but don't have the time for it (myself included).
  
  The section at the end describes why some of the photos "work". I found myself thinking I don't want to take a photo like that on several of them (he is famous for his photoshop skills, not his photography skills) but it was a good wrap-up of the basics presented throughout the book.
  
  Finally, there were a few bits of information that I found controversial. Such as using f11 for portraits. That usually puts the background in focus. Another, he recommends a shredder to shred your old photo CD/DVDs before throwing them away. Wouldn't a pair of scissors do just as well? But it gets more serious: He states that "you" (the reader) will never be able to get the types of shots you see in magazines. And why is that? Because even if you get up at 5:30am all the good spots will have already been taken. And I don't think this was another one of his bad jokes. I found it very negative and discouraging.
  
  Overall, I liked this book much better than many of the others I've seen but it did frustrate me nonetheless. I think it's helpful for beginners and intermediate users. Even if you know all of that (who doesn't know one should use a tripod?) it's a good reminder with plenty of examples. I think the book could have went a little farther and gave some really useful information instead of describing all the Epson printer models.
  
  It's a shame, because this book really had the potential to be a 5 star
  book, but it falls short. Kelby brags about having written 37 books. I would prefer a few outstanding ones than 37 that are just good enough to get published.
  
  
  
  
• Great reference material
  By A2C96GIU0NA6WJ on 2006-09-12
  I read this book cover to cover in about 2 1/2 hours (clearly I found it very enlightening). Kelby notes in the beginning that this is a book more for people who want to know what to do to get the shot, as a friend would tell you when you're out shooting together, rather than reading theory behind why things need to be shot the way they are. Don't get me wrong, that stuff is VERY important (Ansel Adams' "The Camera" is on deck for my reading list, as thinking about getting the shots made me think now about why the things work the way they do). However, sometimes you just want to know what to set the camera at to get this or that shot. This is the book for those times. Kelby's always-charming and amusing writing style helps to make even more sense of all the details.
  
  
  I can't recommend this book enough, both as a starting point for different types of photography, and as a reference manual--it's going to have a permanent spot in my camera bag for when I need to remember what to do when I'm out shooting. Happy reading!
  
  
• Irritating style, superficial content
  By A2NI6WYY7ZNM2H on 2007-09-07
  The writing style in this book is incredibly distracting and irritating, especially for non-american readers. It begins with 2 pages of gushing thanks to God, Jesus, the author's lovely wife, the author's lovely children, etc, then continues with about 5 pages of absolute drivel in a failed attempt to establish a jokey rapport with the reader. Then finally we get a couple of pages of technical photographic advice, then that's Chapter 1. Chapter 2 starts with more jokey stuff, and so on. I was ready to burn the book by Chapter 3.
  
  The plan for the book is a nice concept: one photographic tip per page. While this makes it very digestible, unfortunately the small page size and the large font mean that each page carries very little information, so the text is superficial and disjointed.
  
  I have read a lot of photography how-to books, and this one did not contain anything new to me. I found most of the technical tips far too basic, too general and sometimes incorrect or oversimplified. On the other hand, I think a beginner in photography would find this book bewildering because there is insufficient detail.
  
  I would recommend The New Manual of Photography over this book in all respects.
  
  
  
• Own a SLR camera? Buy This book
  By A3CUOLQHPX0OJG on 2006-09-12
  This book was great and made it into my camera bag immediately. I liked the fact that he just gives you the mode and camera settings to get a specific kind of shot and you only had to read a half a page. The pictures in the book give you good ideas on what to look for and there are some great tips that will save you money and time. When you try the settings and see the results it amazes you that this book was not done years ago. I have read a few other books and taken some classes but this book was by far the best thing I have found to help me out so far. Considering my Camera and Gear is worth about $4000 this $13 book was an easy decision and I'd buy the next one the day it was available.
  
  
• Easy to read, funny, unpretentious, and very informative
  By A3RK8E2F8ZETXG on 2006-09-24
  Scott Kelby doesn't fool around. He only gives you what you need. His book is easy to read and contains a wealth of information that takes you from a beginner to an intermediate photography right away. It's not for the experts; but there are pearls here and there even for the pros. Over all, I think this book will help anyone who has recently picked up photography as a hobby.
  
  
• THIS BOOK WILL STAY IN MY CAMERA BAG!
  By A32TKK33HK1T4L on 2006-09-11
  This is a must have book for people wanting to take great photos. It really makes it easier to understand what is going on with taking photos, buying equipment, and printing, everything you need to take and process great photos. I own a Nikon D70 and in just a few minutes of reading his book I know more about what my camera can do than all the other books I have read. I read the entire book the day it arrived and plan too read it again and keep it in my camera bag for a quick reference guide.
  
  
• A Great book for improving you Photography skills
  By A1P5N909O9ZLK5 on 2006-12-12
  This is a great book for the average photo enthusiast. The goal of the book is to teach an average photographer to take great photos. Its relatively short and each point only takes a page to explain. Also the explanations are short and to the point. Kelby doesn't prattle on about optic theory or other mundane issues, instead he tells you that pros generally do this or that. As Kelby says in his intro, he giving you tips as if you were a buddy out shooting photos with him. Kinda like a photography mentor that is giving you pointers to improve you photos.
  
  The book is arranged by the type of photography being pursued. Flowers, Weddings, Landscapes, People, Sports, and Travel. Kelby is considered a Photoshop authority, so he covers some of that and and also what to focus on to prevent problems in photos that can't be fixed with Photoshop. He also does something that few authors are willing to do; he makes suggestions about equipment and vendors. While this type of information gets dated quickly in a book, its interesting to hear what he thinks is a good product.
  
  His writing style is casual and humorous, which I appreciate. The topic can be rather dry, but Kelby's style of writing and the quick pace of the book kept me awake and engaged. I have read many books on digital photography and most assume that you recently had your brain erased and therefore you know nothing about photography. Consequently, those books start at the most basic of information and don't seem to teach you how to get great shots. They also put me to sleep. This is the only book I have seen that is different.
  
  Is some of the advice oversimplifying it to a degree? Sure it is. Not everything can be improved using the photo recipes that Kelby gives you, but for the average photographer, the general rules will help produce better photos and thats what its all about.
  
  
• Disappointing
  By A388Y48VQR83IH on 2007-05-31
  I have been taking digital photos for a few years and recently upgraded my camera to have more control over my pictures. I also read a few books to learn specifically about the differences between digital and 35mm photography. After reading the reviews of this book I expected to be dazzled with useful information. I was not. Here are some of the reasons.
  *The author is not a very good writer. He tries to be funny and he is not (to my taste anyway). The author is very preoccupied by his own status. He is constantly talking about his famous photographer friends, blah, blah, blah. I thought this was going to be a book about hands-on technique...Show the photos and explain how they were taken.
  *The quality of the book is poor. The book is small and the paper and printing are cheap. The paper is magazine quality.
  *It seems that nearly half the photos in the book are stock photos, not taken by the author. That surprised me.
  
  This book might be okay if you know abolutely nothing about photography but I found it simple and uninspiring. There was no single photo in this book by Mr. Kelby that made me say "wow".
  
  I found The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography (Amphoto Guide Series) to be a far superior book; well written with great photos, all by the author.
  
  
• Great handy dandy field guide to digital photography
  By ABKNRVFFLEA3M on 2006-11-18
  If you're looking for an A-Z digital photography primer, look elsewhere. If on the other hand, you're looking for tips, tricks, and hints at making your pictures better, this is it. Kelby assumes you know your way around a camera and proceeds to impart wisdom on virtually every aspect of the actual picture-taking process. This is not a technical book that devotes page after page to the science behind a CCD, magnetic storage media, etc. It is a book that will help you produce better results. And, it's accessible by photographers of all levels - Kelby keeps most topics to 1-2 pages each (or less!). Many of Kelby's tips could apply to film photography as well. Buy it today and start taking better pictures tomorrow.
  
  
• Annoying Beyond Belief!!
  By A2R6R1XTCT8VM9 on 2007-09-24
  The Digital Photography Book
  
  I read a couple of reviews that pointed out this author's ill considered attempt to insert humor in a book that is alleged to help folks with their digital photography, but I didn't pay attention. What a mistake!! The nonsense begins on the very first page and continues for what seems like forever, and he isn't even funny!! Why do so many people think that good comedy is easy, when it is actually far more difficult that digital photography. If you are willing to suffer through this stuff to be told that you need to steady the camera to get sharp pictures and pay attention to good posing to get good porrtraits, then ignore this review and buy this book. If you want your tips straight, then buy one of the many other good primers on digital photography that are on Amazon!!
  
  
• Below normal
  By AJRSYCGHFUZHU on 2007-04-19
  While this book covered many interesting topics there wasn't much depth and I thought the author was glib and less than professional. Of the many photography books I own this is one of the few I will probably pass on to others or trade in at a used book store. Oh Well.
  
  
• Good for the beginner
  By A23SN5Y7D2NAPB on 2006-11-02
  This is a good book for someone new to photography. Most intermediate on up shooters will find little in it to advance their skill. Ok for a reminder of basic approaches but nothing else.
  
  
• Fantastic Book for the Digital Photographer!!!
  By A16YTK7OX5J0Q0 on 2006-11-17
  I love this book, and could probably end the review right here because that sums it up for anyone who is into photography and wants to learn how to get professional looking shots. I am not a book person, I normally prefer the video version of most things - but with this book, I couldn't put it down, I read it cover to cover, learned a ton about camera equipment and how to get quality photographs. And with the way Scott writes his books, it's a nice easy read and you'll even crack a smile now and again throughout the book.
  
  And for the price?!?! It's not even a thought - just buy it! It's the best resource book out there for digital photographers who are serious about getting quality shots but are just missing the essential tips - this book will help you "get the shot" without all the technical mumbo jumbo. This book travels with me whenever I go out to shoot, I especially like the recipe section at the end. Great work Scott!
  
  
• Not Very Useful
  By A34JTXXFHTY7TW on 2007-12-26
  This book might be ok for people who never took a single photo in their lives. If you are serious about photography, you will regret this purchase. There are far better alternatives elsewhere. In addition, the author's (unnecesary) use of lame humor is rather irritating.
  
  
  
• too basic
  By A1ZTZEQCKK8R8J on 2006-10-08
  I have a lot of Scott's books and was looking forward to getting this one. I am an avid amature photographer with quality equipment and proficent in CS2 thanks to Scott's help. This book was a disappointment in that it didn't go much beyond basics. I was expecting more detail and pro tricks and procedures. If you are looking for an intro book into using a digital SLR this is it.
  
  
• A valuable book that is an excellent value
  By A58RBP3D60DJD on 2006-11-05
  I recently purchased a very nice digital camera for work. The one we had before was good for taking photos of our students for the roster, but every photo I shot of a live speaker or group events was just pitiful. So we popped for a Canon EOS Rebel XT and I figured I'd better learn how to use it. After all, what good is the investment if I still take lousy photos with it?
  
  Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book is every bit as straight and to the point as its title. Well let me qualify that slightly. While Kelby does get to the point, he doesn't do it with a straight face. His writing is infused with a sense of humor that worked well with me. I wasn't sure what to expect when I got this book. I just knew that I had a knack for taking ho-hum photos, digital or otherwise, and any instruction had to help. I guess I expected a lot of "use this kind of lighting" and "set your f-stop at..." sorts of advice. There are those kinds of tips to be sure, but there are also an amazing number of forehead-slappingly simple things and insider insights that make a world of difference.
  
  Kelby jumps right into the basics of how to get "tack sharp" photos, reasoning that "If your photos aren't sharp, the rest doesn't matter." He starts out with the equipment you need over and above your camera to get the kind of shots you want - tripod, ball head, cable release, level, etc. I'm sure that will have many of you reaching to protect your wallet, but have no fear. In many cases he gives alternatives that you can use in a pinch. Granted, he generally represents them as what to do when you are caught without all your equipment, but they can also be considered low-cost alternatives. In most cases when he suggests new hardware he is very specific about brand and models he would recommend at various price ranges. I found this very helpful. It's one thing for someone to tell me to buy a tripod, but have you ever gone looking for one? Not only are the choices overwhelming, but the number of ways you can configure them are as well. Kelby makes it much simpler.
  
  After laying out the ground rules for equipment, settings and terminology he jumps right into a series of practical chapters such as Shooting Flowers Like a Pro, Shooting Weddings Like a Pro, Shooting Sports Like a Pro and more. He has chapters which deal with some of the problems and advantages unique to digital cameras and digital photography. Did you know you should bring extra batteries when you are shooting in colder weather? I didn't. He wraps up the book with two very useful chapters - How to Print Like a Pro and Other Cool Stuff and Photo Recipes to Help You Get "The Shot". The latter is just one shot scenario after another with the keys to making it work.
  
  Since I am such a novice I didn't know what I was looking for when I picked this book up other than tips on how to take better shots with my digital camera. After reading it I fell like I got hit with a Mack Truck full of tips. Lucky for me, I did get the number of the truck that hit me. It is "Scott Kelby" and I recommend stepping into his path as soon as you can!
  
  
• I love books written like this!
  By A3IXXWSTNWCS4G on 2006-11-14
  It is short and to the point. Who has time to read 700 page books? I don't. I just want the info I need and I want it immediately. The less time you spend reading the more time you can be taking pictures. You can browse through the book looking at the photos and if one really catches your eye you can learn how to take a pic just like it in a few minutes! No fluff, no long winded explanations, just the right amount of info you need. The book is small so you can put it in your camera bag and refer to it while you are shooting. This is one of the best books on photography I have purchased. It's a lot of useful information in very little space!
  
  
• Buy this Book BEFORE you Buy a Digital Camera
  By A3PA9UJHTLTGD3 on 2006-11-10
  This book is FUN, and easy to read. It is packed full of useful tips.
  
  One that I will share is that if you want "tack" sharp digital photos use a tripod and the self-timer. This eliminates the finger !
  
  This book is good not only for the "point-and-shoot" digital cameras, but also digital SLR.
  
  This book 'shows' photos of Nikon and Canon high end digital cameras. But, don't let this discourage you. I have a small Kodak 5 MP and I have been able to take some tips and use it with this "point-and-shoot".
  
  
• An outstanding resource
  By A2IO1ESNSIAXG3 on 2006-12-07
  I have written four books and dozens of articles about teaching, self-defense, martial arts, and related subjects. After spending thousands of dollars hiring professional photographers to illustrate my works I finally decided that I'd be best off taking the pictures myself. The challenge was that I had no idea how to go about doing that. After reading this outstanding book, I not only know how to take my own professional-quality pictures but can do so time after time.
  
  Kelby's advice is straightforward, painless to read, easy to understand, and immensely practical. No technical jargon and complicated explanations here, just simple, trouble-free guidance that anyone can take advantage of. I purchased this book for less than $12 and have already saved more than $2,500 in photographer fees. I am hugely grateful for this fine work!
  
  
• Not an answer all, but definitly helpful...
  By A31TT5GZM82PME on 2007-02-16
  If you're looking for a book that will teach you every last detail about theory, mode, and practice for digital photography, don't get this book. The book serves much more as a quick reference guide for beginning to intermediate photographers, on issues ranging from focusing to equipment, and from composition to the digital printing process.
  
  As a many other people have noticed, Scott's 'humor' is a bit much at times and probably distracts away more from the book than he may have thought when he wrote the book - but it can be ignored enough that you can still enjoy the material and learn from it.
  
  Although the real focus of the book is digital photography, there are also a lot of helpful tips on shooting situations (flowers, landscapes, weddings, portraits, etc) that will apply to any kind of camera: from digital point-and-shoots to large format film photography.
  
  Overall, the book is a helpful guide to those wishing to make their photography more refined and professional by making simple changes to what they already do.
  
  
• Skip this book
  By A3B1J67YW7CB3A on 2007-09-26
  Yes skip this book, Scott doesn't give you much in this book, I mirror the other reviewers who got really sick of his waste of time first page of every chapter (him trying, but failing, to be funny) There are much better ways of spending your money and your time
  
  
• Best Photo Book on the Market
  By A2N7QAYKZTK0T0 on 2006-10-11
  I have been in photography for over 20 years. This book is the best document covering "How to do it" I have read in years. Great for beginners and intermediates alike.
  
  
• A very good guide indeed
  By A2IGYM7K8MFJRC on 2006-11-14
  Kelby's book does a good, nearly great, job at teaching you (or suggesting as it were) how to take all kinds of different pictures. It's packed with good, illustrative photos and covers a lot of ground. The best thing by far though is that you, within minutes really, are capable of putting the information to use in real life. You don't need to read it from cover to cover. You can look up any subject that interests you and just read that one page and then you're off shooting. The size of the book also allows you to take it with you in your bag while shooting, which is a big plus.
  
  It's not perfect though. Reading "The Digital Photography Book" I coulden't help but feeling that Mr. Kelby was paid by the word writing this book. There is a quite a lot of useless text in the book ("humour" as the author calls it), which really got on my nerves. This gives a feeling of the author "not caring" in a sense (he had a quota to fill, not a goal of giving the reader the best possible book).That space could have been used to give the reader even more photo advice (not that it's scarce as it is, but still).
  
  However, if you ignore the "humourous" parts of the book it's really good. The quality of the advice given far exceeds its flaws. More than worth the price.
  
  
• pretty good...
  By A3NK6N9PCU5ENM on 2006-11-21
  I thought this book covered a lot of very good tips for beginner and intermediate photographers. It was written in a clear, easy to understand format. The only thing about the book I didn't like was his attempt to be humerous. I thought at times he would go on far too long trying to be funny, when comedy just isn't his forte. But this would be a good book for any aspiring photographer.
  
  

• The Photoshop Elements 5 Book for Digital Photographers (VOICES)
• The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers,The (Voices That Matter)

• The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2
• Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)
• The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
• The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography (Amphoto Guide Series)
• The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters (Voices That Matter)