Photo Digital Frame

Review by Peter C. Byrne:

I picked this book and another by Kelby (The Digital Photography Book) based on reviews from this site and recommendations from several photography forums. When the two are compared, it is no contest Miotke’s book wins hands down. That’s not to say that Kelby’s book is terrible, it is, in fact, quite good.

The Betterphoto Guide provides a comprehensive overview of digital photography and explains the foundation on which it’s based. Technical elements like exposure and light are clearly explained in an easy to understand and succinct manner. As my understanding of the different components increased, I quickly moved away from the automatic settings on my camera (Canon Powershot A630) and the quality of my pictures soared.

Another important component of the book deals with the artistic elements of photography (Composition). What, how, and why are all discussed and all the suggestions are immediately applicable. After reading this book, I was able to compose better pictures with a tighter focus and, in addition, have gained a greater appreciation and understanding of other’s work.

There are also chapters that discuss the particular components of a digital camera. These help the reader become “acquainted” with his/her particular camera. File settings and there importance are also discussed and will help the reader decide which is right for him/her (if one’s camera allows that choice). A digital camera Buyer’s guide is included at the book’s end, which provides invaluable advice.

This book is targeted at beginners and is a great choice for both DSLR and p&s owners. My only caveat is that it will leave you wanting better equipment and more time to pursue your new habit. Er.. I mean hobby (Kelby moment).

Overall, I find this a beautifully illustrated book that provides a solid foundation on which to launch your photographic endeavor.

Review by M. Al Suwaidi:

If you are about to buy your first digital photography book or even your new compact digicam

or SLR camera let this book be your first reference. In fact, it can be your only reference as a beginner or even intermediate

photographer.

Why I like it:

————–

1. Simple language that makes it easy to understand and follow

2. A practical guide that drives you through steps to create your professional photos

3. Covers a variety of aspects concerning photography other than just shooting

4. Full of colorful pictures that clarifies what they are talking about

5. Unbelievable price! A complete photography course in a book that cost no more than .47!

6. Written by a great person JIM MIOTKE, he is professional photographer and photography instructor.

Believe me, this book is one of the BEST you could ever read in this area! And the best one to start with!

Review by Rosco I. Pirtle:

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.

Review by James R. Lowell:

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.

Review by R. Peter Belohorec:

Within fifteen chapters of his book David Weisenbarger explains basic principles of nude photography. If you want to know what is the best camera and studio lights setup for getting similar pictures (like David is getting) of your girlfriend, open minded female friend or a professional model or you are curious how to make the model forget that she is nude and make her express emotions for photography to be more interesting, get this book. This book is an excellent starting point for many of us (would-be nude photographers) that want to learn fine art of female nude photography. Many of the tricks need to be tried and tested in real life situations, but it is good when there is someone who went through the process himself and is capable of summarizing the important things for us. This makes the process so much easier. I found the book useful also because the lighting diagrams in each chapter and many detailed explanations of camera setup can be used for trying to re-create similar lighting situations and therefore (potentially) similar beautiful pictures of your own. After that it is a matter of patience of each photographer to play with details in order to perfect the image. I even found the electronic format for iPod touch to be readable and good for taking notes for later use.

Review by Michael John:

Photography is a combination of technique, creativity and most importantly a fundamental understanding of lighting. This book is going to give you a dose of all three of these elements in an extremely attractive and very easy to follow format. David, like myself has been behind the camera for many years and his results as a glamour/nude photographer have inspired him to share what he has learned in order to help other photographers improve their own photo techniques. Even for myself who shot portfolios and studio sets in NYC this book was and continues to be a great tool for practicing and seeking to perfect my own use of lighting and model poses in the eternal quest to get ‘thee shot’. Grab yourself a copy of this book, you won’t be disappointed.

Review by Nigel T. Bowyer:

a good CD, showing the basics of general photography, which is lot better than grappling with some books!!

Review by Victor I.:

I have been trying to figure out all the settings on my camera for a long time. Mark made it very easy and fun to begin to understand what all these things are and how I can adjust them for a great photo. I recommend this video highly.

Review by Keith Manter:

Okay, this is not an up-to-the-minute look at modern wedding photography techniques. In fact, it’s downright “old school” and looks like it was filmed 20 or more years ago. But…as someone still very new to wedding photography I think it can’t hurt to expose yourself to many different ways of doing things. And the price is so dirt-cheap that it’s not like you’re out much if you don’t like it.

Review by Steven G. Hughes:

Don’t let the cover photo fool you. The contents of this DVD are at LEAST 20 years old. You watch as a renowned photographer (He sounds Australian, I believe) walks through pictures of the bride, groom, family members, etc, all with his film camera. Certainly NOT recommended.