Product Description

Scott Kelby, the man who changed the "digital darkroom" forever with his groundbreaking, #1 bestselling, award-winning book The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, now tackles the most important side of digital photography--how to take pro-quality shots using the same tricks today's top digital pros use (and it's easier than you'd think).

This entire book is written with a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott describes it: "If you and I were out on a shoot, and you asked me, 'Hey, how do I get this flower to be in focus, but I want the background out of focus?' I wouldn't stand there and give you a lecture about aperture, exposure, and depth of field. In real life, I'd just say, 'Get out your telephoto lens, set your f/stop to f/2.8, focus on the flower, and fire away.' You d say, 'OK,' and you'd get the shot. That's what this book is all about. A book of you and I shooting, and I answer the questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I've learned just like I would with a friend, without all the technical explanations and without all the techno-photo-speak."

This isn't a book of theory—it isn't full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts: this is a book of which button to push, which setting to use, when to use them, and nearly two hundred of the most closely guarded photographic "tricks of the trade" to get you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos with your digital camera every time you press the shutter button.

Here's another thing that makes this book different: each page covers just one trick, just one single concept that makes your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you'll learn another pro setting, another pro tool, another pro trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. There's never been a book like it, and if you're tired of taking shots that look "OK," and if you’re tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, "Why don't my shots look like that?" then this is the book for you.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 219 pages

Review
"Kelby's laid-back writing style is perfect for those looking for fascinating insights without getting caught up in technical detail. An essential series for anyone wanting to take professional looking images." Laurence Howell, Short List

About the Author
Scott Kelby is President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and Editor-in-Chief of both Photoshop User and Layers magazines. Scott serves as training director for the Adobe Photoshop Seminar Tour and is the technical chair of the largest Photoshop gathering in the industry, Photoshop World. He has written numerous best-selling creative technology books.

Customer Reviews

Everything it promises and more
My wife has just discovered an interest in photography, and she has a natural eye for it, but was lacking the instruction necessary to become better at her own pace. All of my more advanced Photoshop and photo editing books (I'm a professional illustrator and cartoonist) have proven to be quite intimidating for her, as she was just looking to get started without being overwhelmed.

I recently bought her this book and she is thrilled with it. It doesn't treat her like a child and gives her real information she can use. We have a decent point-and-shoot digital camera, and she is looking to get a digital SLR after she learns more about photography. But it's great to see her passionate about digital photography and not so intimidated by it. This book has gone a long way to easing her apprehension.

This book manages to be funny and unpretentious as well as very professional and informative. I've bought a number of Scott Kelby's books and they always hit what they aim at. This one is no exception.

There are many, many digital photography books out there. Start with this one.

Fantastic book for beginner to intermediate photographers
As far as my knowledge of photography is concerned, I'd say I'm between a beginner and intermediate.

I've started reading other books on photography, but I've dropped them because they were boring, and I can't stand trying to understand visual things like exposure when there are no pictures to demonstrate what the author is saying. This book is not like that at all. There is at least one picture on every page, and those pictures sum up perfectly what he's been saying.

I can't read for extended periods of time, and I'm not a fast reader, but the night I received this, I read over 70 pages, and after that, I read it every free moment I had.

It's the best book I've ever read on photography, and I would recommend it without a doubt.

Great read
Even if you're not a camera buff or photography wiz, you'll enjoy reading this excellent book. It's not over your head and is filled with excellent advice, put forth in a no-nonsense manner. At times even funny, this is an excellent book for amateurs and professionals alike. While I normally read fiction like THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE, I picked this up on a whim--I'm not sorry and neither will you be.