The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography (Amphoto Guide Series)

• #13 in Best Photography Books

158 Reviews

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A lot of books these days equate digital photography with Photoshop, which to me is a waste of time. If you don't take good photos to begin with, the end-result will not be good not matter how much post-precessing you do on your computer. This book actually talks about photography techiques in a very accessible fashion. Aperture, shutter speed, iso, white balance are gently de-mystified, while equal emphasis is given on the content and compositon of photographs. As a relative newbie to serious photography, I found this book's explanantions and illustrations to be very good indeed. Highly recommended!

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.

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 $16.47!
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!

This book had a 5-star average review on Amazon when I was deciding which books to buy, and for that reason (and that reason alone), I bought it. I must say I'm a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong --- this is not a bad book. But it's certainly not a 5-star book. If you want a a really good book on digital photography, try Scott Kelby's Digital Photography book. This one is more pedestrian. It's a valiant effort, but most of what's inside can be found (at no charge) on the Web. It's also a chore to read. I find myself browsing rather than reading (by way of comparison, I read Kelby's book more or less cover to cover in one sitting).

All that having been said, it's a better book than Tom Ang's Digital Photography (published by DK).

Most books about digital photography start at the beginning -- what to look for in a digital camera. Most books that teach you how to use the functions of a camera -- F stop, shutter speed, etc. -- are geared towards SLR cameras. But what if you're somewhere in the middle -- you already own a digital camera with manual settings but don't know your aperture from your white balance? Then this is the book for you.

This was the only book I really found that shows, step-by-step, the who, what, where, when and why behind the functions of the digital camera. Easy to read (this is not one of those 400-page bibles,) with accurate photographs to guide you every step of the way and assignments at the end of each chapter to give you a hands-on learning experience, you will see improvement in your photographs right away. Once you grasp the freddom and control you actually have over your photographs you will want to take your camera everywhere and apply what you've learned.

I highly recommend this book, even if you just read the highly informative captions that accompany every photograph in the book.

(edited for typo)

I bought this book--my first about photography because--because of all the positive reviews. The writing is clear and competently explains the most basic concepts of photography. I think those explanation would make useful primer for someone wanting to exploit the capabilities of a point-and-shoot camera. But for anyone wanting more help understanding the greater potential of a dsrl, or even to do interesting stuff with a point-and-shoot, the book is embarrassingly simple.

On the up side, it includes many photographs illustrating such photographic princles as are covered. On the downside, those photographs are uninspired, dull, predictable, and bland. Implicitly, the photographs Miotke uses show us novices what we can achieve if we apply his principles. But those photographs look like what a lot of people produce with ordinary point-and-shoots and without reading any books, so what does Miotke offer?

Not that these photographic principles are themselves eye-opening. Miotke spends some time, for example, explaining that sometimes to improve the framing of a subject, we should get closer to it. Wow! He illustrates this with a picture of a cowboy putting a saddle on a horse. He points out that that picture is kind of ordinary, so his inspiration is to take a tight shot of one of the studded leather saddle straps. Now, that studded strap did look cool, but a better picture? I'm not so sure about that. They both looked pretty point-and-shooty, pretty daddy-playing-with-the-camera-on-the-family-vacation to me.

So much of the praise for this rather ordinary book is so extravagant and uncritical that my suspicion is that at least some of those 5-point reviewers are shills from the "Betterphoto" enterprise. I mean, the book ain't that great.

This is an excellent, well-written introduction to digital photography. Miotke explains the basic principles of photography, and my guess is that he's done a lot of teaching which helps to make the explanations very clear and systematic. I found the chapters on exposure, aperture, shutter speed, ISO particularly helpful since I'd never totally understood how these related to each other. There are lots of photographs illustrating how aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. affect the image, and lots of tips on what one might consider basic settings, and how one can vary them depending on the circumstances. He also has a long section on composition, again with illustrations. There were a few things which he does not cover which I would have been interested in -- e.g. he doesn't explain what the different kinds of lenses are for a digital SLR camera (e.g., what does 20 mm. vs 30 mm. mean). Each chapter contains assignments designed to help one see what one's camera is capable of. He assumes you either have a compact digital cameras or a digital SLR and tailors his explanations to each kind of camera.

I recently took a black & white film photography course at Northern Illinois University. I have learned more about photography in just the first 100 pages of this Jim Miotke book than I did the entire semester at NIU. He approaches difficult ideas from a variety of different angles. He rephrases and gives multiple examples for almost everything, making it very easy to understand difficult concepts. He uses multiple full-color photos to illustrate each concept and his writing style is very engaging. I would recommend this book to any beginner to intermediate photographer.

I was getting tired of ordering books on digital photography, only to find out at least half the book was devoted to manipulating your photo on the computer. I've been a hobby photographer for about 10 years, and I wanted an explanation of the differences between 35 mm film cameras and the way a digital works. This book gave me what I was looking for. The side bar hints in each section are great. Now I know why setting my digital the way I would for a film shot is not always getting me the results I expect.

If you want a book that tells you how to use your digital camera when moving from film to digital, this is the best book I've found. It outlines all the basic information you need to make the adjustment.

I bought this book because of the five stars on Amazon. After receiving it, I was very surprised about this rating for several reasons. I do not want to make any speculations, but the overwhelming amount of 5-stars leaves the impression that many "good friends" might have been involved. Only then I read the 1-star and 2-star reviews that had come to a similar conclusion. Could also be a matter of very different taste, but somehow I don't think so. Not that the book is bad - it's OK, but it's certainly not outstanding.

Pros:
- The book gives a good overview of the most important principles and techniques of digital photography. It covers a broad range of information, e.g different exposure settings and their useful application in different situations, a brief overview over file formats, image quality and digital image development, some artistic considerations for composing photographs.
- The language is simple and easy to understand.

Cons:
- The layout is terrible, in my opinion. Colored boxes and frames everywhere. Background colors in tasteless competition with the colors of the pictures they frame. I would defenitely expect something different in a book about photography.
- The sample pictures are uninspiring to me.
- There is a lack of depth thorughout the book. The concentration of actual information is low. It's a beginners book that covers the basics, but still. I am not far away from a beginner and I would have liked more depth in almost every chapter.

Overall an average book with decent contents but failure to demonstrate what it is trying to teach.

I wanted to learn how to take better pictures with my digital camera (Canon A620) and it has manual settings I can use. I don't know anything about f/stops or aperture settings or even that you could change the amount of light output on your flash - always used a 35mm film cartridge-type camera before. This book teaches me everything I ever wanted to know about camera settings - and I like it! I love the "assignments" at the end of each chapter. I think this has made it easier for me to really know my camera - and my pictures are great! Buy it! You won't be sorry!!!

I was able to read Jim's book while on a indoor bike. I read and highlighted so much that I burned off several thousands of calories ! I thought I knew a lot about photgraphy, and Jim's book filled me with so many new concepts and better ways to learn complcated issues. For example, the relationship between aperture number(f2.8 means "large aperture" while f/22 means small aperture size). It's seen as a fraction, not a whole number. Then for shutter speeds, " Larger(denominator) numbers = Faster shutter speeds" OR "turning-off your in-camera's noise reduction OR using ISO to to give you a faster shutterspeeds. Also, I really enjoyed his examples, assignments, dozens of timely tips! Lastly, he teaches you "Why you need to know all this"? This is a very readable, enjoyable and well portrayed book.
This is one of my all time favorite books on digital photgraphy. A must read book!

I read this along with Scott Kelby's "The Digital Photography Book". They complement each other very well. Kelby's book just tells you what to do without very much about the principles behind the recommendations (which is actually one of its strengths). This book, on the other hand, discusses the fundamentals of photography and the principles of light, exposure, color, composition, etc. The illustrations are informative and high quality, as are the example photographs. There are even little assignments at the end of chapters so you can try to immediately apply what you've (hopefully) learned. It's important to realize that it's a book for beginners. If you know all about f-stops, ISO, aperture, depth of field, rule of thirds, JPEG vs. TIFF, etc then you will likely be disappointed. But if you need a place to start, I don't think you can go wrong with this book. Highly recommended.

Beautifully illustrated with Jims'photographs it also teaches all of the basics for creating great imagery be it digital or film.I found this book very easy to understand,and extremely helpful,just like his courses at betterphoto.com.I look forward to his next book!

I am an advanced amature who holds a degree in photography and I was looking for a book to use as a basic text for an introduction to photography class that I wanted to teach. I looked at several dozen and I settled on The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography. This is an easy to read, reasonably organized book with exemplar photographs to assist in illustrating the author's topics. For my purposes I wanted a supplimental text that the student could use to help understand basic concepts (exposure, depth of field, shutter speed/motion relationships, with some discussion of the digital aspects of photography such as file types and white balancing)

Any reviewer can find some error, missing information or other criticism of even the best books. When I read reviews, I am interested in the reader's objective for reading the book, because this puts the review in perspective. From the perspective of introducing novice photographers and first time digital users to basic elements of photography, this is about the best I could find that matched my style of teaching.

I found particularly useful the tips and personal assignments scattered throughout the book to encourage experimentation (a very useful learning tool). A small but useful glossery of photographic terms and questions first time digital camera buyers should ask are additional benefits of this book.

My final input comes from my observations of my students. At breaks I found many of them reading the book and refering to the sections as they followed along in the class. I had enthusiastic reports from students that they found the chapters easy to read and they were also quick reading. I incude a text evaluaton question in my class evaluation and the overwelming response was that they found this book very helpful to learn concepts that they had never been introduced to. The book dovetails well with basic class instruction and field assignments.

For the beginner, looking for an easy to follow, simple introduction to the concepts of basic photography, this is a good book. I am very happy I decided on The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography for my class.

This book is like a photography 101 class, with a little bit of information on DSLR's , digital file formats, and digital enhancement. If you already understand aperture, ISO, shutter speeds, basic composition principles, depth of field, etc, you do not need this book. I would get this book for a novice photographer who wanted to generally improve their understanding of basic photography principles.

That being said, the book is easy to read with pretty good images to demonstrate the lessons, and it presents all concepts well. I do think it would be beneficial to someone who has n ever used a camera in manual mode. The "assignments" at the end of each lesson would be especially useful for getting more comfortable with the camera.

Just not what I needed; still a good book for the right level of user.

I love this book because, being relatively new to digital photography, Jim doesn't go "over my head" with info that I neither need nor understand. Everything makes sense. Although Jim doesn't focus on one particular camera, I feel like he is writing the book for my camera. Buy It!

I purchased this book for a digital photography course that I teach. I wanted to evaluate the book for use as a textbook for my students and it is fantastic. It is written in plain English, is very understandable, has great examples, and I am now using it for a digital photography course I teach. It covers all the fundamentals as well as some advanced techniques and is a guide that will serve the amateur owner of a digital camera well.

This book was really helpful. I've been into photography for a couple years now. I enjoyed the time spent on composition and technique a lot. He spent some time going over the basics, which was a good review, but the creative side of the book (although smaller) was much more helpful.

Definitely a book I will come back to over the years.

This book is really good for the absolute beginner. It covers the basics without going into too much detail, and there are tons of illustrative pictures. I would highly recommend it as a first book on photography.

I've been shooting for a couple of year with sometimes pretty good results. I have also read what seems like a million books on digital photography...but NONE compare to BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography.

In the first 50 pages I improved my shooting 10 fold by finally understanding my camera and ordinary things like aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

It is my humble opinion, having been a college professor, an IT guy and now a middle aged guy taking pictures, that this book should be used in all photography classes, at all levels, as the standard text.

If you know nothing about digital cameras, then you will learn a lot. If you know the basics, then you will still learn many things about the art of photography. Uses very helpful and easy to understand examples.

The boook is wonderful, it is written in everyday language with examples made easy. It is broken down so if you have a problem with a certain area of photography you can read up on your specfic area of concern. Nicely illustrated as well. Recommended Highly!

the book is just to start
Toooo much writing for simple ideas. However, as a first guide is ok.

What I love about the book is its very practical approach to maximize the use of your camera to enjoy photography. There is a balance between teaching photography through words and pictures.

And if you have kids and love your kids dearly, it is obvious that Jim's favorite subject is his family. For me, that;s called passion.

Like many other reviewers that have commented on this book ..... I also purchased Scott Kelby's book (vol.2). I think that this book wins hands down between the two excellent books.

I have been interested in photography for many years, but I just recently purchased a higher-end DSLR camera. Thus, I enjoyed the content of both books. I really enjoy the simplicity of this book. This book utilizes very effective teaching tools that result in the readers quickly learning new techniques and methods of achieving better results.

There really should be no debate.... Both books are excellent learning tools. Enjoy,

DPerez

I was looking for a guide that would help me gain a better understanding of both digital and SLR photography. Jim Moitke has put together a great text for anyone wanting to learn digital photography without getting a headache..

If you just went out and bought an expensive digital camera and want to get the most out of it, this is your book. Jim goes over all the features and options that these amazing cameras offer. More importantly Jim goes into detail about photography terms and technique. The material is well written and easy to pick up. I highly recommend it!!!

This book is must read Jim help you creat wonderful photos step by step very easy to read and understand so you be able to master the essential of digital photography.
If you are trying to learn more about how to properly use your digtital camrea (i.e. aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) this is must read book it such fantastic learning tool Jim give you lots of photos examples and assignment very easy to follow and understnd.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to get a better understanding of the world of Digital photography .

This is a wonderful book for someone looking to learn the basics, or increase their knowledge of digital photography. Lots of fantastic color photos, and tons of helpful lessons. Even assignments to do to learn in a hands on, practical way. I love this book, and am SO glad I bought it. Its like a photography class that you can do at home in your own spare time. Love it! Definitely helping me to become a better photographer.

I haven't complete my reading on this book but I have to say that I do not regret at all this purchase. I just got aroound the middle of the book and I've learned alot of things that I had no clue. My pictures have greatly improved. I made some deep research on different books before purchasing and finally decided to buy this one after reading comments and specially after seeing by myself the type of pictures taken by the author on his website www.betterphoto.com. Now, I'm completely decided to go ahead and buy another of this author's books since I'm convince that you really learn from them.

This book gives a great introduction to the fundamentals of (digital) photography. Concepts are clearly explained and supported with very useful example photos. The writing is very engaging and "readable". There are even "assignments" after each chapter to get you practicing. I think it's good to read the book BEFORE buying a new camera, as it gives you an idea of what to look for in a camera (however, you'll be itching to try out the techniques you've learned, which is frustrating if you have not bought a camera yet!).

The only suggestion for improvement - I'd like to see a summary of all the concepts ("things to remember" while taking pics) that could be used as a quick reference.

If you are a beginger and you were going to buy one book this is the one to get. I started this hobby a few months ago and have never read a book with such detail.

This author is great at helping you understand taking digital photography. This is a must have book for anyone starting out or needing a re-fresher course in digital photography. He explains in simple terms all of the areas that encompass taking pictures. I highly recommend this book.

I bought this book a few months ago, and have read every word, and keep going back to re-read vital points. The Better Photo Guide to Digital Photography is well-written and easy to read, not full of tech-talk or jargon (perfect for me, a real beginner). The book also walks you through everything - from how to learn what your camera can do, to composition, to technical aspects of exposure. The guide focuses on how to take good photos rather than how to edit them later; the author states that you should shoot as if you weren't going to edit later - guaranteeing that you get the best shot from the start.

Especially helpful to me is that each photo in the guide includes meta-data - the shutter speed and f-stop, etc... so you know how certain effects were acheived.

Really the best photo guide I own.

This is a good book. There are no bones about it. It is easy to understand, which is important when explaining complex principles. I have been reading and learning about digital photography quite a bit lately, and quite honestly, find the book a bit on the simple side. While, that is not optimum for ME, I do not think it detracts from the quality of the book, one bit. It still teaches tidbits here and there, and quite honestly, his notes on compisition throughout the book, was well worth the price, alone.

All in all, easy to read, easy to understand, good book. If you have a good understanding of compisition and exposure, this book would probably have very limited appeal.

This book is really great for beginners. Very easy to read and follow the instructions!

Has great classroom lessons for the photographer.
Easy to understand and follow step by step lessons.
Good pictures before and after examples.

I have been doing photography for more than 40 years and whether you are a newbie, serious amatuer or budding professional this book will be extremely helpful in getting you to achieve better photographs. After you buy your camera buy this book it is well written covers, all necessary essentials and guides you step by step. Jim Miotke also has an excellent DVD called "Digital Photography Unleashed" worthy of the small investment. If you have not visited betterphoto.com I suggest you do. It is addictive and I have been a member since mid 2005. 5 star rating on both book and dvd and can not wait till his next one.

If you love photography, "A Better Photo Guide to Digital Photography" will improve your skills. Next to your camera gear, this guide could be the most valuable investment you make.

I picked up this book last September, the weekend before I bought my first-ever camera (a digital ultra zoom.) I had very little camera experience up until then, and would have almost hesitated to call myself an amateur! I ended up reading this book twice, cover to cover--once before I got the camera, and again later. I found Jim's text, examples, explanations and exercises quick and easy to read, clearly written, and more importantly, easy to understand. I don't think I could have asked for a better introduction to the fundamental basics of photography. I really was encouraged to explore my camera's manual settings, and move away from Full-Auto program shooting. I also feel like the book comes with an enormous, fun and useful Appendix, in the form of Jim's website, www.betterphoto.com. (I joined up shortly after my first photo excursions, and have continued learning through the message boards, forums, and other photographers, as well as sharing my photos online via my gallery there.)
My final comment on this book; I bought another copy to give as a gift at Christmas, and recommended it to a friend (who was seeking a gift idea for another novice digital shooter.) I keep the book handy, and refer to portions of it before I attempt any new (to me) shooting situations (ie, bright snow, or long-exposure shots, etc.) Highly Recommended!

Great book well written in simple easy to understand language.Does not focus on post production editing like most but explores valuable information like technique,composition,exposure and lighting.This is presented in a way that is informative without being boring.I recommend this book to everyone regardless of their level of skill.

This book has been indespensable to me. With easy-to-understand explanations, examples of different techniques that work (or don't), and then mini homework assignments carefully and thoroughly worded I've been able to explore my camera, general photography and specific photography scenarios all with this one book. From specific settings for specific circumstances to general rules of thumb this book really does cover it all in a way that is not overwhelming, technically confusing or boring. It's a little photography course for self-learners.
I just wish I could shrink it down so I could carry it everwhere and reference it when needed. The examples and instructions I've followed from this book have given me several "Aha!" moments about using my camera and improving my photography.
I've got other books but they are too technical, use equipment I do not have and cannot afford and get SO in depth that I get lost. This one is such a perfect balance of everything needed!

This book is not as good as the other I bought. I would not recommend it.
It give reader some information but other books are better to read and understand.

If you are a visual learner this is an excellent book for you! There are photos with the exact settings used to achieve it with almost every photo- I have found that to be so helpful! And the talk is basic, not so technical that a newbie to digital photography would be lost. I would definitely recommend this book!

I was disappointed thought it would have more learning and it doesn't really I am a person just starting out the book didn't really make any sense to me

I researched many books here on Amazon and with the reviews I had read decided to buy this one.
I am so very pleased with it that I have also recommended it to other photographers. It is in language anyone can understand and the way it flows from each subject to the next is very smooth.
I did the lessons and learned many things and understood even better things I thought I had a good grasp on.
This is a perfect addition to any photographer's tool kit.

I've taken classes and read other books; however, this one is FAR SUPERIOR. It explains EVERYTHING you need to know to take great photographs (not snapshots!) and is written clearly from this photographers years of experience. It's not technical, rather it explains everything step by step. If you are a super advanced photography, this one probably isn't for you -- but even if, like me, you've had classes and some experience this book fills in the gaps.

The pages are quite nice -- glossy, colorful, and has "tip" boxes throughout.

I HIGHLY recommend this book.

If you've been thinking about digital photography as a hobby, but aren't quite sure where to begin, then this is the book for you! Even if you don't have the camera yet(such as myself) and you're not sure if taking that leap into serious photography is the thing for you, then you can be rest assured that this book will help de-mystify the wonderful world of digital photography.

This book is, for the most part, for those thinking about or just starting to delve into photography as a hobby, be it casual or more serious. It is not a highy technical book that makes you shy away from all that camera jargon, but it does explain everything in easy-to-understand detail . It teaches you how to take photos the right way, so you don't have to spend all your time "doctoring" up your photos on the computer. It is, in the most pleasing form, an informative book that teaches you everything you do need to know about photography without talking down to you nor assuming you already know a lot. A perfect balance of information that is very easy to grasp.

Jim Miotke starts from the beginning, from getting to know your camera to all the basics such as exposure, lighting, and composition. He doesn't just tell you how to take great photos, but actually explains why some photos don't work and what comprises great shots. All the topics are accompanied by photographs to help the reader understand what is being taught. Each and every picture has a purpose and is essential in getting his explanations and points across.

What really impresses me are all the tips and side notes that are throughout the book. It's a perfect blend of enough text and information along with these great tidbits of info that will keep you reading and reading(You may find yourself reading the entire book in only a few sittings!)

Another plus are his "assignments" he has in each chapter. These are practical things that you can actually go out and do to put to test what you just read and learned. He understands that just reading about something doesn't quite make an impact as actually doing it.

In summary, there is a lot to be learned from this book for beginners or soon-to-be beginners. This is a very easy book to get caught up in, and is sure to be a great reference book. It will inspire and encourage you. It shows that with enough passion, patience, and know-how that great shots are not beyond the reach of us beginners and novices.

(For those who are interested in nature photography, you have to get Jim's other book, The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Nature Photography . Written in the same style, it's the perfect companion book, focusing more on landscape, wildlife, and macro photography, also available here on Amazon)

This book is very well done. I enjoyed his writing style. It contains a lot of examples and has assignments to help reinforce what is being taught. There a good tips and many examples that are easy to follow and understand.

Jim did a great job in explaining all the technical jargon. This is a great book which has help me enormously to improve my photographic skills and I keep refering back to it again and again. It's not a book you put away.
Miriam

A year ago, I received a digital camera for Christmas and there was so much to learn about the camera that I felt overwhelmed. However, once I read Jim Miotke's Better Photo Guide To Digital Photography, I was able to understand everything that I needed to know in order to produce incredible photos with my digital camera. The book is laid out in an organized format which makes it easy to read and easy to understand. The author gives an assignment after each topic is presented in the book so that the photographer can apply what he/she has learned. This book has awakened a passion in me to start my own photography business! Jim Miotke should have called this book the Best Photo Guide to Digital Photography!

Thanks Jim for a Great book. This book takes you back to the basics and gives great photography tips. I pick it up all the time just for review. I would recommend it for ALL photgraphers, new & old. He simplifies every detail to be a better photographer. If you haven't visited his web site, try it. www.betterphoto.com ,but a warning it can be addictive! I can't wait for his next book.

Excellent book as well as website!!! Highly recommened for beginners and serious ametuers. I look forward to Jim's next book and will purchase it as well.

I own several beginner and intermediate books on digital photography, and this is probably my least favorite.

Miotke does a reasonable job of explaining the basics for the beginner. But that's elementary, and others do it better. He totally muddles the explanation of shutter speed--the most straightforward of the three parameters--by assuming that the reader does not understand fractions. Instead of saying, "The smaller the number, the faster the shutter speed," he says "Larger (denominator) numbers = faster shutter speeds (usually)." ...Seriously?

He spends much time dwelling on his very strong preference for you to own a DSLR, as though no other camera will do. Except that there are several models of sub-SLRs that offer full manual control and take pictures that rival a DSLR (Panasonic FZ35 [my personal favorite], Sony HX1, Canon SX20IS, etc). DLSR's have enough drawbacks that many of their owners also buy a sub-SLR or P&S when they don't feel like hassling with lenses and a suitcase. And many people just plain can't afford them.

He also repeatedly mentions his website and encourages entering your photos in competitions there. What he fails to mention is that you have to PAY to do so!

Other low-raters of this book have said that Miotke's photos are mediocre and uninspiring, and I couldn't agree more. One would think that a pro photographer writing a book on photography would use his best work to illustrate not only his own abilities, but the potential that might be realized. I didn't find a single photo with the "WOW!" factor, and many of them looked like snapshots. The shot on page 15 is just horrific. I've found MUCH better photos by amateurs on Flickr. I counted no less than 17 pictures of his son (multiple shots for comparative purposes were counted as one), so it appears that the "proud daddy" syndrome got the better of him. At least the kid is cute.

On the flip side, he has some good tips for obtaining the correct exposure in challenging situations, such as when the subject is backlit. He has several comparative photos that are helpful and he always gives camera settings.

I wouldn't buy another book by this author, and would probably avoid the BetterPhoto series altogether, as better photos are not what I found here.

I was not sure if I should give this book a 4-star or a 5-star rating. I did not regret buying it, although it's clearly targeting complete amateurs (i.e. people who just bought their first dSLR or even their first digital camera overall). There wasn't something to excite me too much, but there was nothing that disappointed me either. In general, I enjoyed reading it. If this is your first photography book, I would highly recommend it. If, however, you are aware of the basics and want something to take you to the next level, then look for more advanced books.

The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography is excellent.
I would say "Don't Leave Home Without It". About a month ago I purchased my first Digital SLR camera. Boy did I need help. Jim's book makes everything simple. The book is both informative and entertaining. The manner in which each chapter is written, is as if you are sitting in a classroom taking a course. There are assignments after each chapter. The assignments do help you get familiar with camera settings, composition, lighting, etc. I would highly recommend this book to both beginners and intermediate photographers. This is the only book you will need.

I have purchased many books on digital photography and the "BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography" is my FAVORITE! It is extremely informative, is filled with wonderful images and has easy to follow step by step lessons throughout the book. The lessons help you to put what you have learned into effect to make a lasting impact on your photography. It is a FANTASTIC book- a MUST have!!!!

Excellent book in a variety of ways-- a step by step approach, an overview of all the key elements, and later as a reference book. I liked the fact that Jim's advice and perspective is useful if you are using a low res phone camera or a high-end SLR. The pictures he uses, while good, are not meant to impress but to demonstrate an important principle or technique that is easy for the newbie to aspire to. He suggests exercises to re-enforce these concepts as well as just a way to go out and learn about your equipment and have fun playing around and experimenting. My only complaint is he explains the concepts and benefits of better equipment so clearly I knew I had to get a DSLR when I realized the limitations of my fixed-lens camera. Of course, I took one of the best photo's of my life with that old camera after reading this book but why stop there ;->

I purchased this book as a first guide to accompany me in the world of DSLR after having bought a Nikon D90. I beleive that this is a very good book for the beginner (as myself). The writer covers all major aspects of photography (ISO, exposure, light, aperture/shutter) with adequate examples and photos to let you dive into digital photography techniques. Some parts (e.g exposure tables, ISO equivalents, and generic gudelines at the end of the chapter) can be used as a reference guide for more experienced photographers too
Highly recommended.

The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography (Amphoto Guide Series)

Yikes, where has this book been all my life, what a great read for aspiring photographers. I learned (relearned) so much that I am currently on my second read (afraid I will miss one of the countless nuggets) and it is as fresh as it was the first time around.

Well thought out, great examples, suggestions and tips and applicable to taking pictures with a DSLR or a camera phone, photography is photography and what works always works.

Learn the basics from the Rule of Thirds to the Frame the Face, you will learn and then have the chance to use the techniques. This is a photo school in a book and the teacher is approachable and makes certain that your questions are answered.

I have to be honest with you, I bought it because it looked like another book that could help me grow. I was right, but I learned more from this one than any other and I appreciate that lesson so much, I plan to take one of the courses offered on the website.

Thanks BetterPhoto, you did a great job.

Great book, well documented an illustrated. I recommend this book for beginners and intermediate digital photogs.

Just got this book this afternoon and have already read most of it and skimmed through all of it. It is very informative and well written. TONS of pictures showing examples of different techniques used. Overall a great basic book you can always refer to when you need some extra help. I like that it doesn't go too much into Photoshop. I try to take good photos that don't need to be manipulated later and I have no idea how to use my Photoshop anyway...so this is a great book for me! It will explain all you need to know to start taking some great pictures that are more than just snapshots for the photo album.

Two Points:

1. Excellent book for those who have just bought a digital SLR and want to know how to use it. The author doesn't patronize or irritate. It's simply, here's how I shoot, this is the result, this is how you can do it too.

2. The author lives in Seattle close to me, so some of his examples are places that I'm going. For me, this book is like the ultimate field guide to the subjects and lighting I come across all the time.

Bought this and his other book on Nature Photography together, which I recommend doing. An excellant deal and both were well worth the investment. You can't get much more clear and easy to understand than this. Very down to earth written and everything is so well explained and simply put. It's almost like your sitting down over a cup off coffee with a good friend. I learned more from these books than any other material that I've read. AND from the first day started to notice a big improvement in my photos. A must read for anyone that is serious about photography! Book also provides a link to his website which is worth looking into.

Lots of good information from selecting equipment into what does RAW, TIFF and JPEG mean and what is the advantage and disadvantage of each, into the creating aspect of seeing and capturing the photos you want. I bought it for a friend and she is enthralled.

Being a beginner, this book really gave me insight on photography tecniques and how to take a better photo. It explained f-stops aperture, white balance, composition etc. so I could understand it. The assignments given in this great book also helped me put it all into "focus". I highly recomend this book to anyone interested in photography as well as going to Jim Miotke's website, www.betterphoto.com to learn more.

Easy to follow with step by step lessons and assignments to learn by doing after every chapter. A must have "bible" for any new photographer who wants to get serious about taking better photos. This book should be included with the purchase of every digital camera,along with the manufacturer's manual.

As a relative newcomer to digital photography I found this book to be full of useful information and pictures with the ISO and shutter speed given with each picture. The book is well written and very easy to understand. I also highly recommend this book.

I am brand new to the Digital SLR world and got this book to help me learn the basics in order to quickly get started. It was exactly what I needed. It is a basics book- not sure it would provide much help to an intermediate photographer. It helped me to quickly understand aperture, shutter speed and f-stop and how to adjust each component based on my surroundings and subject. The book is quick and easy to work through and provides "assignments" at the end of each section to help you work through the information with your camera. At first, I thought the assignments were cheesy, but I did try them and they absolutely did help me get a better handle on the information. There are lots of picture examples and the book is written in an easy and quick reading format with the author conversing with you and walking you through his process. Great book for a beginner photographer.

This book was okay at best. I buzzed through it in about an hour. It is attempting to appeal to an extremely broad audience. Throughout the book it has paragraphs aimed at both the pocket sized point and shoot and the high end SLR user, so if you're a point and shoot user, the SLR material will bore you and vice versa.

He has elementary discussions about aperture, shutter speed, and white balance. They are okay, but lack the detail you need to know how to shoot a quality portrait, sporting event, or landscape.

I found the exercises to be too broad. They weren't specific or targeted enough to be helpful. It felt like they were in the book simply to say it have exercises.

It has a section that discusses what type of file you shoot in, Jpeg, Tiff, or Raw. He advocates shooting in raw so you can adjust it in Photoshop. One of the many advantages to shooting in raw is you don't have to worry about white balance until you correct it with Photoshop. That's great, but if you using a pocket sized point and shoot, or need a book that attempts to explain the fundamentals of aperture, shutter speed, and white balance, you probably don't own Photoshop. Photoshop is an expensive and extremely complex photo editing program targeted for the sophisticated photographer. The average PC based photo editing program that comes with a camera or computer cannot read or adjust photos taken in raw. (Mac's iPhoto can see and adjust raw photos.)

In the product description they say "Everyone who has a digital camera-or who is thinking about getting one-needs The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography" That is an audience that one short workbook cannot possibly accommodate.

If you would like a good overview and introduction to digital photography, I recommend Portrait and Candid Photography: Photo Workshop. It is an excellent introduction with some golden ideas stashed throughout.

I've purchased and read both volume 1 and 2 of Scott Kelby's books, which are also excellent books, but if you've read them, they're more a quick series of facts or things to do. I felt a learned a lot from them, but was left wanting more information on the "guts" of photography. Quite simply, this book delivers. For someone who is trying to gain an understanding of how their camera works and what techniques should be used to get the best photo, this is a must-buy. The chapter on exposure alone is well worth the cost of the book (and my favorite). I can't more highly recommend this for a beginning photographer!

Along with this book I also bought "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson and I have to say that this book teaches more than that book and it has graphs to help you understand better. I highly recommend it for people starting out as a new photographer that is trying to get off of Auto mode. I am still learning but this book is helping. Get it!

I am fairly new to photography and this book was helpful in explaining alot of the concepts. Also was good for giving you assignments and showing you ways to have your photos analyzed / critiqued by other photographers.

This book is great. I have recommended it to many people since I first read it back in 2005. I was getting involved with photography again after more than 10 years away from it. I knew I needed to review the fundamentals and learn what the differences were between film, which is where I started as a kid, and digital photography. This book did not disappoint, it is concise, easy to read/understand and assumes the reader knows zip about photography.

The best primer I've ever seen and it doesn't matter whether you use a point & shoot or plan to move up to a top of the line Nikon or Canon DSLR someday, the fundamentals are the same and the book covers the features and limitations of all kinds of gear.

If there were six stars available for this I would have given it six.

Paul Stewart
Hendersonville, Tennessee

My very practical brother asked for this one for Xmas. He received it and loves the ideas. He's been into more serious photography the last 2 years and he finds this book to be the best guide he's come across.

I bought this book by Mr. Miotke after having my digital SLR for about a month. Even though I took a photography class, this book has been an essential reference for me. I love the fact that I can refer back to certain areas over and over and over....and that I can understand Jim Miotke's description of the sometimes confusing camera language.

The book is written clearly, but it moves right along and doesn't over-simplify concepts. It covers the mechanics of photography and then gives great guidelines on composition as well as the differing types of digital formats and what they are best for.

It's a well-written book that covers everything you need to start taking great digital photos. Plus, the photos in the book are themselves stunning and are great inspiration! :)

I have recommended this book many times on forums. It is such an excellent source of knowledge! After reading many books and articles on the technical basics of learning to use my camera settings, I bought this book. It is written in such a way that everything FINALLY made sense!! I was thrilled! I literally went from using my camera on auto to using my camera on manual by reading this book! I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone beginning to learn photography or anyone struggling to learn from other sources. Jim does an amazing job of explaining things in a way that doesn't just throw information at you...but rather teaches you! It's certainly at the top of my list of book recommendations!!
I'm a big fan of the entire BetterPhoto series...so don't hesitate to check them out either!!

This is a great first book to help with digital photography. This book is not overwhelming like many books out there that try to be a complete photography course and end up overwhelming the reader. The information is given in short chunks that can be easily digested. This makes it easy to take it a piece at a time if you need to. It also introduces some of the necessary information and terminology that is essential to digital photography. This includes formats - TIFF, RAW, and JPEG. Other topics include Exposure, Light, and Composition. Scattered throughout the book are assignments that will help you use the information that is presented. There is no better way to help crystalize a concept than using it. This will help the user understand, remember, and know when to use the information. As you grow as a photographer you will want other books that are more detailed and specific toward the area that interests you. But this is a great place to start. The author runs BetterPhoto.com which offers on line photography classes that have multiple instructors and I can highly recommend.

www.LamontPhotos.com

This book is a great guide for beginner and intermediate photographers. It is divided into six chapters and offers helpful tips and easy assignments. The lessons are clear and simple to follow because they have before and after images. I enjoyed it very much.

What a great book. If like me you are new to digital photography you will find plenty of advice for taking pictures.
Its written in an easy to understand way and has plenty of pictures that show what makes a good photo or how different effects can be created and used.
If your just starting out with a digital camera and finding it all complicated then I can recommend this book, I'm sure it would be usefull for people with prior knowledge of photography aswell but some of the things will probably be known already.
This was my first book on digital photography and I am so pleased with it I can't see myself needing another book on the subject.

Novice. That is the term I would use for my photographic abilities. With that in mind, I purchased Jim Miotke's The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography book.
Simplicity. Mindful. Inspiring. Instructive. Beautiful. These are terms I would use to describe Jim's digital photograph coaching style.
Jim enlightens his audience by the most simplistic means. He is mindful of his audience's abilities, be they novice or a bit more learned. Being a novice, his techno-speak is highly understandable.
Jim's step-by-step assignments motivate a creative streak a mile wide. I go no where with out my camera now. I have stumbled upon a few homework images in the most unexpected locations.
The photographs that are included in Jim's digital photography book are truly inspiring. I can only hope to gain a glimmer of the knowledge his book portraits.
This is a must have digital photography book. I wish I had it long ago.

Although I have a lot of photographic experience. I always find it helpful to review those things we often take for granted. This book provides a very good review not only of digital photography but also of the skills one needs to create interesting and compelling photographs. It is a book you can pick up and reference a single chapter to help clear the cobwebs.

This is a great step by step guide to helping you take your training wheels off from automatic settings to manual. I still refer to it when I think my pictures aren't what they should be. He explains it in terms that the normal person can understand. Not preachy, straightforward. Thanks Jim for writing a book that doesn't make me feel stupid or inferior!

This book has it all. It's thoughtfully written, easy to understand, helpful to everyone who has read it and inspiring. The lessons are as if someone is talking to you (not at you). The photographs are vivid and interesting. The glossary and index make it very user friendly. It's a great teaching tool. Overall, it's great having it to refer to again and again!

Whatever question you may have concerning photography, it will be answered in this book. A must have for all photographers who want to learn the art of photography. A "bible" for the photography enthusiast.

Excellent Book, easy read yet very informative. The content of the book targets both the beginning photographer and those switching from film to digital formats.
Details on exposure, lighting and composition are discussed, with clear concise directions for the reader. I would recommend this book as a gift for any aspiring photographer. They will definitively enjoy receiving this book.

I started taking pictures with a 35mm SLR 40 odd years ago. After college my photography rate dropped off.

Last September I bought a digital SLR (Sony A100) and was delighted with the photos, and the quick turn-around that digital photography with an DSLR gave (no more $15 and two day wait for 36 slides!). However I felt a need to read more in order to improve my photography.

Jim's book, The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography (and his other two photo books) are among the best that I have read for getting started (or in my case restarting).

I like the way he has assignements and exercises. A very useful book.

The only weakness in the book is composition of photos, but all of the forty or so photo books I have skimmed in the past year seem weak in compostion to me (rule of thirds is great, but does not seem to always apply).

Recommended!

Greg Edwards

This guide is very easy to understand with alot of examples. Each picture is shows all photo data to help you understand what he is trying to show you. If your a newbie it will help you.

If you are looking to learn the basics of digital photography, whether you just want to take better vacation photos with your family - or progress into a career in photography, this book is for you. Great pictures with information on how the pictures were taken (aperture, lens used, length, etc..). The book is very informative and Jim keeps things interesting to the point that you do not get bored. I would highly suggest this for anyone looking to take better pictures.

This Photo book is great for advance reader it gives us many up to date features(Tips) for shooting under various conditions, digital photography has arrived and you can learn on the spot, instead of waiting after your develops return........Thanks......NA

This is the kind of book that can help someone learn photography without the help of a camera.

Ofcourse if you have a camera then you're in for a much better ride then I was, but to understand the logic behind exposure, shutter speed, aperture and ISO just reading will do fine.

One other great thing about the book is that you are given assignments to see if you can do what the book tells you. So right there you need a camera. I dont have a camera yet...I wanted to see if I can understand photography before buying a camera and boy did this book do well!

All I can say about the book is "get it!"

This book was more than I expected. I'm aware of technical data with film cameras but this book was a great refresher and had great tips and ideas for the digital SLR. I like this book because it was "geared" for digital cameras. This book also was a great guide for my newly purchased DSLR. I was very pleased and impressed with the purchase.

This book has helped me quite a bit. Even though, I was expecting it to be a little more technical. But, then, I might not be an absolute beginner either!

What a super book! I have read several books on digital photography and this is the best yet. It explains everything very well. It is very easy to read and the assignments are fun and very helpful. My favorite chapter was on white balance. This is the best explanation yet. This a great read for beginners and intermediate photographers. Who knows, the pros could learn a thing or two.
C. Valdez

Enjoyed reading this book and am looking at other books by this author. I found it easy to follow with good examples and explanations on when and why to use certain settings. It is definitely a beginner book which is exactly what I needed.

This book is execellent. I am a digital SLR novice and the book has helped me immensley it has great information that is well set out and logical. It has great pictures to demostrate what is being taught and it provides easy to learn techniques to improve your shooting.

I had two people (both semi-professional photographers) look at this book and they both agreed that it was an excellent book to help new photographers. Very happy I bought it.

This is an excellent instruction book that covers aperture,iso, and shutter speed in great easy to understand terminology. It is primarily written with the more expensive digital cameras that can control exposure in mind, but it does give hints for the type cameras without controls.

Buy this book... content is precise and to the point .... with some great tips... respects the readers intelligence and does not treat one like a 3 year old... I enjoyed reading it a lot. The book has a great re-read value too... Once you are done reading this buy Scott Kelbys Book.

This Digital Photography book has begun one of my favorite companions to learn how to get nice shots and deal with difficulties. The description and explanation are very understandable. I have started to study Introduction to Digital Photography and my teacher recommended it to everyone!

I bought this book several weeks ago, and after reading it completely I feel much more confident when photographing with my DSLR. Digital photography concepts are clearly explained to those who are newbies in the digital world. I found examples very useful and I put every assignment into practice; my pictures are now "different", they look like more, let's say, elaborate. The chapter about Exposure is simply awesome! I didn't realize what my camera and I were able to do until I read this book. Congratulations for your book Jim! It's a great help for people who want to start learning photography but don't know how or where to do it.

I purchased this book after taking a photography class through my local parks and recreation center... As a novice photographer, the parks and recreation course provided me with a very nice and solid foundation of the basics... I feel this book was an excellent compliment to that course and took those basics to a great "next level" in my knowledge and understanding of photography fundamentals... It was an easy read, interesting and engaging assignments and was filled with several lovely photos... I also found the information on focal length, f-stop and ISO to be very beneficial... I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a budding interest in photography...

This was one of my son's Christmas gifts and he really thinks it is one fine book for beginners and even those more experienced in digital photography. He said it is easy to understand and the author gives some solid tips and illustrations.

I am new to digital photography and I wanted to do some very specific things like photograph upclose jewelry. This book was an immense help. While I am no pro yet it it is divided into specific chapters. So, I got a handle on white balance, bracketing, and closeups that at least is allowing me to feel like I am not completely lost. The book is a great resource so I know I can go back to other sections when I am ready and educate myself more.

If your looking for a refresher or are a beginner in photography this is a nice book to have. Well organized and written.

Has a lot of great pictures in it and explanation. Provides a good reference for beginning digital photography.

I have a photo gallery on BetterPhoto (BP) and received an offer to purchase this book from Amazon, so I did. I haven't looked all the way through it yet or read it all, but it is a helpful addition to my photography books. The writer/photographer, Jim Miotke, started BP & knows a lot about what makes a great photograph as well as a great photographer! He put wonderful illustrations with his lessons in this book & I look forward to learning from it!

There is an avalanche of books out there on Digital Photography... but this one does & says it all! If you want to learn more about digital photography... and about the author... check out betterphoto.com It's a great site to belong to (free) to become part of a wonderful photog. community!

When I first started getting into photography I read this book. Since then I have read dozens of photography books, and this one is still one of my favorites. People ask me all the time about which book is a good one to learn how to use your digital camera. The first book I tell them to read is The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography.

I have even went back and read this book over again and just read certain sections. This is a great book to help learn and develop your photography skills. You can view my images at www.bradleyyoungphotography.com. This is another great product from Betterphoto.

I love the format of this book, it is very easy to follow and it comes with lost of beautiful pictures, highly recomended!

Jim in the owner of Better [...] where I been a member for over four years. It my favorite site on the internet.

I bought the book (The Better Photo Guide to Digital Photography) and it wonderful.

The book has a chapters on getting to know your camera, idea's for what to shoot, talks about exposures, light and composition and also has assignments you can do in the book.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about digital photography. It a great book.

Jim's book is very well written and easy to understand.

I have read several digital photo instruction books. What set this one apart (in addition to being very readable) was the assignments given in each chapter. With photography you learn by doing and it was helpful to have something specific to do to make sure that you understood the lesson. I recommend this book for anyone with a digital camera (especially an SLR) who is tired of being controlled by the camera (shooting only in automatic mode). Read this book and start using all those extra settings that make photography fun and creative!

There are so many books on digital photography that it's difficult to know which one to buy or recommend for individuals new or relatively new to digital photography. In our new photo club geared mostly to folks with PNS cameras and a few with SLRs, this book has been very helpful. It provides clear, succint, step by step instructions without unnecessary jargon, is easy to read, and is very well illustrated. We liked the book so much that we have adopted it as a class text to work through from cover to cover. The sections on exposure and composition are particularly helpful for both newcomers and amateurs alike.

The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography book by Jim Miotke is helpful to me and easy to follow. He tells what he thinks and then shows you the steps and setting he takes. I especially like the assignments as it makes me stop and think about my settings before I take the photos. This is the second book I have purchased by him, the other one was Digital Nature Photography. I have also given this book as a gift to my brother who is new to photography.

A well laid out book and easy to understand. Great assignments to bring the subject matter home and the photos clearly show the point being made Still enjoying this book.

From the moment I opened this book, I was impressed with the logical way it was organized and the clarity of the information presented. The photographic examples clearly show what is being discussed and presents the information in a way that is clearly understood. This is a book that can teach me something everytime I pick it up. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys photography!

Jim Miotke has produced a book simply full of understandable information! He starts simple and raises the bar as you go. This book has taken me well beyond the level of understanding and results that I had developed over a nine-year period on my own.... did it in a matter of days. The great thing is that I can read it again and bump myself up yet another level. Simply put, if you are not at the 'expert' level with digital photography, this book will be of value to you. Thanks, Jim!
John Heckert
Pennsylvania

Excellent book for the beginner or a great reference book for the intermediate photographer, a must have book for your library. Each topic is explained without a bunch of mumble jumble and plenty of pictures to explain the topic being covered.

I don't care if you're new to digital photography or have been in it forever,this book is a must read. It's in REAL ENGLISH WITH NO GOOFY TECHNO-BABBLE! After the first chapter you'll be asking yourself why you didn't find this book sooner...& by the end of it you will not only really know & understand digital cameras & photography,but you'll have a smile on your face because you had fun & didn't have to pull your hair out wondering "what the hell is this guy talking about?". I honestly can't say enough good about this book...& buying it won't break the bank! What more could yo ask for?

I have purchased many books about digital photography. The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography by Jim Miotke is an amazing book.

Jim uses easy to understand explanations and show's examples of what he's explaning. It's a photography course in a book. Only better!

I've been taking photographs for years but never took my camera off automatic. Within a week of getting Jim's book I was shooting out of automatic and my images were coming out so much sharper and clearer.

Thank you, Jim for writing such great and informative books.

This is a good book for anyone interested in Photography. If you are looking for a practical guide to learn techniques and artistic expression this is a great book and a good value. It covers what you need to know to get started with your camera and works with you step-by-step to hone your technique and help you start making the images you would like to make. Jim gives you the thought behind the image along with an example of the image which is very helpful for creative visual souls.

If you haven't taken a class from www.betterphoto.com this is a good insight to the assignments that you will receive from very talented working photographers. The assignments in this book will help you to reinforce the concepts that Jim talks to you about in the book. This book is great for the beginning photographer to those who are working in the field.

With the technology revolution being so rapid, Jim offers insight and examples of the difference in technology that will help everyone that carries a compact camera and/or a Digital SLR and so many people are starting to carry both that this is a book that you shouldn't pass up!

Jim also gives you a road to follow once you've finished his book. He has great recommendations for the further reading with recommendations for books, magazines and online articles and courses. This book is a great jumping off place which will help you work towards your goals as a photographer and help you move forward with information on where to go next once you're done with this book!

I highly recommend this book. Take a look inside on Amazon and you'll get a peek at what you'll be getting. Read a bit online and then buy the book and start your New Year with learning about and exploring photography as well as having fun creating the images you have always wanted to make!

The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography (Amphoto Guide Series)

Also take a look at some of the other books that BetterPhoto offers as well!
The BetterPhoto Guide to Photographing Children (BetterPhoto Series)
The BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Nature Photography (BetterPhoto Series)
The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure (BetterPhoto Series)
The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure (BetterPhoto Series)

I bought this book because I wanted something relatively comprehensive, straightforward and basic enough that a beginner like myself could understand the fundamentals and yet begin to be more creative. Jim's book met my objectives. It's clearly written and provides a good overview of everything from equipment options and photography fundamentals to some ways to begin taking more interesting pictures. What I also found refreshing were his candid observations on his own challenges! That's very encouraging for someone who loves learning about photography but is sometimes overwhelmed by it! I find I go back to this book when I need a refresher on a particular concept or technical challenge. I also love Jim's BetterPhoto.com programs!

Mr. Miotke really knows this subject and writes so that anyone can understand. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to a friend who wants to take better pictures.

This is a must have book for a beginner digital photographer. It has step by step procedures and very easy to follow and understand. It helped explain alot of things for me. I wish I would have purchased this book before I purchased other books. It will tell you everything you need to know about digital photography. It is a MUST HAVE!

I'm your average techinically challenged working mom who loves to photograph her kids! I've taken the first step with purchasing slr equipment and have even managed to take Jim Zuckermann course on beginning photography at Betterphoto.com. Now comes the hard part, applying what you have learned and trying not to forget all the aspects to taking creative shots.

Like most of us I get overwhelmed, this Book is perfect for those situations. I feel like my hand is being held as he walks me through the basics in easy to understand photography language. Don't get me wrong, the techinical information is in there, it's just formated into a easy read! I recommend this book for all who love to photograph something special in thier lives or want to learn how to!!

This is a wonderful book for a beginner or intermediate photographer. It is very easy to understand yet covers everything from getting to know your camera to file formats, composition,exposure and light. The book has beautiful photos as examples and a very nice extra are the assignments.They help to complete the learning process with the information in the chapter.Another nice feature are the helpful tips in the chapters. I would highly recommend this to any who wants to learn and practice the basics of photography. Then you can go on to take one or more of Better photos fabulous classes to enhance your knowledge on particular subjects. I have taken 8 so far and they are excellent and alot of fun. Happy Learning! Marilou Angelo

Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to be one of Jim's students in a one year photography course at BetterPhoto. For about 20 students, Jim's class was magical, and those friendships forged that year have continued with many of us, folks from all over the country. The skills and confidence we accrued from being together for a year were invaluable.

My "other" job is being a fourth grade teacher here in NC. Last year, an administrator asked me if I would be willing to teach a bunch of other teachers some photography skills, since digital photography is becoming so important in the daily life of teachers. Each teacher at my school has a blog,and we are expected to change out pictures of our kids and our activities frequently.

When I said yes to teaching a course, I wondered what I could use as a starting out point, and I remembered Jim's book. Not only is it thoughtfully written, but it is printed on lovely glossy paper. My students were most impressed, and we consumed the whole book in the course of the year. Best of all, their skills really improved. Jim teaches beyond the basics, in a comprehensive way that is not confusing to the reader. I am teaching the same course again this year, with the same results!

As a comprehensive tool, there's nothing better "out there" that I've found, and I wholeheartedly give this book five stars. Jim's philosophy as the head of BetterPhoto carries through in the BetterPhoto Guide to Digital Photography.

I always bought expensive digital cameras but never got down to understanding how to take good pictures and how a digital camera works. That is when I heard of Better Photo On-line photography training. I enlisted on one of the 4 week classes, and I started my romance with Digital Photography.

Later I heard that Jim Miotke has published a book on Digital Photography and I promptly bought the book at Amazon. The book not only met my expectations but exceeded it. The style and presentation of the book is extremely good. There are pictures to show the photography concepts with Jim's written comments to support the learning. I have learnt a lot from the book in a nice and simple manner. I strongly recommend this book. If you are in THE WONDERLAND OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY, then this is the road, to YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NIRVANA.

GO FOR IT !!!!!!

This book has been an amazing learning experience for me. I've taken two of the Better Photo classes, and this book is a class all in itself. The tips, instructions and photo samples are amazing. I'm thoroughly enjoying my copy and look forward to using it as I explore the art of photography.

The book is easy to read and understand. It has easy and helpful step by step instructions and assignments, amazing before and after photos and so much more! I've been carrying this book with me every day to work so I can read more on my lunch break. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about digital photography.

You can learn more from the Author, Jim Miotke, by going to his website www.betterphoto.com.

When my husband first gave me a digital camera, I was perplexed as to what to do with it! Suffice it to say, it was way over my head. I was used to the typical film, point and shoot camera which required a pair of good eyes and an index finger. I took an 8-week class at www.betterphoto.com "Jump Start to Digital Photography" and I was hooked. I also ordered Jim Miotke's absolute beginner's book. Much like a recipe book, I simply followed the instructions!
Since that time, (a few years ago) I have ordered more of Jim's books and find a wealth of information in each one. The Betterphoto Guide to Digital Photography is no exception. My photos have improved exponentially as I study and learn more. This book would make a great companion for anyone who has purchased a new DSLR for someone at Christmas or for someone who just wants normal instructions in plain language. Trust me, the product guide inside the camera box may tell you how to operate some of the functions of the camera, but this book will tell you how to maximize the capacity of your equipment to shoot "Wow" photos at least the majority of the time. I highly recommend this book!

This book is a great guide for anyone wanting to move beyond the basics and get that camera off manual. I have two of Jim's other books (photographing Children and Guide to Nature Photography) and I love all of them. They are my go-to books for answering questions and learning new techniques.

I can't wait for what ever the next book Jim puts out there for us!

This book is awesome and a must read for all photography enthusiast. The Nature Photography book is also great and not repetitive reading. I highly recommend both.

This book is for the serious photographer using the digital equipment. I was interested in learning to take better photographs, and this book made me want to go out there and do the lessons included in there.

es un gran libro para comprender la fotografia digital avanzada / si tienes un reflex y ya eras fotografo de rollo te va servir de maravilla \ muchos tips en el libro y en su sitio de internet

One of the very best books I have read regarding Digital Photography. Ben Long is an expert in his field and is a very good communicator of his acquired knowledge. I have learned many good points from reading his book.I am not a professional photographer but I like knowing how to take great photographs. I am taking a college course in photography and this book is an excellent companion to the concepts being taught.

This is a great book for people who are wanting to move beyond 'pointing and clicking' ... very informative, practical advice - with assignments to help reinforce what you are learning each step of the way. Highly recommended!

This product was received quickly. Very informative book. Easy to read and understand.

This book is by far a book that I use reglarly and have used this most of all my photography books. . . I have finally signed up to take a class from the author and I have to say he is remarkable! This book is easy to ready and has helpful hints on how to understand aperature and other photography terms. A must read for any digital photographer

This is great book to read and to use for reference. It is well illustrated and written. This is a good book for both the beginner and seasoned photographer interested in digital photograpy.

I have read and re-read Jims book and it has been a tremendous help to me on my journey to digital photography. It is well done with many illustrations making It a must as a reference for me, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to advance their knowledge in this area.

Average Book. The Digital Photograpy book by Scott Kelby ia much better and easier to understand. I bought both books after reading good reviews.

This is one of the first books I purchased about digital photography, and I still refer to it occasionally, mostly for visual inspiration. I've also purchased a few as gifts. It is well organized, easy to understand, and contains beautiful photographs to inspire the newbie. In fact, many of my own early photographs were variations of the images contained in this book (which the author encourages, maintaining that you'll put your own spin on the photograph).

About 25% of the book is dedicated to the "Exposure Triangle", or the relationship between ISO, shutter speed, and aperture in a correctly exposed photograph. Another 25% is about composition - rule of 3rds, getting closer, point of view, etc... And the rest of the book is about getting to know your camera and understanding file formats, determining your subject, and all about light.

Each chapter contains a few assignments - the bulk of them being in the exposure and composition chapters - and I probably did about half of them in the book and found them to be very valuable -- particularly the ones for getting the properties of shutter speed and aperture fixed in my head.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who new to photography or who is trying to learn to take their camera off of auto-everything mode.

Excellent book packed with photo examples and tips for taking better pictures. Easy to understand for even the most novice DSL user.

I found this book to be well written, with outstanding examples (photos) of what he is describing in the text. This is a great book for anyone who, like me, grew up in the film world and is slightly mystified by some of the features on digital cameras. It would also be valuable for anyone just starting in digital photography.

He does a great job of de-mystifying things like histograms, white balance, EV's etc.

Well worth the price.

I've been interested in photography for a few years now. I enjoy taking pictures, but I felt like I wasnt really taking full advantage of my expensive digital camera by shooting in "Auto" mode all the time. This book has been extremely helpful in helping me understand the features of my camera. It is also full of tips on taking better photos. The language in the book is very simple to understand. Not too technical for a beginner. I've recommended this book to several people already. I have found it to be an indispensable reference.

Learning photography is confusing enough, with having to pick what kind of camera to get, learning all the technical details and other things. This book gives a great overview and he explains aperture, shutterspeed, depth of field, etc...in ways that are easy to understand. I recommend this book for anyone just getting into using the manual features of their camera.

This book is wonderful for those wanting to know the in's and out's of digital photography. It is meant to teach everything from square 1, but has many topics for more advanced readers. The sections on lighting, exposure, and composition are great. A great tool to make the jump from point and shoot to SLR.

I like this book, it's a great place for people who want more out of their photos and are willing to learn the techniques to make it happen. I really like it because it doesn't limit itself to DSLR cameras. It explains how which type of camera you have will effect the shots you have. I'm about half way through it right now, but I really like the writing style and content. I'm glad I bought this book, at the end of a long day at work it's a nice way to relax.

This is an excellent book for beginners (although I suspect that some advanced photographers may be able to benefit from it). It covers all the essentials, from explaining the basics of exposure and understanding light, to very useful advice on composition.
I purchased this book together with Scott Kelby's first volume and found them both to be extremely useful and quite complementary.

This book is easy to read and follow. It answered so many of my basic questions and as a new photographer(3 years), KISS is very important. I highly recommend this publication.

I have been trying to learn to use my DSLR without ever using AUTO. Jim's book has really been a help to me. I have read a lot of other books, but when I opened this one I felt like an old friend was explaining it all to me. And I even understood him. I have taken classes on Jim's web site and have some of Jim's videos, this is just one more MUST haves for anyone wanting to take better pictures. And isn't that all of us?

I like the way the book is set up with direction and lessons. It really helps me being a hands on person. It's easy to understand.

I've been shooting film for many years, but I recently got my first digital camera. While some things/skills transferred easily, I found the choices and technology confusing or disorienting. I bought this book based upon reviews, and it has been quite helpful. It was a bit disconcerting to find that my camera, Cannon's PowerShot A650IS, didn't fit well into the three basic types reviewed, but that was not a deal breaker. This book, along with lots of practice, has helped me adjust to digital, and now I'm not sure I'd ever go back to film. I'd recommend Jim Miotke's book to anyone switching to digital or to those who want to sharpen their skills and get better pictures. It is well illustrated and designed, and it sits next to my computer as a ready reference.

I have just started learning to use my D80 and this is the best book I've found for the novice . It is written without a lot of jargon and gives simple yet clear descriptions of functions and great illustrations/photos to reinforce the info.

by the cheapest Ch***se print outfit that's around. If one is trying to explain with images what effect filters or different lighting situations have on a photo, a good print quality would help.
In regards to content and explanations, it is a good book and well conceived. It helped me quite a bit. However, the author thinks, that good pictures can only be taken with DSLR cameras. Some of his own examples don't make a good point of that.

The book is easy to read and has assignments for you to do! It will get you out of auto mode and into other modes, such as Program AE and manual. I highly recommend it for those who want to get serious about their photography.

I think this book is really great. It is photography 101. Wonderful for starters in the field.