Customer Reviews

BetterPhoto Basics: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Photos Like a Pro

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

BetterPhoto Basics by Jim Miotke is an excellent resource for those just delving into digital photography. Unlike many other "beginner" books, Miotke doesn't spend page after page on techniques or explanations, instead keeping his descriptions short and to the point. My students find this book to be a great beginner's book, helping them go on to the more advanced books by Kelby, Evening, and others.

Full-color throughout, Miotke's book will take you from "Don't Get Too Close" to what lens compression is and how it affects your images. He explains why you should or would need a tripod, when to turn on the flash, what focal length is, composition, framing, and more. For a beginner, this is the book I would recommend to get you started. If you have a good grasp of the basics, this is NOT the book for you.

I really appreciate this book! I have been taking photos for several years but desire to improve my photography skills. Jim Miotke does a wonderful job of introducing his readers to the many features of today's digital cameras. The 40 tips for better photos and 20 assignments are very helpful for beginning and experienced photographers. I am working through the assignments with friends which provides an even better learning experience as we discuss our photos. I recommend this book highly!

BetterPhoto Basics: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Taking Photos Like the Pros offers a guide packed with tips and inspiration to help new photographers take better photos quickly. From getting close to a subject and turning off a flash to locking auto-focus and dealing with a camera's automatic settings, this packs in all the basics on how to take superior photos. Filled with color photo examples, any lending library needs this.

As a person who has been taking digital pictures for years with a good point and shoot camera I often peruse photo books in the library and bookstores and put them back. This one really caught my eye. The layout was excellent and advice clear and simple. I took it out of the library and read it twice and after carrying on about it I received it as a Christmas gift. My pictures have definitely improved. It is a must for any beginner and even long term point and shoot people will really benefit whether they keep their camera on automatic or experiment and chose some of the settings themselves. Just the the "Forty Absolutely Easy Tips To Instantly Improve Your Photos" justify the modest cost of this book for most people.

Really searched the gamut to find a book that presented the fundamentals clearly. This book strikes a wonderful balance between those fundamentals in theory, and how they apply to common photo conundrums. Purchased this book for family and give it my highest recommendation. I have ready hundreds of photography books.

This book is what I use to teach photography class for my clients. (I am a professional photographer.) It teaches the very basics -- all the way through more advanced techniques (depth of field, dragging the shutter)

Highly recommended for folks who do not know what aperture is or for folks with a point and shoot who just want to learn how to take better photos.

I am a beginner photographer with a good eye, but get absolutely lost when trying to figure out camera settings and technical details. I've spent hours at book stores paging through photo books that seemed Latin to me. Even though some books say "Beginner" on them, I still have no idea what they are talking about. But THIS book, is amazingly simple to read. It starts from the very beginning, and it's not written as if the author expects you to know what he's talking about. Perfect! Usually I am horrible at learning from books (I'm a visual learner) but BetterPhoto is so much easier to read than others. He puts things clearly and simply, enough that even an extreme visual learner like myself can understand. After each example, he explains exactly what settings to put your camera at to achieve a similar picture. THAT'S what I was looking for! I feel so much more confident in learning photography now that I've purchased this book. I got the Kindle edition for my Ipad2 and it's super amazing. THANK YOU!

This photo book is excellent for anyone interested in photography and needs simple explanation of photography terms. I would also recommend this book to anyone who wants to get more serious about photography. Th author gives great tips and advice throughout the book. Overall a great buy!

I purchased this for my daughters. Simultaneously, I purchased Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Book Volume 1. (I own several other Kelby books as well.) In my opinion, this BetterPhoto Basics book is much better than Kelby's book(s), especially for beginners. It is more thorough and clear. For example, it explains the basics of camera operations and their effects rather than just describing the author's opinion on how to proceed with a particular shot.

From page one I found myself completely drawn to the writing style and layout of this book. I had a great time reading through Step 2: Forty absolutely easy tips to instantly improve your photos. A must read book for anyone that is just getting started. FIVE STARS *****