Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Photography Like a Pro, Third Edition

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

 

 

This book is amazing. It covers everything from using disposable cameras at wedding receptions to having fun with filters and lenses. The pictures help explain a lot of the ideas the author is presenting, too. It's not all a piece of cake, and the author doesn't assume you are an idiot. Luckily, he's an excellent teacher. Like he writes in the book, use what you find helpful, and skip whatever doesn't interest you or what is beyond what you're willing to learn. I have already been trying out some of his tips for animal and outdoor shots--the pix turned out great!--and can't wait to try more advanced tips.

This book is a more-or-less well written manual; however, I must admit that a lot of the information in this book is not very well presented, and often confusing (especially if this is a first time that you are encountering the subject). More detail should have been given to differences in aparture settings, and examples were lacking. Depth-of-Field was poorly explained, and while this book starts out with something as simple as a single-use camera, about 50% into it, explanations are assuming that you are very familiar with the concepts before reading this book. I must say that if I were a true beginner, I would not benefit from this book very much at all. I am not sure if there ever will be a book that will have a smooth transition from basics to advanced techniques, and will include many examples, but this book fails completely.

Obviously one can't fault a book for catering to idiots when their title actually claims to be for "Complete Idiots" however....I was under the impression that the title was simply a marketing gimmick designed to insinuate that this book covers all the aspects of the subject. Well, I was wrong.

If you are truly a "complete idiot" and have never seen or used a camera before, then possibly this book is for you. And if that's the case, I doubt you're reading a book on the subject. But if you want a book that is up to date, addresses some of the more interesting and needed questions about photography (including more than one page on lighting) and read beyond the 2nd grade level, then I would suggest another source. This book also seems to have been directed at a 1980's consumer. There is little discussion of digital cameras and 80% of the book is focused on traditional SLR's-- and if you have a traditional SLR you're a professional photographer (one would hope) and that means it's unlikely that you're buying a book called THE IDIOTS GUIDE TO PHOTOGRAPHY. THis book is currently gathering dust on my bookshelk while I scour the internet for relevant info about this subject. Too bad.

I got this book as a gift for Christmas. I think this book has all you need to know about film and the type of camera you might want to buy. It also helps you understand lighting, film, and creative things to do with photography! It also gives you things to watch out for so you don't make a mistake. I constently go back to it for ideas and I'm finding more helpful things everytime I open it. I think it's an excellent book for beginner photographers.

This book is an excellent way to learn the basics of photography quickly. It's also a great reference tool for those of us who had photography lessons years ago and just needed a refresher!

I think Mike Stensvold really knows his stuff, and is really up on all things photographic. His humor is engaging and helps me learn more effectively and efficiently. I hope he'll write more books like this, as I aspire to one day be a great writer and photographer like him!

The author of this book obvously has a knowledge of photography, but assumes that the readers have a stong background as well. There are many pathetic attempts at humor. The actual writing and wording is plain confusing. To put it in short, this book is a piece of ( )... aka, a pur waste of money!