Customer Reviews

Hands-On Digital Photography: A Step-By-Step Course in Camera Controls, Software Techniques, and Successful Imaging

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Many years ago I had the pleasure of taking a course with George Schaub in 35mm photography & lighting. He is a role model and photographic hero of mine. I love his work. The easy-going style found in his mannerisms and his lectures is clearly present in this book.

In that class I would always be struck by the quality of his photographs - this book is no different than that experience. You are first stunned by the artistic beauty of his work and then he breaks down the steps required to create a similar result.

The format questions are addressed in clear terms. If you ever wondered about RAW images versus TIFF versus JPEG, your questions will be answered. This book describes file size when saved in different formats and thsn the quality of the photo with the best enlargement outcomes.

The step-by-step guide that he offers is easy to understand and laid out in a way that you can literally walk through his process. He first describes how the process works. What are the mechanics of this effect? He then moves into 'try it,' so that you are walked through how to get there. Advanced options is where he offers some creative license to those who may be daring to try something else. This is his approach throughout the book. You get to see photographs that reflect many shooting situations that the serious photographer is always on the look out for capturing.

If you are seriously looking into or have a DLSR - you will LOVE this book. If you are catching up to the digital age from the 35mm age, you too will enjoy this book. If you want to learn how to love your camera and photography, you will catch what George Schaub embodies in his work and his life and that is his love of photography. That's what I caught from him years ago and it's still growing. Happy reading.

There are plenty of how-to guides on digital photography on the market, but libraries seeing a solid general reference should take a look at this: it provides a step-by-step course in common digital camera controls and photography and presents learn-as-you-go projects to help readers learn to work with a camera. Novices receive a guide which encourages them to experiment with pictures in a survey which even includes RAW converter step-by-step processes: if only one digital photography guide were to be purchased for a discriminating library with general-interest lending requirements, it should be this one.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

If you have been taking point-and-shoot snapshots and are trying to learn a little more about the possibilities of digital photography, this book can be jolting. Within the first 10 pages the author is talking about compression ratios and adjusting white balance. If you want to ease into the book, I suggest you read Part 2 (camera controls) first. I like how the author identifies a topic and then suggests some learning activities, but there's very little hand-holding for the beginner anywhere in the book. There are lots of good before-and-after pictures, where you can see the possibilities but most topics are treated as if the reader already knows a great deal about digital photography and editing software. I've come back to this book two or three times over the past year, hoping I could warm to it, but frankly I'm sorry I bought the book in the first place.

This is really a good book, I had quick questions and got quick answers. I didn't as much read the book, but used it as a handy
companion out on shoots for school.