Start With a Digital Camera, Second Edition [Paperback]

John Odam (Author), Tim Odam (Other Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 2003

Woldwide shipments of digital cameras in 2001 totaled 18.4 million units, a number that's supposed to rise to 41 million by 2006, according to market research firm IDC. All of these new users, ranging from beginning to advanced photographers, are going to need help learning this completely new way of making and working with pictures. Start with a Digital Camera, Second Edition uses hundreds of full-color photos, graphic design case studies, and step-by-step examples to help digital photographers of all levels overcome the limitations of digital photography and make the most of its unique advantages. In this newly revised edition, updated to cover advanced camera resolutions, new storage options, and Adobe Photoshop Elements, readers will learn how to pick out and use their digital cameras, work with models and props, optimize images for printing as well as for onscreen presentation, and manage memory and storage. Artists, designers, photographers, and desktop publishers will get valuable tips on using digital photos in publications, on the Web, and in limited-edition prints.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A lavishly illustrated demonstration of what you can do with a digital camera, Start with a Digital Camera mimics a traditional photography text. It teaches how to choose a subject, arrange lighting, compose frames, work with models, and capture fast action. The author, a graphic designer, also discusses various styles of photography (landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and so on) available for exploration. But rather than discuss film, chemical development, and darkroom techniques, Odam digs into the special quirks and capabilities of digital photography. He explains--with the help of many beautiful color illustrations--how to manipulate electronic photographs on a personal computer.

Rather than focus on the mechanics of image editing, the book explains digital manipulation terms and techniques in a mostly generic way. For example, he provides a page full of variants of the same image, each under- or overexposed to a different degree. He treats color correction and other techniques similarly. However, he acknowledges the power and popularity of Adobe Photoshop by explaining specifically how to achieve certain effects--such as those created with filters--in that program. The examples of clipping and combining photographs involve Photoshop too. The result of his work: a superior guide for anyone wanting to get into photography via the digital route. --David Wall --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Digital photography is a lot of fun, and Odam makes it even more so with this gorgeous book, which starts with the types of digital cameras and then moves on to technical issues, taking pictures, photo manipulation, graphic design, and the web. As the prices of digital cameras start to drop and become affordable to more patrons, Odam's guide will be valuable for all libraries.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 2nd edition (March 13, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321130111
• ISBN-13: 978-0321130112
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,248,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Understand and Visually Stimulating, April 8, 2000

By 

Valerie (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Start with a Digital Camera (Paperback)

I work with digital cameras and young students.This is the only book I've found which meets both of our needs. It covers technical information, yet provides visual examples that beginning students can understand. I love it!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book before you buy your camera, June 15, 2001

By 

Steve Teare "web engineer" (Palouse, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Start with a Digital Camera (Paperback)

I was shopping for a digital camera to use for studio still-life photography. It's a confusing world full of technospeak and options. I bought this book and it was clear as day what I needed to buy and my camera ended up costing me a lot less than I would have guessed. I realized I didn't need most of the features on the higher-end cameras. This book also clarified "flash" on digitals and lighting requirements which had previously been mysterious to me. It's easier than you think.

Since getting my camera this month, I have used the camera to create large high-resolution images for 3 projects: a tradeshow booth, an ad slick, and a product spec sheet. I wouldn't have attempted these projects without reading this book.

This book also helps one see how Photoshop and digital cameras go hand in hand to create profession images. Opened my eyes.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a stimulating showcase of what can be done with a digicam, June 30, 2000

By 

+++ (OR, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Start with a Digital Camera (Paperback)

Printed in full color, this about 140 page-long book suggest a lot of ideas what pictures can be taken with a digital camera. It has a small section on the principles of digital photography and necessary computer equipment, a couple of chapters on photography in general (lighting, background, etc.), and finally gives many examples of what can be done with the pictures by editing them in Adobe Photoshop. After all, the major fun of digital photography is that you can edit an image before printing it! The only problem is that you need to have Photoshop (along with a vector drawing program) and should know how to use them to take full advantage of this book's advice. My overall impression is that although one can find a more detailed and serious books on digital photography and image processing, this one may be a good gift to a person who just got his/her digital camera and needs to read somewhere how to start with it.