Basic 35Mm Photo Guide: For Beginning Photographers (Paperback)

by Craig Alesse (Author) "If you understand your camera and what it can do, you will take better photographs..." (more)
Key Phrases: strobe setting, rewind crank, beginning photographers, Kodak Select (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This newly revised edition of the popular beginner's guide makes 35mm photography simple to learn with an easy, step-by-step approach and 180 explanatory photos. Novices and those interested in brushing up on the fundamentals will find this book an invaluable resource.

About the Author
Craig Alesse is a photographer and the author of Don't Take My Picture! He lives in Buffalo, New York. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 178 pages
• Publisher: Amherst Media; Rev Sub edition (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0936262516
• ISBN-13: 978-0936262512
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,636,836 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for Adults New to Still Photography, July 15, 1999

By A Customer

I teach still photography to adults who have no previous experience in the field. I have found this book to be an excellent resource for my course. It stays away from the point and shoot cameras and concentrates on the entry level manual/automatics, which I feel is very positive. I give it to my students and require that they read it before the first class session meets, then use its photos alongside adjustable cameras to teach the basics: aperature, shutter speed, film speed, depth of field, stopping motion, etc.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A quick way to get up to speed., April 29, 2000

By	Nicolas Pottier (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

I bought this book because I hadn't used my 35mm camera since some photography classes in high school, and wanted to refresh myself with the basics. The book is quick and to the point, not mincing any words or going into much detail in any of the topics. It covers the basics of camera operation, illustrating the concepts of depth of field and shutter speed (and it's balance with aperture) quickly but clearly, using photographs to demonstrate them all. You can probably sit down and read the book in a half hour or so, but you'll walk away understanding what you need to in order to start experimenting and learning through experience.

If you've done any 35mm photography before, this isn't the book for you, it will be much too basic and there aren't any great insights to be learned from it. It is aimed squarely at beginners and shines as a quick tutorial.

I once read that photography is more about getting out and doing it than having 'talent' or even 'technical skills', I'd agree, and would recommend this book as the shortest route to get shooting.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great for beginners, February 18, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Watertown, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

I teach basic and color photography. One of my students let me borrow her copy of the original(1989). One problem in explaining aperture, shutter speed, and depth-of-field is that photos would really help. This book does that, as well as having photos that address loading the film, types of lenses, light, and use of flash. Yes, there are people out there that don't know how to load film. Although modern cameras may have electronic gizmos to deal with aperture and shutter speed, this book helps the understanding of how everything works, as all cameras do the same thing.