Basic Book of Photography, Fifth Edition

Rating:
Summary: Great first step!
Review: This book is worth a few times its price for the information you get out of it. I bought my copy to give me an edge in an Introduction to Photography class I was taking at college in 2002, and I learned more from the book than I did from the class. In fact, I ended up with the highest final exam score the instructor had ever gotten in that class - mostly because of this book.

I recommend this book to beginners. It will take you most of the way to becoming an intermediate level photographer if you study it well. You of course must also practice, but it's a great introduction to the core basics. If you're serious about photography, this will be the (one of the) first of many books you read; not because this one is lacking, but because it's aimed at beginners.

For what it aims to do, it does a very good job, and is well worth the surprisingly low price. See other reviews for more specifics about what's inside.

Rating:
Summary: A great guide for beginners, but in no way a pro reference.
Review: This book may be the best general guide to photography ever written for beginners, but should not be described as a reference for professionals. It will tell you, for example, all about depth of field, but does not illustrate how it works or provide any formulas for DOF calculations. It will not tell you how exposure value relates to actual exposures, or how to cut a mat, and states that average skin reflects about one stop more light than than a midtone gray, without mention of race. (Oops!) Overall, it contains few charts or tables of data, but seems to have an adequate glossary. My point is not to criticize the book, which seems excellent for the guide that it is, but to criticize the seller's synopsis and descriptions calling it a reference for pros, which it is not. I therefore gave it three stars which is halfway between five, as a guide, and one as a reference. I wish I'd had a book like this when I started out in photography, a long time ago...

Rating:
Summary: A great comprehensive introduction to photography
Review: This book simply is the most well-written and approachable all-in-one guide to photography that I've ever read. It goes from from beginning (picking a camera) to end (basic developing). The book is written in a very no-nonsense down-to-earth style that is very approachable. While it's certainly longer and more wordy than books like 'Photography for Dummies' and 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Photography' there is no fluff. My only very minor quibbles with the book are these: (1) no specific equipment recommendations are made, though brief mention is made of camera brands, (2) no comparison of APS versus 35mm quality is made and (3) while there are quite a few pictures in the book, I wanted more examples (some in color would've been nice).

Rating:
Summary: The first and maybe last photography book you will need
Review: This book was the only photography book that I really needed. It covers all the bases for learning photography (regardless of equipment) geared to a nonprofessional from a practical (non-academic) perspective. This book is loaded with practical advice on how take good pictures even when your equipment isn't operating well. There is specific information on how to get the most out of your point and shoot cameras as well as SLRs. This is a great book to read BEFORE you buy any (more) photography gear. It has a good section on what you may want to buy and what you may want to avoid. It also pointed out that the photographer is the most important part of making the picture, not the latest gear. There is good information on composition as well as tips when traveling with a camera. This book is inexpensive and to the point. I have found the information more valuable than books that I have bought at more than four times the price! The book does not contain color pictures (but spends most of its time discussing color photography). That is my only complaint with this book.

Rating:
Summary: This book taught me a lot!
Review: This is a comprehensive guide that explains concepts clearly without being condesending. If you want a solid understanding of the basics of photography this is the book. The only fault is no color pictures. I think the presentation of the concepts discussed would be appreciated more if there were some color pictures used as a reference.

Rating:
Summary: Very good intro
Review: This is a great book for those who know nothing about photography outside of "you stick film in here and you press this button." The book was logically organized and flow logically.

Rating:
Summary: Very good intro
Review: This is a great book for those who know nothing about photography outside of "you stick film in here and you press this button." The book was logically organized and flow logically.

Rating:
Summary: The Basic Book of Photography
Review: Touches on all aspects of Photography. You will understand this book. Very easy to read and understand. This book is a wonderful addition for novices as well as seasoned photographers. A must read for anyone interested in being better at photography.

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Summary: Outstanding Photos are Only Steps Away with This New Edition
Review: What camera should you buy, and what are the best ways to use it? The answers are found in this major fourth revision of THE BASIC BOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHY. This classic guide has been a best-selling handbook for amateur and professional photographers for the past 23 years.
The much expanded 4th edition -- 560 pages and more than 300 photos and illustrations -- features the latest technologies and methods in the world of photography, including electronic imaging with digital cameras. Also covered are the innovative AP (Advanced Photo System) cameras, and computerized features of modern 35mm SLR (single lens reflex) and compact cameras.
This definitive guide takes you from buying a camera to understanding its controls, composing the best pictures, and showing off your results. Special sections of the book cover films, lenses, flash, filters, accessory equipment, travel photography, and even how to process films and make prints in your own darkroom. An all-inclusive glossary of photographic terms makes THE BASIC BOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHY of extra value to all photographers, whether a beginning snapshooter or an experience pro.
The authors -- Michele and Tom Grimm -- are a husband-and-wife team who have spent more than 25 years traveling the globe in search of the perfect photographic image. We now have a library of 150,000 photographs, many of which have been published worldwide. Tom also has written THE BASIC DARKROOM BOOK, a companion photography guide published by Plume/Penguin

Rating:
Summary: WORTH EVERY PENNY
Review: What can I say, but this book is totally awesome....This book makes sense of everything where other books haven't.
This book is great for the beginning SLR photographer.
The Grimm's makes sense of F/stops and shutter speeds and how to interrelate them together where other books have not.
They cover everything that the amateur photographer needs to know.
When giving examples of shots they use the same subject in the same position so that you can definitely see the difference.

I can't give enough praises for this book.