Rating: 
Summary: Photography beginners's valuable companion....
Review: ...this book contains almost every topic (although I never understood why a photography How-to needs to tell me how to load a film, since every camera comes with a manual).
It starts very basic (e.g. aperture vs. exposure time reciprocity), explains films and even covers specific problems (such as shutter speed for depicting falling snown etc.).
It's a book for beginners (although the essays about and from famous photographers and their tips are whorth reading for everyone). After purchasing this book you definetely don't need to look around for any other introduction. It serves well as continuous reference for upcoming questions (e.g. "How long should I expose the moon without blurring it?").
After reading this book (or if you already stepped beyond this stage in photography) you'll only need to look for advanced books. Including inside covers as Greycards is simply clever and very handy.
I rated this book "only" with 4 stars for I was already looking for some advanced advice or "insider tips" as given in John "Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide".
PS: I puchased its two companions "Landscape" and "People and Portraits" as well. Though both books are nice they only include little that's not already mentioned in this valuable guide!
Rating: 
Summary: Worth Reading Again and Again
Review: Although Mr. "E.V "E.V" Didn't like it, I think it's great. Actually, if his photography is half as bad as his spelling and grammar, he's a hack.
It's a great book for anyone who enjoys photography. It caters to a wide range of levels. Beginners will be enlightened, while those who are or an intermediate or advanced level will find reinforcement and review. Even for professionals, a review of the basics never hurts.
The photos are great and the topics are covered very well. This is a book that can educate, inspire, and often awe. In my opinion, a book very much worth having.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent resource and worthy investment!
Review: I am new to photography and after browsing through several "how to books", I decided to buy this one. Though smaller than some other "complete" guides out there, this book offers very clear, easy to understand explainations of the inner workings of photography. It packs a lot of information within its pages, and tells you what you want to know, what is involved in taking great pictures. It covers both indoor and outdoor photography, has excellent diagrams, and uses photographs to illustrate techniques. Rather than offer the reader an endless stream of irrelevant data, this book explains the fundamentals of photography and how they can be used to create great photographs. The authors are careful to cover many different camera types, but keep the information relevant for all readers. It should be noted that this book is presented in full colour, unlike a different "complete" guide, which was 90% black and white(you have to be joking!). I highly reccomend this book for anyone looking to learn about photography, or improve on their technique. First class offering, typical of National Geographic caliber.
Rating:
Summary: Great entry to mid level tutorial!!!
Review: I'm not a pro. Actually, I broke my old point and shoot camera recently and bought a nice SLR one. Yes, I studied a little bit of photo techniques&composition in school but that was long time ago and I decided to update my knowledge a little bit and get a good tutorial. I bought this book and it is exactly what I need. You know, amateurs know rules and pros know exceptions. This book is written by real pros and they teach you not the standard rules only but they also explain why and when they can be violated. Basically they teach you how pros think and work. What's bad? It gives you some ideas but doesn't provide detailed directions how to get there. It's based on film photography and gives just a brief overview on digital photo. Some advices, like use tripod, spend days with your subject to catch a right moment are ok for pros, but probably don't make sense for majority of amateurs. If you want to buy just one photography tutorial this is it. It'll give you all basic techniques like any standard tutorial plus some ideas on real advanced stuff so you know where to go if you want to keep going.
Rating:
Summary: Clear, concise and packed with information.
Review: If you're already familiar with the 'rules' of photography - whether it have to do with equipment, technical function, lighting, etc, etc. - then this book may be a little too basic for you. However, if you're just getting started in the world of real photography, I can't recommend this enough. Here's why...
1. The content. Intermediate and advanced photography technique aside, I can't imagine what could be *missing* from this book. Now maybe in ten years I'll look back and see the error of my ways, but right now every page in this book delivers more and more relevant information. It's almost scary - you find yourself stopping only after a page or two, saying "boy, did I get all that?" The book talks about camera types, film types, aperture, film speed, lenses, flashes, and more. And it doesn't just give definitions - it makes you understand what it all means, and gives you a foundation for how it all works. It doesn't end there - they also cover lighting, exposure, metering, gear maintainence, and touch on black and white photography - which I'd imagine is a science unto itself. After that they dive into tips from professional photographers on how to shoot things like landscapes, people, architecture, evening shots, night shots, close ups, action shots, and more.
In other words, there's a whole lot packed into this little book.
2. The delivery. Content is great, but if you can't decypher what the authors are talking about, then what's the point? This book reads almost like a list - and oh how I love lists! Dont' get me wrong - it's in paragraph form. But sentences are clear, concise, void of extraneous information and designed to deliver the maximum amount of information in as few words as possible. It's like finding an excellent course outline from an introductory college photography class. I like that.
3. The fit and finish. Yep, as silly as it sounds, this book fits *perfectly* into my camera bag, is made of quality glossy paper and has endless high quality photographs. After the content and presentation, this is the icing on the cake.
Overall, this is a great book for those interested in getting into photography, and has so much information it's probably a worthwhile reference even for those who already know their stuff. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Invaluable for Beginners to Advance Photographers!!
Review: Of all the photography equipment and accessories I have now I would consider this book the most valuable of them all. For without it I would still be struggling with getting out of the all to easy, yet fallible "P" mode. This book took me from novice point and shooter to an advanced photographer feeling comfortable shooting some of the more higher end films getting great results in a very short time. It is written for both beginners as well as serious photographers covering many aspects of photography to get you on that road to taking great pictures. The illustrations and photos with the subject discussed make it very easy to understand. Living in Japan, the land of photography, it's hard not to get hooked, yet English books on the subject are extremely expensive here or too focused on a single subject going on and on with graphs and charts and in-depth technical details. I was looking for something reasonably priced and not to over-encompassing to get me started. This book was definately a home run, or better yet a Grand Slam, when it came to overall useful content and price. I have given this book as gifts to many people with similiar interests in photography that just couldn't get past that P mode either. I have also given it to people interested in Digital Photography. The basics are all the same, lighting, exposure values etc... I assure you this is one gift that will not sit on the bookshelf after the first reading and eventually wind up in the garage sale bin. This book is one that will not go out of date anytime soon as it covers all of the basics which don't change. Definately "NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC" calibre stuff!!
Rating:
Summary: A Handy Guide for Quick Reference
Review: Probably every photographer, whether amateur or professional, has dreamed of being a photographer for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. Robert Caputo, a photographer who has had work published in the magazine, and Peter Burian offer suggestions for taking photographs like those found in the magazine in their book THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY FIELD GUIDE. Though the book has some information on digital photography, it is intended primarily for film users. It has some basic information about photography basics: camera, film, lenses, composition, film, exposure, flash, etc. The information presented in this section is probably better for review for photographers who know the basics rather than those who are new to using the camera. Perhaps the book's greatest strength would be the suggestions for taking action shots, nature shots, and people shots. Examples of work from highly regarded photographers are used to demonstrate the suggestions offered. The book may not be as complete as other books on the subject, bit its compact size and excellent organization makes it a perfect guide to use in the field when a quick question arises.
Rating:
Summary: Great Pocket Reference!
Review: The authors present a great deal of practical information in a handy, easy to digest form. For a photographer with basic skills and understanding of the roles of aperature and exposure time, this book will open many new doors of creativity. Through the experiences of National Geographic staff photographers, we learn what techniques contribute to successful travel, candid, landscape and other photographic genre. The book contains useful chapters on equipment, film selection, film formats and digital photography. All around, the Handbook is an indispensable addition to anyone's photography library.
Rating:
Summary: Great Pocket Reference!
Review: The authors present a great deal of practical information in a handy, easy to digest form. For a photographer with basic skills and understanding of the roles of aperature and exposure time, this book will open many new doors of creativity. Through the experiences of National Geographic staff photographers, we learn what techniques contribute to successful travel, candid, landscape and other photographic genre. The book contains useful chapters on equipment, film selection, film formats and digital photography. All around, the Handbook is an indispensable addition to anyone's photography library.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for photographers
Review: The book contains the really most basic and well known tips - nothing more, you better look in the internet and find far more informative websites. I gave it one star beacuse the amazing photos in the book which made by wonderful photographers. Buy a album insted or Michael Langford's guid if you are a beginner who wants to learn the basics.
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