The Digital Photography Companion: Practical Photography Advice You Can Take Anywhere

This book provides an excellent, clear overview of digital photography basics. The writing style is clear and engaging, and the very knowledgeable author comes across as an enthusiastic friend offering his best advice, rather than a condescending expert. The book presents information with both digital SLR users as well as compact, point-and-shoot cameras in mind. (You will end up wanting to own one of each.) It covers basic camera functions, photo composition strategies, processing images on the computer (with Photoshop, etc.), and printing, distributing and storing your work. Each topic is covered with just the right amount of detail. There are a lot of very practical "insider" tips for getting excellent photos, and the ones I've tried have been very effective. The chapter on camera functions is organized like an encyclopedia, with alphabetical entries. At first I was doubtful about this approach, because it seemed to make more sense to discuss camera functions in a more thematically organized way. However, the author's approach does make the book very easy to use as a quick reference, and when reading later parts of the book, it was easy to flip back to relevant entries to refresh your memory about a given camera function. The book does NOT provide detailed information about how to use Photoshop (or any other specific image processing software), instead favoring some general principles that are useful with virtually any program. You will want to get a separate book to learn the ins and outs of particular computer programs, but this book does give a great basic orientation and some general strategies for making these programs work effectively. I read the book eagerly and learned a lot. I'm sure I'll be referring to it often.

I am using a moderately high end digital camera (Not an DSLR)for last 2 years,but after reading this book I feel like enlightened. This book revisits some very basic concepts those are needed both for beginners and pro. This is a small book but covering most of our day to day aspect of photography and you can easily carry this with your camera for quick reference. It covers from technical details (aperture, exposure, shutter speed ...) to artistic beauty of composition. The main aspect that I love about this book is that it teaches some really useful tricks on how to use the inexpensive camera along with some inexpensive prop to obtain the great effect of an expensive one.This book is highly recommended specially for beginners.

Book is a very good reference for those who have some knowledge of the availability of settings to program into the bigger digital cameras. It will also provide newcomers with a better understand of all that their camera can do in photography. Many good information tips are also included. The author also suggest the use of the book as a traveling companion for information you might want to use when you are traveling with your camera.

I purchased this book so that I can have something I can keep with me as I do my daily photo walks. it's great because the information is provided clearly in simple terms that any beginner will appreciate. I highly recommend this book as part of any photographer's bag.

Nice concise book that is handy to have if you have a question about a particular set up for a desired shot while out in the field. No earth shattering revelations contained within however.

Excellent book to carry with you as a companion while learning digital photography. I know I will wear this one out and will have to get another, so It's well worth the price. Couldn't get along without it!

This a super book to keep handy. I gives good information on almost any shooting situation. I plan to carry it in my bag. Very easy to read an helpful.

The "Basic Photography Companion" concept has become nearly its own genre in the photography book business. For the most part, it results in "formula" books covering the same basic ideas - how to buy introductory camera gear, how to use the gear, and how to produce decent- looking photos for oneself, family, and friends. It is a popular genre and there is nothing wrong with a formula approach, especially if it is made fresh by updated content, quality production values, and capable exposition. Out of all the "companions" I've owned or read over the decades the ones written by Derrick Story and published by O'Reilly Media, rank among the best. Mr. Story's latest is "The Digital Photography Companion" (2008), a slender book of 214 pages. Story is O'Reilly's digital media expert and has authored a number of basic digital photography guides over the years, as well as other books in his area of expertise. With the rapidly developing technology in the photography world involving digital cameras, lenses, storage media, software editing and management programs, and Internet and wireless distribution methods, there is a niche and a need for a good genre-formula companion manual. A typical companion manual is a book small enough to fit easily into a camera bag and which provides guidance on camera and lens settings, filters, flash, and other technical hardware matters while also providing information and tips on standard photography concepts like depth of field, shutter speeds, exposures, and the like. The better ones also contain the reference material most desired by working photographers, like charts for exposure; color temperatures; flash, metering, and camera modes; and memory card capabilities. The Digital Photography Companion makes order of the complexities of photography equipment purchasing and use while providing a goodly amount of practical tips for taking photos. Mr. Story has an easy-going casual writing style. He makes learning about digital hardware and software and photography concepts and techniques seem easy. The book is nicely produced and laden with full color illustrative comparison images, useful tables, charts, and color-coded sidebars of Tips, Definitions, Warnings, and Reminders. There are screenshots of software settings for digital editing and management applications like iPhoto, Photoshop Elements, Adobe's Light Room, and Apple's high-end program, Aperture, and others. The picture-making material is for beginners; there is discussion of basic photo techniques for a large variety of situations most commonly experienced by beginners--especially persistent learners - landscapes, weddings, kids, action, self-portraits, and astrophotography scenes. The goal is to help new photographers learn to make their pictures unique and interesting for even non-family and friends. There are five chapters covering computer and photography terms, hands-on techniques and camera use items, picture making tips and ideas, viewing and managing results, and printing methods. Chapters 1 and 2 are organized by basic photography and technical concepts sorted in alphabetical order for quick reference, as necessary. Chapter 3 provides basic picture-taking tips. An appendix contains the Quick Reference Guide mentioned already for camera settings , together with a chart of metadata for all the illustrative photos contained in the book, including for each photo: camera model used, focal length, shutter speed, and location. The digital revolution in the photography world makes the materials in chapters 4 and 5 especially useful, discussing the new digital distribution and software processing methods - e-mail, conversion to movies, dealing with RAW files, making slide shows, etc. - and the printing options - direct from camera, online printers, and dedicated photo printers.

This book appears to be an update of Digital Photography Pocket Guide and covers all the points to consider to improve the quality of pictures taken. Well worth the second hand price I paid for it.