I love taking photos. I’ve loved taking photos since I got my first
real camera in high school (a Pentax P30t, for those keeping score at
home), and I’ve taken a few photography classes along the way. Derrick
Story’s new Digital Photography Pocket Guide is something that everyone
with a digital camera should get. I recently made the switch from a
PowerShot S410 to my father’s hand-me-down D10 Digital SLR, and this is
the book that’s helped me go from taking okay pictures to taking
pictures that are up to my expectations.
The book is divided into three sections, categorized by the sorts of
questions you might have about your camera: first is “What is it?,”
featuring a button-by-button dissection of four camera types: compact,
advanced amateur, professional, and hybrid. It covers some of the
technical basics of how the imaging sensors work, what the labels on
the buttons mean, and some of the other very basic things about these
different kinds of cameras.
The second section of the book, “What Does It Do?,” is full of
human-readable definitions of the various features that your camera may
have. If you’ve always wanted to know what the little tree button does
on your camera, this is the section for you (incidentally, that feature
is called Infinity Lock and will lock your camera’s focus for targets
further than ten feet away). The final section handles questions like
“How do I take a portrait?” or “What’s a good way to work with Macro?”
The best part of the manual is the writing style, which is
approachable, easy to comprehend, and concise. Derrick’s not going to
waste your time; he just wants to help you take better photos. Some of
that means explaining photographical concepts, and if you’re new to the
world of cameras, that may seem daunting and/or confusing, but the
material he presents is cogent, well-described, and fodder for any
photographer to enjoy. If you’ve always wondered what the exposure
controls were for, or were thinking about the macro features, this is
the book for you. Carry it with your camera, and refer to it when
you’re curious.
Copyright © 2005 Tom Bridge, tbridge@atpm.com. Reviewing in
ATPM is open to anyone. If you’re interested, write to us at
reviews@atpm.com.
Reader Comments (0)
Add A Comment