Digital Photography Book, Part 3, The

Okay, first a couple of quick disclaimers...1. I'm a huge Kelby fan and think his prior two volumes are both fun to read and packed full of great information.2. I like the biggest "bang for my buck".3. I'm not a pro and not a complete amateur either but fall somewhere in between. If I find it too simplistic, professionals and serious shutterbugs are likely to be very disappointed. If I find it too complex, novice readers are likely to do so as well. That might provide a good measure as to whether this book is right for you or not.Now, on to the actual book itself. Like many others, I ordered this on a pre-release status and anxiously awaited the delivery at which point I consumed the entire book quickly at one sitting. Readers of Kelby's other books will recognize the same friendly style, conversational tone and jokes.For those that are wondering if Kelby can really "do it again"...the answer is a resounding - "sort of". Here's Why...First, the Basics and the Bad....This book is of the same general length and writing style as the two prior books however, prior readers will immediately recognize some of the content used as "filler" or a bit of "fluff" here and there. For example, one of the pages/tips is dedicated to "cleaning" the item before shooting, another instructs to "remove distracting elements" from the picture...duh! Does that really constitute a tip? I think not. Likewise, there are several more tips dedicated to how to use your camera (Canon and Nikon users) for things like dust cleaning or turning off the beep...personally speaking, if I wanted that information I would simply read my owners manual.Other less than impressive tips included using a tripod for tack sharp product shots plus some information that is basically a repurpose of content from prior books such as which essential filters to purchase or to use a neutral density filter. It is also somewhat disappointing to see that some tips consist of nothing more than 1 very short paragraph or as little as 1-2 sentences in their entirity.Finally, the chapter on how to select the right lens is perfect for those seeking to purchase a DSLR or new to buying but most experienced users will find this a bit too simplistic for an entire chapter. Essentially it describes each lens type (ie, zoom, macro, fisheye, etc...) then when to use each. It also includes how to clean your lens, how and why to use manual focus, the difference between prime vs zoom etc...The Good...Having said all of the above, I still rate the book highly due to the engaging and readable format, excellent examples... and of course, what we all come here for...the actual tips. There are some good ones scattered throughout that more experienced users will likely appreciate - although far fewer than in prior books. Overall, this book seemed more introductory in nature than the other two volume's; still, there are plenty of great reminders and always some true golden nuggets that make all the difference like getting creative with the white balance, how to get that star effect without a filter (there - you saved the cost of this entire book plus never have to hassle with that filter again just by reading that page alone!, how to create those great reflections so popular in product shots plus much more.Bottom Line...Good book and well worth the low price tag. Best suited for beginners but serious shutterbugs are still likely to find a few gems. Not quite up to the same standard as the first two volume's but perhaps the most useful of all three for complete novice users or those currently shopping for a camera/lens etc...Targeted more for the general user (for example, Lensbaby coverage) rather than pro or serious camera buff but everyone is likely to find something they like that make the purchase price and time well worth the effort.HIGHLY recommend for new users or those purchasing a new camera/lens etc...

Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book Volume 3 is another 5-star winner. As a California State Park volunteer Docent I lead Digital Photowalks  San Luis Obispo County California Nature Photographers -- Their Works and Techniques  at photomorrobay d o t com where we try to teach each participant at least one useful new technique or idea every time they visit and every time we have a moment to spend time one-on one outside in a nature setting. Scott's volumes  Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3  all contain one easily described lesson on each page, with an explanatory photo to accompany that lesson. Nothing could be easier to learn from, nor more fun. This volume spends a bit more time on recently popular uses of studio-type lighting involving flash and reflectors and diffusers, etc., both indoors and outdoors (the Strobist comes to mind) which will keep photogs current. A lot of lessons are basic and common sense, but it is exactly these basics that we all forget from time-to-time that need reinforcing. If I had to recommend just one book for someone interested in photography, I'd have no hesitation in recommending Scott's three-volume packet  Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3  . Well done Scott. Scott Kelby's recently launched Worldwide Photowalks have brought tens of thousands of enthusiasts together to learn from each other, and this is the perfect companion book to have in your rear pocket to take along, or to gift to that family member who is obsessed with her new Nikon or Canon. As a final note, Scott gives equal and complete treatment to both popular bodies and lens sets from Canon and Nikon, so unlike some books, this one is understandable to both camps. In fact, one of the most useful aspects of this book for me was to know the Nikon equivalent of my Canon settings - because I'm often asked in the field how to set something, and I don't have that hands-on Nikon experience. Michael "Mike: L. Baird bairdphotos d o t com

Lots of good information about many areas of photography.

I'm starting to *think* I know what I'm doing when it comes to photography. I took that as a sign that I should go back to basics and learn from ground zero. I know from previous experience that Scott Kelby writes really impressive books (his Lightroom book, for example, is awesome), and this continues the same tradition.The problem with learning photography in general is that it's intimidating. Most books will describe esoteric theory, and that drives most people nuts. If I'm any representation of a normal photographer, I'll look at a photo and go "that's awesome - how did they do that?" and want a nice example without having to dive into theory and other things. I just want to take the best pics possible that I can with what I have.The layout of the book is rather simple - like a cookbook. There's a great photo, and then a description of how that photo was taken. The strength of each example is that it's not only easy to follow, but it explains enough theory for you to understand concepts and apply that in other situations. Most books don't do that - they'll tend to lose you on specifics.Kelby's books are written with the beginner in mind and would even reach into those with intermediate skills. I don't think that seasoned professionals would learn much from these books, but they're worth their weight in gold. The Digital Photography book series is what I recommend to those who are interested in doing more with their cameras and photos. Not all of us can be professional photographers, but we can make our images look better than they are now.

This book is another gem written by Scott Kelby in his usual no nonsense approach and with a healthy dose of wit injected for good measure.This is the third book in the series, and if you are considering buying this book first, I highly recommend you purchase volume one and two first, as he constantly refers back to it, and they are sort of based on skill level. Book one is more for a beginner, with book two progressing to more advanced techniques and styles of photography, while book 3 concentrates on certain aspects of photography .Here is a brief overview on what book three covers:Using flash: (part two, continues from book 2), lighting directions, soft and hard lighting, transmitters, faster recycling of batteries, settings, using flash outside, flash filters.Using your home studio that you built in book two: advanced studio techniques to get better portraits and fashion pictures, music, dishes, reflectors and light grids, TV tethered shooting, catch lights, grey cards, sync speed problems.Lenses: which one for what, which ones are worth buying and how to care for them.Product shooting: how to get reflections, lighting, backgrounds and materials for backgrounds.Outdoor shooting: showing movement, light, white balance, landscape tips, underwater, filters, HDR, scouting, which lenses to use, panoramas.Shooting people: making them comfortable and getting natural shots, street and outdoor portraits, model releases, techniques for kids.Sports photography: freezing the action, popular sports shots, shooting your kids games, focusing, best times to shoot intimate photos.Tips for getting better photos: live view, interiors, time lapse, multiple exposures, low light, printing, night scenes, packing tips, expectations of good shots.Avoiding problems: resetting the camera, JPEG/RAW, memory card issues, sensor cleaning, camera shake, backing up photos, multiple shots in low light and bad weather tips.Photo recipes: tips for achieving the same sort of style as he demonstrates.As always with a Scott Kelby book, there is a lot of useful information included and there is a lot to learn for any sort of photographer, as he covers such a wide ground. This one is more specialised than the previous books, but the sections are very detailed and even if you only buy it for one or two of them, they are certainly worth a read.This book was useful to me for the lighting directions using flash and the portrait and studio techniques. Most books waste half the book going over the basics of photography and waffling about aperture, shutter speed, ISO and equipment, before covering whatever it was we brought the book for. when there are plenty of books out there that do it so much better and explain things in much more detail for the beginner than they ever do. Scott covered all of that in the first book and as such, the next books assume that you know all of that so the whole book is full of useful information for the more advanced users. The photos included in the book also sometimes include the camera settings he used to take the photos, which is a nice touch. There aren't many that do that, but a fair few.The book, like the first ones, is printed on good quality glossy paper and had a good quality binding with a paperback cover. If you are considering this as a gift for someone, buy them the first two as well. as you need them to appreciate some of the parts of the book.I couldn't recommend this book enough. It is up to Scott Kelbys usual standards and it doesn't disappoint.

Written in the same format as the other books, this volume is like the other two volumes in the series, and this is its strength and its weakness.A great deal of the content can be gleaned from the other two volumes or the application of common sense. Having said that, I personally find that in the excitement of preparing for a shoot I DO forget essential item and this is where this book works for me with the gear needed for certain shoots, which lenses to leave at home etc being spelled out by the author. Some of the page information is distressingly short like eight and a half lines of text. The writing style make the information easy to understand. Naturally it is written for an American readership, but most is transferable to the UK.I would have liked a list on which subjects to include for a travel shoot ( although there is some help ), which for a model portfolio ( 3/4 length, head and shoulder, etc) , as well as for weddings. I would have liked guidance about image submission. Oh well, maybe in the next one. Is this book value for money ? Just about. Can you learn anything new from it ? Yes but thoroughly reading volumes 1 & 2 will give you 50 - 60% of it. The best bit ? The link to the website and from there to suppliers websites ( most of whom will ship to the UK ) for those things we just don't seem to have in this country.

I wouldn't describe myself as an expert in photography but it wasn't quite what I needed when I ordered. Although this book is good reference material and is always good to remind yourself of technique. I did learn some stuff from it and even people that may know considerably more than myself could still learn from this. I would say this is a good book to get creative interests flowing and it has some good general practises in photography.I know I should maybe have bought the first in the volume but its still information that can be absorbed without reading the other two books. Also I found that it had an emphasis in studio photography and that is not really the area that I want to explore. So for me was not perfect but I will say I would recommend people to read it for general technique.However you look at it there is no harm in gaining more knowledge from a different perspective. Plus the required equipment is also discussed (such as how to establish your own photography studio and all the equipment needed). The book is written in an intelligible and easy to absorb fashion. I would not say its a bad book just not what I was looking for at the time.

This series was recommended to me by a friend. Don't pick it up and expect complex lessons in photography. As Scott Kelby says, think of this as a series of tips he would give a friend in a range of circumstances. Each bi-fold spread has a photo and a spiel about how to take the photo plus various equipment tips. I've found so many little useful tips in these books and a lot of food for thought. If nothing else, you'll never, ever, just take "walk-up" shots........

I do like these books but this one seems to cover some of the same tips that were the first two. Still very useful if you're intending to make as much progress as possible. This one is a little more advanced and having bought all three used from Amazon I noticed that this was the least thumbed of the trio of volumes. I see there is a book 4 but I would have to a flick through it before I bought it as as I said, this one is quite repetitive of the earlier two.