Digital Photography Bible, Second Edition

Launching into digital photography means making a succession of comparisons, and this book has done most of the legwork for you. It examines the different brands of cameras and accessories, as well as the hardware and software you'll need to process the images, from printers to papers. Appendices chart out the comparisons and list 46 pages' worth of digital resources--from Agfa to Zing Network, an online digital-image community offering unlimited free storage.

Author Ken Milburn shares his experience as a photographer, with tips and tricks on how to take a good image, whether it's the basics of high-quality photography or technical insights into working a digital camera--such as compensating for shutter lag or the usually excessive depth of field. He touches on several image-editing applications, but devotes the most time to the basics of using Photoshop.

If you have extensive experience taking and processing conventional photos, but have yet to dive into digital, you'll be able to appreciate how the book weighs all the variables involved. If you've committed yourself already to a particular camera and software, you still will benefit from the help on how to get the most from them. The author's gallery of color photos shows examples of different problem-solving techniques covered in the text, and the companion CD-ROM contains demos of many of the applications discussed, including Photoshop 5.5. --Angelynn Grant

If you can overlook this, then I have a feeling the other reviews

that say this is good for beginners are on the mark.


Wow!!   October 8, 2002
...I've been an amateur photographer for 15 years, and my husband bought me a Canon Powershot A40 and this book for my birthday. I'm no stranger to photography, but I'm amazed at the effects I've already been able to achieve with Adobe Elements and the use of this book. I particularly appreciated the chapter on special effects and the one on cataloging and archiving images.


Wish I'd Read These Reviews...   March 12, 2002
 15 out of 15 found this review helpful

I wish I'd read the reviews before I bought the book. I'd echo the sentiment that I was too advanced for the book. The CD wasn't anything I could use either. It was good in spots, but what I learned was really on a few pages. If you just bought or thinking of buying, your first digital camera and goodies, then buy this book.

If you've been shooting for a while and using Photoshop, you'll learn a little, but wish you'd bought something else--like a lens or something, or a different book.

Beginners BUY THIS


All you need to grasp a concept or learn more...   December 5, 2001
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Ok I work with digital cameras, printers and scanners for about 3 years now (professional as well as private life). The concept of digital photography is not new to me and there are few things that I'm unfamiliar with but... There are some settings, details or modes that I would like to try or set but just don't have time. This book will solve those problems. It will take you from basic settings and steps in technique and bump you up. So if all you want to do is print/scan basic proofs or shoot nighttime pictures you will be instructed what to do. But if you want to be more advanced, print better photos, shoot more interesting stuff all you have to do is read on... This book really covers everything; that's probably why it is $40. There are some stuff that you won't need. And if you know basics of photography, parts of the book will bore you but at the end you will have a knowledge that will allow you to improve your digital darkroom techniques. I'm really not looking for camera recommendations since I know what I want. Buyer has to be aware that examples of equipment used for demonstration may be little outdated right now. Same thing goes for camera/scanner recommendations at the end of the book. Digital bible should be used as photo guide not as an equipment recommendation source. Also one thing about the book is that author does not try to find solutions (sometimes). Some problems are solved with minimal intellectual involvement. Example: if there is a problem, tweaking will help (time consuming) but it is recommended that you have to go out and buy a $200 printer profile (much faster/less headache)... I would love to see more of the day to day solutions from peoples personal experiences rather than strictly theoretical solutions (which work fine but cost $). I'm very satisfied with my purchase.


Very good book on digital photography   August 2, 2000
 19 out of 19 found this review helpful

This is a very good book for the novice to advanced amateur about the digital darkroom (not just digital cameras). The author does a great job walking through various parts of image capture (both through digital cameras and through scanned images originally taken on film), to editing and modification, through final display, either in print or on the web.

The writing is straightforward--here's what I'm going to say, here it is, and here's what I said. There are good pointers and hints throughout. He covers particular brands of cameras, scanners, software, etc., to some detail. Most discussions, though, are general enough to be applied to any combination of camera, software, computer (provided it's a PC or Mac--no other operating systems mentioned), etc.

The best aspect of the book is its comprehensive nature. Everything's covered. Making panoramas? Yes. How digital cameras work? Yes. Best way to prepare images for the web? Yes. Explaining a dye-sub printer? Yes. On the first read, it will probably be more than you want to know. Later, though, it will be a prompt to try something new.

The CD-ROM comes (mostly) with demos of commercial packages, including PhotoShop 5.5. A nice touch but nothing interesting enough to let me say I've used the CD a lot.

The biggest disappointment is the sample pictures. There are some color pages, but they're just before and after of tricks the author did in PhotoShop. (The book covers some basics about image enhancement, but it will not make you a PhotoShop expert.) The other pictures are in black-and-white and not very clear. In many cases, it is difficult to see the details the author is referring to.

Overall, recommended for the "dummy" or competent amateur who wants a good primer on building a digital darkroom. This is Digital Photo 101 and 102. If you want the advanced courses, go to the web because the state of the art is changing too rapidly to be well covered in a book.