Rating: 
Summary: A book worth your time & $
Review: After reading Mikkels' book Photoshop Elements 2 solutions, I realized I needed something more to help me focus on taking better pictures with my Fuji 3800.
I really enjoy taking pictures of my children, but they dont always turn out as planned or hoped...
After reading the first 5 chapters in this book, I have an even greater love for my hobby. Mikkel gives very clear scenarios with excellent quality COLOR photographs to help give you a visual example of what he is trying to teach you. I have learned so much in "technique" alone.
Being familiar with how a camera operates and the "lingo" is recommended. This is NOT a dummies book, far from it, but much, much more.
Taking pictures for me, is just a hobby, but something I strive to be better at with every shot, and reading this book so far has opened my eyes to what I can accomplish.
The book gives plenty of examples of "how-to's" and "what-if's" about taking pictures in many different environments and with many different subjects.
Recommendation: buy this book if you are wanting to get the most out of your digital camera, and your pictures will show your progress.
Two thumbs up, well written and worth every penny.
Rating: 
Summary: Advice to the new digital convert
Review: Digital media are not film. For any camera more complex than a point and shoot, a photographer will have to learn about a host of technical differences that effect the ultimate photograph, like white balance, histograms and file formats. Yet these same challenges also offer opportunities for new and creative uses that film doesn't provide.Aaland aims his book at new converts to digital by explaining how digital differs from film. After a brief introduction to the subject, and the differences between the media, he offers individual chapters on shooting situations that explain how to shot pictures digitally. Chapters deal with portraiture, action and landscapes, among other genres. He uses case studies of particular photographs to show how the photographers adjusted their shooting technique to fit the requirements of digital cameras. I found these examples to be particularly helpful for understanding how I would have to change my shooting habits for digital. There is necessarily some overlap with the general techniques of photography, as when the author discusses lighting techniques for digital portraits. It's comforting to know that there is not much difference in this area between film and digital. On the other hand some of the advice is remarkably banal, as when he describes the "rule of thirds" and then tells you that you should develop composition skills on your own. There are a few chapters in this book that are so peripheral to the theme of the book, but written about with such detail, that they seemed to me to be added as filler. For example, Aaland includes ten pages on object movies that seemed of little use to the average photographer. (Object movies are a series of digital photographs of an object, stitched together so that they can be presented on a computer as if one was circling the object. Their primary use is in advertising.) Yet despite these failings, this book certainly eased the transition from film to digital for me. I wish that the author had spent more time using more genres as examples of the shifts required for the change but the book did the job I expected it to do,
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book for the advanced amateur photographer!
Review: I found this book to be one of the most useful and interesting photography books that I have read in a long time. It doesn't spend a lot of time on the basics (and in the introduction it does say that it is not intended for beginners), but instead it gives useful information to make your every day photos look better. Some of the photos in the book are incredibly impressive while others look to be nothing special. The only thing keeping this from being a 5-star review is that the author mentions his companion site over and over, but when I went there it was incomplete and didn't have half of the items the book said would be seen there.
Rating: 
Summary: "Stupid is as stupid does", Forest Gump
Review: I have only read the the first 25 pages of this highly anticipated read and so far the author has amazed me with such invaluable tidbits of knowledge as: Make sure the lense cap is off
Make sure the camera batteries are charged
Make sure the attached supporting equipment is properly connected.
Etc
Etc
I hope the rest of the book has something,anything, useful to say to help get me out of this purgatory.
I will dutifully follow up with another critique if this book begins to show value.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Very Helpful
Review: I've always been interested in photography, and I got my first digital camera only last year; being a point-and-shoot camera, I noticed its limitations almost immediately. So this year, I bought a Canon EOS Digital Rebel and a fancy lens, and I wanted to learn how to take better shots and step up from the CoolPix that I had. A friend recommended "Shooting Digital", and I (and others) saw improvements almost immediately. I have a lot to learn, and in my opinion this book is the best type of teacher, one that encourages me to get out there and experiment with my camera. The book is organized according to different types of photography (portraits, action photography, buildings, landscapes, etc.) so I can focus on a particular chapter depending on the situation. It offers knowledgeable insights into the singularities of digital cameras -- how to overcome limitations like shutter release lag and how to capitalize on the benefits of digital over film. It has also opened my eyes to ideas and camera functions outside of the bounds of traditional picture-taking -- like minimovies, panoramas, and VR -- that I didn't think I'd care about, until I was shown the possibilites. I'm not there yet, but when I get to the chapter that explores more extreme photography (infrared, underwater, aerial), I'm sure I'll just want to get adventurous (and maybe even buy a waterproof camera as well). The author's direct and genial style makes this bood easy to read without becoming bored; the photography makes me want to keep learning and become a photographer. The book is so packed with examples from professional photographers that it would be overwhelming -- if the author didn't make things so clear (and fun to learn and experiment). This is exactly the book I needed, and I'd recommend it to anybody getting serious about digital photography.
Rating:
Summary: shooting digital
Review: practical information for the digital camera enthusiast who is also in search of fundamental photographic priciples and techniques for shooting portraiture, still life, landscapes, etc.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful guide to advanced techniques
Review: Reading this book will teach you A LOT about how to use advanced features of your digital camera like aperture, focal length, ISO settings, and shutter settings. The author targets those who know a little, but only a little about cameras. Even for the complete novice, this would be a useful book. For those like myself, who have been using cameras for many years, but without any advanced knowledge, this book is perfect. He also goes into depth on photographic techniques for framing shots, catching elusive shots, and taking an ordinary shot and making it into something special. He even has a great little section on taking movies with your camera. Highly recommended! BTW, this book has excellent color photos to illustrate his points.
Rating:
Summary: What a Treasure
Review: Shooting Digital reveals so many tips to exploit your digital camera that it will keep you busy for hours. Combine that with the great color photos and the many techniques of great photographers explained in detail by the author, and you have one of the best books on digital photography. Included are tips for shooting under water, shooting in low light, shooting action and many others that will help me improve my techniques. The RAW image file format is also explained. Hardly any digital camera subject is not covered in some detail - you can read this on its own or with your camera in your hands.
Rating:
Summary: Good book to improve the skills of digital photographers
Review: SHOOTING DIGITAL
Mikkel Aaland.
Published by Sybex Books. http://www.sybex.com
ISBN: 0-7821-4104-8 Shooting Digital is probably a must-have book for anyone taking digital photography seriously. It is 270 glossy pages of in-depth useful information garnered from an extensive list of professional photographers. Mikkel Aaland himself has been a professional photographer for years and it appears that he really knows his stuff. I like the way that the book describes the differences between film and digital photography and lays many of the myths associated with the value of one against the other. He manages to explain these differences simply enough for newcomers to the field, yet with enough technical information for long term SLR experts. The book does not assume that everyone has a professional quality camera and the abilities of a variety of cameras is compared. Sensible advice on use of filters and accessories could save the reader a lot of money and heartache, and the setting up of simple studios and use of alternative light sources is extremely useful. A lot of time is spent teaching how to work with a subject, whether animal or human to create brilliant portraits. This includes really useful diagrams of lighting setups and use of equipment and how to make the most of what you have available, as well as what sort of tripods, lights etc are needed. These sections are named Accessories That Make a Difference, and are scattered throughout the individual chapters. Also scattered are Know Your Camera, and Software Solutions, and these are sort of shortcut sections which are really useful. Many other photographers have contributed works and information for the book so it is not just one man's view. Digital is here to stay and a lot of professionals are changing over, and are contributing real information in the fields of their own expertise, from portraits to action to minimovies and even how to get the most out of working in different situations and lighting conditions. There is a whole section on interior and exterior photography and the information gained is invaluable. Use of natural and artificial light is something that is approached the whole way through the book, and this makes a lot of sense. There are a lot of differences between the way that images are taken using film and digital and these are highlighted and explained all along the way. This is important if you are a film person moving to digital because, although a lot of the same terms are used, they do not necessarily equate to each other in the way you would expect. If you are just using digital then it is best to ignore the differences and go for what your digital camera can do for you. Each shot is shown with the make of camera used and the settings involved, which gives a good insight into what sort of camera you buy and how you use it. Obviously software is important for getting your digital images to their maximum, and this is well covered too. Including good information on use of filters and techniques, but this information is mainly a light introduction to clean up and lightly enhancing techniques. I think this is a good idea, because the book sets out to show proper photographing techniques to help you create the image you want with the minimum amount of re-touching. If you want to know more about the software you want to use, then other books are available for this. If you want to see a sample chapter http://www.shooting-digital.com/book/ is the page to start from. Every aspect of getting the most from your digital camera seems to have been explored and discussed. This is a very useful and informative book by people who know what they are talking about. If you are interested in taking good photos, or have already started and want to take better ones, then I would recommend looking here. The book is not the sort of book you need if you want to know how to use a particular software program, it is just the sort of book you need to get the most out of your hardware though. Tim Skyrme
http://www.artzend.com
Rating:
Summary: Good book to improve the skills of digital photographers
Review: SHOOTING DIGITAL
Mikkel Aaland.
Published by Sybex Books. http://www.sybex.com
ISBN: 0-7821-4104-8 Shooting Digital is probably a must-have book for anyone taking digital photography seriously. It is 270 glossy pages of in-depth useful information garnered from an extensive list of professional photographers. Mikkel Aaland himself has been a professional photographer for years and it appears that he really knows his stuff. I like the way that the book describes the differences between film and digital photography and lays many of the myths associated with the value of one against the other. He manages to explain these differences simply enough for newcomers to the field, yet with enough technical information for long term SLR experts. The book does not assume that everyone has a professional quality camera and the abilities of a variety of cameras is compared. Sensible advice on use of filters and accessories could save the reader a lot of money and heartache, and the setting up of simple studios and use of alternative light sources is extremely useful. A lot of time is spent teaching how to work with a subject, whether animal or human to create brilliant portraits. This includes really useful diagrams of lighting setups and use of equipment and how to make the most of what you have available, as well as what sort of tripods, lights etc are needed. These sections are named Accessories That Make a Difference, and are scattered throughout the individual chapters. Also scattered are Know Your Camera, and Software Solutions, and these are sort of shortcut sections which are really useful. Many other photographers have contributed works and information for the book so it is not just one man's view. Digital is here to stay and a lot of professionals are changing over, and are contributing real information in the fields of their own expertise, from portraits to action to minimovies and even how to get the most out of working in different situations and lighting conditions. There is a whole section on interior and exterior photography and the information gained is invaluable. Use of natural and artificial light is something that is approached the whole way through the book, and this makes a lot of sense. There are a lot of differences between the way that images are taken using film and digital and these are highlighted and explained all along the way. This is important if you are a film person moving to digital because, although a lot of the same terms are used, they do not necessarily equate to each other in the way you would expect. If you are just using digital then it is best to ignore the differences and go for what your digital camera can do for you. Each shot is shown with the make of camera used and the settings involved, which gives a good insight into what sort of camera you buy and how you use it. Obviously software is important for getting your digital images to their maximum, and this is well covered too. Including good information on use of filters and techniques, but this information is mainly a light introduction to clean up and lightly enhancing techniques. I think this is a good idea, because the book sets out to show proper photographing techniques to help you create the image you want with the minimum amount of re-touching. If you want to know more about the software you want to use, then other books are available for this. If you want to see a sample chapter http://www.shooting-digital.com/book/ is the page to start from. Every aspect of getting the most from your digital camera seems to have been explored and discussed. This is a very useful and informative book by people who know what they are talking about. If you are interested in taking good photos, or have already started and want to take better ones, then I would recommend looking here. The book is not the sort of book you need if you want to know how to use a particular software program, it is just the sort of book you need to get the most out of your hardware though. Tim Skyrme
http://www.artzend.com
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