Julie Adair King - Digital Photography For Dummies

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A few months ago, while cleaning my office in an attempt to put off sitting down to write, I came across the first edition of Digital Photography For Dummies, published in 1997. Flipping through the pages, I was struck by how much digital photography has changed in the intervening years. Consider these snippets from that first edition:

“For $800 to $1,000, you get a pixel count in the 1280 x 960 range.” Pixel count refers to resolution, which determines how large you can print a digital image. With a resolution of 1280 x 960 pixels — about 1 million pixels altogether, or 1 megapixel in today's terminology — the maximum print size is 4 x 6 inches. If you needed more resolution back then, a Kodak/Canon hybrid model offered a 6-megapixel resolution for $29,000. (No, that figure is not a typo.) Today, even sub-$100 cameras offer resolutions of way more than 6 megapixels.

“Some cameras suck the life out of a set of batteries in just a few hours.” This issue was a huge problem, and one that manufacturers did a good job of resolving. Most modern cameras can survive an entire day, or even days, without needing a recharge.

“On cameras that have LCD screens, battery consumption is even higher.” Wait — what? Digital cameras didn't have monitors back then? Well, some higher-priced cameras did, but the monitors then were nowhere near as large or as crisp as the stunning displays we now enjoy. And touchscreens weren’t even in the picture, pardon the pun.

I could go on, but I think you get the point: Digital photography has come a long way since its early years. What remains the same, however, is that figuring out how to use all the features on your camera can be intimidating. How many megapixels do you really need, for example? What's ISO? And are your pro photographer friends right when they insist that you shoot in the Raw format (whatever that means)?

The other thing that hasn't changed is that Digital Photography For Dummies has the answers to these questions and more. Completely updated to cover the latest technology, this ninth edition spells out everything you need to know to make the most of your digital camera.

Digital Photography For Dummies, 9th Edition, covers all aspects of digital photography. It helps you assess your photography needs, determine the best gear to suit your style, and combine the latest digital-camera innovations with tried-and-true photography techniques. In addition, this book explains what happens after you get the shot, detailing the steps you need to take to download your pictures and share your favorite images online and in print.

Unlike other books on the topic, this one does not assume that you have any knowledge about photography, whether digital or film. Everything is explained in easy-to-understand language, with a little humor thrown in to make learning a bit more enjoyable.

I do assume, though, that if you're into photography enough to pick up this book, you probably own a “regular” camera — that is, one designed solely to take pictures, as opposed to a smartphone or tablet camera. For that reason, the book concentrates on helping you take advantage of features that are common to standard cameras but aren’t available on most mobile devices. A lot of the stuff I cover applies no matter what kind of camera you use, however — composition, for example, is key to a photo taken with any device, as is understanding lighting and focus.