Furnishes an overview of digital photography, covering such topics as cameras, exposure, lighting, shutter speed, depth of field, and resolution--and tips on how to avoid hours of photo-editing by taking great photographs the first time.

Photography has been the business and the passion of LIFE since the original weekly magazine's inception in 1936, and it continues to be the business and passion of LIFE Books and LIFE.com in the new millennium. But photography has surely changed during these many decades. The rigs and gear of old have given way-first slowly, then all at once-to sleek miracle machines that process pixels and have made the darkroom obsolete. The casual photog puts eye to lens, sets everything on auto and captures a photograph that is . . . perfectly fine. One of LIFE's master shooters-in fact, the final in the long line of distinguished LIFE staff photographers-was Joe McNally, and he has always believed that with a little preparation and care, with a dash of enthusiasm and daring added to the equation, anyone can make a better photo-anyone can turn a "keeper" into a treasure. This was true in days of yore, and it's true in the digital age. Your marvelous new camera, fresh from its box, can indeed perform splendid feats. Joe explains in this book how to take best advantage of what it was designed to do, and also when it is wise to outthink your camera or push your camera-to go for the gold, to create that indelible family memory that you will have blown up as large as the technology will allow, and that will hang on the wall forevermore. As the storied LIFE photographer and photo editor John Loengard points out in his eloquent foreword to this volume, there are cameras and there are cameras, and they've always been able to do tricks. And then there is photography. Other guides may give you the one, two, three of producing a reasonably well exposed shot, but Joe McNally and the editors of LIFE can give you that, and then can show you how to make a picture. In a detailed, friendly, conversational, anecdotal, sometimes rollicking way, that's what they do in these pages. Prepare to click.

Even film diehards have a tough time resisting the instant gratification of the digital camera. Today's digital cameras are more affordable then ever before, and they deliver high quality images that are a snap to share. Plus, you can take risks with a digital camera you never would with a film camera. You waste nothing; there's no film required, and because you only print the pictures you need, digital photography is cost effective and environmentally friendly. But to take full advantage of a digital camera, you need to be an experienced photographer and an expert at digital photography too. With more than 15 years of experience as a photojournalist, author Derrick Story brings you Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 3rd Edition. For everyone who owns or will own a digital camera (and that pretty much means everyone!), this is the perfect on-the-go guide for taking top-notch digital photos. In this third edition of the bestselling pocket guide, Story expands on the basic photography techniques that he introduced in earlier editions, including an explanation of each camera component and what it does, tips for choosing just the right settings for your needs, and much more. This indispensable guide covers everything from how to shoot sports action, close ups, and night shots, to dealing with image resolution, archiving, and memory cards. Affordable and portable, Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 3rd Edition offers full-color photographs, screen shots, and line art illustrating all the topics in the guide's three main sections ("Digital Camera Components," "Standard Camera Functions," and "How Do I?"). Contents are labeled A to Z for quick reference. There's also a comprehensive table of contents and index so you'll waste no time flipping to the specific information you need--whether you want to transfer images, make a QuickTime movie, or just figure out what purpose that mystery setting on your camera serves. There's even a section of easy-to-read reference tables for quick look-up of white balance settings, exposure compensation, camera mode explanations, and plenty more.

Scott Kelby, author of the top-selling digital photography book of all time, is back with an entirely new book in his popular series that picks up right where part 4 left off. It’s more of that “Ah ha—so that’s how they do it,” straight-to-the-point, skip-the-technojargon stuff you can really use today that made part 1 so successful. In parts 1 through 4 of this series, the most popular chapter in the book has always been the last chapter: “Photo Recipes to Help You Get ‘The Shot’.” In each of those chapters, Scott shows a final image and then describes how to get that type of shot. Here, in part 5, he gives you what you’ve been waiting for: an entire book of nothing but those amazing photo recipes. But, he took it up a big notch by adding a behind-the-scenes photo for every single recipe. Now you can see exactly how it was done, so you can get that exact same look every time. In these extra pages, each spread allows you to dig in a little deeper and really unlock the power of these recipes. Scott breaks each spread into four segments: (1) he explains exactly what you’re seeing behind the scenes, (2) he lists all of his camera settings, and lens and lighting info—it’s all there, (3) he gives you his thought process, so you learn exactly why he does it this way, and (4) he shares all the post-processing in Lightroom or Photoshop that goes on after the shoot (this is something other books leave out). Plus, the whole book is packed with tips and insights you won’t find anywhere else. This isn’t a book of theory, full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts. This is a book on which button to push, which settings to use, and exactly how and when to use them. With around 100 of the most popular photographic “tricks of the trade,” the entire book is designed to get you shooting like a pro starting today. You’re gonna love it.

What could top the #1 best-selling photography book of all time? We’re talking about the award-winning, worldwide smash hit, written by Scott Kelby, that’s been translated into dozens of different languages, because it’s the one book that really shows you how to take professional-quality shots using the same tricks today’s top digital pros use. Well, what if you took that book, created four more just like it but with even more tips, plucked out only the best tips from all five of THOSE books, updated the images, referenced all-new gear, and added a completely new chapter on how to make the transition from shooting photos with your phone to making photographs with your new DSLR? In The Best of The Digital Photography Book, you’ll find all of Scott’s favorite tips and techniques curated and updated from The Digital Photography Book, Parts 1-5, along with a brand new chapter on transitioning from your phone to a full-fledged DSLR. You’ll find everything that made the first five titles a success: Scott answering questions, giving out advice, and sharing the secrets he’s learned just like he would with a friend–without all the technical explanations and techie photo speak. This book will help you shoot dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos every time.

Presents a collection of tips on digital photography and digital cameras, covering such topics as digital camera attachments, nighttime photography, using a flash, using Adobe Photoshop, and printing photographs.

An illustrated introduction to digital photography, examining hardware such as cameras, computers, scanners, and printers and the relationship between them; looking at image-editing software, tools, and techniques; featuring step-by-step instructions for taking professional-quality photographs; and discussing special-effects options.