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 Customer Reviews
Great Book Even For Pro's, 05 Oct 2008
I've been a wedding photographer for 25 years. I thought this was going to be another "how to take photos book". I've liked other Scott Kelby books so whilst in a bookstore picked it up just for a quick glance, but was suprised to see how much detail he went into. Each page being a new subject, it gave a detailed taster of each subject without all the waffle many books have, and then gave links to websites where you could read more or get equipement that is hard to find. To me it was worth it just for those hard to find links.
Should have stopped at volume 1, 04 Oct 2008
I like Scott Kelby, I really do.
OK he's from the other side of the Atlantic and totally over the top - but he is totally infectious in his love of photography and, in particular Photshop
However, this one doesn't do it for me.
It is just a re-hash of voulme one. The content is very weak and I gained very little from it.
Buy volume one by all means - and certainly buy his photshop books Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)....
but I suggest you think long and hard before buying this one
Buy a highlighter pen..., 21 Apr 2008
Please, don't take any notice of the tripe you will read in these reviews about stupid humour. It is only in a half dozen intro pages and even then, it's not enough to worry about and stop you learning from these wonderful books.
Buy this book, buy volume one too and a good highlighter pen, because you will learn an awful lot (unless you are a seasoned pro). The tips are quick, precise and have made my photography much better in the week it has taken me to read (and cover in highlighter!) both volumes.
Volume two has a great section on studio work with simple and inexpensive equipment that is worth the cover price alone. Don't listen to the silly moans about his sense of humour, buy these and learn lots!
An amazing book, 07 Apr 2008
As an amateur photographer I found the book to be compelling reading, being written in an engaging fashion and giving information in doses small enough to absorb with pleasure.
In addition to basic techniques and tips, you will also learn what equipment you require in order to improve your photography.
This is an excellent book which has helped me advance in my photography and which I have read from cover to cover at least twice.
This book is a must for anyone new to photography!
Don't buy it...., 15 Feb 2008
.....if you are a seasoned pro or utterly humourless. If you think your photographs are generally OK, but are missing that little something extra that makes them good enough to be proud of; then buy it instantly.
This isn't a technical photography manual that will spin your head out with more terms than a consolidation loan contract. Neither is it an artsy Bauhaus analysis of photography design. No, it is actually useful.
I wrote a glowing review of the first volume, and the second volume is just as good. The only downside is that I now am going to spend more money on photography kit. I really think that addiction to narcotics or alcohol would have been much cheaper and far less damaging to my marriage.
The author, to me anyway, comes across as a thoroughly nice bloke who obviously loves what he does. The style is informal and friendly and I enjoy reading both volumes again and again. If, like some reviewers, you find this off-putting I think that says far more about you than it does Scott.
In conclusion: my photographs are better after reading this book, thanks Scott.
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Customer Reviews
Great Book Even For Pro's, 05 Oct 2008
I've been a wedding photographer for 25 years. I thought this was going to be another "how to take photos book". I've liked other Scott Kelby books so whilst in a bookstore picked it up just for a quick glance, but was suprised to see how much detail he went into. Each page being a new subject, it gave a detailed taster of each subject without all the waffle many books have, and then gave links to websites where you could read more or get equipement that is hard to find. To me it was worth it just for those hard to find links.
Should have stopped at volume 1, 04 Oct 2008
I like Scott Kelby, I really do.
OK he's from the other side of the Atlantic and totally over the top - but he is totally infectious in his love of photography and, in particular Photshop
However, this one doesn't do it for me.
It is just a re-hash of voulme one. The content is very weak and I gained very little from it.
Buy volume one by all means - and certainly buy his photshop books Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)....
but I suggest you think long and hard before buying this one
Buy a highlighter pen..., 21 Apr 2008
Please, don't take any notice of the tripe you will read in these reviews about stupid humour. It is only in a half dozen intro pages and even then, it's not enough to worry about and stop you learning from these wonderful books.
Buy this book, buy volume one too and a good highlighter pen, because you will learn an awful lot (unless you are a seasoned pro). The tips are quick, precise and have made my photography much better in the week it has taken me to read (and cover in highlighter!) both volumes.
Volume two has a great section on studio work with simple and inexpensive equipment that is worth the cover price alone. Don't listen to the silly moans about his sense of humour, buy these and learn lots!
An amazing book, 07 Apr 2008
As an amateur photographer I found the book to be compelling reading, being written in an engaging fashion and giving information in doses small enough to absorb with pleasure.
In addition to basic techniques and tips, you will also learn what equipment you require in order to improve your photography.
This is an excellent book which has helped me advance in my photography and which I have read from cover to cover at least twice.
This book is a must for anyone new to photography!
Don't buy it...., 15 Feb 2008
.....if you are a seasoned pro or utterly humourless. If you think your photographs are generally OK, but are missing that little something extra that makes them good enough to be proud of; then buy it instantly.
This isn't a technical photography manual that will spin your head out with more terms than a consolidation loan contract. Neither is it an artsy Bauhaus analysis of photography design. No, it is actually useful.
I wrote a glowing review of the first volume, and the second volume is just as good. The only downside is that I now am going to spend more money on photography kit. I really think that addiction to narcotics or alcohol would have been much cheaper and far less damaging to my marriage.
The author, to me anyway, comes across as a thoroughly nice bloke who obviously loves what he does. The style is informal and friendly and I enjoy reading both volumes again and again. If, like some reviewers, you find this off-putting I think that says far more about you than it does Scott.
In conclusion: my photographs are better after reading this book, thanks Scott.
DSLR made easy, 25 Oct 2008
This is a book for those who do not have an idea what is aperture (Av), shutter speed (Tv) or ISO. So if you have a compact point-and-shoot camera you know what these are. But it is a book that I bought before I even bought the DSLR camera. THe photos though in colour may not be the best but it is written to be read in a weekend.
D. Busch knows his stuff. At less than 10 quids it will sparkle your imagination and get your camera to go out an experiment.
Recommended.
Book, Camera, Action!, 14 Oct 2008
The big attraction of this series of "for Dummies" books is that we who buy these products have little respect for our own knowledge and plenty of respect for those who do and are able to write books like this.
I am currently converting from film photography to digital photography and some aspects are quite daunting. I have, therefore, purchased several books and tutorial DVDs on the subject and am working my way through them all. The title of this product suggests it is the right place to start and, on reflection, is exactly where I should have started. For those of you, who like me, are converting to digital for the first time, grab your camera and a copy of this book and work your way through from cover to cover until you are conversant with the new technology. It really will give you a good grounding.
That, however, will only work very well if you are already conversant with photography. If you are new to photography altogether and a digital SLR camera is your very first camera, you may have to learn a few basic lessons of, for example, the correlation between film speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings - which really do need to be understood, before you study this book.
David Busch clearly knows what he is talking about and is able to put that knowledge into an easy-to-follow format for us Dummies to read and, as I say, I wish I had read this book before getting into some of the more technical tomes I also purchased.
NM
A worse dummy than I thought!, 17 Feb 2008
I think I must need a 'Total Idiot's Guide' as this was not what I thought it would be.
Being a complete beginner with dSLR, I thought this book would be a step-by-step guide on 'How To....' I was a bit wide of the mark - although the book says a lot about why you should do this over that, etc it left me lost on how to actually do it. So I'm using my camera on Auto until my Nikon book arrives. Let's hope I'll have more success with that one.
excellent book, 08 Feb 2008
Bought the book on the strength of the previous two reviews as I've not really been keen on the "dummies" books previously.
This one, though, is excellent. If you've spent a chunk of money on a new digital camera (like my EOS 40d!) you really should spend another £10 and read this, and actually start to understand how it all works! (If you're already expert then you won't be needing this, but understanding even how the digital sensor works is really interesting)
It's printed on good quality glossy paper (unlike some of the dummies books) and includes some really nice images.
Well worth it
The best book I've read for DSLR beginners, 09 Jan 2008
A real creative education from a proper photographer. Easy to read, and packed full of tips and tricks. Get this one.
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Customer Reviews
Great Book Even For Pro's, 05 Oct 2008
I've been a wedding photographer for 25 years. I thought this was going to be another "how to take photos book". I've liked other Scott Kelby books so whilst in a bookstore picked it up just for a quick glance, but was suprised to see how much detail he went into. Each page being a new subject, it gave a detailed taster of each subject without all the waffle many books have, and then gave links to websites where you could read more or get equipement that is hard to find. To me it was worth it just for those hard to find links.
Should have stopped at volume 1, 04 Oct 2008
I like Scott Kelby, I really do.
OK he's from the other side of the Atlantic and totally over the top - but he is totally infectious in his love of photography and, in particular Photshop
However, this one doesn't do it for me.
It is just a re-hash of voulme one. The content is very weak and I gained very little from it.
Buy volume one by all means - and certainly buy his photshop books Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)....
but I suggest you think long and hard before buying this one
Buy a highlighter pen..., 21 Apr 2008
Please, don't take any notice of the tripe you will read in these reviews about stupid humour. It is only in a half dozen intro pages and even then, it's not enough to worry about and stop you learning from these wonderful books.
Buy this book, buy volume one too and a good highlighter pen, because you will learn an awful lot (unless you are a seasoned pro). The tips are quick, precise and have made my photography much better in the week it has taken me to read (and cover in highlighter!) both volumes.
Volume two has a great section on studio work with simple and inexpensive equipment that is worth the cover price alone. Don't listen to the silly moans about his sense of humour, buy these and learn lots!
An amazing book, 07 Apr 2008
As an amateur photographer I found the book to be compelling reading, being written in an engaging fashion and giving information in doses small enough to absorb with pleasure.
In addition to basic techniques and tips, you will also learn what equipment you require in order to improve your photography.
This is an excellent book which has helped me advance in my photography and which I have read from cover to cover at least twice.
This book is a must for anyone new to photography!
Don't buy it...., 15 Feb 2008
.....if you are a seasoned pro or utterly humourless. If you think your photographs are generally OK, but are missing that little something extra that makes them good enough to be proud of; then buy it instantly.
This isn't a technical photography manual that will spin your head out with more terms than a consolidation loan contract. Neither is it an artsy Bauhaus analysis of photography design. No, it is actually useful.
I wrote a glowing review of the first volume, and the second volume is just as good. The only downside is that I now am going to spend more money on photography kit. I really think that addiction to narcotics or alcohol would have been much cheaper and far less damaging to my marriage.
The author, to me anyway, comes across as a thoroughly nice bloke who obviously loves what he does. The style is informal and friendly and I enjoy reading both volumes again and again. If, like some reviewers, you find this off-putting I think that says far more about you than it does Scott.
In conclusion: my photographs are better after reading this book, thanks Scott.
DSLR made easy, 25 Oct 2008
This is a book for those who do not have an idea what is aperture (Av), shutter speed (Tv) or ISO. So if you have a compact point-and-shoot camera you know what these are. But it is a book that I bought before I even bought the DSLR camera. THe photos though in colour may not be the best but it is written to be read in a weekend.
D. Busch knows his stuff. At less than 10 quids it will sparkle your imagination and get your camera to go out an experiment.
Recommended.
Book, Camera, Action!, 14 Oct 2008
The big attraction of this series of "for Dummies" books is that we who buy these products have little respect for our own knowledge and plenty of respect for those who do and are able to write books like this.
I am currently converting from film photography to digital photography and some aspects are quite daunting. I have, therefore, purchased several books and tutorial DVDs on the subject and am working my way through them all. The title of this product suggests it is the right place to start and, on reflection, is exactly where I should have started. For those of you, who like me, are converting to digital for the first time, grab your camera and a copy of this book and work your way through from cover to cover until you are conversant with the new technology. It really will give you a good grounding.
That, however, will only work very well if you are already conversant with photography. If you are new to photography altogether and a digital SLR camera is your very first camera, you may have to learn a few basic lessons of, for example, the correlation between film speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings - which really do need to be understood, before you study this book.
David Busch clearly knows what he is talking about and is able to put that knowledge into an easy-to-follow format for us Dummies to read and, as I say, I wish I had read this book before getting into some of the more technical tomes I also purchased.
NM
A worse dummy than I thought!, 17 Feb 2008
I think I must need a 'Total Idiot's Guide' as this was not what I thought it would be.
Being a complete beginner with dSLR, I thought this book would be a step-by-step guide on 'How To....' I was a bit wide of the mark - although the book says a lot about why you should do this over that, etc it left me lost on how to actually do it. So I'm using my camera on Auto until my Nikon book arrives. Let's hope I'll have more success with that one.
excellent book, 08 Feb 2008
Bought the book on the strength of the previous two reviews as I've not really been keen on the "dummies" books previously.
This one, though, is excellent. If you've spent a chunk of money on a new digital camera (like my EOS 40d!) you really should spend another £10 and read this, and actually start to understand how it all works! (If you're already expert then you won't be needing this, but understanding even how the digital sensor works is really interesting)
It's printed on good quality glossy paper (unlike some of the dummies books) and includes some really nice images.
Well worth it
The best book I've read for DSLR beginners, 09 Jan 2008
A real creative education from a proper photographer. Easy to read, and packed full of tips and tricks. Get this one.
So-so..., 06 Sep 2008
Quality book? Very much so.
Easy to read? Well, yeah, but seems more formal than other Dummies somehow.
Cover all the right stuff? Yeah, suppose, but spends a huge amount of the book going on about the Organiser (not interesting!!!!).
Best book on Elements? No... though I don't know what is, but this isn't it.
Disappointed Dummy, 28 Aug 2008
I found Elements 6 for Dummies to be a confusing and unhelpful guide to a great software programme. It appears to have been written more to impress readers with the skills and knowledge of the authors rather than as suggested in the title as a simple vehicle to understand and use this feature rich ( is that too feature rich ?)programme. Does it really need 400 pages to explain the major features of Elements 6, I don't think so. Any number of photographic journals have shorter simpler guides to using photo enhancement software and you'll get lots of other photographic tips for your money.
User Friendly, 20 May 2008
What makes this book easy to use? Its user friendly, with clear easy to follow instructions. The colour pictures are of a good quality for each task in Elements. What you see in the book, you see on the monitor screen. Page layouts are consistent and the print clear. Getting started with Elements 6 couldn't be smoother. The book is basic and more advanced. For anyone new to Elements 6 or upgrading from older versions, this is the book to buy.
Elements 6 is no longer the cut down version of Photoshop that it once was. Adobe have included more of the best features from their new Photoshop, without compromising the enjoyment of using Elements. Photoshop Elements for Dummies, successfully addresses the changes in this new Elements version.
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Customer Reviews
Great Book Even For Pro's, 05 Oct 2008
I've been a wedding photographer for 25 years. I thought this was going to be another "how to take photos book". I've liked other Scott Kelby books so whilst in a bookstore picked it up just for a quick glance, but was suprised to see how much detail he went into. Each page being a new subject, it gave a detailed taster of each subject without all the waffle many books have, and then gave links to websites where you could read more or get equipement that is hard to find. To me it was worth it just for those hard to find links.
Should have stopped at volume 1, 04 Oct 2008
I like Scott Kelby, I really do.
OK he's from the other side of the Atlantic and totally over the top - but he is totally infectious in his love of photography and, in particular Photshop
However, this one doesn't do it for me.
It is just a re-hash of voulme one. The content is very weak and I gained very little from it.
Buy volume one by all means - and certainly buy his photshop books Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)....
but I suggest you think long and hard before buying this one
Buy a highlighter pen..., 21 Apr 2008
Please, don't take any notice of the tripe you will read in these reviews about stupid humour. It is only in a half dozen intro pages and even then, it's not enough to worry about and stop you learning from these wonderful books.
Buy this book, buy volume one too and a good highlighter pen, because you will learn an awful lot (unless you are a seasoned pro). The tips are quick, precise and have made my photography much better in the week it has taken me to read (and cover in highlighter!) both volumes.
Volume two has a great section on studio work with simple and inexpensive equipment that is worth the cover price alone. Don't listen to the silly moans about his sense of humour, buy these and learn lots!
An amazing book, 07 Apr 2008
As an amateur photographer I found the book to be compelling reading, being written in an engaging fashion and giving information in doses small enough to absorb with pleasure.
In addition to basic techniques and tips, you will also learn what equipment you require in order to improve your photography.
This is an excellent book which has helped me advance in my photography and which I have read from cover to cover at least twice.
This book is a must for anyone new to photography!
Don't buy it...., 15 Feb 2008
.....if you are a seasoned pro or utterly humourless. If you think your photographs are generally OK, but are missing that little something extra that makes them good enough to be proud of; then buy it instantly.
This isn't a technical photography manual that will spin your head out with more terms than a consolidation loan contract. Neither is it an artsy Bauhaus analysis of photography design. No, it is actually useful.
I wrote a glowing review of the first volume, and the second volume is just as good. The only downside is that I now am going to spend more money on photography kit. I really think that addiction to narcotics or alcohol would have been much cheaper and far less damaging to my marriage.
The author, to me anyway, comes across as a thoroughly nice bloke who obviously loves what he does. The style is informal and friendly and I enjoy reading both volumes again and again. If, like some reviewers, you find this off-putting I think that says far more about you than it does Scott.
In conclusion: my photographs are better after reading this book, thanks Scott.
DSLR made easy, 25 Oct 2008
This is a book for those who do not have an idea what is aperture (Av), shutter speed (Tv) or ISO. So if you have a compact point-and-shoot camera you know what these are. But it is a book that I bought before I even bought the DSLR camera. THe photos though in colour may not be the best but it is written to be read in a weekend.
D. Busch knows his stuff. At less than 10 quids it will sparkle your imagination and get your camera to go out an experiment.
Recommended.
Book, Camera, Action!, 14 Oct 2008
The big attraction of this series of "for Dummies" books is that we who buy these products have little respect for our own knowledge and plenty of respect for those who do and are able to write books like this.
I am currently converting from film photography to digital photography and some aspects are quite daunting. I have, therefore, purchased several books and tutorial DVDs on the subject and am working my way through them all. The title of this product suggests it is the right place to start and, on reflection, is exactly where I should have started. For those of you, who like me, are converting to digital for the first time, grab your camera and a copy of this book and work your way through from cover to cover until you are conversant with the new technology. It really will give you a good grounding.
That, however, will only work very well if you are already conversant with photography. If you are new to photography altogether and a digital SLR camera is your very first camera, you may have to learn a few basic lessons of, for example, the correlation between film speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings - which really do need to be understood, before you study this book.
David Busch clearly knows what he is talking about and is able to put that knowledge into an easy-to-follow format for us Dummies to read and, as I say, I wish I had read this book before getting into some of the more technical tomes I also purchased.
NM
A worse dummy than I thought!, 17 Feb 2008
I think I must need a 'Total Idiot's Guide' as this was not what I thought it would be.
Being a complete beginner with dSLR, I thought this book would be a step-by-step guide on 'How To....' I was a bit wide of the mark - although the book says a lot about why you should do this over that, etc it left me lost on how to actually do it. So I'm using my camera on Auto until my Nikon book arrives. Let's hope I'll have more success with that one.
excellent book, 08 Feb 2008
Bought the book on the strength of the previous two reviews as I've not really been keen on the "dummies" books previously.
This one, though, is excellent. If you've spent a chunk of money on a new digital camera (like my EOS 40d!) you really should spend another £10 and read this, and actually start to understand how it all works! (If you're already expert then you won't be needing this, but understanding even how the digital sensor works is really interesting)
It's printed on good quality glossy paper (unlike some of the dummies books) and includes some really nice images.
Well worth it
The best book I've read for DSLR beginners, 09 Jan 2008
A real creative education from a proper photographer. Easy to read, and packed full of tips and tricks. Get this one.
So-so..., 06 Sep 2008
Quality book? Very much so.
Easy to read? Well, yeah, but seems more formal than other Dummies somehow.
Cover all the right stuff? Yeah, suppose, but spends a huge amount of the book going on about the Organiser (not interesting!!!!).
Best book on Elements? No... though I don't know what is, but this isn't it.
Disappointed Dummy, 28 Aug 2008
I found Elements 6 for Dummies to be a confusing and unhelpful guide to a great software programme. It appears to have been written more to impress readers with the skills and knowledge of the authors rather than as suggested in the title as a simple vehicle to understand and use this feature rich ( is that too feature rich ?)programme. Does it really need 400 pages to explain the major features of Elements 6, I don't think so. Any number of photographic journals have shorter simpler guides to using photo enhancement software and you'll get lots of other photographic tips for your money.
User Friendly, 20 May 2008
What makes this book easy to use? Its user friendly, with clear easy to follow instructions. The colour pictures are of a good quality for each task in Elements. What you see in the book, you see on the monitor screen. Page layouts are consistent and the print clear. Getting started with Elements 6 couldn't be smoother. The book is basic and more advanced. For anyone new to Elements 6 or upgrading from older versions, this is the book to buy.
Elements 6 is no longer the cut down version of Photoshop that it once was. Adobe have included more of the best features from their new Photoshop, without compromising the enjoyment of using Elements. Photoshop Elements for Dummies, successfully addresses the changes in this new Elements version.
Very Good Book, 13 Aug 2008
A very good book for beginners.Its not the book that will make you expert but it helps you to understand how the basics of HTML works.Also very well written!
from a very keen newbe to HTML and CSS, 13 Feb 2008
I can not recommend this book highly enough. While I am sure the professionals find it's lay out too simple. IT WAS IDEAL FOR ME! I have had it now 3 weeks and have just published my first web site and it looks good!! Can't believe it!
Clear concise layout with easy to follow instructions on things that really are complicated. (Trust me I have three other books that make it look like code that only people with degrees in computer science could understand!)
If you can't get a basic page up and run by the end of this book I strongly recommend you pay someone to do it for you.
It has made me keen enough to perhaps get a book that goes into some of the areas in more detail now that I have the grounding knowledge.
But saying that I still think this book will always be close to hand as a quick reference point for many years to come.....
Difficult read, 10 Feb 2008
I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers that have criticised the writing style of the author in this book. She seems to be targeting the beginner with an introduction of how the internet and world wide web evolved and what a web page is but then the actual instructions dive right in at a deep end of assumed knowledge. I have some knowledge of computing but am not an expert by any means. I bought this to accompany an evening class I am attending but I am finding it a hard read. Not one for the complete beginner but might work as a useful reference book when I acquire a bit more knowledge.
The raw information. Up to you to make sense of it., 23 Jan 2008
OK, I'm not a complete idiot, I taught myself basic html bit by bit in short spurts at my local bookstore without ever buying a book. Now I wanted to start understanding a bit more about XHTML and CSS, so I asked for this book for Christmas.
It has turned out to be one of the worst written 'teach yourself' books that I have ever read, and by golly, I've read a few. What kind of teacher uses jargon in the first chapter of her book to explain more jargon? Instead of using simple examples involving nothing but the elements learned in a given chapter, she introduces code that hasn't yet been covered as illustration!
One might expect some kind of systematic order in a book this expensive... otherwise, you might as well go to any random techie website (some of which are actually much clearer than this book!) and hope that some reccurent piece of gobbledigook will start making sense after enough repetition. Same experience, a hell of alot cheaper!
The information is there, which is why I give it two stars instead of one, there's just not way for a novice to access it. ANd if you're not a novice, then you don't need this book. I expect a book that anounces itself as 'quickstart for beginners' to to the teaching for me in layman's terms, not for me to have to assimilate all the information before being able to start making sense of it for myself and processing it so that it becomes useful. Believe me, try something else. This is poor.
Awful, 17 Dec 2007
ALthough I have voted Mr Fulcher's review as helpful I feel it is utterly necessary to formally register my complete and undeviating agreement with what he has written. I can add no more than say that this book as about as helpful as a small teaspoon is in shifting a pile of rotten manure.
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Customer Reviews
Great Book Even For Pro's, 05 Oct 2008
I've been a wedding photographer for 25 years. I thought this was going to be another "how to take photos book". I've liked other Scott Kelby books so whilst in a bookstore picked it up just for a quick glance, but was suprised to see how much detail he went into. Each page being a new subject, it gave a detailed taster of each subject without all the waffle many books have, and then gave links to websites where you could read more or get equipement that is hard to find. To me it was worth it just for those hard to find links.
Should have stopped at volume 1, 04 Oct 2008
I like Scott Kelby, I really do.
OK he's from the other side of the Atlantic and totally over the top - but he is totally infectious in his love of photography and, in particular Photshop
However, this one doesn't do it for me.
It is just a re-hash of voulme one. The content is very weak and I gained very little from it.
Buy volume one by all means - and certainly buy his photshop books Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)....
but I suggest you think long and hard before buying this one
Buy a highlighter pen..., 21 Apr 2008
Please, don't take any notice of the tripe you will read in these reviews about stupid humour. It is only in a half dozen intro pages and even then, it's not enough to worry about and stop you learning from these wonderful books.
Buy this book, buy volume one too and a good highlighter pen, because you will learn an awful lot (unless you are a seasoned pro). The tips are quick, precise and have made my photography much better in the week it has taken me to read (and cover in highlighter!) both volumes.
Volume two has a great section on studio work with simple and inexpensive equipment that is worth the cover price alone. Don't listen to the silly moans about his sense of humour, buy these and learn lots!
An amazing book, 07 Apr 2008
As an amateur photographer I found the book to be compelling reading, being written in an engaging fashion and giving information in doses small enough to absorb with pleasure.
In addition to basic techniques and tips, you will also learn what equipment you require in order to improve your photography.
This is an excellent book which has helped me advance in my photography and which I have read from cover to cover at least twice.
This book is a must for anyone new to photography!
Don't buy it...., 15 Feb 2008
.....if you are a seasoned pro or utterly humourless. If you think your photographs are generally OK, but are missing that little something extra that makes them good enough to be proud of; then buy it instantly.
This isn't a technical photography manual that will spin your head out with more terms than a consolidation loan contract. Neither is it an artsy Bauhaus analysis of photography design. No, it is actually useful.
I wrote a glowing review of the first volume, and the second volume is just as good. The only downside is that I now am going to spend more money on photography kit. I really think that addiction to narcotics or alcohol would have been much cheaper and far less damaging to my marriage.
The author, to me anyway, comes across as a thoroughly nice bloke who obviously loves what he does. The style is informal and friendly and I enjoy reading both volumes again and again. If, like some reviewers, you find this off-putting I think that says far more about you than it does Scott.
In conclusion: my photographs are better after reading this book, thanks Scott.
DSLR made easy, 25 Oct 2008
This is a book for those who do not have an idea what is aperture (Av), shutter speed (Tv) or ISO. So if you have a compact point-and-shoot camera you know what these are. But it is a book that I bought before I even bought the DSLR camera. THe photos though in colour may not be the best but it is written to be read in a weekend.
D. Busch knows his stuff. At less than 10 quids it will sparkle your imagination and get your camera to go out an experiment.
Recommended.
Book, Camera, Action!, 14 Oct 2008
The big attraction of this series of "for Dummies" books is that we who buy these products have little respect for our own knowledge and plenty of respect for those who do and are able to write books like this.
I am currently converting from film photography to digital photography and some aspects are quite daunting. I have, therefore, purchased several books and tutorial DVDs on the subject and am working my way through them all. The title of this product suggests it is the right place to start and, on reflection, is exactly where I should have started. For those of you, who like me, are converting to digital for the first time, grab your camera and a copy of this book and work your way through from cover to cover until you are conversant with the new technology. It really will give you a good grounding.
That, however, will only work very well if you are already conversant with photography. If you are new to photography altogether and a digital SLR camera is your very first camera, you may have to learn a few basic lessons of, for example, the correlation between film speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings - which really do need to be understood, before you study this book.
David Busch clearly knows what he is talking about and is able to put that knowledge into an easy-to-follow format for us Dummies to read and, as I say, I wish I had read this book before getting into some of the more technical tomes I also purchased.
NM
A worse dummy than I thought!, 17 Feb 2008
I think I must need a 'Total Idiot's Guide' as this was not what I thought it would be.
Being a complete beginner with dSLR, I thought this book would be a step-by-step guide on 'How To....' I was a bit wide of the mark - although the book says a lot about why you should do this over that, etc it left me lost on how to actually do it. So I'm using my camera on Auto until my Nikon book arrives. Let's hope I'll have more success with that one.
excellent book, 08 Feb 2008
Bought the book on the strength of the previous two reviews as I've not really been keen on the "dummies" books previously.
This one, though, is excellent. If you've spent a chunk of money on a new digital camera (like my EOS 40d!) you really should spend another £10 and read this, and actually start to understand how it all works! (If you're already expert then you won't be needing this, but understanding even how the digital sensor works is really interesting)
It's printed on good quality glossy paper (unlike some of the dummies books) and includes some really nice images.
Well worth it
The best book I've read for DSLR beginners, 09 Jan 2008
A real creative education from a proper photographer. Easy to read, and packed full of tips and tricks. Get this one.
So-so..., 06 Sep 2008
Quality book? Very much so.
Easy to read? Well, yeah, but seems more formal than other Dummies somehow.
Cover all the right stuff? Yeah, suppose, but spends a huge amount of the book going on about the Organiser (not interesting!!!!).
Best book on Elements? No... though I don't know what is, but this isn't it.
Disappointed Dummy, 28 Aug 2008
I found Elements 6 for Dummies to be a confusing and unhelpful guide to a great software programme. It appears to have been written more to impress readers with the skills and knowledge of the authors rather than as suggested in the title as a simple vehicle to understand and use this feature rich ( is that too feature rich ?)programme. Does it really need 400 pages to explain the major features of Elements 6, I don't think so. Any number of photographic journals have shorter simpler guides to using photo enhancement software and you'll get lots of other photographic tips for your money.
User Friendly, 20 May 2008
What makes this book easy to use? Its user friendly, with clear easy to follow instructions. The colour pictures are of a good quality for each task in Elements. What you see in the book, you see on the monitor screen. Page layouts are consistent and the print clear. Getting started with Elements 6 couldn't be smoother. The book is basic and more advanced. For anyone new to Elements 6 or upgrading from older versions, this is the book to buy.
Elements 6 is no longer the cut down version of Photoshop that it once was. Adobe have included more of the best features from their new Photoshop, without compromising the enjoyment of using Elements. Photoshop Elements for Dummies, successfully addresses the changes in this new Elements version.
Very Good Book, 13 Aug 2008
A very good book for beginners.Its not the book that will make you expert but it helps you to understand how the basics of HTML works.Also very well written!
from a very keen newbe to HTML and CSS, 13 Feb 2008
I can not recommend this book highly enough. While I am sure the professionals find it's lay out too simple. IT WAS IDEAL FOR ME! I have had it now 3 weeks and have just published my first web site and it looks good!! Can't believe it!
Clear concise layout with easy to follow instructions on things that really are complicated. (Trust me I have three other books that make it look like code that only people with degrees in computer science could understand!)
If you can't get a basic page up and run by the end of this book I strongly recommend you pay someone to do it for you.
It has made me keen enough to perhaps get a book that goes into some of the areas in more detail now that I have the grounding knowledge.
But saying that I still think this book will always be close to hand as a quick reference point for many years to come.....
Difficult read, 10 Feb 2008
I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers that have criticised the writing style of the author in this book. She seems to be targeting the beginner with an introduction of how the internet and world wide web evolved and what a web page is but then the actual instructions dive right in at a deep end of assumed knowledge. I have some knowledge of computing but am not an expert by any means. I bought this to accompany an evening class I am attending but I am finding it a hard read. Not one for the complete beginner but might work as a useful reference book when I acquire a bit more knowledge.
The raw information. Up to you to make sense of it., 23 Jan 2008
OK, I'm not a complete idiot, I taught myself basic html bit by bit in short spurts at my local bookstore without ever buying a book. Now I wanted to start understanding a bit more about XHTML and CSS, so I asked for this book for Christmas.
It has turned out to be one of the worst written 'teach yourself' books that I have ever read, and by golly, I've read a few. What kind of teacher uses jargon in the first chapter of her book to explain more jargon? Instead of using simple examples involving nothing but the elements learned in a given chapter, she introduces code that hasn't yet been covered as illustration!
One might expect some kind of systematic order in a book this expensive... otherwise, you might as well go to any random techie website (some of which are actually much clearer than this book!) and hope that some reccurent piece of gobbledigook will start making sense after enough repetition. Same experience, a hell of alot cheaper!
The information is there, which is why I give it two stars instead of one, there's just not way for a novice to access it. ANd if you're not a novice, then you don't need this book. I expect a book that anounces itself as 'quickstart for beginners' to to the teaching for me in layman's terms, not for me to have to assimilate all the information before being able to start making sense of it for myself and processing it so that it becomes useful. Believe me, try something else. This is poor.
Awful, 17 Dec 2007
ALthough I have voted Mr Fulcher's review as helpful I feel it is utterly necessary to formally register my complete and undeviating agreement with what he has written. I can add no more than say that this book as about as helpful as a small teaspoon is in shifting a pile of rotten manure.
Not exactly for Dummies, 13 Nov 2008
I bought this as I have little or no knowedge of post processing. I have fiddled with photoshop before and was looking for a book that would tell me how I could do what I wanted. This does not do that at all.
For example - I was looking at how to open a layer - I would like a book, with screen shots saying press here and open this. This book does not operate in this way.
There is lots of info, but no step by step guides on how to undertake the most basic post processing before you step up to the more difficult tasks.
If you want a real guide, then don't waste your money. I am sure that this book has a purpose, but it certainly isn't aimed at total newbies to CS3 unlike the title, which would suggest it is.
All in all, a total disappointment that for me does not do what the title suggests. Wish I'd never wasted my monet to be honest.
A nonstarter, 18 Oct 2008
After I bought this book I thought that at least I would make some progress in the the use of photoshop but this book is certainly not for dummies and assumes the reader to have quite a lot of knowhow about photoshop all ready. I am now searching again online for real help to master photoshop. This book is not even close.
An easy passport to the complex land of Photoshop, 27 Jun 2008
As a person who is an author first, a self-publisher second and a computer expert (a very poor) third, I found this book a gentle introduction to the process of creating covers for my 'Virtual Trilogy' series of books and for the accompanying website.
As usual, the simple to read language and humorous cartoon interludes between chapters give the deceptive impression that this manual is lightweight - which it most certainly is not. Photoshop is (at least in my humble opinion)a very advanced computer graphics programme and the manual accompanying it has a bewildering array of information that is (again in my humble opinion) not as accessible as it might be.
This 'For Dummies' version however,is easy to read, detailed enough to be useful and (unlike many other 'For Dummies' volumes) has many pages in colour, which are essential for a programme like Photoshop.
Once again, 'For Dummies' has given this computer Luddite enough confidence to make the most out of his investment in computer software, at least enough to approach the full manual without anxiety.
Get creative., 13 Apr 2008
Is this the most comprehensive book to guide you through Photoshop CS3? Probably not. But it does give you a description of the menus and gently guides you through most of the common functions.
I've played around with many photo-editing applications over the last few years but not actually Photoshop (which many consider bizarre considering that Photoshop is generally viewed as the ultimate in photo editing software), so I'm quite comfortable with many procedures, but was a bit phased at the vast array of options open to me in Photoshop.
This book has helped me to familiarise myself with the programme, and to edit my photos with the book as a trusty guide.
I have learnt a lot about Photoshop from this book. It covers the basic stuff through to some advanced editing techniques. It isn't a an encyclopaedia of all the functions, but it makes what can often be a daunting application very accessible - particularly for those who are new to it.
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Customer Reviews
Great Book Even For Pro's, 05 Oct 2008
I've been a wedding photographer for 25 years. I thought this was going to be another "how to take photos book". I've liked other Scott Kelby books so whilst in a bookstore picked it up just for a quick glance, but was suprised to see how much detail he went into. Each page being a new subject, it gave a detailed taster of each subject without all the waffle many books have, and then gave links to websites where you could read more or get equipement that is hard to find. To me it was worth it just for those hard to find links.
Should have stopped at volume 1, 04 Oct 2008
I like Scott Kelby, I really do.
OK he's from the other side of the Atlantic and totally over the top - but he is totally infectious in his love of photography and, in particular Photshop
However, this one doesn't do it for me.
It is just a re-hash of voulme one. The content is very weak and I gained very little from it.
Buy volume one by all means - and certainly buy his photshop books Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)....
but I suggest you think long and hard before buying this one
Buy a highlighter pen..., 21 Apr 2008
Please, don't take any notice of the tripe you will read in these reviews about stupid humour. It is only in a half dozen intro pages and even then, it's not enough to worry about and stop you learning from these wonderful books.
Buy this book, buy volume one too and a good highlighter pen, because you will learn an awful lot (unless you are a seasoned pro). The tips are quick, precise and have made my photography much better in the week it has taken me to read (and cover in highlighter!) both volumes.
Volume two has a great section on studio work with simple and inexpensive equipment that is worth the cover price alone. Don't listen to the silly moans about his sense of humour, buy these and learn lots!
An amazing book, 07 Apr 2008
As an amateur photographer I found the book to be compelling reading, being written in an engaging fashion and giving information in doses small enough to absorb with pleasure.
In addition to basic techniques and tips, you will also learn what equipment you require in order to improve your photography.
This is an excellent book which has helped me advance in my photography and which I have read from cover to cover at least twice.
This book is a must for anyone new to photography!
Don't buy it...., 15 Feb 2008
.....if you are a seasoned pro or utterly humourless. If you think your photographs are generally OK, but are missing that little something extra that makes them good enough to be proud of; then buy it instantly.
This isn't a technical photography manual that will spin your head out with more terms than a consolidation loan contract. Neither is it an artsy Bauhaus analysis of photography design. No, it is actually useful.
I wrote a glowing review of the first volume, and the second volume is just as good. The only downside is that I now am going to spend more money on photography kit. I really think that addiction to narcotics or alcohol would have been much cheaper and far less damaging to my marriage.
The author, to me anyway, comes across as a thoroughly nice bloke who obviously loves what he does. The style is informal and friendly and I enjoy reading both volumes again and again. If, like some reviewers, you find this off-putting I think that says far more about you than it does Scott.
In conclusion: my photographs are better after reading this book, thanks Scott.
DSLR made easy, 25 Oct 2008
This is a book for those who do not have an idea what is aperture (Av), shutter speed (Tv) or ISO. So if you have a compact point-and-shoot camera you know what these are. But it is a book that I bought before I even bought the DSLR camera. THe photos though in colour may not be the best but it is written to be read in a weekend.
D. Busch knows his stuff. At less than 10 quids it will sparkle your imagination and get your camera to go out an experiment.
Recommended.
Book, Camera, Action!, 14 Oct 2008
The big attraction of this series of "for Dummies" books is that we who buy these products have little respect for our own knowledge and plenty of respect for those who do and are able to write books like this.
I am currently converting from film photography to digital photography and some aspects are quite daunting. I have, therefore, purchased several books and tutorial DVDs on the subject and am working my way through them all. The title of this product suggests it is the right place to start and, on reflection, is exactly where I should have started. For those of you, who like me, are converting to digital for the first time, grab your camera and a copy of this book and work your way through from cover to cover until you are conversant with the new technology. It really will give you a good grounding.
That, however, will only work very well if you are already conversant with photography. If you are new to photography altogether and a digital SLR camera is your very first camera, you may have to learn a few basic lessons of, for example, the correlation between film speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings - which really do need to be understood, before you study this book.
David Busch clearly knows what he is talking about and is able to put that knowledge into an easy-to-follow format for us Dummies to read and, as I say, I wish I had read this book before getting into some of the more technical tomes I also purchased.
NM
A worse dummy than I thought!, 17 Feb 2008
I think I must need a 'Total Idiot's Guide' as this was not what I thought it would be.
Being a complete beginner with dSLR, I thought this book would be a step-by-step guide on 'How To....' I was a bit wide of the mark - although the book says a lot about why you should do this over that, etc it left me lost on how to actually do it. So I'm using my camera on Auto until my Nikon book arrives. Let's hope I'll have more success with that one.
excellent book, 08 Feb 2008
Bought the book on the strength of the previous two reviews as I've not really been keen on the "dummies" books previously.
This one, though, is excellent. If you've spent a chunk of money on a new digital camera (like my EOS 40d!) you really should spend another £10 and read this, and actually start to understand how it all works! (If you're already expert then you won't be needing this, but understanding even how the digital sensor works is really interesting)
It's printed on good quality glossy paper (unlike some of the dummies books) and includes some really nice images.
Well worth it
The best book I've read for DSLR beginners, 09 Jan 2008
A real creative education from a proper photographer. Easy to read, and packed full of tips and tricks. Get this one.
So-so..., 06 Sep 2008
Quality book? Very much so.
Easy to read? Well, yeah, but seems more formal than other Dummies somehow.
Cover all the right stuff? Yeah, suppose, but spends a huge amount of the book going on about the Organiser (not interesting!!!!).
Best book on Elements? No... though I don't know what is, but this isn't it.
Disappointed Dummy, 28 Aug 2008
I found Elements 6 for Dummies to be a confusing and unhelpful guide to a great software programme. It appears to have been written more to impress readers with the skills and knowledge of the authors rather than as suggested in the title as a simple vehicle to understand and use this feature rich ( is that too feature rich ?)programme. Does it really need 400 pages to explain the major features of Elements 6, I don't think so. Any number of photographic journals have shorter simpler guides to using photo enhancement software and you'll get lots of other photographic tips for your money.
User Friendly, 20 May 2008
What makes this book easy to use? Its user friendly, with clear easy to follow instructions. The colour pictures are of a good quality for each task in Elements. What you see in the book, you see on the monitor screen. Page layouts are consistent and the print clear. Getting started with Elements 6 couldn't be smoother. The book is basic and more advanced. For anyone new to Elements 6 or upgrading from older versions, this is the book to buy.
Elements 6 is no longer the cut down version of Photoshop that it once was. Adobe have included more of the best features from their new Photoshop, without compromising the enjoyment of using Elements. Photoshop Elements for Dummies, successfully addresses the changes in this new Elements version.
Very Good Book, 13 Aug 2008
A very good book for beginners.Its not the book that will make you expert but it helps you to understand how the basics of HTML works.Also very well written!
from a very keen newbe to HTML and CSS, 13 Feb 2008
I can not recommend this book highly enough. While I am sure the professionals find it's lay out too simple. IT WAS IDEAL FOR ME! I have had it now 3 weeks and have just published my first web site and it looks good!! Can't believe it!
Clear concise layout with easy to follow instructions on things that really are complicated. (Trust me I have three other books that make it look like code that only people with degrees in computer science could understand!)
If you can't get a basic page up and run by the end of this book I strongly recommend you pay someone to do it for you.
It has made me keen enough to perhaps get a book that goes into some of the areas in more detail now that I have the grounding knowledge.
But saying that I still think this book will always be close to hand as a quick reference point for many years to come.....
Difficult read, 10 Feb 2008
I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers that have criticised the writing style of the author in this book. She seems to be targeting the beginner with an introduction of how the internet and world wide web evolved and what a web page is but then the actual instructions dive right in at a deep end of assumed knowledge. I have some knowledge of computing but am not an expert by any means. I bought this to accompany an evening class I am attending but I am finding it a hard read. Not one for the complete beginner but might work as a useful reference book when I acquire a bit more knowledge.
The raw information. Up to you to make sense of it., 23 Jan 2008
OK, I'm not a complete idiot, I taught myself basic html bit by bit in short spurts at my local bookstore without ever buying a book. Now I wanted to start understanding a bit more about XHTML and CSS, so I asked for this book for Christmas.
It has turned out to be one of the worst written 'teach yourself' books that I have ever read, and by golly, I've read a few. What kind of teacher uses jargon in the first chapter of her book to explain more jargon? Instead of using simple examples involving nothing but the elements learned in a given chapter, she introduces code that hasn't yet been covered as illustration!
One might expect some kind of systematic order in a book this expensive... otherwise, you might as well go to any random techie website (some of which are actually much clearer than this book!) and hope that some reccurent piece of gobbledigook will start making sense after enough repetition. Same experience, a hell of alot cheaper!
The information is there, which is why I give it two stars instead of one, there's just not way for a novice to access it. ANd if you're not a novice, then you don't need this book. I expect a book that anounces itself as 'quickstart for beginners' to to the teaching for me in layman's terms, not for me to have to assimilate all the information before being able to start making sense of it for myself and processing it so that it becomes useful. Believe me, try something else. This is poor.
Awful, 17 Dec 2007
ALthough I have voted Mr Fulcher's review as helpful I feel it is utterly necessary to formally register my complete and undeviating agreement with what he has written. I can add no more than say that this book as about as helpful as a small teaspoon is in shifting a pile of rotten manure.
Not exactly for Dummies, 13 Nov 2008
I bought this as I have little or no knowedge of post processing. I have fiddled with photoshop before and was looking for a book that would tell me how I could do what I wanted. This does not do that at all.
For example - I was looking at how to open a layer - I would like a book, with screen shots saying press here and open this. This book does not operate in this way.
There is lots of info, but no step by step guides on how to undertake the most basic post processing before you step up to the more difficult tasks.
If you want a real guide, then don't waste your money. I am sure that this book has a purpose, but it certainly isn't aimed at total newbies to CS3 unlike the title, which would suggest it is.
All in all, a total disappointment that for me does not do what the title suggests. Wish I'd never wasted my monet to be honest.
A nonstarter, 18 Oct 2008
After I bought this book I thought that at least I would make some progress in the the use of photoshop but this book is certainly not for dummies and assumes the reader to have quite a lot of knowhow about photoshop all ready. I am now searching again online for real help to master photoshop. This book is not even close.
An easy passport to the complex land of Photoshop, 27 Jun 2008
As a person who is an author first, a self-publisher second and a computer expert (a very poor) third, I found this book a gentle introduction to the process of creating covers for my 'Virtual Trilogy' series of books and for the accompanying website.
As usual, the simple to read language and humorous cartoon interludes between chapters give the deceptive impression that this manual is lightweight - which it most certainly is not. Photoshop is (at least in my humble opinion)a very advanced computer graphics programme and the manual accompanying it has a bewildering array of information that is (again in my humble opinion) not as accessible as it might be.
This 'For Dummies' version however,is easy to read, detailed enough to be useful and (unlike many other 'For Dummies' volumes) has many pages in colour, which are essential for a programme like Photoshop.
Once again, 'For Dummies' has given this computer Luddite enough confidence to make the most out of his investment in computer software, at least enough to approach the full manual without anxiety.
Get creative., 13 Apr 2008
Is this the most comprehensive book to guide you through Photoshop CS3? Probably not. But it does give you a description of the menus and gently guides you through most of the common functions.
I've played around with many photo-editing applications over the last few years but not actually Photoshop (which many consider bizarre considering that Photoshop is generally viewed as the ultimate in photo editing software), so I'm quite comfortable with many procedures, but was a bit phased at the vast array of options open to me in Photoshop.
This book has helped me to familiarise myself with the programme, and to edit my photos with the book as a trusty guide.
I have learnt a lot about Photoshop from this book. It covers the basic stuff through to some advanced editing techniques. It isn't a an encyclopaedia of all the functions, but it makes what can often be a daunting application very accessible - particularly for those who are new to it.
The SketchUp bible, 02 Mar 2008
This book is an invaluable reference if you need something more than the Google help files and video tutorials available through SketchUp. When used with Chopra's YouTube videos you can be using the software to model almost anything within a few hours of drawing your first lines. I've knocked a mark off because it doesn't cover the Sandbox tools which admittedly are only availble in the Pro version, but some information on basic operation of these tools would have been good. Otherwise worth every penny. I don't know how Chopra's new Wiley book on SketchUp compares but it would need to go much further than this if it were to be worth its much higher price tag.
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Customer Reviews
Great Book Even For Pro's, 05 Oct 2008
I've been a wedding photographer for 25 years. I thought this was going to be another "how to take photos book". I've liked other Scott Kelby books so whilst in a bookstore picked it up just for a quick glance, but was suprised to see how much detail he went into. Each page being a new subject, it gave a detailed taster of each subject without all the waffle many books have, and then gave links to websites where you could read more or get equipement that is hard to find. To me it was worth it just for those hard to find links.
Should have stopped at volume 1, 04 Oct 2008
I like Scott Kelby, I really do.
OK he's from the other side of the Atlantic and totally over the top - but he is totally infectious in his love of photography and, in particular Photshop
However, this one doesn't do it for me.
It is just a re-hash of voulme one. The content is very weak and I gained very little from it.
Buy volume one by all means - and certainly buy his photshop books Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)....
but I suggest you think long and hard before buying this one
Buy a highlighter pen..., 21 Apr 2008
Please, don't take any notice of the tripe you will read in these reviews about stupid humour. It is only in a half dozen intro pages and even then, it's not enough to worry about and stop you learning from these wonderful books.
Buy this book, buy volume one too and a good highlighter pen, because you will learn an awful lot (unless you are a seasoned pro). The tips are quick, precise and have made my photography much better in the week it has taken me to read (and cover in highlighter!) both volumes.
Volume two has a great section on studio work with simple and inexpensive equipment that is worth the cover price alone. Don't listen to the silly moans about his sense of humour, buy these and learn lots!
An amazing book, 07 Apr 2008
As an amateur photographer I found the book to be compelling reading, being written in an engaging fashion and giving information in doses small enough to absorb with pleasure.
In addition to basic techniques and tips, you will also learn what equipment you require in order to improve your photography.
This is an excellent book which has helped me advance in my photography and which I have read from cover to cover at least twice.
This book is a must for anyone new to photography!
Don't buy it...., 15 Feb 2008
.....if you are a seasoned pro or utterly humourless. If you think your photographs are generally OK, but are missing that little something extra that makes them good enough to be proud of; then buy it instantly.
This isn't a technical photography manual that will spin your head out with more terms than a consolidation loan contract. Neither is it an artsy Bauhaus analysis of photography design. No, it is actually useful.
I wrote a glowing review of the first volume, and the second volume is just as good. The only downside is that I now am going to spend more money on photography kit. I really think that addiction to narcotics or alcohol would have been much cheaper and far less damaging to my marriage.
The author, to me anyway, comes across as a thoroughly nice bloke who obviously loves what he does. The style is informal and friendly and I enjoy reading both volumes again and again. If, like some reviewers, you find this off-putting I think that says far more about you than it does Scott.
In conclusion: my photographs are better after reading this book, thanks Scott.
DSLR made easy, 25 Oct 2008
This is a book for those who do not have an idea what is aperture (Av), shutter speed (Tv) or ISO. So if you have a compact point-and-shoot camera you know what these are. But it is a book that I bought before I even bought the DSLR camera. THe photos though in colour may not be the best but it is written to be read in a weekend.
D. Busch knows his stuff. At less than 10 quids it will sparkle your imagination and get your camera to go out an experiment.
Recommended.
Book, Camera, Action!, 14 Oct 2008
The big attraction of this series of "for Dummies" books is that we who buy these products have little respect for our own knowledge and plenty of respect for those who do and are able to write books like this.
I am currently converting from film photography to digital photography and some aspects are quite daunting. I have, therefore, purchased several books and tutorial DVDs on the subject and am working my way through them all. The title of this product suggests it is the right place to start and, on reflection, is exactly where I should have started. For those of you, who like me, are converting to digital for the first time, grab your camera and a copy of this book and work your way through from cover to cover until you are conversant with the new technology. It really will give you a good grounding.
That, however, will only work very well if you are already conversant with photography. If you are new to photography altogether and a digital SLR camera is your very first camera, you may have to learn a few basic lessons of, for example, the correlation between film speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings - which really do need to be understood, before you study this book.
David Busch clearly knows what he is talking about and is able to put that knowledge into an easy-to-follow format for us Dummies to read and, as I say, I wish I had read this book before getting into some of the more technical tomes I also purchased.
NM
A worse dummy than I thought!, 17 Feb 2008
I think I must need a 'Total Idiot's Guide' as this was not what I thought it would be.
Being a complete beginner with dSLR, I thought this book would be a step-by-step guide on 'How To....' I was a bit wide of the mark - although the book says a lot about why you should do this over that, etc it left me lost on how to actually do it. So I'm using my camera on Auto until my Nikon book arrives. Let's hope I'll have more success with that one.
excellent book, 08 Feb 2008
Bought the book on the strength of the previous two reviews as I've not really been keen on the "dummies" books previously.
This one, though, is excellent. If you've spent a chunk of money on a new digital camera (like my EOS 40d!) you really should spend another £10 and read this, and actually start to understand how it all works! (If you're already expert then you won't be needing this, but understanding even how the digital sensor works is really interesting)
It's printed on good quality glossy paper (unlike some of the dummies books) and includes some really nice images.
Well worth it
The best book I've read for DSLR beginners, 09 Jan 2008
A real creative education from a proper photographer. Easy to read, and packed full of tips and tricks. Get this one.
So-so..., 06 Sep 2008
Quality book? Very much so.
Easy to read? Well, yeah, but seems more formal than other Dummies somehow.
Cover all the right stuff? Yeah, suppose, but spends a huge amount of the book going on about the Organiser (not interesting!!!!).
Best book on Elements? No... though I don't know what is, but this isn't it.
Disappointed Dummy, 28 Aug 2008
I found Elements 6 for Dummies to be a confusing and unhelpful guide to a great software programme. It appears to have been written more to impress readers with the skills and knowledge of the authors rather than as suggested in the title as a simple vehicle to understand and use this feature rich ( is that too feature rich ?)programme. Does it really need 400 pages to explain the major features of Elements 6, I don't think so. Any number of photographic journals have shorter simpler guides to using photo enhancement software and you'll get lots of other photographic tips for your money.
User Friendly, 20 May 2008
What makes this book easy to use? Its user friendly, with clear easy to follow instructions. The colour pictures are of a good quality for each task in Elements. What you see in the book, you see on the monitor screen. Page layouts are consistent and the print clear. Getting started with Elements 6 couldn't be smoother. The book is basic and more advanced. For anyone new to Elements 6 or upgrading from older versions, this is the book to buy.
Elements 6 is no longer the cut down version of Photoshop that it once was. Adobe have included more of the best features from their new Photoshop, without compromising the enjoyment of using Elements. Photoshop Elements for Dummies, successfully addresses the changes in this new Elements version.
Very Good Book, 13 Aug 2008
A very good book for beginners.Its not the book that will make you expert but it helps you to understand how the basics of HTML works.Also very well written!
from a very keen newbe to HTML and CSS, 13 Feb 2008
I can not recommend this book highly enough. While I am sure the professionals find it's lay out too simple. IT WAS IDEAL FOR ME! I have had it now 3 weeks and have just published my first web site and it looks good!! Can't believe it!
Clear concise layout with easy to follow instructions on things that really are complicated. (Trust me I have three other books that make it look like code that only people with degrees in computer science could understand!)
If you can't get a basic page up and run by the end of this book I strongly recommend you pay someone to do it for you.
It has made me keen enough to perhaps get a book that goes into some of the areas in more detail now that I have the grounding knowledge.
But saying that I still think this book will always be close to hand as a quick reference point for many years to come.....
Difficult read, 10 Feb 2008
I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers that have criticised the writing style of the author in this book. She seems to be targeting the beginner with an introduction of how the internet and world wide web evolved and what a web page is but then the actual instructions dive right in at a deep end of assumed knowledge. I have some knowledge of computing but am not an expert by any means. I bought this to accompany an evening class I am attending but I am finding it a hard read. Not one for the complete beginner but might work as a useful reference book when I acquire a bit more knowledge.
The raw information. Up to you to make sense of it., 23 Jan 2008
OK, I'm not a complete idiot, I taught myself basic html bit by bit in short spurts at my local bookstore without ever buying a book. Now I wanted to start understanding a bit more about XHTML and CSS, so I asked for this book for Christmas.
It has turned out to be one of the worst written 'teach yourself' books that I have ever read, and by golly, I've read a few. What kind of teacher uses jargon in the first chapter of her book to explain more jargon? Instead of using simple examples involving nothing but the elements learned in a given chapter, she introduces code that hasn't yet been covered as illustration!
One might expect some kind of systematic order in a book this expensive... otherwise, you might as well go to any random techie website (some of which are actually much clearer than this book!) and hope that some reccurent piece of gobbledigook will start making sense after enough repetition. Same experience, a hell of alot cheaper!
The information is there, which is why I give it two stars instead of one, there's just not way for a novice to access it. ANd if you're not a novice, then you don't need this book. I expect a book that anounces itself as 'quickstart for beginners' to to the teaching for me in layman's terms, not for me to have to assimilate all the information before being able to start making sense of it for myself and processing it so that it becomes useful. Believe me, try something else. This is poor.
Awful, 17 Dec 2007
ALthough I have voted Mr Fulcher's review as helpful I feel it is utterly necessary to formally register my complete and undeviating agreement with what he has written. I can add no more than say that this book as about as helpful as a small teaspoon is in shifting a pile of rotten manure.
Not exactly for Dummies, 13 Nov 2008
I bought this as I have little or no knowedge of post processing. I have fiddled with photoshop before and was looking for a book that would tell me how I could do what I wanted. This does not do that at all.
For example - I was looking at how to open a layer - I would like a book, with screen shots saying press here and open this. This book does not operate in this way.
There is lots of info, but no step by step guides on how to undertake the most basic post processing before you step up to the more difficult tasks.
If you want a real guide, then don't waste your money. I am sure that this book has a purpose, but it certainly isn't aimed at total newbies to CS3 unlike the title, which would suggest it is.
All in all, a total disappointment that for me does not do what the title suggests. Wish I'd never wasted my monet to be honest.
A nonstarter, 18 Oct 2008
After I bought this book I thought that at least I would make some progress in the the use of photoshop but this book is certainly not for dummies and assumes the reader to have quite a lot of knowhow about photoshop all ready. I am now searching again online for real help to master photoshop. This book is not even close.
An easy passport to the complex land of Photoshop, 27 Jun 2008
As a person who is an author first, a self-publisher second and a computer expert (a very poor) third, I found this book a gentle introduction to the process of creating covers for my 'Virtual Trilogy' series of books and for the accompanying website.
As usual, the simple to read language and humorous cartoon interludes between chapters give the deceptive impression that this manual is lightweight - which it most certainly is not. Photoshop is (at least in my humble opinion)a very advanced computer graphics programme and the manual accompanying it has a bewildering array of information that is (again in my humble opinion) not as accessible as it might be.
This 'For Dummies' version however,is easy to read, detailed enough to be useful and (unlike many other 'For Dummies' volumes) has many pages in colour, which are essential for a programme like Photoshop.
Once again, 'For Dummies' has given this computer Luddite enough confidence to make the most out of his investment in computer software, at least enough to approach the full manual without anxiety.
Get creative., 13 Apr 2008
Is this the most comprehensive book to guide you through Photoshop CS3? Probably not. But it does give you a description of the menus and gently guides you through most of the common functions.
I've played around with many photo-editing applications over the last few years but not actually Photoshop (which many consider bizarre considering that Photoshop is generally viewed as the ultimate in photo editing software), so I'm quite comfortable with many procedures, but was a bit phased at the vast array of options open to me in Photoshop.
This book has helped me to familiarise myself with the programme, and to edit my photos with the book as a trusty guide.
I have learnt a lot about Photoshop from this book. It covers the basic stuff through to some advanced editing techniques. It isn't a an encyclopaedia of all the functions, but it makes what can often be a daunting application very accessible - particularly for those who are new to it.
The SketchUp bible, 02 Mar 2008
This book is an invaluable reference if you need something more than the Google help files and video tutorials available through SketchUp. When used with Chopra's YouTube videos you can be using the software to model almost anything within a few hours of drawing your first lines. I've knocked a mark off because it doesn't cover the Sandbox tools which admittedly are only availble in the Pro version, but some information on basic operation of these tools would have been good. Otherwise worth every penny. I don't know how Chopra's new Wiley book on SketchUp compares but it would need to go much further than this if it were to be worth its much higher price tag.
Good value for money, 21 Nov 2008
I bought Dreamweaver CS3 and having installed it found it too complex to get started even though I had previously constructed Web sites using Frontpage. This book has answered all my queries and has given an insight into even more complex techniques such as the application of databases.
I was certainly able to use Dreamweaver to construct an operational Web site using this book. It answered all my questions.
It is good value for money.
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Customer Reviews
Great Book Even For Pro's, 05 Oct 2008
I've been a wedding photographer for 25 years. I thought this was going to be another "how to take photos book". I've liked other Scott Kelby books so whilst in a bookstore picked it up just for a quick glance, but was suprised to see how much detail he went into. Each page being a new subject, it gave a detailed taster of each subject without all the waffle many books have, and then gave links to websites where you could read more or get equipement that is hard to find. To me it was worth it just for those hard to find links.
Should have stopped at volume 1, 04 Oct 2008
I like Scott Kelby, I really do.
OK he's from the other side of the Atlantic and totally over the top - but he is totally infectious in his love of photography and, in particular Photshop
However, this one doesn't do it for me.
It is just a re-hash of voulme one. The content is very weak and I gained very little from it.
Buy volume one by all means - and certainly buy his photshop books Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)....
but I suggest you think long and hard before buying this one
Buy a highlighter pen..., 21 Apr 2008
Please, don't take any notice of the tripe you will read in these reviews about stupid humour. It is only in a half dozen intro pages and even then, it's not enough to worry about and stop you learning from these wonderful books.
Buy this book, buy volume one too and a good highlighter pen, because you will learn an awful lot (unless you are a seasoned pro). The tips are quick, precise and have made my photography much better in the week it has taken me to read (and cover in highlighter!) both volumes.
Volume two has a great section on studio work with simple and inexpensive equipment that is worth the cover price alone. Don't listen to the silly moans about his sense of humour, buy these and learn lots!
An amazing book, 07 Apr 2008
As an amateur photographer I found the book to be compelling reading, being written in an engaging fashion and giving information in doses small enough to absorb with pleasure.
In addition to basic techniques and tips, you will also learn what equipment you require in order to improve your photography.
This is an excellent book which has helped me advance in my photography and which I have read from cover to cover at least twice.
This book is a must for anyone new to photography!
Don't buy it...., 15 Feb 2008
.....if you are a seasoned pro or utterly humourless. If you think your photographs are generally OK, but are missing that little something extra that makes them good enough to be proud of; then buy it instantly.
This isn't a technical photography manual that will spin your head out with more terms than a consolidation loan contract. Neither is it an artsy Bauhaus analysis of photography design. No, it is actually useful.
I wrote a glowing review of the first volume, and the second volume is just as good. The only downside is that I now am going to spend more money on photography kit. I really think that addiction to narcotics or alcohol would have been much cheaper and far less damaging to my marriage.
The author, to me anyway, comes across as a thoroughly nice bloke who obviously loves what he does. The style is informal and friendly and I enjoy reading both volumes again and again. If, like some reviewers, you find this off-putting I think that says far more about you than it does Scott.
In conclusion: my photographs are better after reading this book, thanks Scott.
DSLR made easy, 25 Oct 2008
This is a book for those who do not have an idea what is aperture (Av), shutter speed (Tv) or ISO. So if you have a compact point-and-shoot camera you know what these are. But it is a book that I bought before I even bought the DSLR camera. THe photos though in colour may not be the best but it is written to be read in a weekend.
D. Busch knows his stuff. At less than 10 quids it will sparkle your imagination and get your camera to go out an experiment.
Recommended.
Book, Camera, Action!, 14 Oct 2008
The big attraction of this series of "for Dummies" books is that we who buy these products have little respect for our own knowledge and plenty of respect for those who do and are able to write books like this.
I am currently converting from film photography to digital photography and some aspects are quite daunting. I have, therefore, purchased several books and tutorial DVDs on the subject and am working my way through them all. The title of this product suggests it is the right place to start and, on reflection, is exactly where I should have started. For those of you, who like me, are converting to digital for the first time, grab your camera and a copy of this book and work your way through from cover to cover until you are conversant with the new technology. It really will give you a good grounding.
That, however, will only work very well if you are already conversant with photography. If you are new to photography altogether and a digital SLR camera is your very first camera, you may have to learn a few basic lessons of, for example, the correlation between film speeds, shutter speeds and aperture settings - which really do need to be understood, before you study this book.
David Busch clearly knows what he is talking about and is able to put that knowledge into an easy-to-follow format for us Dummies to read and, as I say, I wish I had read this book before getting into some of the more technical tomes I also purchased.
NM
A worse dummy than I thought!, 17 Feb 2008
I think I must need a 'Total Idiot's Guide' as this was not what I thought it would be.
Being a complete beginner with dSLR, I thought this book would be a step-by-step guide on 'How To....' I was a bit wide of the mark - although the book says a lot about why you should do this over that, etc it left me lost on how to actually do it. So I'm using my camera on Auto until my Nikon book arrives. Let's hope I'll have more success with that one.
excellent book, 08 Feb 2008
Bought the book on the strength of the previous two review | | |