| Title | : | National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Great Photography |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1426219709 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781426219702 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | Published November 12, 2019 |
This entertaining book from beloved National Geographic photographer and Photo Ark founder Joel Sartore shows aspiring photographers how to take great pictures, from framing and F-stops to editing and archiving. Whether you're using your phone or a DSLR camera, you'll learn the fundamentals of photography--and how to put them to work every day.
In a series of short lessons, Sartore explains the basics, from choosing a camera and gear to understanding focus, exposure, composition, and lighting. Using examples from his own work, he applies the basic rules of photography to family, pet, travel, nature, and street photos, and how to get a great shot with the camera on your smartphone.
Throughout the book you'll find pro tips, quick assignments, and the behind-the-camera stories of great photographs; helpful notes clarify how to use every piece of advice with your smartphone camera.
Fun and informative, this practical book will be your gateway to taking great pictures.
National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Great Photography Reviews
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This book was great! I learned a lot of the technical stuff mentioned in the book in my past photography classes but this book adds more circumstantial knowledge and includes amazing pictures. Just goes to show how creative one can be in the art of photography. And I was able to apply the new tips at a special event the other day with other photographers (some professional, some hobbyists) but it was so amazing seeing how different some our stuff came out. Definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys photography.
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That was great. Very insightful and helpful ideas that I can’t wait to use when I’m out taking pictures. I’m more familiar with the manual modes now but with practice I’m sure I’ll understand them more.
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5 stars for really breaking down components and the process in a manner that this newbie could easily digest. And I remained interested throughout!
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Perfect book to get you going with the fundamentals of photography. Sartore really takes things back to basics and explains all the elements that you need to factor in to snap a great photo.
While Sartore covers all the topics in general, I also found that he offers up super specific and practical advice, especially when it comes to wanting to shoot something in particular e.g. portraits, sports etc.
I also enjoyed the little assignments scattered throughout which encourage you to practically apply the theory you are learning. I found I took some unexpectedly good pictures from these exercises.
By the end it did get pretty repetitive and the laboured the points about the importance of packing the right gear and being prepared became irritating by the end. I think perhaps the best way to get the most out of this book would be to read the introductory parts and refer to specific parts as needed rather than read it cover to cover like I did.
The thing that I appreciated most about this book though was how Sartore's personality shone through. By doing so he ensured that this is not just another photography book. Sartore wants you to take good picture, sure, but more than that he invites you to see the world from different lenses where you have the power to frame the situation to get the most out of whatever it is that lay before you - regardless of whether you plan to shoot it or not. -
I discovered Joel Sartore through his photography project Animal Ark, which was a children's collaboration with poet and author Kwame Alexander, and have marveled at his skill since. I dabble in photography myself but have never taken a formal class so when I saw that he had a how-to about photo basics book, I jumped on it. It's full of basic information but paired with great personal tips on how to capture the right images.
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I have gone through so many manuals and it is hard to find one that can strike the balance of a book that provides technical, artistic, and instructional content. National Geographic nails it with this one. You get a solid primer on all the technical aspects of photography (how to use the settings on your camera, such as ISO, shutter speed, etc), as well as great visual examples and explanations of what constitutes a good photo and why. I learned so much from this book and continue to use it as a reference guide when I'm doing research for shots. Highly recommend!
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Basic and fundamental, seems like it's mostly meant for a coffee table... lots of pretty, colorful photos throughout and short bits of writing meant to inspire. Certainly a good book to read when getting started with photography (like, really just getting started). I'll be giving it away to the next person I convince to pick up photography as a hobby ;)
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Even though I have been taking photos for years, I loved the layout and the information provided in this book. I am looking forward to going back through it now and actually doing the assignments that were scattered through the different sections.
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Not a bad little guide. I think this would be a great reference material to have if you were starting out with photography. I learned quite a few tricks for certain types of images.
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This is a great book for beginners. It’s engaging, covering a range of topics in bite size chapters so newbies like me don’t get bogged down.
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Excellent guide by a wonderful photographer. Covers all sorts of equipment and photo theory. Something for everyone no matter what your level.
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I would say the best guide book for beginners.
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Super handy.
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Great tutorial for budding photographers like myself
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Excellent book to learn the basics of photography.
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Filled with cool pictures and useful tips for someone who hasn't used a camera beyond the one on their phone.
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Great book to get for those interested in doing photography.
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I was eager to get this book written by my favorite photographer, Joel Sartore. I met Joel at a National Geographic Live event in Seattle about a decade ago. I had never heard of Joel until that event...when I discovered that my favorite wallpaper photo (that I snagged online) was taken by him (I never knew the photographer). I told him about it and that I had lost the image several computers ago. He had his assistant send me another (low res) of the photo so I could again use it as my wallpaper. I can't wait until May 2020 to see him speak again!
Now, about the book...
I love that Joel included tips for smartphones in this book since I take about 80% of my photos with my Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. I'm also working on materials to teach a smartphone photography class at a local club, so a lot of the basic information was quite helpful as I put together my outline (this book is now loaded with post-it note tags so I can refer back to things for the class).
Joe gives you the scoop, pro tips, one of his favorite photos and how he got the shot, then gives you an assignment to practice the same technique(s). You can read all the photography books out there, but unless you practice, you won't get better!
The book covers different types of equipment (how each is used), the basics, then gets you to think like a photographer.
I highly recommend this book to anyone just starting to take photos, but also those who have done it for a while, but want to get batter at it.
