reviewed by Les Benson

f you are an amateur photographer like me and the options on that new digital camera you recently bought overwhelm you, perhaps you need help as much as I do. I still find my two-year-old Canon G1 camera powerful, but I cannot always remember what all the buttons and controls do--and worse, when to use them. As a result, I often just set the camera to automatic, point and shoot. Works most of the time, but I would really like to take full advantage of the power of my camera and, even when point and shoot is appropriate, compose better pictures. What I need is a guide that provides better advice than the user's guide.

O'Reilly's Digital Photography Guide is the answer to my prayer. It is concise, portable, and informative. The book is organized into three sections, "What is it", "What Does it do", and "How do I".

What is it . . .

Digital Camera SIG Theory is fine, but practice makes perfect. Join BB&C's Digital Camera Special Interest Group led by Ken Beattie. It meets on the second Friday of each month at 10 am at the clubhouse. Then take part in the group's periodic Photoshoots at various locations in the Victoria area. Be sure to submit that great picture you took to our website "Picture of the Week" feature.

You really need to read the first section with your owner's manual handy. The book tries to cover as many features on all current cameras a possible, but it can't cover the detail on every model. By cross-referring to my manual and this book, I was able to better understand what the more obscure buttons my camera controlled.

What Does it do . . .

After reading the first section, you should have a better understanding of the controls available on your camera. Now is the time to learn how and when to use them. The expanations in the second section of when and how to use each feature or button are comprehensive but concise and provide what I found to be the right level of detail for my needs.

How Do I . . .

The final section on 21 shooting tips and tricks is also useful. Here you learn that to photograph people outdoors--get close, use fill flash, and pick high clouds and overcast days when possible. For indoor shots, avoid using a flash--just the opposite of what was intuitive to me. There are similar tips for photographing kids, travel locations, weddings, sporting events, and the like. Concise explanations show why each tip is appropriate.

Full colour examples of good and poor photos are given throughout the book to illustrate what is explained. All this fits in a small 4x7x1/4", 120-page book that will fit easily in your pocket. Recommended.

Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition
By Derrick Story
November 2003
0-596-00627-6, Order Number: 6276
128 pages, $14.95 US, $23.95 CA
BB&C members get a 20% discount. See www.bbc.org/members/discounts.php