first book for beginner

M

mkelly

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mark
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Could someone recommend the best book for a beginner to get off auto settings on a dslr,
i have read a few but would like one which maybe a first year student would go through ? if that makes sense.
I always like to start at the beginning :lol:
 
Hi, Mark and welcome to the forum.

You can do a lot worse than visiting your local library and seeing what they've got in the way of photography books. Doesn't really matter if they're about digital or film - the exposure will be the same, hence the dials will be set the same.

You could also have a good read and digest the camera's manual - some actually have quite good sections on when and how to use certain modes, although they can take a bit of ploughing through!

Maybe contact a local college and find out what "consumer" (rather than text) books are on their reading list. Even some text books might help.

Have a look for Digital Photography by Tom Ang and Basic Photography by Michael Langford on Amazon. Tom Ang's book covers everything from chosing a camera type to printing a final, processed image and all steps in between, as does Langford's but his book is much more of a text book than Ang's

Others may suggest Understanding Exposure (author forgotten!) but I reckon most of that is covered in a few pages by both my suggestions but I've never read it, having learned all that stuff back in the late '70s/early '80s. If I ever see it for a couple of quid in a charity shop, I may pick it up for interest though.
 
I liked understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson :-)
 
Thanks nod will check out the books you advise.
I already have Bryan petersons book understanding exposure. I have read through it and I am now going to retread putting it all in practice, but thanks steph anyway
 
I have recommended the 2 books I did because I have them both. If I was only allowed to recommend one, it would be Tom Ang's. Doesn't go into as much depth as Langford's but maybe that's the point - it doesn't give you too much information, just what you need. Copies of the Langford book do turn up in charity shops sometimes - maybe buy the Ang book from Amazon (or similar) and keep an eye out for the Langford, as much for interest (especially if you get an older copy which goes into a fair amount of detail about film and developing - I think the most recent editions cover digital in more depth - again, probably in more detail than we really need to know!).
 
Nod I have ordered Tom ang so look forward to a good read.
Thanks for the info.
 
Glad i seen this thread i got 2 hardback books today on the market

Digital Photographer's Handbook [Book] by Tom Ang
By Tom Ang - Dorling Kindersley (2004?) - Hardback - 408 pages - ISBN 0751336793

and

Me and My Camera Photography Guide Book by Joe Partridge 1981 from a ITV TVSeries
this has some good graphs/tables for Shutters speed,DOF


They cost me £1 for the pair
 
Good deal! I paid full whack for my Tom Ang (2002 edition) and reckon it was worth it, so that and the other at £1 the pair is a real bargain!
 
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