Mastering Digital Photography: Jason Youn's Essential Guide to Understanding the Art & Science of Aperture, Shutter, Exposure, Light, & Composition

Much like the author I loved taking pictures from an early age. I started out with a cheap point and shoot that mom and dad wouldn't care if I broke and I wasted a lot of pictures just for the sake of taking a picture. My eye for what to take pictures of improved over the years, but being able to keep my camera in my possession unbroken was a challenge. As such I have never had anything but a point and shoot.In recent years I have toyed around with the idea of buying a cheaper DSLR and taking a class, unsure as to how far I wanted to get into the topic. After reading Jason Youn's book I'm glad I didn't. The book was excellently written and gave wonderful explanations for even a novice like me. It actually did me a favor in showing me that I do not have the patience for the mechanics of picture taking. Taking candid pictures of my friends and family is the extent of my interest and as such my digital point and shoot is just fine for me.That said, the book was helpful for me, pointing out simple things I could do to improve the quality of my candid shots. The writing was easy to read, informative and helpful. For an aspiring photographer who is truly serious about photography this book is a gem. If you are taking photography classes this is a must have book to refer to when you are looking for the simple to understand explanations that beginners need to get started. Too often, in too many subjects have I seen an expert in their field fill a book with such technical jargon that the reader either got lost and confused, or bored to sleep, sometimes both. This is not one of those books. When your text book creates that lost and confused moment, take this book out and you will find the answer, I am certain.If I was to rate this book for how helpful it is to me personally I wouldn't give a very high rating because I am happy to remain a novice point and shooter. However, that would not be doing this book, this author or the field of photography justice. This book deserves a five star rating because it is a valuable tool and a must have for the more serious photographers.

This a really great introductory,but also detailed and in-depth, book for people who are excited to learn the technology and art of digital photography. Jason is a very good teacher, giving the reader clear progressive easy to understand information while imparting some of his own passion for the topic. My only constructive criticism would be to include a word or two about photograph editing software, like what software is out there to edit photos, etc. in the next edition. If anyone asked me to recommend a book to learn digital photography that includes the science, art, and passion of this wonderful technology, i would highly recommend this book.

The age of Digital Cameras have made the art of clear, photography accessible to us all – unfortunately, perfecting that art is as hard now as it was in the days of Dark Rooms and single poses.Jason Youn’s “Essential Guide to Mastering Digital Photography: Understanding The Art & Science of Aperture, Shutter, Exposure, Light & Composition” breaks down the complex myriad of factors that go into ‘good’ photography, clearly relating those facts in this straight forward guide. As is appropriate for a guide to anything Digital, this ebook is formatted perfectly for the Digital screen, with finger swipe pictures, enlargements and a reminder to use the highlight function in the forward.Youn covers EVERYTHING about Digital Photography. While this book will not make you a professional photographer; only time, education and lots of practice can get you there, it WILL, however, make you a better Digital Photographer. From choosing the right kind of Digital Camera to actually using it - then how to use it RIGHT, Youn walks you through this world. Lighting, Controlling your exposure, Stabilization, Reciprocity, Focus – he explores all of these in depth.We all know photography is beautiful – with the forgiveness of Digital photography, the advent of programs, and the advice in this guide, we can make our photography more beautiful as well.Whether you are the part time Camera lover, the family Photographer or the student studying the art in school – this really is “The Essential Guide to Mastering Digital Photography.”

AWESOME!!!! Owning a DSLR is wonderful ..... but finding out how to use it the way it was designed... priceless!This book covered all things digital photography related.... from lenses to lighting to exposure to composition... I feel like this is the photography book I have been looking for since buying my first digital camera back in the 90's!The author explains everything in a conversational way that makes it easy and fun to understand ... I have read a lot of photography books that are so dry that I loose interest... this book was just the opposite... if anything it made me more interested in photography! I was stuck in a hospital room while reading this book and I started taking pictures of things in the room and the nurses. Reading this really gave me a lot of useful tips and a lot of inspiration.If you think you know how to use your digital camera, get this book anyways.... I found that a recap on things I already knew helped... and I learned a lot more than I ever thought I would.

The book is well written and it covers all the relevant basics of digital photography. The author is right to the point and gives practical tips on how to take landscape, portraits, night shots and long exposure shots. It would have been good if more examples with photos at different settings are provided. It would make a lasting impression on the reader.

First, this book is intended for people who are new to photography. Anyone who has a DSLR and wants to learn the basics of taking a good picture should read this book. I have owned a DSLR for a while and learned about half of this book by trial and error. If I read this book when I purchased my DSLR, I would be able to take the pictures that I take today much earlier. That is not to say that this book will make you a photographer. You still need to shoot a ton in order to learn and improve the skills that this book teaches you. Once you are comfortable with the skills that the book teaches you, then reading more advanced photography books if you want to further improve your technique would be appropriate. At least, that is what I plan to do.It is a very easy read and something that you can refer back to anytime. Every lesson is backed by a couple pictures as an example. I wish that there were more pictures of what not to do, just to demonstrate the lessons better.I would recommend this book to any new DSLR user.

This book has a beautiful glossy and attractive cover. The information provided by Jason is very good but I am very disappointed with the quality of the internal finish. Being a photography book I would have expected more coloured photographs and diagrams to be used, but there was not one. Not very good.Mike Wadley

So many aha moments in this guide to Digital photography! I have been working on improving my photography skills but I don’t have the time to actually take a photography class and I have given up wasting time hopping all over the internet looking for what I need to know. This book has really provided me with the knowledge I need to take better photographs.My camera has so many features that I was not even aware of or how to maximize them for successful photography. I have a much stronger foundation now than before reading this guide. I took pictures along the way as reading this book and I have been amazed.This is a must have guide for beginners to really start to understand how to successfully compose your photographs for maximum impact.There are several tips that seem simple now but I had never heard of them and they really have made an impact on my photographs! I plan on rereading this in a few weeks because I know I will pick up even more tips, as my photography improves.

Very informative and easy to understand, would definitely recommend!

For one embarking on ownership of a relatively sophisticated Digital Camera, I felt the need to try and understand the the basic principles involved before I took possession of the said camera. This book was ideal in that it allowed me the achieve that. It was written in a form that was easy to understand, confirmed that my basic knowledge was reasonably well-established, and then took it forward to a level, necessary to start to get the best out of my acquisition.

Hanging on to it for defence purposes.

It is a good book for a wide range of photography types, and an excellent starting point for the novice photographer.

Im a complete beginner to Digital Camera's and for me this book is just great. I like the way everything is explained in a nice and easy way. it may not be too everyones liking, but for me its as though Jason was there as I read ( like in a classroom ) along with my camera. My Nikon D300 is more of a friend to me now rather than something that seemed so complicated, that I was beginning to wonder if I could take photo's without using auto. Yes the book is printed in black and white, as are diagrams etc. But, you know what,I am shooting with more confidence, and my photo's look a lot better, sharper, more composed. Thank you Jason.