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Book:   Take Your Best Shot
Subject:   A digital photographer's reference with a different approach
Date:   2009-04-27 16:50:23
From:   Pam Doughty
Rating:  StarStarStarStarStar

Reviewed by Steve Cooper from AUSOM Inc www.ausom.net.au


A digital photographer's reference with a different approach


Author Tim Grey started the Digital Darkroom Questions email newsletter in 2001, and since then has provided the answers to thousands of questions posed by digital photographers. Take Your Best Shot is a product of this experience.
This is not a book for beginning photographers; rather, it's intended for those who have a good grasp of the essentials of digital photography and image manipulation, but who have problems or questions not addressed by the typical manual or Help system.
Each of its ten chapters addresses a dozen or more questions chosen to cover a broad range of topics. In keeping with the book's general approach the answers are not what you'd call finely detailed, but will very well suit the reader with a basic understanding of the issues at hand.
Answers are typically accompanied by high-quality colour photographs, diagrams and/or screenshots. The book design is easy on the eye and a good table of contents and index make it easy to find questions relevant to a topic that interests you. The author's tone is conversational but matter-of-fact.
The book begins with chapters on digital fundamentals, cameras and other tools, image capture and the digital darkroom setup. Next it addresses colour management, optimizing in Photoshop CS3, and creative effects. Finally there are chapters covering image problem solving techniques, printing and digital sharing.
Given that there are surely as many questions about digital photography as there are photographs, no book of this type can claim to be a complete reference, but Take Your Best Shot does a good job of covering a large number of topics of general interest in a way that moves a little beyond the typical 'beginner's how-to'.
Take Your Best Shot; author Tim Grey; published July 2008, O'Reilly; ISBN 9780596518257; 228 pages; US$34.99.

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