Furnishes an overview of digital photography, covering such topics as cameras, exposure, lighting, shutter speed, depth of field, and resolution--and tips on how to avoid hours of photo-editing by taking great photographs the first time.

Photography has been the business and the passion of LIFE since the original weekly magazine's inception in 1936, and it continues to be the business and passion of LIFE Books and LIFE.com in the new millennium. But photography has surely changed during these many decades. The rigs and gear of old have given way-first slowly, then all at once-to sleek miracle machines that process pixels and have made the darkroom obsolete. The casual photog puts eye to lens, sets everything on auto and captures a photograph that is . . . perfectly fine. One of LIFE's master shooters-in fact, the final in the long line of distinguished LIFE staff photographers-was Joe McNally, and he has always believed that with a little preparation and care, with a dash of enthusiasm and daring added to the equation, anyone can make a better photo-anyone can turn a "keeper" into a treasure. This was true in days of yore, and it's true in the digital age. Your marvelous new camera, fresh from its box, can indeed perform splendid feats. Joe explains in this book how to take best advantage of what it was designed to do, and also when it is wise to outthink your camera or push your camera-to go for the gold, to create that indelible family memory that you will have blown up as large as the technology will allow, and that will hang on the wall forevermore. As the storied LIFE photographer and photo editor John Loengard points out in his eloquent foreword to this volume, there are cameras and there are cameras, and they've always been able to do tricks. And then there is photography. Other guides may give you the one, two, three of producing a reasonably well exposed shot, but Joe McNally and the editors of LIFE can give you that, and then can show you how to make a picture. In a detailed, friendly, conversational, anecdotal, sometimes rollicking way, that's what they do in these pages. Prepare to click.

Learn to take great photos with your iPhone—the camera you always have with you!

Imagine if someone took the same photographic techniques, principles, and tools used by high-end and professional photographers, but applied them to shooting with an iPhone. Imagine the type of images you’d be able to create using those same ideas. Well, finally, somebody has.

The world’s #1 best-selling photography techniques author is about to break all the rules as he shows you how to apply the same techniques today’s top pro photographers use to make stunning images. You’re going to learn exactly how to use these techniques to create images that people will just not believe you could actually take with a phone (but with the quality of the iPhone’s camera, you absolutely can!).

Scott leaves all the techno-speak behind and, instead, treats the whole book as if it were just you and he out on a shoot with your iPhones, using his trademark casual, plain-English writing style to help you unlock the power of your iPhone to make the type of pictures you never thought could be done with a phone. You’ll learn:

• Which tools to use to make pro-quality portraits in any lighting situation.

• How to create stunning landscape shots that people will swear you took with an expensive DSLR or mirrorless camera.

• Proven posing techniques that flatter your subject and make anyone you photograph look their very best in every shot.

• How to organize and edit your photos like a pro!

• The pros’ top tips for making amazing shots of everything from flowers to product shots, from food photography to travel shots, and everything in between.

Each page covers a single concept, a single tool, or a trick to take your iPhone photography from snapshots to shots that will make your friends and family say, “Wait…you took this?!”

In contrast to the jargon-filled manuals that come with most digital cameras, The Beginner's Photography Guide presents step-by-step digital slr camera basics, while introducing and demonstrating a wide variety of techniques that will inspire the novice digital photographer. Grouped together by themes-color, composition, natural light, framing, and more-each camera technique is broken down into an easy-to-follow step-by-step sequence, and features annotated photographs and suggestions on getting the best from digital slr cameras and taking eye-catching photos.

Wonderfully easy-to-use, concise, portable enough to stash in a camera bag, and packed with all the basics on taking digital photos: this invaluable pocket guide is everything you’d expect from a digital imaging leader such as Kodak. Filled with first-rate information, it covers everything from choosing the right digital camera to selecting accessories, from saving digital images to sharing photos with friends and family over e-mail. Find out all the basics on file formats, downloading pictures, taking better portraits, and improving image composition. This guide will help photographers get superior results from their digital camera, and even those new to digital—and intimidated by technology—will find themselves shooting with confidence.

Everyone has a camera on their phone. Author Mike Kus, a photographer with a strong Instagram following, demonstrates the simple tricks and techniques that take your photography to another level. His methods can be mastered by anyone, and the content avoids reference to specific phone camera technology, instead relying on the clear principles to make you a better photographer, regardless of the camera you own. The book is written, designed and illustrated by the author.

This gorgeously illustrated guide covers simple techniques for stunning photography of all kinds—from weather to wedding and aerial to underwater. The world is full of breathtaking images just waiting to be captured. How to Photograph Everything shows you how to approach thrilling subjects and get the picture-perfect shot you’re after. The editors at Popular Photography show you exactly how shoot and enhance photos of more than forty subjects—from landscapes to wedding portraits, sporting events, fireworks, and extreme weather. Filled with ideas for shooting, must-have gear guides, 500 beautiful photographs and the simple step-by-step guidance you need to reproduce them, How to Photograph Everything will help you get the best shot, every time. Subjects include: Aerial photography, Animals, Arts & Architecture, Fireworks, Nudes, Portraits, Still Lifes, Street Photography, Underwater photography, Weather, and Weddings.

From the institution that set the standard for exceptional photography comes the definitive how-to volume--fully revised and updated with the latest information. 280 photos, illustrations & maps.

Learn how to take professional-quality photographs when you travel, using the same tricks today’s top photographers use!

If you’ve ever dreamed of making such incredible travel photos that when your friends and family see them they say, “Wait a minute, this is your photo!? You took this?” then you’re holding the right book.

Scott Kelby, award-winning travel photographer and author of the best-selling digital photography book in history, shares all his secrets and time-tested techniques as he discusses everything from his go-to essential travel gear, to camera settings, to how to research before your trip, to the travel photography techniques that will help you capture truly captivating images on your trip.

Among many other topics, you’ll learn:

• What makes a great travel photo (including what to shoot and what to skip).

• Which lenses and accessories will get you the best results (including when to use them and why).

• How to post-process your images in Lightroom or Photoshop to get incredible results.

• Tips for getting great portraits of the locals and even how to get them to pose for your shots.

• When it makes more sense to use your cell phone’s camera instead.

• Travel photo recipes that show you the ingredients for creating specific types of travel shots.

• How to compose your travel images, how to keep your gear safe when traveling, and a ton of killer tips to help you create better travel images, and make your entire trip that much more fun.

It’s all here—Scott doesn’t hold anything back in this groundbreaking book that will help you take the type of travel images you’ve always dreamed of. There’s never been a travel photography book like it!

Want to take great-looking pictures? This beginner's guide explains your camera's features and reveals how to use them to shoot stunning photos of landscapes, children, animals, holidays, night scenes and more. What the beginner photographer needs is a no-nonsense guide to the most important features on DSLRs written by experts that reveals in plain English exactly what they need to know. This is that book.