This is where most books fail and why classroom learning succeeds when teaching the arts. I also appreciate that it's written in a very personable way, with what appears to be some classic Tony humor thrown in. So many how-to and technical books will simply throw all the information at you, knowing full-well that non-experts don't know what to do with it. Sometimes it's nice to know about things AND whether they matter or not.

Tony and Chelsea do an excellent job of showing you where the radio is, but reminding you to keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Several of my friends have attempted to take up photography, but they all seemed to drop off after a year or so. I really enjoy photography, now. I'm confident that Tony and Chelsea made it happen. One of the best buys I've ever made. Clear, concise, detailed, videos plus written words. I'm particularly interested in landscapes and HDR.

I've also gotten great help with your video on my Sony A This book will leave you speechless with all of the amazing nuggets of knowledge it embeds within your memory in an easy to understand and use the method. I know there are a ton of photography books out there This book is very helpful, and I can't say enough about the great videos. Thank you for the outstanding work and the passion you display for photography. Just glanced through the book after wondering if I should just get the darned thing; I'm very glad I did - it's comprehensive, it's a real course, it's just what I need without knowing that before I flipped through it.

Thanks for doing such a great job - this book will definitely keep me busy for months, yea! Hi, I just wanted to add a few words of my own to the existing reviews and, send you my thanks for creating such an amazing book!!

I'd been thinking of purchasing this for quite a few months, maybe a year or more, but I always resisted because as someone who has problems with authority figures, I flat out hate tutorials and 'lessons'. That doesn't make things easy for me I know, but what I really appreciate about this book is that it doesn't so much 'tell me' how to do things, it offers help and advice with thoughts and ideas that are more like a conversation with a friend than 'you must do this!

That's perfect because we are all as individual as our photos and we each need to grow in different ways. I particularly liked where you reference Monet at the end of Chapter 2 as I also think he was a genius with light and colour, but as photographers we so often ignore the work of such incredible artists, purely because they aren't pressing a shutter button.

I wish you all the best for the future and my thanks again for the insightful conversation. I'm the founder of photo. This might be my favorite so far in terms of density of practical information. I appreciate that composition and lighting are covered before the "what do the buttons do" stuff that is typically found in a camera owner's manual anyway.

Specific photographic situations, e. I am delighted that the photos I take and keep are much better now! One day they may even be stunning. Many thanks.

The first few chapters are elementary - suitable for beginners to photography. Although I have been an amateur photographer for many years, I found the hints and the videos in those elementary chapters reminded me of important lessons, reinforced others, and even introduced some new ideas.

I especially like the advice "take lots of photos and delete most of them". In the old days of film photography, few amateurs could afford to do that. With digital cameras everyone can afford a couple of test shots to make sure everything is set right, provided we don't miss the moment.

Kids and animals, as photographic subjects, make it almost impossible to judge the perfect moment, so snapping away and selecting the best shots later is much better than stalking them until the one "perfect shot" can be snapped. That one "perfect shot" is either half a second too early or too late. The more advanced chapters dealing with various photographic subjects,and techniques of lighting, shooting, and post-processing are very useful indeed.

The text, pictures and the videos give insights into photography that come from years of experience as a photographer. There are far too many insights to mention all, but here is just one: watching Chelsea pose for the camera made it clear to me that getting ready to have your photo taken is a skill.

Being able to instantly strike an interesting pose, and add a winning smile, is a professional skill. Posing my non-model friends and relatives for a photo shoot requires patience and good humour - it should not be rushed or stressed. Also they need to understand I will take lots of photos of them, keep only the best few, and show them those shots after editing.

Of course, I also try to apply the knowledge about lighting, equipment, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, tripods, remote control, and all the rest.

Newman "puck junky". Holy Cow, a photography book that actually teaches you real world, usable techniques. This book is spot on with what I needed to learn not only the controls of my camera but the elements of what it means to take a great digital picture and produce quality photos. I am a casual, at best, photographer. Actually, I am a novice at best. My spouse has always commented that my picture taking leaves something to be desired.

I didn't understand all this "photography" lingo she used nor how to actually set up the camera or get the "right shot". The manuals didn't really help and I needed it.

But, the problem was I had no idea what resource to use. They all seemed daunting; that is until I got a copy of this book. This really is a simple to use, well informed guide to taking great digital pictures. I learned a lot from the examples and it was easy to follow.

I had never thought taking pictures needed to vary. I mean a picture is a picture, right? I have a much better understanding of what that "composition" thing my wife always said I lacked. And I now understand the different settings and controls I should use to take a good picture.

I used to take one photo and be done. Maybe 2 to make sure the eyes were opened. I know get it that I need to set up my camera, not just use the automated settings, and take a series.

I need to look beyond the view finder. Go figure. I really was impressed with the easy to understand approach this book gives. I recommend this book for anyone, regardless of skill level. It is a good read with great examples and easy to follow instruction.

You'll start to enjoy picture taking in a whole other way. I bought the print version of this book as it currently comes with instructions on how to also get the regularly updated e-book version for free, in several of the popular formats. I'd have possibly just bought the e-book version otherwise, but this is a great idea that I wish many other publishers would consider and it definitely convinced me to spend the extra for the print version to read when I'm home, and to have the e-book version with me when I'm not.

I've only recently taking the jump from a bridge camera to a full blown DSLR. The 6 month earlier jump I made from a simple point and click camera to a bridge camera that offered full manual and program modes, plus aperture and shutter priority modes really whetted my appetite and interest in photography further so I finally convinced myself that a Nikon DSLR was a purchase I could justify.

Within days of receiving the camera I decided a good reference and "how-to" guide would be useful. I didn't realize at the time I wasn't just buying a book - I was buying access to a wonderful online community, resource center, video tutorials, and much more.

The lengths those responsible for this book have gone to to provide a truly fantastic resource for their readers is unprecedented and incredibly useful - for novices or more experienced and seasoned photographers. The private Facebook group allows those who have bought this book to post their photos and have their work critiqued and commented upon, often by the author himself, to ask for help and advice - or to give help and advice, or perhaps to just to feel connected with other like minded hobbyists and photography enthusiasts.

As for the book itself, it is presented wonderfully with full color examples where needed. The advice given is sound and comprehensive and there are many links to online video tutorials scattered through-out the book that further reinforce the lessons given on the page. The author took all the example photos himself rather than use stock images, so you know that what he is telling you gives you the essential knowledge to create your own similar photos.

This is a great book with great advice and it deserves five stars for that alone. The online community that the purchaser can access for free upon purchase means there are not enough stars available on the Amazon review system that this product deserves.

To my knowledge, this is the best investment I've made in a book. Well-written, clearly explained and illustrated, and actually fun to read that's a big one; some photography books are better as cures for insomnia than guides for improving technique , Tony and gang have created a book I not only learned from but continue to reference in this field.

Five stars! As a long time snap shot shooter with out any formal training I have found SDP to be an informative read and the videos to also be informative and entertaining.

I enjoy Tony's laidback style of teaching. The multi-media approach using the text, videos, web-casts, Facebook page, and web site all go together well for me providing a very encompassing learning experience. This is a good read book and more. A very good photography book. It is worth every penny you pay for. Aside from the illustrations and explanations, there are supporting videos you can access which is great!

I think that this is not a "paperback" but it is a premium collector's item for a guy like me whose interest is in photography. So much to learn from this book. God bless to the author and his family. The book was logically laid out and had stellar use of video links which really made everything easier to comprehend. Tony And Chelsea Northrop are excellent teachers. Engaging and fun ebook that has really helped me advance in my photography skills. Covers all the basics in detail and then moves to more advanced techniques.

To me, the best feature of this book is by far the online content. Tony has made great use of this medium to produce an immersive and interactive learning experience. As promised the online content is updated frequently, and Tony and Chelsea interact often in online chat sessions. Thanks Tony! Couple of updates: - Love the fact that this e-book is with me all the time. Whenever I need to check or read up on something I can pull it up on the Kindle which I rarely use , or on my desktop PC or even on the phone while traveling with the kindle reader apps.

The latest and greatest updated version of this book just flows through to the device of your choice instantly. I love that aspect and it really helps to fine tune your photography at leisure or whenever that great light and fantastic place happens and you just have to click, but wished you could check on some particular info.

Lots of actually 'stunning' images are posted there everyday and get feedback from the active community which has photographers of all skill and equipment levels. Also there are weekly monthly challenges at times.

Personally, that to me feels like the kind of the highest acknowledgement for this book and author. It's free for anyone who has purchased the book and is a great community to post your pictures, get feedback and also get some 'inside information' from the SDP world. It takes learning to a whole new level.

Keep 'em coming! So it never gets boring or exhausted. As a amateur or pro photographer, there is always some challenge or technique that you can move on to. I have seen a number of great updates since, a lot of them based on reader feedback and needs.

This is a fantastic find and really helped me get a lot from my DSLR camera. Excellent instructions, tons of pictures and a friendly writing style makes one feel as if a pro photographer is guiding you step by step and teaching you his tricks. There are exercises that help you retain what you learn. I recommend you do the exercises if you are new to the technique and not just read the book passively.

That way you can employ those techniques when actually shooting pictures. I was under the impression that pro photographers always whipped out their cameras and right away shot their for-the-magazines-final pictures with each click. I felt editing a photograph was not ok and there were so many other myths that I had as a newbie.

Being in the field for quite some time, Tony explains the need to persevere, take hundreds of pictures, keep just the good ones and discard the rest, edit and touch-up as required and so many things that made taking great pictures seem so much feasible and accessible to me.

This book does not dabble in a lot of unnecessary camera lingo and settings, but just what's necessary coupled with tips and techniques to actually get those pictures. While a photography student will not mind studying all the alphabets, others like me appreciate getting straight to the point on how to get a good portrait, how to get a good landscape, what are the pitfalls to avoid, etc.

So this book works great in that respect. The organization of the book is great. The resources it mentions and links are great. The constant updates the author is committed to is amazing. Just yesterday, months after its release, I saw a new video added into YouTube for this book which will make into the pages of the digital edition soon. Professional photographers are great, but they are also expensive.

Our intention was to provide a simple and convenient way for students to study and learn about Digital Photography. In this book, Tony Northrup award-winning author of more than 30 how-to books and a professional portrait, wildlife, and landscape photographer teaches you both the art and science of creating stunning pictures.

Award-winning author and photographer Tony Northrup has published more than 30 how-to books and sold more than a million copies around the world.

His photos have been featured on magazine covers, book covers, CD covers, TV shows, calendars, and much more. He runs a stock and portrait photography business with his family, Chelsea and Madelyn, out of his home studio in Waterford, CT.

He shoots travel and nature photography everywhere he goes. Download or Buy eBook Here.