For six years, digital photography expert Tim Grey has answered readers' questions on his website and daily mailing list, "DDQ (Digital Darkroom Questions)." As a member of the Photoshop World Dream Team of instructors, Grey knows his stuff -- and after answering hoards of questions from photographers, he knows the most persistent and burning issues. In his new book, Take Your Best Shot, Tim Grey answers the most-often asked questions about the digital darkroom and more in an easy-to-read format, organized by subject, and illustrated with beautiful photographs and instructive screenshots. The book includes several new topics not covered on Grey's website Tim Grey. The topic list includes:

• Digital Fundamentals -- resolution, bit-depth, and imaging sensors

• Digital Cameras & Tools -- SLR vs. point-and-shoot, megapixels, field storage, sensor cleaning, CompactFlash card speed, and digital lenses

• Digital Photography -- JPEG vs. RAW, ISO settings, white balance

• Digital Darkroom -- Windows vs. Mac, LCD vs. CRT, Lightroom vs. Photoshop, storage, backup, image downloading, and film and print scanning

• Color Management -- Monitor calibration and color temperature, printer profiling, when the printer doesn't match the monitor, and when prints lack shadow detail

• Image Optimization -- RAW conversion, tonal adjustments, curves, color balance, hue/saturation, clone stamp, spot healing brush, and healing brush

• Creative Effects -- Dodge and burn, black and white conversion, sepia tone, and artistic edge

• Image Problem-Solving -- Noise, washed-out sky, color cast, and color contamination

• Printing -- Printer choice, print resolution, raster image processors, paper choice, and print services

• Digital Sharing -- Preventing image theft, slideshow solutions, Web galleries, and sharing websites

You may know him from the series of popular "Tim Grey Guides" (Sybex), or from the hundreds of articles he's written for publications such as Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Pro and PC Photo. In Take Your Best Shot, Grey answers questions in the same clear and accessible style. If you want to know the "why" along with the "how", this book is the one you want -- the straight scoop from an expert who knows his business.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 8 Ratings

Take Your Best Shot: Tim Grey Tackles Beginner's Digital Darkroom Questions - 2008-10-06
Reviewer Rating:
This book is a collection of (presumably) common questions, and Tim Grey's answers. Most of this information can be found on the Web easily, but for someone who is just getting started it might be useful to have such a compendium. On the other hand, for anyone who already does know what the difference between JPEG and RAW images is etc, the answers in this book don't have enough depth (especially when talking about how digital cameras work), and are sometimes incomplete (e.g. there is no mention of watermarking in the response to a question about "securing" images). At the same time, some of the questions are over-specific (e.g. "What Do the Highlighted Menu Items In Photoshop CS3 Mean?"). Even if the format of the book doesn't allow for detailed answers, I'd at least expect pointers to further information (there isn't even a reference section).

Great reference - 2008-09-05
Reviewer Rating:
This book is presented in question and answer format.

As an advanced hobbyist photographer, these were exactly the questions I've had. The answers were clear, with (when needed) step-by-step instructions on how to do the task.

I have two recommendations: For photographers -- get the book and also subscribe to the author's newsletter (one question/answer each). For the author -- write a second volume, soon.

My Favorite - 2008-10-05
Reviewer Rating:
I'm the author of this book, so you might want to take this review with the proverbial grain of salt. However, I can tell you that of all the books I've written (over a dozen), this was by far the most enjoyable for me to write. My hope is that readers will likewise find it to be enjoyable and informative to read, and I'm delighted that the reviews presented so far here reflect that.

I've long felt that the question-and-answer format was a powerful way to learn. That was part of the motivation for creating the free Digital Darkroom Questions email newsletter (www.timgrey.com/ddqp/) in a question-and-answer format (the other reason being that I was simply getting a lot of questions from photographers!).

In this book I've tried to cover the topics that have been most common (or most troubling) for photographers over the years. I'm biased, but I like to think this book has successfully encapsulated the most common questions in an organized format with an entertaining (while informative) style. I include my biggest "pet peeves" (so you'll know you're not alone when you get frustrated, and also know what to watch out for), as well as "Let's Settle This Already" sidebars that provide definitive answers to topics that have been the most controversial. These two features are, I think, of huge value in this book.

Excellent survey of digital imaging principles - 2009-06-24
Reviewer Rating:
Digital photography is a subject both wide and deep, encompassing a lot more than just knowing how to turn on that convenient compact camera. Frustrating to many entry-level image makers is the realization not long after starting to shoot away that there are certain fundamentals that need to be mastered in order to avoid confusion and chaos as the number of image files grows exponentially. Making high quality images to start with, preserving the quality of image files while preparing for multiple uses, and creating a storage methodology that allows you to actually find the images you want when you want them are all dependent on learning a core set of underlying digital imaging principles.
This is a technical field with its own language -- if you don't understand digital imaging terms, it will be next to impossible to learn those underlying principles, and learning anything in these attention-challenged times is hard enough. Tim Grey has made it his business for nearly a decade to help explain digital imaging terms and processes in a precise but colloquial and highly readable style that has made him a standout among the host of educators who have flocked to the field. Tim started his free Digital Darkroom Questions e-mail bulletin in the fall of 2001 and has continued it ever since, answering questions from readers in a manner that illuminates the subject with unusual clarity for all subscribers. In this book he as compiled the most salient questions and answers into a highly readable and informative work both for beginners and seasoned veterans as well. The beauty of this collection is that it addresses a great many of the scattered but important fundamental digital imaging principles, which, though not very exciting on the surface are vitally important to developing a better understanding of what's really going on.

Do recognize that Take Your Best Shot covers a lot of territory; it's not intended as a tutorial for any one program, even though many questions are about Adobe Photoshop. What emerges is a well-thought-out philosophy of how to go about the digital darkroom process, one that is tried and true and has been adopted by a great many serious digital photographers over the last several years. Tim also addresses that fact that technology continues to grow (for example with wider use of parametric editing, used extensively in Lightroom, Aperture, and the current version of Adobe Camera Raw), and that these advances simply add to the creative arsenal without diminishing the importance of a sound grasp of digital fundamentals.

Tim has developed an easy, lucid, direct communication style that exhibits a clarity not often found in this geeky, jargon-filled technical writing business, and his explanations address many levels of understanding, making the book a worthy reference for a broad audience. If you take digital imaging seriously, this book deserves a thorough read and a permanent place on your reference shelf.

Tim Grey is the best. - 2008-12-29
Reviewer Rating:
Tim Grey's books are clear, concise and full of practical, useable information. He is one of the two or three very best authors on photoshop and digital imaging. You can't go wrong buying any of his books.

Browse Similar Topics

Top Level Categories:
Desktop Publishing
Graphics

Sub-Categories:
Desktop Publishing > Print Production
Graphics > Digital Photography