Book Reviews

Step-By-Step Digital Photography: A Guide For Beginners, Second Edition; by Jack and Sue Drafahl, Amherst Media; 112 pages; $14.95; (ISBN 1-58428-141-3)
Legions of amateur photographers are ready to join the digital revolution and manufacturers have answered the call with a wide variety of cameras to get them started. Professional photojournalists Jack and Sue Drafahl have created a guide to teach beginners how to get the most from their digital equipment. The book contains easy step-by-step instructions on every topic from holding your camera to memory cards and batteries, then they move on to composition, setting the ISO, and selecting accessory lenses for better shots.

Amphoto's Guide To Creative Digital Photography: Techniques For Mastering Your Advanced Digital Camera; by George Schaub, Amphoto Books; 160 pages; $24.95; (ISBN 0-8174-3485-2)
Digital photography technology improves every year and with the introduction of the digital SLR making the transition from film just got easier. Photographer George Schaub will show you the best ways to put this new gear to good use if you happen to be a serious amateur or even a seasoned professional. He explains every aspect of digital photography from the basics of exposure and contrast to learning how to use your camera to its fullest potential, focusing, memory cards, storage, printing, and image-editing programs.

Photojournalism: The Professionals' Approach, 5th Edition; by Kenneth Kobré, Focal Press an imprint of Elsevier; 416 pages; $54.95; (ISBN 0-240-80610-7)
If photojournalism is your passion, then you really should have a copy of this book on hand. Kenneth Kobré provides a wealth of top quality information on everything from covering the issues, features, portraits, sports, photo editing, what to have in your camera bag, the law, ethics, turning pro, and the digital darkroom. This is an entire course on photojournalism condensed into the form of an amazingly informative guide that offers an abundance of images, tips, and even a DVD of brief documentaries to feature photojournalism in the real world. This is a must have title if you wish to embark on a career in this exciting field.