I really like the presentation and layout of this book! I've got other books by Scott Kelby and I like them as well. I know some people have knocked his attempts at adding humor to the publications. Overall, the information is definitely useful and worthwhile. I bought two copies of this book. I gave one to a friend in Ireland who does wedding photography. He thought that it was brilliant! He's a very talented photographer but was still fascinated with the contents of the book. My point is that beginner to advanced can learn something that they previously did not know. Highly recommended.

The polar opposite to the manual for informative camera settings and use, this book is fun (sometimes goofy) reading and REALLY helps you. So many photo books spout how good the writer is or don't tell you how a shot is made, and this makes up for all of them-- the second book "#2" is also incredible.

If you're like me, disgusting those awful phone book manuals from the manufacturers that are absolutely impossible to understand and use, Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book 1 and 2 are the things for you. Here you'll find just about everything you need to know and do in easy steps to get the same results the pros does - without having to study those horribly technical manuals in detail and experiment for years before you get there.

I recommend these books highly to any serious amateur out there with a digital system camera. Scott doesn't beat about the bush. He'll tell you exactly what aperture to use in various situations for correct depth-of-field, getting the correct white balance, how to shoot for optimum sharpness, what equipment to buy or use to tackle various tricky situations or light conditions, how to use flash and why you should consider using it in direct sunlight, and hundred of other things you've been wondering about. And as a bonus it is all presented in a very humorous way, so watch it - you may end up having to read it twice or thrice like I had to, because of getting completely carried away by it. Other than that - just go for it. Buy them. They'll get you started from page one. Just get your gear and start shooting along with the books' clear instructions, and you'll start getting results you never thought possible.

Note that these books are not intended for the compact camera users. But if you own a digital system camera with interchangeable lenses - you'll never regret buying them.

This book contains a little something for just about every area of photography.

The book contains nne chapters, but my initial forcus was only on about four of the chapters shooting landscapes, macros, pro tips for better photos and the photo recipes at the end of the book.

Despite my narrow focus, I found MANY new methods that will immediately improve my photography.

This is a must read for all photographers starting out and for intermediate shooters.

I bought this book after reading the first addition. This is the kind of book that I read cover-to-cover, and then a few months later, pick it back up and read again! Things seems to make so much more sense to me that second time around - after having some experience with what he covers! This is also one of those reference books to keep so that if you have a question about something, you can find it in this book. I don't like books that I read once and then it sits on a shelf. I like books that can help me again and again!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone getting into or just starting photography!

I was already really into photography when I got this book (actually, it's the 2nd of two books), and I learned SO much it's not even funny. This book is stuffed with great tips on getting sharp pictures, lighting, using flash, composition, and every other practical thing you could imagine. get BOTH of the books--they are great. I have read through them both two or three times each already and I'm always getting more out of them.

Also--they are highly readable--not boring at all.

If you aren't an expert already, buy these books!

I bought this book since I had the first volume and was extremely happy with the simplicity and approach of the text. It does not assume that you are the best photographer on earth but opens the road to become one.

The second volume gets a bit more into the depth of the art of photography and addresses critical topics, such as portraits, flash photography, more equipment and wedding photography. I particularly liked the 8th chapter, called "Pro Tips for Getting Better Photos", which I am planning to make a copy and have it always in my bag.

I would have liked to have together with a book a small reminder, water-proofed and card-sized, which would be handy to have in everyone's bag. A definite must buy, but please read the first volume first. These are kind of books that every amateur photographer must have in his bookcase. I have personally used the first volume so much that already looks old and now regret not buying two.

I am really disappointed with this book. First, I don't own a canon or Nikon, so I should never bought this book. Second, it looks like a Nikon, Canon and B&H catalogue. Third, everything you find in the book is in the internet... So, basically I spent a few Euros on something useless...
May be because I'm European (travelling regularly to the US thought), but I don't understand the high rating of this book!

The book is well written and well worth the time. it has helped
me in a lot of ways, as i am a total beginner. it sure did help

Very insightful, fun read and gives specifics as to how to achieve the photographic results you want.

Nice, easy read with some great information. Some of the attempts at humor are a little annoying, but overall lots of great content. Features of the Canon and Nikon and compatible equipment etc. are mentioned most often, but other brands are really not mentioned at all. While I realize they are the most popular, it might be nice to mention some in the top 10. It was still very useful, most of the information applicable to my own camera and I really enjoyed it.

Loved it! Have read it several times and will read it again along with volume one. full of info and inspiration. I fall asleep with Scott every night :)

This book gives you exactly what it says it will - great tips from the pros. I find every chapter helpful, even though I probably won't do a wedding, the tips can be used for other shots as well. And I won't use them all, probably not even half. But you get ideas to expand on or help you decide how to shoot something.

The book includes great photos, too, to help you understand the subject.

And if you (are a) know it all, why are you buying a book, shouldn't you be writing one?

He does try to be funny (not successfully) but I still get the point of the tip.

This is easy to read and understand. He explains situations in simply illustrations, easy for the beginner and helpful for the more seasoned photographer.

Kelby can be addicting! I purchased this title immediately after reading "The Digital Photography Book." In this second volume to his first work, the author has another winner in providing digital photography tips. Kelby's expertise, humor, and down-to-earth approach all combine to make this a must-read for the amateur photograph. If you liked the first one, you'll love the second!

This is the 2nd volume. Make sure you buy the first one and second one together, since they are complementary.

I was so impressed with Volume 1 that I immediately ordered Volume 2. I was not dissapointed. Scott Kelby provided non-stop, relavent and useful information. I read both books with highlighter in hand. I will reference them over and over as I progress through my new digital photography journey.

This was an informative continuation from Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Book 1. I liked book 1 a bit better. Book 2 focuses a lot on studio work, and as a landscape photographer this didn't apply much to me. Still, it was worth the money and it did have information other than the studio stuff.

I am a photography moron and I did nont want a book that told me all about the theory of photography and alot of technical terms. I wanted a bokk that said "to take good pictures based on these conditions do this". This book more then delivers. It is small enough to fit in all but the smnallest camera bags and tells you how to get good equipment on any budget, then how to use it. Simple, straightforward language and enough detial on setup and execution but no so much you are overwhelmed. If you want to take good pictures and just need to know how without understanding in great detail the science of it, this is your book

Scott gets it that and average guy who has a good camera and had the patience to read its instruction manual wants just to the point short tips and tricks to take his photography to the next level. I love that he doesnt ramble unnecessarily even for one more sentence than he has to, to get his point across.
I am a professional photographer. Infact all men in my whole family are photographers. I always keep both volumes of this book in my camera bag. Its something even a pro can read over and over again. I know I do it when I have break during an assigment, especially wedding gigs. I dont see any reason for anybody to regret buying this book.

Read a topic or two on the way to a photo shoot. I used the techniques recommended and got excellent results. Scott Kelby is a god.

Book 2 is just as good as Book 1. Scott Kelby wrote two excellent books. My kind of teacher. Will look to see if he has more books.

He breaks it down in a concise manner once again. I've been shooting for years now and I'm still finding out new things from Kelby. A must have for photographers!

The book use real world situation to discus , the lingo is simple and not for techi geeks .
Loved the book !

Very easly written book - it's realy only a pleasure to read it. There are many usefull information about gettin good shoots. I read in two days and I think this book is too short;)
It can be recommended for every fun of photography. So don't wait and buy it and read it!:)

It worth to spend some time to read this book. Some helpful tips are very good and practical.

I brought volume one and two at the same time.
Volume two is an extension (not update) of volume one. The same comments apply. See below.

This is probably the best how-to photography book I've ever read. This covers only a few topics that general consumers are interested most. This book is very easy to read. This is a vertical dissection of the interested areas. Instructions are very clear and precise. This helps you to the take reasonably good (if not professional) looking pictures very quickly. From there, you would have enough skills to expand your horizon. Enjoy!

I always want to like Kelby's columns and books. He is a fantastic writer. He knows how to break things down simply. But perhaps in his mad rush to produce so many books and magazines and such he has not always attended to the details. I did not read Digital Photography volume one and chose instead volume 2.

I read it cover to cover, twice! I really liked the samples, lay out, and coaching. But then as I tried out a few items I noted he often did not provide enough detail to replicate his technique. When shooting a backlit subject he suggested adding a bit of flash. Are we talking manual exposure? Is he using flash compensation to reduce flash output? Is he just shooting in auto with ttl flash? It would be helpful to know more details.

I suspect, given his bibliography that many images are farmed out to others and this is why the writing is not as detailed or informed as it could be. This detracts from his ability to teach.

I originally wanted to give him 5 starts, but took off 1 star for lack of detail or specifics. Then I tried a photoshop technique that appeared in a column. Again, great idea for correcting color, but leaves out enough details that I eventually gave up trying to get the same effect on one of my photo images. So, I'm taking off another start...down to 3.

Then I looked under the hood. When I like an author, I like to read about him and see what he says in his bio or acknowledgements. The acknowledgements section runs 2 pages. Ah, details and specifics at last. Only here, it is unwarranted. Lose a half star. But then it ends with thanking "God and his son Jesus Christ." When I want ol' time religion I'll by the Kelby book on that, but I sure found it offensive to see it in this book. And for you bible-thumpers, imagine if he had thanked Allah and the Koran? Would it have taken away from this author's effort?

Lastly, he repeatedly states he is not promoting products. And I bought that line until the end of the book. The last 4 pages contain ful page ads promoting specific products he is linked to. Now come on, even Jesus would call that hypocrisy. Sorry, fella, you just lost another star.

This will be the last Kelby book I buy. I hate to see such a talent wasted.

A photography tip is a short instruction on how to do something in photography - "put the softbox as close as possible to the subject for the softest light" - without trying to put the instruction into any larger context.

This is a short book of photography tips that contains tips on using flash, studio photography, portraits, landscapes, weddings, travel, macro, and what should probably be called miscellany. There is a final section in which Kelby shows particular pictures and indicates his considerations in taking them. Each tip is less then a small page in length and includes an illustrative photograph.

Kelby is a Photoshop guru turned photography guru, and his images while nice, certainly are not inspiring. Be warned: many people are put off by his sophomoric sense of humor, which he displays throughout the book (e.g., the Committee for Creation of Complex Sounding Studio Gear Names).

I dislike tip books because they don't put photography technique within a larger context so that the reader learns a principle which he can apply to any circumstance. "Give a man a fish...." might have been written about tip books. For example, in the space of a few pages, the author tells us to shoot portraits with wide angle lenses and then tells us to use telephoto lenses. What might be called a comprehensive book would help us to understand the considerations involved in making a choice of focal length for portraits.

Most of the tips that Kelby provides are really quite basic, and will be familiar to anyone who has spent any time at all learning techniques. (I acknowledge there is some value in being reminded about a small technique, although one could be reminded as well by reading a more comprehensive book.) Some of the tips are repeated, like telling us to keep shooting after sunset, or to buy a fast normal lens to shoot in dim places where you can't use flash. Some of the tips are even contradictory, as when he tells the reader not to cut off the chin in a close-up portrait and then does just that later on. I particularly resented a so-called tip to buy a book that Kelby just happens to have edited and which I found to be interesting but not essential reading.

On the other hand, this is a book that you can pick up, read for a few minutes, and then put down. If you feel that's an essential quality for an instruction book, this certainly fills the bill.

This book continues where the first left off to provide great tips and tricks for the average and not so average person.
I have just started using my Nikon D80 and the advice provided by Scott has been superb. I didn't know I needed these tools and attachments, but now find that not only do I need them, but I need them NOW!!
Scott makes learning my camera fun and easy to understand!

Wow, what a great book packed with so much information in such a small amout of space. It is user friendly and easy to understand. There are so many great tips for "how to" situations and they really work. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it from cover to cover

Was like talking to an experienced photographer and him giving you friendly advice. He tell's you how to do it for cheap or expensive. I took his advice and bought a new lens that he recommended for wedding photography for my camera... I have a Canon 30D with a 17-85mm lens and I bought a 50mm 1.4 lens

This is written short and sweet..to the point,clearly,understandably...Scott Kelby did it again..A must for anyone new to photography.

After reading the first book by Scott Kelby about digital photography I knew I had to get the second book. It did not disappoint me. Just chock full of info and tips and all done in the easy going Kelby style. As he says, he likes you to think you are with him on a shoot and asking him questions, which makes these books very easy to follow. I am working my way into pro photography and his books are the best to learn by. Get them and you will see.

This book is just the right size to slip into your camera case and take along with you. The book upfront gives great advice before delving into the main chapters. Chapters are broken out by like categories such as using flash, wedding shots, travel and portraiture. The chapters in themselves however are not drawn out affairs. Each page is topic specific running one to two pages with concise to the point advice. The information in each topic is in an easily guided verbiage to get you quickly through the task at hand.

I find that I am not able to always remember all the fine points of advice when it comes time to make that next shot. This book is going to be a handy reference tool to remind me on technique, equipment and do's and don'ts. While you may never plane to be a wedding photographer, the book has lots more info than just this and besides, the information is great for technique and equipment for the serious amateur.

Besides having a great index (most books miss the importance of this) is the final section. A selection of pretty much every type of shot is shown, with the "recipe" to get it. Kind of made me feel like being in the Chef's kitchen getting the goods on a secret process. In a field where professionals wont always want to help out the amateur, this book goes a long way to help.

Excellent book with excellent tips. Simply a must read and a keep to read again later. Anyone can get something out of this book. Great photography tips. A must read.

EVERYONE can learn something from this book. Easy to read and understand too. Buy it!

Great information and takes up from where Vol. One left off. SK did an awesome job in putting the reader next to him in casual conversation about the how to's in getting great shots.

If you have a digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera and you want to learn how to take the camera out of "auto mode" and get great pictures, then this book (and its predecessor) is for you. If you don't know how to use that flower on the mode dial, this book can teach you. Even people with point-and-shoot digital cameras will find valuable tips throughout this book.

The Digital Photography Book Volume 2 by Scott Kelby is not an update of his previous work, but rather it starts where Volume 1 left off with a whole new set of topics. Written with Scott Kelby's dry sense of humor, the book explains how to use a flash, improve shots using the standard flash that comes with the camera, how to set up a digital photography studio, and how to get great shots. For example, if you want to learn how to take macro shots of a flower, rather than explaining depth of field and apertures, Kelby tells you the settings you need to adjust on your camera to get the shot; this is when to use that flower mode button on point-and-shoot cameras. This step-by-step formula is repeated in the section on how to take great travel photos "it won't be long before you friends are overcome with emotion (jealousy)," portraits, landscapes, macro shots and even how to shoot a wedding. However, once you've read that section, you might be more inclined to tell Cousin Jennifer that your camera is broken when asked to shoot her wedding. In addition, there are tips on using your camera's features to get better shots, and, like Volume 1, recipes for getting a particular shot. Each page shows a photo of a scene or the camera and a short explanation of how to achieve the desired shot. The book is written as if Kelby is standing next you giving you how-to tips.

Kelby is a professional photographer, designer, and podcast star. Volume 1 is the best selling digital photography book of all time. However, most digital photographers know Kelby for his work with Adobe Photoshop users. He teaches on-line photography and Photoshop classes, and he participates in photo walks and teaches at photo workshops in locations like Yosemite and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has an on-line blog and asked his loyal readers how to convince people to read the introduction to his book. He incorporated their suggestions and rewrote chapter 1 just prior to the book's publication.

The Digital Photography Book Volume 2 by Scott Kelby is an entertaining read for those for whom photography is a serious hobby or for wanna-be pros. It is well-written with easy-to-understand instructions. You can literally open the book to a particular page, grab your camera and go shoot a great scene. A word of warning, though, if you think all you need is a digital camera, a memory card and this book to achieve professional results! You will soon learn that to get the "good" shots like the pros, you need more camera accessories - like an external flash, remote shutter control, polarizing filter, a flash screen and of course, a tripod... and I could go on. Scott Kelby gives away the pro's secrets. With practice, an alarm clock (the best light is at dawn) and a few accessories, you can wow your friends and family with some amazing photographs. This book should be carried right alongside Volume 1 in your camera bag.

I purchased both Volumes 1 and 2 at the same time. Both of these books are great!! Volume 2 builds on the subjects listed in Volume 1, going into more detail about certain subjects like shooting for weddings, landscapes, etc. As I wrote in my review of Volume 1, I really like not having to wade through tons of theory to get to the meat of the subject. The book itself is very nice, with great example photos of each subject along with Scott's commentary, instructions, and advice. I also enjoy his brand of humor. Being able to get the type of photo I want, with minimal figuring out of things, frees me to take Scott's instructions and advice and go a step (or more) beyond, thus learning the theory itself. Think of this book (as well as Vol 1) as a sort of "learn a foreign language while on the plane" type of book. And don't scoff! You'd be surprised at what the brain retains during a plane flight.

I am new to digital photography and have found Scott Kelby's book invaluable. Easy to digest, fun to read and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning how to make the most of your camera's and your own capabilities.

This book presents a wide variety of topics for achieving the results you want from your digital camera, point & shoot or DSLR. It is in a "just in time learning" format and helps you get the best shots possible. A great companion to Volume 1!

Buy this book. A lot of real world practical tips. Scott, you did me a great service.

Excellent Book. I bought this book after reading Vol 1. The author gets right to the point. Highly recommended.

This is a darn good little book. Easy to read, you can pick it up and get a few tips, mark your place, and return back later. I'm probably an intermediate digital photographer and have already picked up a few great tips. It's a good read. I'm looking up now at the book and can see I've opened a few dozen times, haha.

This book out of many I've read is very simple and to the point. It also recommends other helpful products according to your budget. It's a must have for those who are serious about there photography.

Lots of very good information, even better than Vol. I.
Easy to read and often humerous. I read through it in just 2 sittings.

As always, Kelby is great. I wish he would target CEO's and corporate lawyers instead of "doctors" as "rich" since the vast majority of physicians are NOT rich.

Not a ton of technical things, just practical, useful, and clearly explained tips. How can u beat that??

If you want to bring your phtographic knowledge a step further, buy volume 1 of this book. Here you will find a lot of tips that will improve your pictures. When you know everything in volume 1, and you want some additional tips, buy volume 2. There is nothing wrong with the tips in this book, but they are not for everyone. For instance, a tip for better wedding photos is to bring a second photographer. I'm sure this is perfectly true, but I'm not at that level yet. However, the chapter on flash phtography is very good.