Book Reviews & Recommendations - Digital

If you haven't been bitten by the digital bug yet, you probably will be at some point. Here are some books that may be of use when that day comes.

	Adobe Camera Raw for Digital Photographers Only   by Rob Sheppard Another great book on Adobe Camera Raw, this one by the publisher of Outdoor Photographer and PC Photo so the writing is very accessible.
	Adobe Photoshop and the Art of Photography: A Comprehensive Introduction   by Steven Weinrebe An excellent introduction to Photoshop CS3 for photographers. Each chapter also includes an interview with such digital photography visionaries as John Paul Caponigro and Graham Nash. A good read even for experienced users.
	Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative Use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC   by Martin Evening The updated edition of Martin Evening's classic work on Photoshop for photographers. Now includes coverage of Adobe Bridge, the DNG format, HDR files and more in addition to all the other great content from past versions.
	Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-On-One   by Deke McClelland Deke McClelland is one of the best Photoshop teachers around. This step-by-step guide is the closest thing to taking a class from him you can get.
	Adobe Photoshop CS2 Studio Techniques   by Ben Willmore An excellent book for the more advanced Photoshop user, or those who wish they were.
	Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC   by Martin Evening One of the best books out there on Photoshop for photographers, now in a new edition for CS3. Martin Evening knows his stuff and does a great job of conveying it to the reader.
	Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-On-One   by Deke McClelland Deke is a Photoshop guru and this illustrated one-on-one format may be just what is called for if you are intimidated by what Adobe has created but still want to master the skills needed to use it effectively.
	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers   by Scott Kelby Kelby's books tend to be mainly recipe guides for things you always wished you knew how to do. They aren't the best for full coverage, but to get you up to speed quickly, they're hard to beat.
	Adobe Photoshop Restoration & Retouching (3rd Edition)   by Katrin Eismann, Wayne Palmer The new edition of an excellent book of advanced Photoshop techniques. You will definitely learn enough from this book to make it worth your while.
	Apple Pro Training Series: Color Management in Mac OS X   by Joshua Weisberg Color Management from a Mac OS X viewpoint in this, the only Apple-certified tutorial on the topic.
	Black and White in Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop Lightroom: Create stunning monochromatic images in Photoshop CS3, Photoshop Lightroom and Beyond   by Leslie Alsheimer Long title, but good book. Adobe has delivered a number of new tools for creating black and white images with the release of Lightroom and Photoshop CS3. Leslie can help you get the most out of them.
	Color Confidence: The Digital Photographer's Guide to Color Management   by Tim Grey, Sybex Yes, this is a book all about color management from Tim Grey, author of the great DDQ mailing list. Tim also teaches at the Lepp Institute of Digital Imaging with George Lepp. He knows of what he speaks. I saw a pre-release version of this book earlier in the year, and now that it's out I can say I like what I see.
	Color Management for Photographers : Hands on Techniques for Photoshop Users   by Andrew Rodney Andrew has been at it longer than most and was even named a "Top 40 Photoshop Expert" by Wacom Technologies. If his DigitalDog.net website is any indication, this should be an excellent book. Due out on February 25.
	Complete Digital Photography, Third Edition   by Ben Long A good book for someone just getting started in digital photography. Covers shooting with a digital camera and basic Photoshop skills.
	Complete Photoshop CS3 for Digital Photographers   by Colin Smith, Tim Cooper Another CS3 book written specifically for photographers rather than graphic artists.Colin is the founder of Photoshopcafe.com and has extensive print writing credits.
	Digital Photography Pocket Guide, Third Edition   by Derrick Story Short and to the point. Just like this comment I suppose. Get it if you are into instant gratification.
	Digital Printing Start-Up Guide   by Harald Johnson The followup to Harald's excellent "Mastering Digital Printing" is more introductory in nature, but no less recommended.
	Epson Complete Guide to Digital Printing   by Rob Sheppard If you are already an experienced digital printer, this book may not have that much to offer, but you you aren't (and most of us aren't) this could be just the ticket. Rob Sheppard is the editor of both Outdoor Photographer and PCPhoto magazines so this book comes from someone with a broad background in helping people understand digital photography. Heck, even if you are experienced you might just learn a few good tips here.
	Fine Art Printing for Photographers: Exhibition Quality Prints with Inkjet Printers   by Uwe Steinmueller, Juergen Gulbins An excellent book on how to make quality prints on inkjet printers. Steinmueller is the founder of the popular web magazine "Digital Outback Photo."
	George DeWolfe's Digital Photography Fine Print Workshop   by George DeWolfe DeWolfe studied with Ansel Adams and has since gone on to the world of digital. His extensive background in fine art printing is evident throughout this book.
	How to Wow : Photoshop for Photography (Wow!)   by Jack Davis, Ben Willmore The authors are experienced Photoshop instructors, and this book shows it. Somewhat of a cookbook, it's an interesting book to pick up new ideas from. Many of the examples will work on any recent version, but it does have some portions that are unique to Photoshop CS and Adobe Camera Raw.
	Mastering Digital Printing, Second Edition   by Harald Johnson Somewhat geared towards people using Epson printers but that's OK by me since I'm now on my fifth generation Epson photo printer and they are great. This book covers basically everything from the moment you have your digital image through color management and printing to signing and framing your results. A very good book.
	Mastering Digital Scanning with Slides, Film, and Transparencies   by David D. Busch If you're a film shooter but still looking to get the most out of the digital darkroom, that means you must be scanning your work. This book covers the territory better than any other out there.
	Nash Editions: Photography and the Art of Digital Printing   by Nash Editions Not only was Graham Nash a founding member of the musical group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, he was also a photographer, and innovator in the area of digital printing. Along with over 100 illustrations, this book contains four excellent essays on digital printing and the history of Nash Editions.
	Photo Finish: The Digital Photographer's Guide to Printing, Showing, and Selling Images   by Jon Canfield, Tim Grey, Tim Gray This book contains a lot of great information on an aspect of digital photography often overlooked by books on the subject. Tim covers how to present your work in prints, website and slide shows.
	Photoshop Blending Modes Cookbook for Digital Photographers   by John Beardsworth With its focus on blending modes, this book fills a much needed niche in the world of Photoshop books. Very useful.
	Photoshop Color Correction   by Michael Kieran Complete with plenty of before and after examples, Michael Kieran does one heck of a job of teaching how to great great looking results in Photoshop. Not only does the book cover color better than just about anything around, the book also has an excellent section on sharpness and contrast that even by itself makes it worth purchasing.
	Photoshop CS2 : Up To Speed   by Ben Willmore If you are already familiar with Photoshop and are looking for just what is new in CS2, this is a great place to start. And since it doesn't cover everything you already know, the book is smaller. And cheaper.
	Photoshop CS2 Artistry   by Barry Haynes, Wendy Crumpler Barry's book on Photoshop for photographers is one of the best out there. The new CS2 edition is not due out until September since he puts a lot of work into each new version. Definitely recommended.
	Photoshop CS2 Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide   by Tim Grey Tim Grey's new book on workflow for Photoshop CS2 is an excellent all-round book on how to get the most out of Photoshop for digital photographers. Illustrated in full color.
	Photoshop CS3 for Nature Photographers: A Workshop in a Book   by Ellen Anon, Tim Grey Tim Grey knows Photoshop and Ellen Anon helps with the photography duties. Together they create an excellent book for nature photographers trying to learn the ins and outs of Adobe's latest. Includes a CD with over 60 minutes of video training material.
	Photoshop CS3 Photographer's Handbook: An Easy Workflow   by Brad Hinkel, Stephen Laskevitch This well-written book emphasizes good workflow when editing images in Photoshop. Following a general series of steps can make the process of getting good results go more smoothly so you can be more productive. Even experienced users can probably pick up enough tips to make this book worth their while.
	Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual   by Barbara Brundage Among the best of the books out there on Photoshop Elements 5. Brundage is on the development team for Elements, so she knows what she's talking about.
	Photoshop for Nature Photographers : A Workshop in a Book   by Ellen Anon, Tim Grey If you have other books covering this same subject matter, you might not need this one, but if you are just getting started with digital nature photography, this is a great place to start. There's a lot in this one book.
	Photoshop LAB Color : The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace   by Dan Margulis A very interesting read. There's no need to do everything in LAB color mode, but it's fascinating just how useful it can be for some things. Even if you think you know everything about optimizing images in Photoshop, this book is certain to teach you at least a few new tricks.
	Photoshop Masking & Compositing   by Katrin Eismann This is "the" guide on masking and compositing in Photoshop. Not for the beginner, but excellent if you know the basics already.
	Photoshop Sharpening   by Tim Grey This is an Adobe Acrobat based eBook by Tim Grey covering sharpening in Photoshop. Some have had problems with the format, but the content is excellent.
	Print Like a Pro : A Digital Photographer's Guide   by Jon Canfield Another good book on digital printing for photographers.
	Professional Photoshop: The Classic Guide to Color Correction   by Dan Margulis Recently updated for Photoshop 7, this classic guide covers a great deal of the information you need to know about Photoshop to produce professional results. If you've ever wanted to really know what the heck to do with curves, this book will make a great read.
	Raw 101 : Better Images with Photoshop Elements and Photoshop   by Jon Canfield Notable in that Elements is listed before Photoshop in the title, so you can guess which group he is really targeting. It you're an Elements user looking to start shooting raw, this may be just what you are looking for. And if you're a Photoshop user, it may still be worth a read for its clear explanations.
	Real World Adobe Photoshop CS2   by David Blatner, Bruce Fraser Due out in August, this is the new edition of one of the best all-round Photoshop books out there. If you want to get the most out of Photoshop, this book is well worth reading and keeping handy.
	Real World Adobe Photoshop CS3   by David Blatner, Conrad Chavez, Bruce Fraser Real World Photoshop has long been one of the most complete references on using Photoshop and this new edition is no different. Over 750 pages packed with useful information cover just about everything. Even if you don't need a particular feature now, you just may some day.
	Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS2   by Bruce Fraser With each new release of Photoshop, a lot of books get revised, even Bruce Fraser's new book on Camera Raw. The CS2 release of ACR is a significant upgrade so even if you have the first edition, this could be well worth picking up.
	Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS3   by Bruce Fraser, Jeff Schewe Camera Raw 4 (the version that ships with Photoshop CS3) has really matured compared with earlier versions. If you use Camera Raw but only have an earlier edition of this book, I'd highly recommend this new one. If you're just starting out with Camera Raw, it can be even more worth getting.
	Real World Color Management   by Bruce Fraser, Fred Bunting, Chris Murphy The best single book on color management. Learning about color management is an absolute necessity to get professional results, and Bruce is the man. A generally clear explanation of a complex topic.
	Real World Digital Photography, Second Edition   by Katrin Eismann, Sean Duggan, Tim Grey Those familiar with Tim Grey's DDQ Mailing List already know this book has got to be good. Well, it does not disappoint. If you're new to digital photography, you couldn't pick a much better place to start than this.
	Real World Image Sharpening with Adobe Photoshop CS2 (Real World)   by Bruce Fraser You could write a whole book on sharpening digital images. In fact, Bruce Fraser has, and it's a darned good one.
	Real World Nikon Capture NX   by Ben Long Capture NX is Nikon's new image editing program. Some people love it, some don't. If you're in the first group, this book may be just need to make the most of NX.
	Real World Scanning and Halftones (3rd Edition)   by David Blatner, Glenn Fleishman, Steve Roth, Conrad Chavez A great book with lots of detail on scans and halftones. Geared toward desktop publishing in general, but useful for anyone involved in scanning or commercial printing,
	Scott Kelby's 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3   by Scott Kelby Yes, it's another Scott Kelby book, but a good one if you are looking to get down to the essentials of what you need to know to get the most out of Photoshop CS3. There are better books if you are already a Photoshop expert yourself, but if you are intimidated by the maze of features in this complex program, this may be just what you need.
	The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers   by Scott Kelby Scott Kelby is a prolific author, and a popular one. Rather than just tweaking the old edition, this new CS3 version contains all new text with lots of new tips and examples for those learning Photoshop. Even if you have a prior edition, you might want to consider this new one if you have upgraded to CS3.
	The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers   by Martin Evening Martin Evening is a respected author of Photoshop guides for digital photographers. His new Lightroom book is sure to be a bestseller.
	The Creative Digital Darkroom   by Katrin Eismann and Sean Duggan Katrin Eismann is one of the premier Photoshop educators and any book by her is well worth checking out and this one is no exception. This book is geared towards the the photographer who wants to take his digital darkroom skills beyond the quick fix "cookbook" approach offered by many other books to learn truly useful skills for optimizing images.
	The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers   by Peter Krogh Film photographers used to have to find ways to deal with mountains of slides and slide boxes. Digital photographers have a similar problem in that it doesn't take long at all to accumulate so many digital files it becomes unmanageable. This book can help get you out from under that problem. Definitely worth reading.
	The Digital Color Printing Handbook: A Photographer's Guide to Creative Color Management and Printing Techniques   by Tim Daly A good overview of digital printing.
	The Digital Printing Handbook: A Photographer's Guide to Creative Printing Techniques   by Tim Daly This book is very much focused on the print end of the digital workflow. Not as in depth on the Photoshop end as some books, but a great place to start if you want to print your work on current Epson and other inkjet printers.
	The Photographer's Guide to Capture NX (eBook)   by Jason P. Odell Jason's eBook was the first third-party reference available on Nikon Capture NX and remains a great souce for those looking to get the most from the program. Highly recommended if you are an NX user.
	The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers   by Scott Kelby Scott Kelby is the editor-in-chief for Photoshop User magazine and president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). As such, he is eminently qualified to teach Photoshop. The book is less technical than some others and does not go into color management at all, but it does offer a great cookbook of mostly useful techniques (there are a couple of chapters on retouching portraits that I have no use for). Noteworthy as the first book to have any coverage of the Adobe Camera Raw plugin.
	The Photoshop Channels Book   by Scott Kelby One of the most complete book on what you can do with channels in Photoshop. While it is true that more technical coverage of some of this can be found in books such as Michael Kieran's Potoshop Color Correction, Kelby's books are great for those looking to get up to speed quickly.
	The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers   by Scott Kelby An update of Scott Kelby's classic guide. Kelby is the best-selling Photoshop author in the world today.
	The Photoshop CS2 Speed Clinic: Automating Photoshop to Get Twice the Work Done in Half the Time   by Matt Kloskowski This book won't teach you how to use Photoshop. It will teach you how to use Photoshop smarter and faster. Some of it is simple common sense, but there's enough in here to make it worthwhile for most users.
	The Photoshop Elements 5 Book for Digital Photographers   by Scott Kelby Scott Kelby writes easy to understand books that can get you up to speed quickly. His book on Photoshop Elements is no exception.
	Windows XP Color Management   by Joshua Weisberg A good overview of color management written from a Windows perspective.Contrary to its title, the book covers Photoshop and other desktop applications in addition to just Windows itself.

General  |  Digital  |  Photo Essays  |  Travel  |  Field Guides  |  Equipment  |  Photo Business