Take Your Best Shot

Tim Grey Tackles Your Digital Darkroom Questions

By Tim Grey
July 2008
Pages: 252
ISBN 10: 0-596-51825-0 | ISBN 13: 9780596518257
Press Release
(4) (Average of 1 Customer Reviews)

Description

Digital photography expert Tim Grey knows his stuff, and after answering hoards of questions from photographers on his website and daily mailing list, "DDQ (Digital Darkroom Questions)", he knows the most persistent and burning issues. In his new book, Grey answers the most-often asked questions the digital darkroom and more in an easy-to-read format, organized by subject, and illustrated with beautiful photographs and instructive screenshots.
Full Description

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.

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A digital photographer's reference with a different approach, April 27 2009

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Submitted by Pam Doughty [Respond | View]

Reviewed by Steve Cooper from AUSOM Inc www.ausom.net.au

A digital photographer's reference with a different approach

Author Tim Grey started the Digital Darkroom Questions email newsletter in 2001, and since then has provided the answers to thousands of questions posed by digital photographers. Take Your Best Shot is a product of this experience.
This is not a book for beginning photographers; rather, it's intended for those who have a good grasp of the essentials of digital photography and image manipulation, but who have problems or questions not addressed by the typical manual or Help system.
Each of its ten chapters addresses a dozen or more questions chosen to cover a broad range of topics. In keeping with the book's general approach the answers are not what you'd call finely detailed, but will very well suit the reader with a basic understanding of the issues at hand.
Answers are typically accompanied by high-quality colour photographs, diagrams and/or screenshots. The book design is easy on the eye and a good table of contents and index make it easy to find questions relevant to a topic that interests you. The author's tone is conversational but matter-of-fact.
The book begins with chapters on digital fundamentals, cameras and other tools, image capture and the digital darkroom setup. Next it addresses colour management, optimizing in Photoshop CS3, and creative effects. Finally there are chapters covering image problem solving techniques, printing and digital sharing.
Given that there are surely as many questions about digital photography as there are photographs, no book of this type can claim to be a complete reference, but Take Your Best Shot does a good job of covering a large number of topics of general interest in a way that moves a little beyond the typical 'beginner's how-to'.
Take Your Best Shot; author Tim Grey; published July 2008, O'Reilly; ISBN 9780596518257; 228 pages; US$34.99.

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Media reviews
"...Take Your Best Shot is a great book for anyone from novice to advanced amateur as well as anyone making the move from film to digital. I very highly recommend Take Your Best Shot."
-- Thomas Testi, Blogcritics.org

"Interesting format for a book: its like one of those casual radio call-in shows where an expert on gardening shows up in the studio, sits behind a microphone, and fields calls from the public about slugs and thrips for an hour. Except that the topic is digital photography, not garden & plant problems."
-- Michael Shaw, Macintosh Users East (MaUsE)

"...the bottom line is that I recommend this book highly. The wealth of easily digestible information can go far to make you an improved digital photographer who actually understands what he is doing with the "new" technology. "
-- John Hershey, NCMUG November 2008 Newsletter

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