Photography Book

So I finally bought myself a digital SLR..the canon rebel xti. Can someone

recommend some good photography books for me? I want to learn 1) how to use

my camera 2)become better at my compositions and 3) need to figure out how to

edit/print my pictures. Do you recommend Adobe Photoshop or some other

program? Is there a way to get a copy of Adobe software without having to pay

hundreds of dollars to get the software?

 

Any insight would be very helpful.

There is a book I can recommend, "The Digital Photography" by Scott Kelby. It's very easy to understand coz he explains everything in a very simple way. I'm sure you will get many more suggestions here. A great software would be "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom" and almost every one will agree with that.

 

"Is there a way to get a copy of Adobe software without having to pay hundreds of dollars to get the software?"

 

Yeap! There are many, many ways, but I'm sure you won't get any hints about it.

"Is there a way to get a copy of Adobe software without having to pay hundreds of dollars to get the software?"

 

If you mean Photoshop, no, not legally. Probably the least expensive way is if you are a student or otherwise qualify for the lower price since you don't have an upgradeable Photoshop.

 

If you are unfamiliar with image editors, download the trial copy of Photoshop Elements from the Adobe site to familiarize yourself with how they work.

 

"I want to learn 1) how to use my camera"

 

Don't forget to read the manual.

1-read the manual and use your camera. No book will tell you anything more useful about the basic functions and how they work.

 

2-most basic books about photography give some tips on composition. It does not need to be a book on digital photography.

 

3-Adobe Photoshop Elements is a perfectly usable program and costs about $100. Paint Shop Pro is another option.

Take a look at the book recommendations here:

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<a href="http://www.photographybay.com/2007/03/10/how-to-take-better-photos/">How to get better</a>

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Take some photos and participate in this community.

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Cheers!

You can learn a lot about photography by reading Ansel Adams' "The Camera", "The

Negative", and "The Print". They are about film photography, but 90% of the information in

those books work just as well in the digital arena.

"Is there a way to get Adobe software without paying hundreds of dollars?"

 

Absolutely. I have a friend who was absolutely infuriated with me for NOT taking his stolen registration hacker program that generates a working key number. I'd rather have mine fair and square. And as much as I love people getting into Photoshop, I will not do it illegally!

 

As far as books are concerned, there is a 5-book series called "Photoshop Cookbook" published by O'Reilly Digital Studio. The five books are Special Effects, Retouching, Advanced Blending Modes, Filters, and Fine Art Effects. I have the Special Effects and the Retouching. They can be found at Borders Books and cost $30 each (hence why I only have two of then thus far). They provide step-by-step instructions on how to do everything, and in such a way that you simply remember how to do it. I highly, highly recommend the entire series, except perhaps the Filter Effects. I've glanced at it, and it doesn't seem to tell you much more than what you can already find out by clicking each filter and viewing the preview in Photoshop.

 

I hope this helps. Do yourself a favor and save up some $ and get Photoshop legally. It just plain feels better!

Photoshop sometimes comes bundled with other software when you buy a scanner or some other piece of equipment.

Not the real deal though. Just the neutered kind.