Pro Secrets to Dramatic Digital Photos (A Lark Photography Book) Paperback – November 1, 2010

I have read many photography books, and this one ranks among the best. It covers 15 general techniques that can be used to achieve a compelling photograph. Some of these I already knew, but it is great to have them all in one book and described in detail. Each technique is documented with many example images which are superb and very well reproduced. Included are examples of "before" and "after" applying each technique which clearly show how an image can be improved. The techniques discussed in this book can be applied to many different areas of photography, from landscapes, architecture, macro, wildlife to portrait. The text is concise, easy to read and refreshingly focused mostly on photography rather than gear and theory. Gear is discussed as needed to master each technique. There is a lot in this book to improve one's photography rather dramatically. And best of all, all the advice is easy to follow and to put into practice.

Beautiful photos, great photographer, Jim is also a very good teacher. Because I'm very interested in photography and especially in taking better photos, I found this book fascinating. It's full of really good ideas to improve your photography, demonstrated with both mediocre and great shots. Easy to read too, because he includes interesting details about taking the images, so you get a sense of his experiences as a photographer under many conditions and in exotic places.

Good, but by no means a comprehensive "how to" guide to photography (and to be fair it is not billed as such). Reads like 15 separate and mostly unrelated magazine or internet articles. Has some very good tips and is interesting in its own way with nice pictures including failures to help point out where you could go wrong. Took about 2 hours to read cover to cover. Definitely NOT worth the cover price of $38 but I picked it up used for $6. Like most photography books the print is tiny. I don't know why they do this, but I wish they wouldn't.

A must read for any photographer! This book is full of great information and ideas. Since buying it my photographs have improved greatly. I think this book is a necessity for beginners and professionals alike.

This publication reenforces many of the good idea in photography and add addtional perspective that are worth noting. Jim Zuckerman always get righ to the point withoput a lot of extra details. This book is a great example of his instructional style. A good value, too.

Sadly this book does not stand up to the hype. I find the author to be arrogant and opinionated. While many of his ideas are on the right track, they are narrow minded. Sometimes he even contradicts himself from one paragraph to the next. After reading this book I feel that I am completely let down. The author seems to be his own biggest fan. Also, much of the photography presented is not that good. I find exposure and compositional flaws in many of his "great" shots. Wb is off on some, many seem like vacation snapshots. While I give merit to his topic choices, the execution detailing each topic falls way short. If you want a great book to help you grow as an aspiring photographer... Look elsewhere.

I know this book via my local library. I really wanted a reference copy to just reread and try absorb all the advice and insights. It wades into depth of field, aperture settings, exposure times, ISO settings, composition, and using image cleanup using Photoshop. A very good book.

Anybody who has read watched or talked to Jim Zuckerman Knows He has it together and tied with a Ribbon His writing is always Great informative and to the point with illustrations another Good one Jim