National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Great Photography

For digital camera and smartphone users, this easy how-to guide, written by an experienced National Geographic photographer, imparts the essentials of taking great pictures.

This entertaining book from beloved National Geographic photographer and Photo Ark founder Joel Sartore shows aspiring photographers how to take great pictures, from framing and F-stops to editing and archiving. Whether you're using your phone or a DSLR camera, you'll learn the fundamentals of photography--and how to put them to work every day.

In a series of short lessons, Sartore explains the basics, from choosing a camera and gear to understanding focus, exposure, composition, and lighting. Using examples from his own work, he applies the basic rules of photography to family, pet, travel, nature, and street photos, and how to get a great shot with the camera on your smartphone.

Throughout the book you'll find pro tips, quick assignments, and the behind-the-camera stories of great photographs; helpful notes clarify how to use every piece of advice with your smartphone camera.

Fun and informative, this practical book will be your gateway to taking great pictures.

JOEL SARTORE is an internationally celebrated photographer and photography teacher who brings an appealing sense of humor and midwestern work ethic to everything he does, including more than 30 magazine assignments, 4 books, and his celebrated Photo Ark initiative for National Geographic. His wildly popular photography courses, especially Fundamentals of Photography, have for years been bestsellers for The Teaching Company (which owns Great Courses).

HEATHER PERRY [co-author] is a photographer whose work has been published in National Geographic, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and more.