National Geographic Complete Photo Guide How to Take Better Pictures

This chock-full how-to photography book from the experts at National Geographic covers everything from composition and camera basics to professional techniques of timing and lighting, as well as pointers on smartphone cameras, social media posting, and digital editing.
With more than two billion pictures taken every day, everyone is a photographer now--and we all want to get better at it. This definitive guide shares top secrets and skills from National Geographic's most talented photojournalists, all sure to help you capture the best pictures of what matters most.Created to help a good photographer become even better, this authoritative guide ranges from basics like lens technology and image composition to more complex matters of lighting, filters, and digital editing, with ample advice on best practices including:

• lighting & exposure
• aperture & depth of field
• choosing lenses
• smartphone techniques
• photo editing software
• social media posting
• archiving photos

You’ll also learn how a photographer looks at the world, with nuanced commentaries from photo editors on what makes an image great, using examples from celebrated National Geographic photojournalists like Joel Sartore, Brian Skerry, Lynn Johnson, and Ami Vitale. Finally, a fascinating illustrated time line of photography tracks progress from daguerreotypes to smartphones.
Practical and inspiring, this is the perfect how-to, how-it-works, and how-to-get-better guide from National Geographic, the ultimate source for everything photographic.
For more photography guidance and inspiration from Nat Geo experts, check out National Geographic Photo Basics by Joel Sartore as well as our many books showcasing National Geographic photography, including National Geographic The 21st Century, America the Beautiful: A Story in Photographs, and Women: The National Geographic Image Collection.

HEATHER PERRY is a freelance photographer and writer whose first passion is photographing people in and around water. Her work has been published in National Geographic's magazines, books, and online content, as well as in the New York Times, Smithsonian, and elsewhere. With Joel Sartore, she coauthored National Geographic Photo Basics. She also travels on National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions, sharing her photographic knowledge. She lives in Bath, Maine. Facebook:@heatherperryphoto. Instagram & Twitter: @heathfish
MARK THIESSEN has been a photographer with National Geographic since 1990 and on staff since 1997. He is widely published in all areas of National Geographic, including National Geographic and Traveler magazines. A certified wildland firefighter himself, Thiessen travels and photographs on the front lines of wildfires. He lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Facebook: markthiesse.54. Instagram:@thiessenphoto. Twitter:@markman100.