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

For digital camera and smartphone users, a complete how-to guide written by a renowned National Geographic photographer.

Learn the essentials of taking great pictures, from lighting, focus, and framing to specialties like infrared and astrophotography.

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 a phone or a DSLR camera, you'll learn fundamentals that you'll put to work every day.

Chapter by chapter, 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 key rules of photography to family, pet, travel, nature, and street photos.

Throughout the book you'll find pro tips, quick assignments, and  behind-the-lens stories of great photographs, with targeted advice on using your smartphone camera.

Fun and informative, this practical book will be your gateway to taking great pictures. With tips from a pro, your photos will look the best they can.

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.