In addition to countless millions of conventional film cameras, digital cameras will be found in one out of every two American households this year. This authoritative guide provides a handy, all-in-one reference for photographers using either medium (or both), combining the practical know-how of more than 50 outstanding professional photographers with National Geographic's world-renowned tradition of excellence and expertise.

Includes straightforward explanations of both simple, all-but-foolproof equipment like inexpensive autofocus point-and-shoot cameras and of sophisticated, megapixel single lens reflex (SLR) units boasting interchangeable lenses. It also covers important accessories; provides advice of all kinds, from key facts and basic tips for beginners to advanced techniques for skilled amateurs; and addresses the essentials of PhotoShop editing, scanning and printing, effective archiving, and more. Along with digital information, there's also plenty of material on traditional film, from old techniques to helpful sidebars on when to use film rather than digital.

Throughout the book dozens of well-known, highly accomplished photographers showcase some of their most famous shots and share both the human stories behind them and the specific technical details of their creation.

• 400 pages with 275 photographs & illustrations
• 5 1/4'' x 8 7/16''
• Softcover
• © 2006

Bob Martin is a London-based professional with twenty years experience in sports photography and documentary photojournalism. In 2005 he won the World Press Photo Award for "Sports Picture of the Year," and has been British Sports Photographer of the Year three times. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Time, Stern, L'Equipe, Paris Match, and The Sunday Times, to name a few publications among many.

"If a picture is worth a thousand words, then National Geographic has an unlimited vocabulary...How do they do it? This book gives you the answer."—The Advocate

View Selected Photographs from the Book