Canon PowerShot G10/G11: From Snapshots to Great Shots Illustrated Edition

This is a book for beginners, people interested in photography and wanting to be more skillful and creative in their shooting but without immediate aspirations to be a pro or a fine artist. Since I'd classify myself in this category, the book was perfect for me. I've long had a good intuitive sense of light and composition, but this book help me connect that to core principles of photography as made possible by my camera. After reading the first four chapters alone, I was already taking noticeably better pictures. It combines a thorough introduction to the capabilities of the G10/11 with an excellent range of photography fundamentals covering light, exposure, and composition. I also read the popular Scott Kelby book, and 80% of its tips are integrated into this book in a more focused way, leaving out stuff you can't do without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars more on gear. The writing style is clear, personable, and concise, and the layout and production of the book (which the author did himself) is impeccable. Much is communicated through well printed exemplary photographs, which is strangely not the case in some other photography books. For its intended audience and purpose, I can't imagine anyone doing better.

The last "G" series camera I bought was a G-3. It was head and shoulders above any other camera of that type at the time. I still use the G-3 but updated to the G-11 for better resolution and a few newer features. The G-11 is incredible! It takes stunning pictures and the resolution is phenomenal. I like all of the features and really like the way the LCD screen swivels out and can flip over and not have to stick out to be used. The auto features are great and work incredibly well. It also allows for many manual controls and can even take some decent video. This camera is the best. I used the G-3 for 9 years and it is still better than many cameras on the market today...with that said, the G-11 is certainly a camera that will hold it's own for many years to come. If you buy this camera, you won't have to worry about upgrading for a very long time...

It is a good book. I read the sample chapter the author posted on his web site which convinced me to buy this book. Though some of the functions he describes do not work on my G11 (i.e. auto-bracketing) I don't think that is his fault and is user error as I don't probably have the camera in the correct mode. I probably need to also RTFM from Canon but as a quick how-to this book helped me out. Doing a trip to the Big Island soon so looking forward to exercising the G11 and have this book on my kindle so I can refer to it when I'm stuck.

I originally got this book book because I didn't like the manufacturer's manual and needed a reference book for a visually oriented person (I'm a graphic designer). I quickly noticed that the book a good photography book, full of of tips and ideas. I think that it should have been called "From Snapshots to Great Shots with the Canon PowerShot G11/G10" instead.This book is meant for the novice to intermediate looking to take better pictures and needs to learn the basic concepts of photography and how to get there, using the G11/G10. You'll quickly learn about ISO, aperture, shutter speeds, depth of focus and how these factors interact with each other, in clear and easy to understand terms. You'll also learn many general tips and specific tricks to help you getting appealing shots. This book will help you grow into the high-end creative features that two of the most versatile point and shoot cameras offer.

I'm only reviewing the Kindle version here, as downloaded to my 24-inch iMac and iPod Touch. First off, it was a treat to see the photos rendered in color. What wasn't a treat was the quality at which they were rendered. They were pretty much lifeless, and the resolution was way too low. Each chapter had a section devoted to poring over the photo with, presumably, callouts pointing out salient points of the image. These were illegible on both devices. For this reason I returned the book.The first chapter did a good job of educating the reader about the camera's controls, and the first few were good at explaining the rationale behind the author's choice of settings. A novice photographer would find the whole book useful. Anyone experienced, less so. There may have been some good aesthetic guidance in there, but reliance on photos to communicate that undid any benefit that was there.Bottom line is, if you're interested in this book, get the paper version.

This is a terrific book that goes beyond merely expanding on the G10/G11 Manual and embellishing on it so you know when to use what function. More importantly, it helps novices learn about ISO, aperture, focus area, etc. These are 'basic' kinds of tips--or should we call them SKILLS--that will help ordinary snapshots turn into great shots (eventually, with some practice). This book will help improve your overall photography (if you are relatively new to it) even when you advance beyond the G10/G11 (which is a very nice 'prosumer' camera) to a DSLR.You might not use ALL the tips, and might find some trivial (e.g. don't forget a memory card), but overall this is a great addition for your expanding photography library. It would go well with some of the basic books on photography techniques (for that, you might want to check out some of Bryan Peterson's books).

Even if you don’t own a G10 or G11 camera, this book offers great photography tips to use across the board. Easy to understand and follow. It has really helped me understand my secondhand G10 and get the most out of it.

Glad I purchased this great reference book. Done in simple terms with demonstrations that are easy to follow. Book is large and easier to read and follow than the manufacturer's manual. I have improved my picture taking experience! The G10 I have is a great camera but this reference book makes it even a greater camera. For the price, the book is an excellent buy.