Buy at Amazon.comBryan Peterson’s “Understanding Exposure” is the book I recommend to anyone looking for a comprehensive yet enjoyable introduction to photography. Peterson walks the reader through photographic elements including aperture, shutter speed, ISO and depth of field explaining not only their meaning but how they affect the image. His explanations are thorough, but do not overwhelm the reader with technicalities. The text also features color photos with exposure settings that demonstrate the points as they are explained.

I ordered this book after being frustrated with the results of shooting in Program and Auto modes with my first camera, the Canon A80. While the A80 has shutter and aperture priority modes as well a manual setting, I didn’t fully understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and other exposure options. After reading “Understanding Exposure” I had a solid grasp on the elements of exposure and was ready to experiment with all the settings the camera had to offer.

“Understanding Exposure” is an excellent guide to help you break out of shooting with your camera’s auto modes and take creative control of your photography. Before you know it, you will forget your camera even has an automatic setting.

And for those that prefer more of a classroom setting, Peterson also teaches online classes at the Picture Perfect School of Photography.