I'm not sure why my links are being removed - people do realize there are other Nikon forums in existence...??

Anyway, other D7000 guide book recommendations included:

Doug Klostermann's "Nikon D7000 Experience" available as a PDF ebook on his Wordpress blog "Picturing Change" as well as on Amazon for the Kindle format.

Darrell Young's "Mastering the D7000" to be available on Amazon soon.

There are some D7000 books mentioned here:
*Link Removed*

There are some D7000 books mentioned over here:
*Link Removed*

Just viewed the Kelby Training on the Nikon D7000. It is very basic, even the newbie that I am did not learn anything (ok, maybe a couple). And the host looks like he on a coffee trip and can't stand in place or keep quiet for a second.

I would still suggest for the very beginner as a starter point and a way to visually understand the owner's manual content in its most basic form.

I just saw that there is a DVD & iphone app for the Nikon D7000 from a company called Quickpro. Are they any good?

To learn and reference camera bodies I really like Darrell Young's books and almost every book by the publisher Rockynook. All of his books are laid out well with all the info you need in one spot instead of hunting across multiple chapters. The index is concise and gets me right to what I'm looking for. For me it basically replaces my user manual 95% of the time.

The books on the bodies seem to be always named "Mastering the Nikon XXXX" by Darrell Young. Best $40 accessory I have bought in a long time.

Welcome to the forum, Sandy. I like Thom Hogan's books, too. I learned the D100 with his guide and then have found my own way since.

Thom Hogans guide to the D7k will be out in January. I have it for the D3 and VERY highly recommended.

Ken Rockwells online guides are free, and have merit, especially for the price. Not sure if he has done one for the D7k.

Mike: I only bring that up because I've talked to people who have that attitude, and it baffles me. If I thought that of your photography (which, incidentally, I don't; what I've seen of your stuff, and most of the rest of the people who post here, shows a lot of thought given to composition, regardless of what went into post), I'd have mentioned you by name. :)

Hi aslightdelay,

"...not a substitute for mindful shooting."

Goodness, I hope I didn't leave that impression that one could substitute the digital darkroom for good shooting. I didn't mean to do that.

I do mean that as the darkroom was something that was something photographers used as part of their art, digital photographers use as part of theirs, too.

Likely this is another thread or should be.

My best,

Mike

Great input guys, thank you.

First, a disclaimer: like NSX, I'm not all that good at post. Also, as a relative novice, my priority has been weighted more toward learning solid composition than toward learning postproduction.

My thinking on this, for what it's worth, is that post can be really useful, but shouldn't be a substitute for carefully taking the photo in the first place. It can be great for making small fixes, and even for doing interesting artistic stuff with your pictures, but if you're taking half-assed shots with the attitude that you'll just fix 'em later, you're doing it wrong. So I'm not against PS, GIMP, or anything else that can enhance the process. But the point is, it's just that -- an enhancement, and not a substitute for mindful shooting.

Hi,

Here's a view from a guy who has spent a lot of time in a dark dark room and in a digital dark room.

You can look at it that it is a place to convert your work to something to see as quickly as possible, or you can look at it as something to take your work to level that your work wasn't at when you originally snapped it.

Digital darkroom mastery can salvage marginal work or make good work terrific work.

Everyone would like to take great shots the first time (me included), but I would also like to be able to punch it up in the dark room (in this case, Photoshop), and I fortunately have the tools.

Just giving you something to thing about.

My best,

Mike

I agree with broxibear that Photoshop is a digital darkroom, and it even goes further in some ways. But retouching of photos has been happening for a long time, and I don't think there's a hard line between retouching and illustration.

Mathew Brady, for example, is considered one of the greatest American portrait photographers, but routinely retouched photos, which you can see by comparing his originals with prints given to clients. Then Norman Rockwell is considered one of the greatest American illustrators, but he took pains to photograph his scenes/models extensively before filling in the gaps with his paintbrush. I think both of those artists would have loved to have photoshop. I don't think that if you don't like photoshop you're any less of a photographer. People will always have their preferences.

To your question, lauzobe, about which is more important, I think only you can answer that for yourself. And it will likely take a lot of time and practice to know (such a satisfying answer, isn't it?).

lauzobe said:

One more thing. Do you put less, equal too, or more value into the actual picture taking or the photoshoping, or do they truly make only one.

Sincere thanks from a really green guy.

Oh yeah, you're going to find lots of views on this.

I personally hate Photoshop/editing and really don't do it because I can't be bothered to learn it. I only shoot for myself so it really isn't a big deal. But I like the picture taking part of only really. I don't enjoy being behind a computer to touch up photos.

lauzobe said:

One more thing. Do you put less, equal too, or more value into the actual picture taking or the photoshoping, or do they truly make only one.

You're going to get different views on this so here's mine...
For me Photoshop is a digital darkroom, everything you could do in a traditional darkroom like burning, toning, cross processing etc is part of photography. When Photoshop is used to manipulate the image beyond what you could do in a darkroom like hdr, smoothing out of skin, combining several different images into one etc, for me it then becomes illustration not photography.
Others will no doubt disagree but I see photography and illustration as two different things.
Spend more time taking the image and you'll spend less time in post.

Guys, thank you for the suggestions. Indeed it is my first DSLR and the point & shoot models I had are like the fast food in this world, they will satisfy for a while but leave you wanting more.

The camera's manual I have on my iPod touch and kindle, but it is indeed dry and always thought of those as the source manual as to the particulars of the model. I was looking more for "what I can do with it manual/books/DVDs), this to help me develop my own style and skills.

I do find Scott Shelby to be more "look what you need to have to be a good photographer" and not the "look a what you could do by doing this" type of books. I am a very visual person and need to be shown. And yes, I am one day gonna enlist to some in person lessons one day when I can put some time and money into it and find a good teacher. For now I'll go the more at my own pace, read a book way.

One more thing. Do you put less, equal too, or more value into the actual picture taking or the photoshoping, or do they truly make only one.

Sincere thanks from a really green guy.

monty11 said:
@broxibear, if that is his first SLR camera, then the user manual that comes in the box is quite difficult to read and understand. Of course if it isn't the person's first camera then the manual should be sufficient.

Hi Monty,

Very Zen-like... :-)

My best,

Mike

@broxibear, if that is his first SLR camera, then the user manual that comes in the box is quite difficult to read and understand. Of course if it isn't the person's first camera then the manual should be sufficient.

Hi,

From John Hedgecoe:
_The New Manual on Photography_
_John Hedgecoe's Photography Basics_
How To Take Great Photographs
The Art of Digital Photography
John Hedgecoe's New Introductory Photography Course
Complete Guide to Photography
New Book of Photography
John Hedgecoe's 35mm Photography
John Hedgecoes Complete Guide to Black and White Photograph
John Hedgecoe's Figure and Form
Photographing People
Possessions
John Hedgecoe's Creative Photography Workbook
John Hedgecoe's Pocket Guide to Pratical Photo (A Fireside Book)
Henry Moore: My Ideas, Inspiration and Life as an Artist (with Henry Moore)
John Hedgecoe's Advanced Photography
John Hedgecoe's Landscape Photography
John Hedgecode's Phtographyer's Workbook
John Hedgecoe's Taking Great Photographs
John Hedgecoe's Complete Course in Photographing Children
Time/Life Series A World History of Photography. OFP 11 Vols in your local library.

Any of the books by Harold Davis on Photoshop. His clarity is worth is worth going through a book or two just to get a competent grasp of what's happening with layers.

Joe McNally, The Hot Shoe Daries, McNally isn't a terrific writer, nor a good one, but he gets his point across and shows how the Nikon CLS works.

Scott Kelby falls into the same trap that McNally does, perhaps more so. The more shaft than wheat in his books.

Finally, I would likely recommend taking a course. You'll find that some interaction in a class will pay big dividends in the end.

Hope this helps, and my best,

Mike

I went and got the Fundamentals of Photography from Tom Ang. I spent an afternoon reading a few select chapters and it has helped me immensely.

What are books? I've never heard of them. Let me google it.

When I got my first DSLR, I got Darrell Young's book on the Nikon D-90 camera. I found it terrific and extremely helpful. I commented about the book on NR and received some comments similar to a couple already on this thread; namely, go out and take pictures. yes, that helps, but when you are brand new to a camera it really and truly helps to learn not only how different buttons/dials/etc work, but WHEN and WHY you want certain settings. Darrell's books give you that. I have already pre-ordered his D7K book and am looking forward to it. yes, I bought the D7K and LOVE IT. But am still learning things about it. Maybe if you are an expert then you might not need a book, but I think they are really helpful. Nick

Hi Lauzobe,

I will like to suggest this book: The Photographer's Mind: Creative Thinking for Better Digital Photos, Author: Michael Freeman.

It doesn’t talk about technical aspects of photography, but creativity. "The source of any photograph is not the camera or even the scene viewed through the viewfinder--it is the mind of the photographer: this is where an image is created before it is committed to a memory card or film."

Lauzobe: My suggestion would be the Magic Lantern guide when that comes out as far as the technical aspects of the camera. With that said, you really need to go to your local Barnes and Noble, Borders, or equivalent (and if they're independently owned, so much the better) and check out what's on offer, regardless of what anyone else suggests. What's worked wonders for me might be flat-out useless to you, and vice versa.

Broxibear: Eh. Maybe. I agree with you that you need to look at others' work (and get out there and shoot) to develop a style that's uniquely yours. Of course, if you don't know how to operate the camera, your "style" will also include lots of under/over-exposed pictures, ISO noise, and lots of other things that could've been easily avoided with the use of the manual or a good book.

PS: Sure, you can learn creativity. It's all a matter of time and discipline.