How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera

by Tom Ang

This paperback edition of How To Photograph Absolutely Everything by renowned photographer, author, and broadcaster Tom Ang, delivers exactly what the title promises. Avoiding intimidating technical jargon, he explains the basic elements of photography - light, color, composition, and focus - then goes on to show how to make them work for you. From still lifes to children's parties, thunderstorms to sunsets, close-ups to panoramas, every photographic subject, technique, and challenge is covered. Using step-by-step photographs and instructions, Tom shows you how to take the best possible picture in any situation. Want to photograph city lights at night, animals in action, a family portrait? Tom makes it easy. Employing a user-friendly "recipe" formula, he shows you the best approach for each subject, gives expert tips on improving an image, and tells you how to set up your camera - so you really can't go wrong. Inspiring galleries at the end of each section describe alternative techniques to try for every subject. There are also tips on basic post-production, showing how to crop, improve color and contrast, and remove unwanted elements of an image. How to Photograph Absolutely Everything guarantees to make a better, more confident photographer of absolutely everyone who reads it.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Reference, Art, Design, How To, Art and Photography

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Photographer, author, traveler and academic. An early pioneer in digital photography, I have written over 30 books on photography as well as on video. This work was recognised by the award of the HIPA Content Producer Award in 2019. I also won the Thomas Cook award for best Illustrated Travel Book for my coverage of the Marco Polo Expedition.

I was senior lecturer in photographic practice at the University of Westminster for over 12 years (1991–2004) and created the MA Photographic Journalism course. For over 10 years I photographed in Central Asia, traveling in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. I led a Know How Fund project that helped equip a radio studio for radio students and which reformed the journalism curriculum for the Kyrgyz Russian Slavonic University in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

I have written over thirty books on photography and video including Digital Photography Masterclass (now 3rd edition), Fundamentals of Photography,Tao of Photography, Digital Photographer’s Handbook (now 7th edition), Picture Editing (2nd edition), Eyewitness Companion: Photography, and Digital Video Handbook, How to Photograph Absolutely Everything.

I presented the BBC series ‘A Digital Picture of Britain’, first transmitted in 2005 on BBC4. A second series, entitled 'Britain in Pictures' was transmitted in 2007. I also presented an 8-part TV series for CNA (Channel News Asia) in Singapore which was broadcast in August 2009. This took a Bronze at the New York Film and TV Festival the following year.

I have served on juries of Hamdan International Photography Award, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, World Photography Award, Czech Press Photo.

I am a Sony NZ Digital Imaging Ambassador.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

In preparation for my sister-in-law's wedding, and in a general attempt to improve my photographic skill, I decided to start borrowing books on photography from the library. With a title like How to Photograph Absolutely Everything, I figured Tom Ang’s book was a decent place to start.

For a new photographer, this book is extremely helpful. It gives tips on a broad variety of photographic subjects; pointers for weddings, portraits, children, vacation photos, and more. At the beginning of each section, Ang also gives some suggestions for camera settings to capture a given subject type. What’s more, the book is filled with large, full color photos to reinforce the tips.

However, if you’re anything other than a new photographer, this book might not be as helpful. It becomes clear rather quickly that this book is geared towards users with little experience, as the suggested camera settings at the beginning of each new section are often as simple as “use landscape mode on your camera.” As far as content goes, it gives a few pointers for each topic, but due to the broad nature of the book, lacks depth on any given subject. And while the book seems aimed at the newer, less experienced photographer, it doesn’t really cover the basics of photography.

What I would have loved to have seen was something a bit more informative as far as settings go. Perhaps including the EXIF data on sample pictures, so the reader has a better starting point. Or ignore the “camera mode” and stick to suggestions for aperture, shutter, focal length and sensitivity.

Overall, I think this book would make a lovely coffee table book, as the photos are quite lovely, and make up the bulk of the book. I might recommend it to a new digital photographer, or a film photographer just making the switch to digital. If you’re looking for a general reference book that is more inspiration than reference, this is probably the book for you. However, if you want more in depth information on any given subject matter, I’d keep looking.

[Kathleen Messmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is great for beginners it is definitely that...for beginners. It might even benefit from an update because technology has come so far since it's publication. Also it's geared more towards users of point-and-shoot digital cameras rather than experienced DSLR users. Since Tom Ang is one of my inspirations I guess I expected more. All in all though a pretty good book.

[Halah Ahmad · Rating 2 out of 5]

How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera by Tom Ang

[Aldene Hockett]

good book

[Russ Bray · Rating 2 out of 5]

very useless for me, did not realize how beginner and preliminary this was going to be

[Kevin Demel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of interesting pictures and learned a few things about what it takes to make a great picture.

[Haddy Jeng · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short quick and easy read. Serves as useful guide for photography on specific occasion, offering tips on how to best capture shots in those situations or replicate pictures shown in the book.

[Larraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until recently, I have only reviewed books of fiction. However, I thought I might depart from what I've been doing here and talk about photography books. When photography becomes a passion - even if it is very much an amateur one as it is with me, reading about it helps to put a lot of things in perspective. This is not a book that an aspiring photographer would tuck into their camera bag. Rather it is a beautiful book full of good, not so good and great photographs.

Most of them are accessible, i.e. they are views that any aspiring photographer can access. (Of course it helps to have money to travel, but that's a whole other issue!) A while back I read a photography book in which the photographer said that to really produce good photography you had to have the $$$ to travel. That leaves out a lot of people including me right now. Honestly, this turned me off.

A member of one of my photo groups said that one's camera should always be on A (for aperture) for the most part. Another article I read said that putting your camera in P (program mode) was only for amateurs. I've used that mode and produced some good stuff although I had to adjust for exposure despite what I was told initially. Everything I've read says one thing: take it off automatic.

So I was surprised me see this well known photographer, Tom Ang, actually recommend both P and even the much maligned Automatic setting. (You have to watch out for snobs in every pursuit, and photography is FULL of them!) It's a terrific book, but I wouldn't recommend it for absolute beginners.

You have to understand what the settings on the camera mean first. A basic understanding of ISO is also vital as when he says medium to high ISO settings. He also recommends forcing flash - something a lot of people wouldn't understand. On the other hand, if you have a basic understanding of your camera settings and what ISO is, this is a terrific book. It helps the aspiring photographer with composition and general photo ideas.

There is even a section on wedding photography, something I would never try right now except as an apprentice. One of the sections I found helpful was tabletop photography. I recently picked up a few items at a local antique shop. Two of them are planned as a gift for someone special - but not before I take some pictures!


I found the book to be inspiring. If I had the money to buy books, I would have it on my book shelf. Now THERE's a thought! I can add it to my Amazon wishlist. My birthday is coming up in a few months! If your photography goals are to be a pro, this book probably could give you some basic ideas. It's really written for people like me - enthusiastic amateurs with a passion to document life.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know I read and reviewed the book based upon this description from Amazon: "This comprehensive step-by-step guide to photographing an unbelievably wide range of subjects includes hundreds of inspirational images, each of which is accompanied by detailed step-by-step instructions. From sporting events and safaris to family gatherings and flowers, this is the most comprehensive photography manual ever assembled."

That says it all ... And I personally learned a great deal from this book. It was recommended to me by my photography class instructor and I now consider it to be a "want to buy" for my home library.

[Traci Hazelwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very educational if you're just starting out in photography. If you've had a course or 2 in photography this probably is a little to low level. The demonstrations are shown using a point-and-shoot camera and it's basic functions. I was hoping to learn a little more in depth about making my photos better. Some of his best shots I would have lit differently or gotten closer to the subject, but this is a point-and-shoot not an SLR for these pictures. He does show the best way to get some pictures with what you have on hand using the lighting you find. Anyway if your new this might be the book for you, but it was little to low key for me.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay for a beginner/amateur shooting digital photography. I don't need to learn how to use techniques when it comes to photography, but it did have some useful tips. I liked some of the photography. My taste revolves more towards the film type of photography though. This isn't the greatest book, but I've had it for over a year now and I thought I'd check it out and bookmark some pages for future reference. It was a birthday present from my mom's cousin who knows how much I enjoy photography. I think it's time I get my own photography books :)

[Lisa Sanfilippo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great. While I would have liked to see more of the technical instructions, it provides tips on finding the correct angle, lighting, and getting the best shot out of a living subject. Whether you are just looking to get a good picture of your baby or are passionate about photography, you should definitely check this out!!!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been an amateur photographer for a while - and never really got to know enough to completely satisfy my needs. This book did it for me. I like that it's not specifically aimed at a certain brand of camera; the hints/tips are in layman's terms, which is attractive as well. A must have for anyone interested in achieving more.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has two pages on every photographic situation imaginable, from portraits, to zoo animals, to abstract compositions. There are a lot of good tips on camera settings, especially the ISO setting and aperture. The author's examples are good to pick apart in terms of framing and choice of focus and lighting.

[Cami · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more visual a how-to book is the better I enjoy it.
This fits that bill nicely and it really does cover nearly everything there is to photograph and gave me a lot of ideas. It is also based on digital photography so a lot of unnecessary information on film types and so forth are missing.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book for beginners. It was a great start off for my Project 365 this year. I really like the specific, step by step instructions. Worst part? Photography bordering on unartistic/overly practical and there is a page on nudes.

[reading is my hustle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring "how-to" photography book that gives step-by-step instructions on digital photography. This book has range- whether you need a quick tip or intermediate instruction it covers it. I only wish that it came with a DVD/tutorial.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for learning to shoot with a digital camera.

I like this book also covers digital point and shoot cameras. Tom Ang supplies great visuals and instructions on how to get similar shots. I like that the author covers various topics to meet the needs of today's digital age.

[Andre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful. It's something that I'll come back to again and again as a refresher. Most pages have "here's how I took the shot" and you can still learn a lot even if you don't have fine-grained control over the shutter speed and aperture.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for the absolute beginner or the amateur that is working on getting better with their photography skills. I borrowed this one from the library but it would be a good one to buy in order to have all of the information available to copy & practice with for longer than a few weeks.

[Vivera Siregar · Rating 5 out of 5]

buku idaman yang baru berhasil saya beli minggu lalu, sudah lama diimpikan, untuk perbaikan kualitas foto jepretan saya, daripada ikut kursus atau workshop mahal yang (tampaknya) selalu diperuntukkan dan diprioritaskan bagi mereka yang berkantung tebal :D

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books is filled with inspiring shots and some helpful tips on how to attain them. Even though they're demonstrating using a point and shoot, many of these tips could be applied to DSLRs. An excellent book for beginners to intermediate photographers.

[Julie Schoen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This informational book was full of great ideas and teachings. I walked away from reading this book with many new and exciting ideas for my photography hobby. I would recommend this book to anyone who just needs a little bit of fuel to spark those creative juices to start flowing again.

[Mousa · Rating 2 out of 5]

لم يكن محتوى الكتاب بالمأمول منه ,, حيث كان سردا طويلا حيث أسهب في الكلام العام دون الخوض في تفاصيل تعليم التصوير ,, ووضع قواعد عامه في كل مجالات التصوير المختلفة ولم يحدد طريقة التصوير الفعلية كطريقة وضع خصائص الكاميرا للتصوير وما إلى ذلك ..

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what I call the good stuff. Tom Ang knows what he's talking about and knows how to explain it in a clear easy to understand way. A great reference for before a shoot, I've used it many times to refresh my memory on what settings I might want.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great ideas with simple steps for the beginner or for refreshing skills!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It has great pointers for even people just begginng photography.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty damn helpful!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A total reference book for many situations. One that will be picked up and put down for years, not days or months.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit simplistic and focused more for Point and Shoot enthusiasts, I never-the-less found this very informative and would agree that it actually instructs on how "to photograph everything".