iPhoto '09 For Dummies

The problem with most computer programs today (particularly those pre-installed on a computer) is that they never seem to come with full manuals anymore. Sure there is online help, but unless you are looking for an answer to a specific question you really don't learn much. To get an understanding of everything that is available within the program, you really need a decent book. This iPhoto for Dummies book fits the bill. I like the way it's organized. Instead of taking you through a laundry list of functionality, it takes you through things in the order you would actually do them (e.g., organize your pics, edit, share, etc.). It does a nice job of explaining all the things you either didn't know existed, or didn't understand. For instance, do you really know how to use those little "histograms" in the Adjust Tool? Neither did I, but I do now. This book has a whole chapter on 'em. In short, this book covers everything. It does it in a well organized manner that makes it easy to find things and understand them. The final chapter on hints, tips, and shortcuts is also very helpful with tips on things such as how to speed up iPhoto start-up time (yes!) and customizing the keyboard shortcuts.

What makes Warren Buffett in Finance or John Madden in Football so effective? It's their ability to make complex things understandable. Notice, I didn't say make complex things simple because that is not always possible.

I know topics like digital photography and iPhoto are not always simple but they are worth understanding. That's what led me to read iPhoto `09 for Dummies.

iPhoto `09 for Dummies is a great book for 3 reasons:

1) Workflow

It provides a proven workflow for editing my photos, starting with one-click features and progressing to multi-step operations. See Chapter 7.

2) Tradeoffs

I now understand the cost benefit ratio of what iPhoto can do. I can answer questions like "Is this photo worth more effort or is it perfect enough?" and "What should I do to every photo?"

3) Knowledge Sharing

There's a wealth of expertise that I wouldn't learn on my own for years, if ever. Why do I need a color card? Hint: the camera doesn't see things as my eyes and brain do. Raw, JPEG, and TIFF -- I can't believe I can now explain these formats and their impact on visual quality! And what's the point of taking photos if I don't know how to share them? See Part IV.

Short of having personal lessons from the author, reading this book is the best way to learn iPhoto and improve everything related to my photos and what I want to do with them.

Finally, the print quality of the book is fabulous - it truly is in full color!

A word to the wise: iPhoto `09 requires Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5). I was running the previous OS version called Tiger (OS X 10.4) and had to purchase an OS upgrade in addition to upgrading iPhoto `08. iPhoto `09 is part of iLife '09, a $79 upgrade. Leopard is a $129 upgrade. Bundles may provide better pricing.

For years I postponed dealing with an ever-growing backlog of unedited digital photos. Not only did the job seem overwhelming, but also computer learning by "exploration" is not my style - too inefficient and too fraught with anxiety.
iPhoto '09 for Dummies to the rescue! Clear explanations allowed me to import and organize pictures from various sources and to make basic edits such as eliminating red eye, cropping, and brightening underexposed shots. I may or may not ever use the advanced editing techniques that the book includes, (although they are interesting and informative just to read), but sharing photos electronically or in print is a "must" and iPhoto '09 addresses these processes with the same admirable clarity.
Recommended highly!

As a professional photographer, instructor and writer I am a bit reticent to purchase a book that refers to me as a dummy. However, as I quickly learned from reading this book, iPhoto '09 is a powerful and versatile program. So maybe the title fits.

Micheletti makes no assumptions about the skill level of the reader. Every step of every process is clearly and succinctly delineated. The writing style is easy to follow and almost conversational. Short of someone holding your hand this is as close as you are going to get in terms of personal instruction.

My only minor objection to the book had nothing to do with the content. I'm use to computer tutorial formats of at least 8X10 inches and the smaller size of this book meant smaller pictures. It's personal preference and certainly not a deal breaker.

Originally I was interested in reading the book in order to show my 70 year old mother a thing or two about using iPhoto. However, after reading it I began to use the product myself and bought my Mother her own copy.

This book is a must read if you want to learn how to get the most out of iPhoto. I found this book to be full of useful information and more importantly, easy to understand and reference. Perhaps more important than the great practical examples demonstrating the product's features, this book reinforces the workflow concept embodied within the product - from capture, image editing and enhancement, to key wording and organization, and finally publishing and sharing you images. In today's digital camera environment, the importance of organizing your images cannot be emphasized enough.