Understanding Digital Photography: Techniques for Getting Great Pictures

Understanding Digital Photography: Techniques for Getting Great Pictures Review

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Using his popular bad image/good image pairings of real-life examples, Bryan Peterson takes the reader through all the techniques needed to succeed with digital photography in every popular genre: nature, people, sports, interiors, travel, low-light conditions, travel, weather, commercial portraits, macro, and wildlife—even how to use creative tricks such as reflections. As a bonus, Peterson explains, in straightforward text, the techniques of Photoshop as well as the basics of publishing, printing, and archiving and storing for personal or professional use. Full of great examples for beginners and serious photographers, Understanding Digital Photography makes it easy to create great digital pictures every time.

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

How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures From Your Digital Camera Review

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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.

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Photographing Children Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent

Photographing Children Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent Review

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While digital technology has made acceptable photos easy to achieve, this book is about taking exceptional photos that preserve the essence of childhood.You?ll learn to trust your instincts and your own unique vision and discover how to create beautiful photographs in a variety of lighting situations, all while sharpening your observation skills and learning how to involve your subjects. Plus, insightful tips on understanding what equipment is right for you will help you get great results when working with any age group.

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Exposure Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent

Exposure Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent Review

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Named One of Shutterbug Magazines Top Digital Imaging Books of 2008!

Capturing an image and getting the right exposure is critical and Jeff Wignall recognizes exposure as the secret for creating an image that captures a vision and shares it with the world. When you apply his techniques with patience, experimentation, and a focus on the outcome, you will begin creating images that reveal not only what you saw, but how you felt when you saw it. In fact according to Shutterbug magazine Exposure Photo Workshop “may be the best book yet written about exposure.” By learning to work with natural light as well as when to use flash you will confidently capture action, night scenes, rainbows, sunsets, and reflections like never before. With stunning images, Jeff Wignall shows you how to perfectly expose pictures in even the most challenging existing light conditions, including poor weather, using a flash, and even a section guiding you through using multiple wireless flash units. You can upload your own images to Photoworkshop.com and get feedback from other photographers.

Wignall starts by explaining the fundamentals of exposure and why it’s important. This leads into learning the basics of exposure controls. By the end of chapter 2, you will know how to control the exposure on your point-and-shoot or digital SLR camera. Chapter 3 walks readers through measuring light using just about any light meter and Chapter 4 delves into lens apertures and depth of field. The focus moves to shutter speed and subject motion. After Chapter 6, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to turn off your camera’s automatic settings and take manual control. Wignall then examines natural light exposures, discussing the intricacies of light quality, light direction, and time of day. As you approach more advanced exposure options, you’ll need the troubleshooting advice provided in Chapter 8, covering difficult situations such as metering challenges, handling contrast, and creating dramatic silhouettes. With more advanced techniques mastered, you can then approach night and low-light conditions and then examine special considerations such as the weather and natural phenomena. The book finishes strong with a comprehensive look at all things flash photography.

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David Busch's Nikon D90 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

David Busch's Nikon D90 Guide to Digital SLR Photography Review

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Welcome to the D90, Nikon's newest full-featured--yet compact and affordable--digital SLR camera. David Busch's Nikon D90 Guide to Digital SLR Photography shows you how to maximize your camera's robust feature set, blazing fast automatic focus, the real-time preview system Live View, HDTV movie-making capabilities, and the Retouch mode that allows you to edit your picture in the camera, to take outstanding photos. You'll learn how, when, and, most importantly, why to use each of the cool features and functions of your camera to take eye-popping photographs. Introductory chapters will help you get comfortable with the basics of your camera before you dive right into exploring creative ways to apply the Nikon D90's exposure modes, focus controls, and electronic flash options. You'll also find loads of helpful information and tips on choosing lenses, flash units, and software products to use with your new camera. Beautiful, full-color images illustrate where the essential buttons and dials are, so you'll quickly learn how to use your Nikon D90, and use it like a pro!

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Photoshop CS5 Digital Classroom, (Book and Video Training)

Photoshop CS5 Digital Classroom, (Book and Video Training) Review

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Photoshop CS5 is included with the Creative Suite 5.5 bundle. This book covers the version of Photoshop that ships with both Creative Suite 5 and Creative Suite 5.5. Photoshop is the world’s most popular image-editing software, with more than four million users worldwide. This full-color book with video tutorials works together to create an entire Photoshop training which photographers, Web designers, and graphic designers can complete at their own pace. Fourteen lessons cover the features and capabilities of the newest version of Photoshop while teaching all the essential skills.

• Photoshop is the image-editing software preferred by professional photographers and designers around the world; the latest version includes new functionality and enhanced tools
• Each of the 14 lessons developed by Adobe certified instructors includes step-by-step instructions, lesson files, and video tutorials
• Covers Adobe Bridge, Camera RAW, masks and layers, painting and retouching, selections and layers, and more, taking you from the basics through intermediate-level skills

Photoshop CS5 Digital Classroom allows you to learn Photoshop from the experts who create official Adobe training materials, and do it at your own speed.

Note: DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file. These materials are available for download upon purchase.

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The Digital SLR Expert Landscapes

The Digital SLR Expert Landscapes Review

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Build and Refine Your In-Camera and Photoshop Skills with This Authoritative and Visually Stunning Guide to Capturing Incredible Landscape Photographs

Practical demonstrations, step-by-step examples and invaluable secrets from five leading professional photographers show you how to use your digital SLR to its full potential.

Darwin Wiggett, David Noton, William Neill, Tom Mackie and Tony Worobiec tackle subjects key to taking great landscape images: controlling exposure; understanding light; composing shots; choosing the perfect location and working in black and white.

Breathtaking photography showcases a wide variety of landscape locations from coasts to mountains, cities to countryside and deserts to forests, highlighting the versatility and full potential of digital photography.

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Photographer's Guide to the Panasonic Lumix LX5: Getting the Most from Panasonic's Advanced Digital Camera

Photographer's Guide to the Panasonic Lumix LX5: Getting the Most from Panasonic's Advanced Digital Camera Review

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Photographer's Guide to the Panasonic Lumix LX5: Getting the Most from Panasonic's Advanced Digital Camera is the third book in a series by Alexander S. White. His previous guides to the Leica D-Lux 4 and Panasonic Lumix LX3 were extremely well received by enthusiasts searching for comprehensive books that explain the features and operation of some of the most sophisticated compact digital cameras being sold today. The current book is a detailed resource, illustrated by more than 150 color photographs, that covers all operations, menus, and controls of the Panasonic Lumix LX5, the newest in a line of highly sophisticated, yet very portable cameras that are equipped with full manual controls as well as advanced digital technology. The book provides detailed guidance to beginning, intermediate, and more experienced photographers in plain English. The photographs illustrate the camera's menus and controls, and provide examples of many of the camera's shooting modes and special effects. For those who find the documentation provided by the camera's manufacturer to be hard to read and difficult to understand, this book fills an information gap and serves as a single source of information to let the photographer derive the maximum benefit from his or her Panasonic Lumix LX5 camera.

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The Digital Photography Book

The Digital Photography Book Review

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Scott Kelby, the man who changed the "digital darkroom" forever with his groundbreaking, #1 bestselling, award-winning book The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, now tackles the most important side of digital photography--how to take pro-quality shots using the same tricks today's top digital pros use (and it's easier than you'd think).

This entire book is written with a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott describes it: "If you and I were out on a shoot, and you asked me, 'Hey, how do I get this flower to be in focus, but I want the background out of focus?' I wouldn't stand there and give you a lecture about aperture, exposure, and depth of field. In real life, I'd just say, 'Get out your telephoto lens, set your f/stop to f/2.8, focus on the flower, and fire away.' You d say, 'OK,' and you'd get the shot. That's what this book is all about. A book of you and I shooting, and I answer the questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I've learned just like I would with a friend, without all the technical explanations and without all the techno-photo-speak."

This isn't a book of theory—it isn't full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts: this is a book of which button to push, which setting to use, when to use them, and nearly two hundred of the most closely guarded photographic "tricks of the trade" to get you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos with your digital camera every time you press the shutter button.

Here's another thing that makes this book different: each page covers just one trick, just one single concept that makes your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you'll learn another pro setting, another pro tool, another pro trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. There's never been a book like it, and if you're tired of taking shots that look "OK," and if you’re tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, "Why don't my shots look like that?" then this is the book for you.

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Digital Photography Masterclass

Digital Photography Masterclass Review

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It's easy to see why digital photography has overtaken analog in popularity-it's affordable, convenient, versatile, and, above all, it makes photography more fun than ever before. Tom Ang's latest book is an in-depth, inspirational, and uniquely practical guide to every aspect of digital photography. There are assignments and analysis spreads, and step-by-step tutorials to help you hone your skills. He teaches you to look at the world with a photographer's "eye" and shows you how to get great shots every time. In short, this book shows you how to master your camera to ensure the best results in every situation and how to push the computer to keep up with your vision.

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The Photoshop Elements 9 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)

The Photoshop Elements 9 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) Review

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This book breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that’s never been done before—it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly “how to do it.” It’s not a bunch of theory; it doesn’t challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure things out on your own. Instead, it does something that virtually no other Elements book has ever done—it tells you flat-out which settings to use, when to use them, and why.

If you’re looking for one of those “tell-me-everything-about-the-Unsharp-Mask-filter” books, this isn’t it. You can grab any other Elements book on the shelf, because they all do that. Instead, this book gives you the inside tips and tricks of the trade for organizing, correcting, editing, sharpening, retouching, and printing your photos like a pro. You’ll be absolutely amazed at how easy and effective these techniques are—once you know the secrets.

LEARN HOW THE PROS DO IT
Each year we train thousands of digital photographers and, almost without exception, they have the same questions and face the same problem—that’s  exactly what we cover in this book. You’ll learn:

• The real secrets of how the pros retouch portraits
• How to color correct any photo with out breaking a sweat (you’ll be amazed at how they do it!)
• How to use Camera Raw for processing not only RAW photos, but JPEGs and TIFFs, too! (And you’ll learn why so many pros like it best—because it’s faster and easier)
• The sharpening techniques the pros really use (there’s an entire chapter just on this!)
• How to deal with common digital camera image problems, including removing noise and avoiding halos
• The most requested photographic special effects, and much more!

THE BOOK’S SECRET WEAPON
Although Elements 9 offers some digital photography features that Photoshop CS5 doesn’t offer, there are plenty of features that Photoshop CS5 has that Elements 9 still doesn’t have (things like paths, Channel Mixer, etc.). But in this book, you’ll learn some slick workarounds, cheats, and some fairly ingenious ways to replicate many of those Photoshop features from right within Elements. Plus, since this book is designed for photographers, it doesn’t waste your time talking about how to frame a shot, set your exposure, etc., and there’s no talk about which camera or printer to buy. It’s all Elements, step-by-step, cover-to-cover, in the only book of its  kind!

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The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos

The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos Review

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Design is the single most important factor in creating a successful photograph. The ability to see the potential for a strong picture and then organize the graphic elements into an effective, compelling composition has always been one of the key skills in making photographs.

Digital photography has brought a new, exciting aspect to design - first because the instant feedback from a digital camera allows immediate appraisal and improvement; and second because image-editing tools make it possible to alter and enhance the design after the shutter has been pressed. This has had a profound effect on the way digital photographers take pictures.

Now published in sixteen languages, The Photographer's Eye continues to speak to photographers everywhere. Reaching 100,000 copies in print in the US alone, and 300,000+ worldwide, it shows how anyone can develop the ability to see and shoot great digital photographs. The book explores all the traditional approaches to composition and design, but crucially, it also addresses the new digital technique of shooting in the knowledge that a picture will later be edited, manipulated, or montaged to result in a final image that may be very different from the one seen in the viewfinder.

Features
*Covers both traditional in-camera composition and the new opportunities for picture-making made possible by digital imaging editing
*Shows how to explore situations and locations in order to find the best possible photographic possibilities
*Uses clear examples from real photographic assignments, with schematic illustrations of how and why the pictures work

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On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography

On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography Review

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With this guidebook, photographers learn how to create stunning, professional images while avoiding the common pitfalls of using an on-camera flash. Techniques for using simple accessories—such as bounce cards and diffusers as well as how to improve a lighting scenario by enhancing it rather than overwhelming it—show photographers how to master this challenging aspect of portraiture. For wedding and environmental portrait photographers who must work in ever-changing lighting scenarios, executing these tips to evade flat, lifeless images with harsh shadows, washed-out skin tones, cavernous black backgrounds, and other unappealing visual characteristics results in not only better images, but happier clients and more sales.

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Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) Review

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More than 100 vivid, graphic comparison pictures illustrate every point in this revised classic and can help any photographer maximize the creative impact of his or her exposure decisions. Peterson stresses the importance of metering the subject for a starting exposure, and then explains how to use various exposure meters and different kinds of lighting. The book contains lessons on each element of the exposure-aperature, shutter speed, iso-and how it relates to the other two in terms of depth of field, freezing and blurring action, and shooting in low light or at night. A section on special techniques explores such options as deliberate under- and overexposures, how to produce double exposures, bracketing, shooting the moon, and the use of filters. Understanding Exposure demonstrates that there are always creative choices about how to expose a picture-and that the decision is up to the photographer, not the camera.

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The Magic of Digital Nature Photography (A Lark Photography Book)

The Magic of Digital Nature Photography (A Lark Photography Book) Review

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For anyone who has tried to capture a blazing sunset or catch the stark and simple beauty of bare tree limbs in winter, this manual will prove irresistible. Rather than providing ideas of what to photograph, Sheppard presents invaluable insider techniques and insights: use a histogram to get the ideal exposure, or white balance to create atmospheric images. Find out how to shoot crisp close-ups or awe-inspiring panoramic shots, and how to enhance pictures by using filters such as grads and polarizers. See how computer and image-editing software can turn ordinary images into extraordinary photos. Each section lists 10 Quick Tips for handling common outdoor photography challenges.

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Photography and the Art of Seeing: A Visual Perception Workshop for Film and Digital Photography

Photography and the Art of Seeing: A Visual Perception Workshop for Film and Digital Photography Review

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"Patterson's superb color shots, as well as his explanation of his unique approach to picture-taking, are sure to inspire you to explore fresh avenues in your own photography."
-- The Globe and Mail

The second book in Freeman Patterson's internationally acclaimed series of instructional books on photography and visual design, Photography and the Art of Seeing has now been updated and expanded to include technical guidelines adapted for both digital and film photographers. The jargon-free text provides techniques and innovative exercises for breaking with traditional concepts of design, enabling the photographer to develop a keen awareness of subject matter and a direction for composing the picture.

Photography and the Art of Seeing also offers a workshop for all visual artists that includes lessons on the fundamentals of perception and overcoming obstacles in their work.

This edition features several never-before-published photographs from Freeman Patterson's personal collection and extended captions that include valuable technical information and personal commentary.

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Creative Optical & Digital Filter Techniques (Lark Photography Book)

Creative Optical & Digital Filter Techniques (Lark Photography Book) Review

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In the most comprehensive book on the subject, renowned author Joe Meehan details the use of both optical and digital filters in creative digital photography.

Meehan walks both complete beginner and advanced amateurs through the various ways they can employ neutral density or polarizing filters to even out exposures or use soft-spot and diffusion filters to add atmosphere to portraits. There’s also in-depth instruction on working with digital in-camera filters such as monochrome and sepia, as well as filters in image processing software (like Photoshop and plug-ins) to sharpen, distort, or create brush-stroke effects. 

This is the definitive guide that photographers have been waiting for!

 

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