by David D. Busch
Eight Quick Full-Color Reference Guides - One Great Price!
8.BOOKS in ONE.1
-Digital Photography Overview
-Your Digital Photography Studio
-Using Digital SLRs
-Taking Great Pictures
-Basics of Image Editing
-Editing with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements
-Restoring Old Photos
-Printing and Sharing Your Digital Images
-Digital Photography Overview
-Your Digital Photography Studio
-Using Digital SLRs
-Taking Great Pictures
-Basics of Image Editing
-Editing with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements
-Restoring Old Photos
-Printing and Sharing Your Digital Images
 |
| Digital Photography AIO Desk Reference 3rd Edition For Dummies |
As a roving photojournalist for more than 20 years, David D. Busch illustrated
his books, magazine articles, and newspaper reports with award-winning
images. He’s operated his own commercial studio, suffocated in formal dress
while shooting weddings-for-hire, and shot sports for a daily newspaper and
Upstate New York college. His photos have been published in magazines as
diverse as Scientific American and Petersen’s PhotoGraphic, and his articles have
appeared in Popular Photography & Imaging, The Rangefinder, The Professional
Photographer, and hundreds of other publications. He’s currently reviewing
digital cameras for CNet and Computer Shopper.
When About.com named its top five books on Beginning Digital Photography,
occupying the #1 and #2 slots were the last edition of this book, Digital
Photography All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, and Busch’s Mastering
Digital Photography. During the past year, he’s had as many as five of his
books listed in the Top 20 of Amazon.com’s Digital Photography Best Seller
list — simultaneously! Busch’s 90 other books published since 1983 include
best-sellers like Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies, and four
books in Wiley’s Digital Field Guide series, with topics ranging from travel
photography to guidebooks for the Nikon D50, D70s, and D200 cameras.
Busch earned top category honors in the Computer Press Awards the
first two years they were given (for Sorry About The Explosion and Secrets
of MacWrite, MacPaint and MacDraw ), and later served as Master of Ceremonies for the awards.
Author’s Acknowledgments
Thanks to Wiley Publishing for the continued innovation that has helped
keep this book fresh and up-to-date, and, now, in full color at a price anyone
can afford. Key personnel include Steve Hayes, Senior Acquisitions Editor;
Kim Darosett, Project Editor; and Andy Hollandbeck, Copy Editor.
Technical Editor Michael D. Sullivan added a great deal to this book in addition
to checking all the text for technical accuracy. A veteran photographer
(in the military sense of the word!), he began his photo career in high school
where he first learned the craft and amazed his classmates by having Monday
morning coverage of Saturday’s big game pictured on the school bulletin
board. Sullivan pursued his interest in photography into the U.S. Navy,
graduating in the top ten of his photo school class. Following Navy photo
assignments in Bermuda and Arizona, he earned a BA degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College.
He became publicity coordinator for Eastman Kodak Company’s largest
division where he directed the press introduction of the company’s major
consumer products and guided their continuing promotion. Following a
25-year stint with Kodak, Sullivan pursued a second career with a PR agency
as a writer-photographer covering technical imaging subjects and producing
articles that appeared in leading trade publications. In recent years, Sullivan
has used his imaging expertise as a Technical Editor specializing in digital
imaging and photographic subjects for top selling books.
Introduction
The future of photography is in your hands, and it’s becoming all digital!
Not since the 19th century, when photographers had to be artisan,
craftsperson, artist, chemist, and public relations expert rolled into one, has
so much of the photographic process been entirely in the control of the
person taking the picture. Now you can compose and view the exact picture
you’re going to take by using your camera’s full liquid crystal display (LCD)
screen. Review the picture an instant after pressing the shutter. If your computer
is nearby, you can upload it seconds later, view a super-large version
on your display, crop it, enhance it, and then make your own sparkling fullcolor
print — all within minutes!
When you go digital, you never need to buy film or wait while your photos
are processed in a lab. You decide which images to print and how large to
make them. You can display your digital photographic work framed on your
wall or displayed proudly over your fireplace. You can make wallet-size
photos, send copies to friends in e-mail, or create an online gallery that can
be viewed by relatives and colleagues over the Web.
And if alchemy is in your blood, you can transform the simplest picture into
a digital masterpiece by using an image editor. Correct your photos, delete
your ex-brother-in-law from a family portrait, or transplant the Eiffel Tower to the seashore.
Digital photography gives you the power to take pictures on a whim or to
create careful professional-quality work that others might be willing to pay
for. The choices are all yours, and digital photography puts all the power in
your hands. All you need is a little information about how to choose and use
your tools and how to put them to work. That’s what you’ll find within the
pages of this thick, comprehensive, all-in-one guidebook.
The most exciting aspect of digital photography is how rapidly the technology
is changing to bring you new capabilities and features that you can use to
improve your pictures. Today, digital cameras with 4-megapixel (mp) or less
resolution are difficult to find except in photo-capable cell phones — and
some cell phones offer 10-megapixel or more resolution! Even the leanest
digital camera you’re likely to find in stores will have 5–6 megapixels of
resolution. I’ve tested models in this range that cost less than $150! You’ll find
7-megapixel and 9-megapixel cameras for $500 or so, and even 10-megapixel
models are widely available for quite a bit less than $1,000. Digital single-lens
reflex cameras (dSLRs) with interchangeable lenses are available from companies
like Nikon, Canon, Olympus, and Sony if you’re willing to pay top dollar.
Adobe Photoshop has bumped up the image editing ante with lots of new
capabilities of interest to digital photographers, and even inexpensive applications
like Adobe Photoshop Elements have more features than you could
find in the most powerful image editor four or five years ago. Your new hardware
and software tools make working with digital images easier while giving
you important new capabilities.
About This Book
This book, now in its third edition and freshly enhanced with full-color
images throughout, has been updated to include all the latest technology
and gadgets available to the digital photographer. It is written for the person
who has a good grasp of using a computer and navigating an operating
system and has at least a cursory knowledge of the operation of a digital
camera. It would help if you had some familiarity with an image editor, such
as Corel Paint Shop Pro, Corel Photo Paint, or Adobe’s Photoshop or
Photoshop Elements. It is intended to be a comprehensive reference book
that you can read cover to cover or reach for when you’re looking for specific
information about a particular task.
Wherever I can, I sneak in a useful tip or an interesting technique to help you
put digital photography to work for your project needs.
If you have some knowledge of conventional photography, this book will
help you fine-tune your capabilities. If you know very little about photography,
there’s help for you here, too. One large chunk of the book — Book IV — is
devoted to tips on the most popular genres of photography, from close-up
and sports photography to travel photography and shooting for publication.
Check out the helpful section on getting the best composition. If you’re puzzled
over what equipment to buy, look to the sections on choosing cameras,
photo accessories, and related equipment, such as printers and scanners.
There’s a new book in this edition especially for you digital single-lens reflex
(dSLR) users, although you’ll find that another book of mine, Digital SLR
Cameras & Photography For Dummies, goes into more detail on the special
features of these more advanced cameras.
This book is broken down into minibooks, each covering a general topic.
Each minibook comprises chapters, each covering a more specific topic
under the general one. Each chapter is then divided into sections, and some
of those sections have subsections. I’m sure you get the picture.
What’s in This Book 3
You can read the book from front to back, or you can dive right into the minibook
or chapter of your choice. Either way works just fine. Any time a concept
is mentioned that isn’t covered in depth in that chapter, you’ll find a
cross-reference to another book and chapter where you’ll find all the details.
If you’re looking for something specific, check out either the Table of Contents or the index.
The Cheat Sheet at the beginning of the book provides helpful information
you’ll use often. Tear it out, tape it to your monitor, and don’t forget to say,
“Thanks.” (You’re welcome.)
And finally, you get pictures. Lots of them. Many of these pictures illustrate
good photo techniques as well as traps to avoid. You’ll find examples of the
kinds of pictures you can take right away and maybe a few that you’ll want
to strive to equal or exceed.
This book contains eight minibooks. The following sections offer a quick synopsis
of what each book contains.
Book I: Digital Photography Overview
This section is your digital photography short course, providing all the information
on a variety of topics that you really need to know to get started. Each
of the six chapters is an overview of topics covered in depth later in the book.
You’ll find the essentials of good digital photography, equipment basics, and
how to acquire digital pictures. Buzz through the quickie introduction into
some of the ways you can edit or restore a photo electronically and take a look
at how you can store and organize your digital photos. Then, if you’re interested
in what’s involved in selecting a printer or scanner, you’ll find all the
basic information summarized for you in an easy-to-understand way.
Book II: Building Your Digital Photography Studio
This book helps you choose the right camera, whether it’s your first digital
camera or the one you’re dreaming about as a replacement for your current
model. You’ll read all the facts on resolution, lens settings, storage, and accessories.
One chapter shows you the requirements for setting up a PC for digital
photography. The good news is that you probably already have everything
you need in your computer. I’ll give you some advice on recommended
upgrades that can make your system work even better with digital images.
You’ll also discover your options for getting pictures from your camera into
your digital darkroom. And, if you want to get the most from your pictures,
you’ll want to read up on how to add a scanner and printer, too.
Book III: Using Digital SLRs
This book provides a concise overview of the tools and capabilities you’ll
find in the latest digital SLR cameras. You find out why these cameras can do
things that their non-SLR counterparts cannot and how to use those features
to improve your photography.
Book IV: Taking Great Pictures
This is the meat of the book for veteran and aspiring photographers alike.
Each of the six chapters is devoted to a different kind of photography. You’ll
see the basic rules for composing great photos — and when to break them.
You’ll discover the secrets of close-up photography and how to make pleasing portraits of individuals and groups. Whether shooting for publication is part of your job description or just a
goal, you’ll find tips on how to take publishable photos and how to market
them. I also include chapters on sports and action photography as well tips on travel photography.
Book V: Basics of Image Editing
This book is your introduction to image editing, providing general tips on what
you can — and can’t — do with popular image editors such as Paint Shop
Pro, Corel PhotoPaint, PhotoImpact, or Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop
Elements. You’ll see the capabilities of these programs, discovering the full
range of tools at your disposal.
The book winds up with a chapter that compares and contrasts the most
popular image editors so you can choose which image editing program you
really need (or whether you might even benefit from owning two!).
Book VI: Editing with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements
This book goes into a little more detail on the use of the two most popular
image editing programs: Adobe Photoshop (favored by professionals) and
Adobe Photoshop Elements (an inexpensive younger sibling that has lots of
power but is still easy to use). You discover the power of making selections,
brush away problems in your digital photos, correct your colors, and apply special effects with filters.
Although this book is not a complete guide to Photoshop, you’ll find lots of
good information you can use right away to try out your digital photo editing
muscles. (For tons of in-depth coverage, read Photoshop CS2 All-in-One Desk
Reference For Dummies, by Barbara Obermeier [Wiley].)
Book VII: Restoring Old Photos
Continue your study of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements with this book,
which shows you how to restore old photos and make some common repairs
to your digital images. Read chapters on scanning in print images, tips for
working with slides and negatives, and some common fixes for vintage photos.
Book VIII: Printing and Sharing Your Digital Images
Your digital photos are going to be so good that you won’t be able to keep
them to yourself. This book provides more information on printing your
photos and shows you ways to share your pictures over the Internet. You’ll
become more comfortable with your printer’s capabilities, discovering all
the things that you can do with photos online, whether it’s showcasing your
pictures among your friends and colleagues or making photo greeting cards,
T-shirts, or other gift items.
Conventions Used in This Book
Digital photography knows no operating system limits. All digital cameras and
many software applications work equally well on a PC and a Macintosh. To
that end, this book is cross-platform. Understandably, some differences do
crop up, particularly in the chapters that deal with image editing. In this book,
Windows commands are given first, followed by Mac commands, like this:
Press Enter (or Return on the Mac) to begin a new line.
Occasionally, text will be specific to one platform or another. Commands
listed often involve using the keyboard along with the mouse — for example,
“Press Shift while dragging with the Rectangular Marquee tool to create a
square,” or “Alt+click (Option+click) the eyeball to redisplay all layers.”
When you see a command arrow (➪) in the text, it indicates that you should
select a command from the menu bar. For example, “Choose Edit➪Define
Custom Shape” means to click the Edit menu and then choose the Define Custom Shape option.
Although this book was written based on the latest digital cameras and the
newest software (such as Print Shop Pro and Photoshop), if you’re still
bouncing around with earlier versions, you can still glean valuable info. You
might just have to poke around a little more to find a tool or option that has
moved — and of course, the topics covering new features won’t be applicable.
But hey, seeing the cool new features might just be the impetus you need
to go out and upgrade!
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Product details
Price
|
|
|---|---|
File Size
| 42,687 KB |
Pages
|
755 p |
File Type
|
PDF format |
ISBN-13
ISBN-10 | 978-0-470-03743-0 0-470-03743-1 |
Copyright
| 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc |
Contents at a Glance
Introduction
Book I: Digital Photography Overview
Chapter 1: The Essentials of Good Digital Photography
Chapter 2: Basics of Equipment
Chapter 3: Acquiring Your Digital Pictures
Chapter 4: Editing or Restoring a Photo Electronically
Chapter 5: Storing and Organizing Your Digital Photos
Chapter 6: Printing and Sharing Your Pictures
Book II: Building Your Digital Photography Studio
Chapter 1: Choosing the Right Camera
Chapter 2: Setting Up a Computer for Digital Photography
Chapter 3: Getting Your Pictures from the Camera to the Digital Darkroom
Chapter 4: Adding a Printer and Scanner
Chapter 5: Picking Up Some Accessories
Book III: Using Digital SLRs
Chapter 1: The Digital SLR Advantage
Chapter 2: Mastering Digital SLR Controls
Chapter 3: Working with Lenses
Book IV: Taking Great Pictures
Chapter 1: Tools and Techniques of Composition
Chapter 2: Close-Up Photography
Chapter 3: Photographing People
Chapter 4: Shooting for Publication
Chapter 5: Sports and Action Photography
Chapter 6: Travel Photography
Book V: Basics of Image Editing
Chapter 1: What You Can and Can’t Do with Image Editing Tools
Chapter 2: Common Editing Options
Chapter 3: Choosing the Right Image Editor for You
Book VI: Editing with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements
Chapter 1: Latest Features of Photoshop CS2 and Photoshop Elements 4.0
Chapter 2: Making Selections
Chapter 3: Brushing Away Problems with Digital Photos
Chapter 4: Restoring Images
Chapter 5: Correcting Faded, Funny, and Funky Colors
Chapter 6: Enhancing Photos with Filters and Special Effects
Book VII: Restoring Old Photos
Chapter 1: Scanning Print Images
Chapter 2: Restoring Images Captured from Slides,
Negatives, and Other Formats
Chapter 3: Some Common Fixes for Vintage Photos
Book VIII: Printing and Sharing Your Digital Images
Chapter 1: Printing Your Final Result
Chapter 2: Sharing Pictures on the Web
Glossary.
Index
Table of Contents
Introduction..........
About This Book..........
What’s in This Book .............
Book I: Digital Photography Overview ................
Book II: Building Your Digital Photography Studio .....
Book III: Using Digital SLRs.......................
Book IV: Taking Great Pictures ........
Book V: Basics of Image Editing....
Book VI: Editing with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements......
Book VII: Restoring Old Photos .....................................
Book VIII: Printing and Sharing Your Digital Images .............
Conventions Used in This Book ...........................
Icons Used in This Book............................
Where to Go from Here...............
Book I: Digital Photography Overview.............................7
Chapter 1: The Essentials of Good Digital Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Knowing What Equipment You Need...........................................................10
Minimum and Maximum Specs ....................................................................12
Taking Great Digital Shots.............................................................................14
Understand how your camera works ................................................14
Know some photography fundamentals ...........................................15
Find out how to use an image editor .................................................15
Master a scanner ..................................................................................15
Making Any Photo Digital..............................................................................16
Printing Your Final Pictures ..........................................................................17
Chapter 2: Basics of Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Deciding What You Need...............................................................................20
How much resolution do you need? ..................................................20
Do you plan to manipulate your photos?..........................................23
Are you a photo hobbyist?..................................................................23
How often do you plan to upgrade?...................................................23
Defining Camera Categories..........................................................................24
Web cams/phone cams........................................................................24
Point-and-shoot models.......................................................................25
Intermediate models ............................................................................26
Advanced consumer models ..............................................................26
Prosumer dSLR models .......................................................................27
Professional models.............................................................................28
Checking for Key Camera Features..............................................................30
Chapter 3: Acquiring Your Digital Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Transferring Images from Your Camera to Your PC...................................33
Grabbing Digital Images of Prints and Slides..............................................35
Kinds of scanners .................................................................................35
What to look for in a scanner..............................................................36
Letting a Professional Do It...........................................................................38
Chapter 4: Editing or Restoring a Photo Electronically . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Choosing an Image-Editing Program............................................................40
Determining your needs ......................................................................41
Checking out different applications...................................................41
Performing Photographic Triage..................................................................44
Making Quick Fixes ........................................................................................45
Fixing red-eye........................................................................................45
Removing dust spots ...........................................................................47
Correcting color....................................................................................50
Restoring, Replacing, and Removing Photographic Content ...................52
Replacing missing or unwanted content ...........................................53
Rearranging parts of the picture ........................................................57
Getting rid of unwanted content ........................................................59
Chapter 5: Storing and Organizing Your Digital Photos . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Organizing Your Photos.................................................................................61
Using your computer’s file-management tools.................................62
Using photo album software...............................................................66
Using online galleries...........................................................................69
Archiving and Backing Up Photos................................................................70
Backing up your best shots.................................................................70
Using CD-R and CD-RW........................................................................71
DVD storage ..........................................................................................71
Offsite storage for maximum safety...................................................72
Chapter 6: Printing and Sharing Your Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Creating Prints on Demand...........................................................................74
Getting the Most from Your Printer and Supplies......................................75
Sharing Your Photos ......................................................................................76
Book II: Building Your Digital Photography Studio ........77
Chapter 1: Choosing the Right Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Choosing a Camera Category .......................................................................80
Examining the Parts of a Digital Camera.....................................................82
Evaluating Your Lens Requirements............................................................85
Understanding How Lenses Work ................................................................86
Magnifications and focal lengths........................................................87
Lens apertures ......................................................................................91
Focus range ...........................................................................................93
Exposure controls ................................................................................93
Selecting Your Resolution .............................................................................97
Choosing Your View.....................................................................................100
LCD viewfinders..................................................................................101
Optical viewfinders ............................................................................103
Electronic viewfinders (EVFs) ..........................................................104
SLR viewfinders ..................................................................................106
Considering Your Storage Options ............................................................107
No Flash in the Pan: Determining Your Lighting Needs ..........................108
A Dozen Exotic Digital Camera Features...................................................110
Checking Out Ease of Use ...........................................................................111
Chapter 2: Setting Up a Computer for Digital Photography . . . . . . . .113
Hardware Wars Revisited ............................................................................114
What Equipment Do You Need? .................................................................118
Determining How Much Memory You Need .............................................119
Choosing Local Storage...............................................................................120
SCSI and EIDE hard drives.................................................................121
External hard drives...........................................................................122
Archiving and Backing Up...........................................................................122
Zip disks (R.I.P.) ..................................................................................123
CD-Rs and CD-RWs .............................................................................123
DVDs.....................................................................................................123
Avoiding Microprocessor No-brainers ......................................................123
Determining What’s Most Important .........................................................124
Choosing Pointing Devices .........................................................................127
Chapter 3: Getting Your Pictures from the Camera
to the Digital Darkroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Making the Connection between Camera and Computer .......................130
Getting Wired................................................................................................131
Serial cable ..........................................................................................131
USB .......................................................................................................132
FireWire................................................................................................133
Riding the (infrared) light wave .......................................................134
Transfers with teeth (blue) ...............................................................135
Memory Cards .............................................................................................135
CompactFlash cards...........................................................................137
Secure Digital/MMC cards .................................................................138
Memory Stick ......................................................................................139
SmartMedia cards ..............................................................................140
PC Cards ..............................................................................................140
Mini-CD ................................................................................................140
Microdrive ...........................................................................................140
Transferring Images from Camera to Computer ......................................141
Transferring pictures using camera utility software .....................141
Copying files to your hard drive.......................................................143
Importing images into image editing software ...............................145
Chapter 4: Adding a Printer and Scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Why You Want Prints ...................................................................................148
Choosing a Printer for Digital Photography .............................................149
Choosing a Scanner .....................................................................................152
What you can do with a scanner ......................................................152
Types of scanners ..............................................................................153
Scanner Prices and Features ......................................................................154
Entry-level scanners...........................................................................154
Intermediate scanners .......................................................................155
Advanced (or business) scanners....................................................155
Professional (or prosumer) scanners..............................................155
What Scanner Features Do You Need? ......................................................156
Scan quality.........................................................................................156
Scanner speed.....................................................................................156
Scanning size.......................................................................................157
Physical size........................................................................................157
Film scanning ......................................................................................157
Configuration ......................................................................................158
Bundled software................................................................................158
Type of sensor ....................................................................................159
Scanner interface................................................................................159
Color depth .........................................................................................160
Resolution Mythconceptions......................................................................160
Color Depth Confusion ................................................................................161
Chapter 5: Picking Up Some Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Getting Support from Tripods ....................................................................164
Types of tripods .................................................................................166
Scrutinizing tripod features ..............................................................167
Checking out tripod alternatives......................................................170
Making Good Use of an Electronic Flash...................................................170
Types of electronic flash units..........................................................172
What to look for in a photographic slave flash ..............................174
Lighting/flash accessories.................................................................175
Choosing a Camera Bag...............................................................................176
Acquiring Other Useful Devices .................................................................176
A filter holder......................................................................................176
A second camera ................................................................................177
Cleaning kits........................................................................................177
Waterproof casings and housings ....................................................178
Filters ...................................................................................................179
Battery packs ......................................................................................180
Book III: Using Digital SLRs ......................................181
Chapter 1: The Digital SLR Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Six Great dSLR Features ..............................................................................184
A bigger, brighter view.......................................................................184
Faster operation .................................................................................185
Lenses, lenses, and more lenses ......................................................185
Better image quality...........................................................................185
Camera-like operation........................................................................185
More control over depth of field ......................................................186
Six dSLR Drawbacks You Can Live With....................................................186
No LCD preview ..................................................................................186
Limited viewing angles ......................................................................187
Lack/expense of super-wide lenses..................................................187
Dirt and dust .......................................................................................188
No movies............................................................................................188
Weight and size...................................................................................188
How Digital SLRs Work ................................................................................188
Managing dSLR Quirks.................................................................................191
Noise about noise...............................................................................191
The real dirt on sensors ....................................................................192
Going in crop factor circles...............................................................194
Chapter 2: Mastering Digital SLR Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197
Exposure Controls........................................................................................198
Metering modes..................................................................................198
Correcting exposure...........................................................................199
Other exposure adjustments ............................................................200
Shooting modes ..................................................................................202
Focus Controls..............................................................................................203
Other Controls..............................................................................................205
Chapter 3: Working with Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207
Optical Allusions ..........................................................................................207
Primes or Zooms ..........................................................................................210
Pros for primes ...................................................................................210
Prose for zooms..................................................................................210
Special Features ...........................................................................................212
Book IV: Taking Great Pictures...................................215
Chapter 1: Tools and Techniques of Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217
Photo Composition: The Big Picture .........................................................218
Visualizing a Concept for Your Picture......................................................219
What do you want your image to say?.............................................219
Where will the image be used? .........................................................220
Whom are you creating the image for?............................................221
Selecting a Subject and a Center of Interest .............................................221
Narrowing down your subject matter..............................................221
Choosing one main subject...............................................................222
Using secondary subjects .................................................................224
Choosing an Orientation .............................................................................224
Arranging Your Subjects..............................................................................227
Choosing subject distance ................................................................227
Optimizing backgrounds ...................................................................229
The Rule of Thirds .......................................................................................230
Placing important objects at imaginary junction points...............230
When to break the Rule of Thirds ....................................................231
Incorporating Direction and Movement....................................................232
Using Straight Lines and Curves ................................................................234
Balancing an Image ......................................................................................236
Framing an Image .........................................................................................237
What’s That Tree Doing Growing Out of My Head? .................................239
Chapter 2: Close-Up Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241
Defining Macro Photography......................................................................242
Why Digital Macro Photography Is Cool ...................................................244
Picking a Place to Shoot ..............................................................................245
Setting Up Your Macro Studio ....................................................................246
Background check..............................................................................247
Visible means of support...................................................................249
Lighting equipment ............................................................................251
Other equipment ................................................................................254
Shooting Tips for Macro Photography......................................................256
Positioning your subject and background ......................................256
Setting up your camera .....................................................................256
Lights, please ......................................................................................257
Ready . . . aim . . . ................................................................................257
Fire!.......................................................................................................260
Digital SLRs and Close-Up Photography ...................................................262
Chapter 3: Photographing People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265
Capturing Satisfying Portraits ....................................................................266
Shooting in the Studio or on Location.......................................................268
Setting Up an Informal Portrait Studio ......................................................270
Choosing backgrounds ......................................................................270
Selecting supports for lights, camera, and subjects......................272
Basic lighting equipment...................................................................274
Professional studio lighting ..............................................................277
Lighting gadgets .................................................................................278
Lighting Basics .............................................................................................284
Using multiple light sources .............................................................285
Arranging a multiple-light setup.......................................................286
Basic Lighting Techniques for Shooting Multiple Sittings Quickly........292
Advanced Lighting Techniques for More Outstanding Portraits...........292
Short lighting ......................................................................................293
Broad lighting......................................................................................294
Butterfly lighting.................................................................................295
Backlighting.........................................................................................297
Preparing to Take Your First Portraits ......................................................298
Working on a tight schedule .............................................................298
When you have more time ................................................................300
Shooting the Portrait ...................................................................................303
Seating your subjects.........................................................................303
Posing your subjects..........................................................................304
Arranging your lighting......................................................................307
Taking the picture ..............................................................................307
Advantages of Digital Cameras...................................................................308
Chapter 4: Shooting for Publication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Finding Outlets for Print Publication.........................................................312
Breaking into Newspaper Photography ....................................................314
Submitting photos to your local newspaper ..................................314
Working as a professional newspaper photographer....................317
Magazines and Magazine-Like Markets .....................................................321
Exploring magazine photography ....................................................321
Getting into book publishing and stock photography...................323
Gathering publishable photographs................................................324
Making contact with a publication...................................................325
Submitting your photos.....................................................................327
Getting model releases ......................................................................327
Shooting Groups for Publication................................................................328
Understanding group photography basics .....................................328
Photographing groups of two to two dozen ...................................329
Composing effective group shots.....................................................330
Managing the group ...........................................................................331
PR Photography ...........................................................................................332
Executive portraits.............................................................................332
Company events .................................................................................335
Arranging a PR event worth photographing...................................336
Other photo-worthy events ..............................................................336
Producing placeable PR photos .......................................................337
Printing your PR photos ....................................................................338
Writing cutlines...................................................................................338
Preparing the cutline for submission ..............................................339
Submitting the photo .........................................................................340
Following up........................................................................................340
Product Photography ..................................................................................341
Product shot opportunities ..............................................................342
Product demo shots...........................................................................342
Chapter 5: Sports and Action Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345
Choosing Your Weapons for Sports Photography ...................................345
Digital Camera Features and Action Photography...................................347
Viewfinder ...........................................................................................347
Electronic flash ...................................................................................349
Tripods ................................................................................................349
Lenses and attachments....................................................................350
Latency and Shutter Lag .............................................................................352
Dealing with latency of your camera ...............................................352
Coping with shutter lag .....................................................................353
Timing your shot properly ................................................................353
Choosing Your Sport and Your Spot ..........................................................355
Football................................................................................................356
Baseball and softball..........................................................................358
Basketball ............................................................................................359
Soccer ..................................................................................................360
Other sports........................................................................................360
Winter sports: A special case ...........................................................364
Exploring Action Photo Techniques ..........................................................365
Setting your ISO speed.......................................................................365
Freezing action with fast shutter speeds
or an accessory flash ....................................................................366
Stopping action with slow shutter speeds......................................367
Panning ................................................................................................369
Capturing action approaching the camera .....................................370
Using blur creatively ..........................................................................371
Taking the Picture ........................................................................................373
Capturing great sports moments .....................................................373
Setting up for predictable action......................................................374
Photographing action sequences.....................................................375
Chapter 6: Travel Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
Getting the Right Gear .................................................................................377
Selecting a camera for your needs...................................................378
Choosing key features for travel photography...............................380
Selecting lenses for travel .................................................................381
Considering a tripod ..........................................................................382
Investing in an accessory flash.........................................................383
Selecting a camera bag ......................................................................384
Keeping your camera powered.........................................................385
Picking up other useful devices........................................................388
Getting Ready to Go on the Road...............................................................390
Meeting Your Storage Requirements .........................................................390
Tried-and-True Travel Photography Techniques.....................................391
Shooting scenics.................................................................................392
Capturing monuments and architecture .........................................393
Shooting panoramas ..........................................................................397
Shooting adventure sports................................................................399
Photographing people .......................................................................401
Capturing people and their environments......................................403
Documenting Your Trip ...............................................................................405
Varying your shots .............................................................................405
Composing your shots.......................................................................406
Getting organized ...............................................................................408
Book V: Basics of Image Editing.................................413
Chapter 1: What You Can and Can’t Do with Image Editing Tools . . .415
Correcting Colors.........................................................................................416
You can’t add color that isn’t there .................................................417
Fixing color casts................................................................................417
Causes of color catastrophe .............................................................420
Adjusting Brightness and Contrast............................................................421
Murky shadows and washed-out highlights ...................................424
Maintaining consistency....................................................................425
Reviving lost detail.............................................................................427
Using Blurring and Sharpening Tools........................................................428
Sharpening here and there................................................................429
Blurring for effect ...............................................................................430
Removing Artifacts (Tiny Blemishes)........................................................433
Finding an artifact’s source...............................................................434
Sweeping away dust...........................................................................435
Painting over the dirt.........................................................................436
Smudging or blurring out the paint lines ........................................436
Spackling Over More Serious Damage.......................................................438
Preparing your digital spackle..........................................................439
Replacing content that’s ripped or torn away................................439
Removing Unwanted Image Content..........................................................441
Combining Pictures......................................................................................443
Pasting content from other images..................................................444
Using layers to create overlapping images .....................................446
Adjusting opacity for interesting effects .........................................447
Chapter 2: Common Editing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449
Checking Out Your Editing Toolkit.............................................................450
Painting Tools ...............................................................................................451
Customizing your Brush and Pencil tools.......................................453
Choosing a paint color.......................................................................454
Applying the paint..............................................................................457
Selection Tools .............................................................................................463
Making geometric selections ............................................................464
Drawing freeform selections .............................................................469
Selecting pixels by color with the Magic Wand..............................474
Blending Tools..............................................................................................477
Smudging and smearing your colors ...............................................477
Blurring the edges ..............................................................................478
Using the Scratch Remover...............................................................480
Correction Tools...........................................................................................481
Using the Sponge tool to add and remove color............................482
Adjusting lights and darks ................................................................483
Chapter 3: Choosing the Right Image Editor for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . .487
Looking at Popular Image Editors: The Basics.........................................488
Adobe Photoshop — Alone at the Top......................................................489
What’s good about Photoshop .........................................................490
What’s not so good about Photoshop .............................................491
What you can do with Photoshop....................................................492
Where to get Photoshop....................................................................493
The Best of the Rest.....................................................................................494
Adobe Photoshop Elements..............................................................494
Corel PhotoPaint ................................................................................497
Corel Paint Shop Pro..........................................................................500
Corel Painter .......................................................................................502
Macromedia Fireworks ......................................................................506
Ulead PhotoImpact.............................................................................509
Microsoft Digital Image......................................................................511
Roxio PhotoSuite ................................................................................514
Apple iPhoto .......................................................................................516
Deciding Whether You Need More Than One Image Editor ...................517
Book VI: Editing with Photoshop
and Photoshop Elements ................519
Chapter 1: Latest Features of Photoshop CS2
and Photoshop Elements 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . .521
The Relationship between Photoshop and Photoshop Elements .........521
What’s New in Photoshop CS2 ...................................................................522
What’s New in Elements 4.0 ........................................................................523
Chapter 2: Making Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .525
Making Simple Selections with the Marquee Tools .................................525
Selecting geometric shapes ..............................................................526
Selecting single-pixel rows and columns.........................................527
Adding to, reducing, and combining selections .............................528
Snagging Irregular Shapes with the Lasso Tools......................................531
Selecting freeform shapes .................................................................531
Selecting magnetically .......................................................................534
The Magic Wand Tool’s Digital Prestidigitation .......................................535
Making and adjusting selections based on color ...........................536
Controlling the magic.........................................................................536
Specialized Selection Tools.........................................................................537
Working with the Selection Brush tool ............................................537
Selecting in Quick Mask mode..........................................................538
Using the Select Menu .................................................................................539
Chapter 3: Brushing Away Problems with Digital Photos . . . . . . . . .541
Photoshop and Photoshop Elements’ Painting and Drawing Tools ......541
Working with Brushes and Pencils ............................................................542
Painting with the Brush tool .............................................................543
Working with the Pencil tool.............................................................545
Customizing Your Brushes and Pencils.....................................................545
Choosing the right size and shape...................................................547
Obtaining third-party brush sets......................................................550
Chapter 4: Restoring Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .551
Adding Light and Shadows .........................................................................552
Using the Dodge tool to lighten tones .............................................552
Burning your image to darken areas................................................554
Using Smudging, Sharpening, and Blurring Tools....................................555
Finger painting to blend colors and textures .................................556
Using the Sharpen tool to add detail ...............................................558
Blurring some or all of your image...................................................560
Finding Relief with the Healing Tools ........................................................562
Using the Healing Brush ....................................................................562
Working with the Patch tool .............................................................565
Cloning content to cover damage and unwanted content............567
Chapter 5: Correcting Faded, Funny, and Funky Colors . . . . . . . . . . .571
Using Automated Tools in Photoshop and Elements ..............................572
Auto Correction in Photoshop..........................................................572
Auto Correction in Photoshop Elements ........................................572
Adjusting Color Balance..............................................................................573
Adjusting color levels ........................................................................573
Using the Variations dialog box........................................................574
Equalizing colors ................................................................................576
Fixing a color cast ..............................................................................578
Displaying and using channels .........................................................579
Working with Color Intensity and Quality.................................................580
Increasing and decreasing color intensity ......................................581
Tinkering with brightness and contrast ..........................................582
Riding the curves ...............................................................................583
Removing Red-Eye .......................................................................................583
Chapter 6: Enhancing Photos with Filters and Special Effects . . . . .585
Working with Photoshop’s and Photoshop Elements’ Filters ................586
Understanding how filters work.......................................................586
Fixing flaws with corrective filters ...................................................587
Turning photos into paintings with artistic filters.........................594
Going a little crazy with special effects filters................................594
The Photoshop Elements Styles and Effects Tab Palette........................600
Displaying and moving the tab .........................................................602
Applying an effect...............................................................................602
Getting Your Hands on Third-Party Filters ...............................................604
Book VII: Restoring Old Photos...................................607
Chapter 1: Scanning Print Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .609
Prepping an Image for a Scan .....................................................................610
Working with Scanner Settings...................................................................611
Choosing a resolution ........................................................................612
Interpolate, schmerpolate.................................................................616
Sharpening ..........................................................................................618
Blurring/descreening .........................................................................619
Knowing when to halftone ................................................................620
Other scanner controls......................................................................620
Chapter 2: Restoring Images Captured from
Slides, Negatives, and Other Formats . . . . . . . .623
Film and Photography .................................................................................624
Why Scan Film?.............................................................................................625
Scanning Options .........................................................................................626
Let the pros do it ................................................................................626
Buy a slide scanner ............................................................................627
Use a transparency-capable flatbed.................................................627
Try the Rube Goldberg approach.....................................................628
Examining Different Types of Film Originals ............................................629
Prints....................................................................................................629
Slides....................................................................................................630
Transparencies ...................................................................................631
Black-and-white or color negatives..................................................631
Exotica .................................................................................................632
Scanning Film................................................................................................633
Prepping the film ................................................................................633
Performing the scan...........................................................................635
Chapter 3: Some Common Fixes for Vintage Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . .637
Repairing Vintage Photos: The Basics.......................................................638
Replacing Depth and Detail ........................................................................640
Shedding light on the subject ...........................................................640
Don’t be afraid of dark shadows ......................................................641
Creating focus by sharpening images..............................................642
Correcting Faded Colors .............................................................................644
Adjusting color levels ........................................................................644
Increasing saturation .........................................................................645
Adding color adjustment layers .......................................................645
Getting Nostalgic with Sepia Tones ...........................................................648
Evening out existing sepia tones ......................................................648
Converting a black-and-white photo to sepia tone ........................649
Rip! Replacing Torn or Missing Content....................................................650
Book VIII: Printing and Sharing Your Digital Images ...653
Chapter 1: Printing Your Final Result . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .655
Why Do You Need Prints? ...........................................................................655
Evaluating Your Printing Options...............................................................657
Inkjet printers .....................................................................................657
Laser printers .....................................................................................657
Dye-sublimation printers...................................................................658
Touring the Print Process ...........................................................................658
Preventing surprises with Print Preview.........................................659
Understanding your output options ................................................660
Printing your photos..........................................................................660
Using Professional Printing Services.........................................................661
Choosing a service bureau................................................................662
Tell them what you want, what you really, really want .................662
Knowing when you need a service bureau .....................................663
Chapter 2: Sharing Pictures on the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .665
Appreciating the Advantages of Web Sharing ..........................................665
Sharing personal photos with family and friends ..........................667
Sharing images with business associates .......................................668
Choosing a Sharing System.........................................................................669
Using commercial sharing sites and services.................................670
Displaying images on your own Web space....................................671
Glossary ...................................................................675
Index........................................................................697
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