Digital Photography: The Missing Manual

Digital Photography: The Missing Manual

Released June 2006
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9780596008413

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Book description

Digital Photography: The Missing Manual helps you to take beautiful digital pictures -- of your baby, your trip to Paris, your new pet iguana--and then share the stunning results with your friends and family. Spiked with the advice and humor that are trademarks of the Missing Manual series, this book shows you how to: Master your digital camera. Learn how to use those mysterious buttons and modes to improve your pictures. Take memorable photos. Become a better photographer right away with a few simple tricks from the pros. Edit your photos to remove red eye, or crop out extraneous buildings. Add colors and effects not normally found in nature. Share your pictures using the best programs and Web sites for sharing your photos-in print, online, and via ESP. This is a great book for people who want to get started with digital photography but it's also perfect for those who need to increase the skills they already have. Intermediate digital photographers will love the tips and tricks from the pros and the helpful buying guides for those accessories they're ready to add. Note: This book is Windows-only. For Mac fans, iPhoto 6: The Missing Manual has a whole section on digital photography.

Table of contents

  1. Digital Photography: The Missing Manual
    1. The Missing Credits
      1. About the Authors
      2. About the Creative Team
      3. The Missing Manuals Series
    2. Introduction
      1. Meet Digital Photography
        1. Instant Feedback
        2. Cheap Pix
        3. Take More Risks
        4. Easy Fixes
        5. More Fun
      2. What You Need
      3. About This Book
      4. About the Outline
      5. About → These → Arrows
      6. The Very Basics
      7. About MissingManuals.com
        1. Safari® Enabled
    3. I. Digital Camera Basics
      1. 1. Digital Camera Basics
        1. Point-and-Shoot or Single Lens Reflex?
        2. Image Resolution and Memory Capacity
          1. Resolution for Onscreen Viewing
          2. Resolution for Printing
          3. How Many Pictures per Card?
          4. Memory Card Types
        3. Batteries
        4. Deciphering Optical and Digital Zoom
        5. Image Stabilizer (Vibration Reduction)
        6. Flip Screens for Multiple Viewpoints
        7. Optical Viewfinder
        8. Taking Control with Manual Options
          1. Aperture-Priority Mode
          2. Shutter-Priority Mode
          3. White Balance
          4. Variable “Film” Speed
        9. Improving Autofocus
        10. External Flashes and Other Attachments
        11. Minimizing Shutter Lag
        12. Burst Mode for Rapid-Fire Shooting
        13. Creating Panoramas
        14. Software That Comes with Your Camera
        15. Eliminating Specks (Noise Reduction)
        16. Taking Movies with Your Camera
      2. 2. Pointing, Shooting, and Basic Composition
        1. Composition Explained
        2. Apply the Rule of Thirds
        3. Get Closer for Better Pictures
        4. Eliminate Busy Backgrounds
        5. Go Low, Go High
        6. A Final Thought
      3. 3. Beyond the Simple Snapshot
        1. Shooting Sports and Action
          1. Getting Close to the Action
          2. Using a Fast Shutter
          3. Saving Time by Focusing in Advance
          4. Increasing Your Odds with Multiple Shots
          5. Putting the Spotlight on Your Subject
          6. Action Shot Techniques Summarized
        2. Taking Portraits
          1. Creating Flattering Headshots
            1. Soften the background
            2. Understanding aperture-priority mode
            3. Fill-in flash
            4. Taking the picture
          2. Shooting in Existing or Natural Light
            1. Keeping it steady
            2. Managing existing light sources
            3. Tweaking white balance (color balance)
            4. Taking the picture
          3. Taking Portraits Outdoors
            1. Forcing the flash to fire
            2. Creating a flattering effect with rim lighting
            3. Taking advantage of open shade
          4. Taking Self-Portraits
            1. Creating a neutral backdrop
            2. Taking the picture
        3. Kids and School Performances
          1. Getting Great Kid Shots
          2. Shooting Onstage Performances
            1. Lighting up the stage with spot metering
            2. Adjusting for poor lighting with exposure compensation
            3. Taking the picture
        4. Weddings and Celebrations
          1. Photographing Weddings
        5. Sunsets and Nighttime Photos
          1. Sunsets
            1. Taking the picture
          2. Trailing Car Lights
            1. Bulb mode for extended shutter times
            2. Taking the picture
          3. Star Trails
          4. Twilight Portraits
            1. Slow-synchro or Nighttime flash mode
            2. Taking the picture
          5. Nighttime Portraits
            1. Using forced flash in aperture-priority mode
        6. Landscape and Nature
          1. Making the Most of Natural Light
            1. Shoot with sweet light
            2. Layer your lights and darks
            3. Highlight a foreground object with flash
          2. Shooting Underwater
        7. Photographing Objects
          1. Setting Up Your Home Studio
            1. Taking the picture
          2. Natural Lighting for Objects
        8. Digital Movies
        9. Cameraphone Photography
    4. II. Organizing Your Photos
      1. 4. Getting Photos onto Your PC
        1. Moving Pictures from Camera to Computer
        2. Moving Pictures from a Card Reader to a PC
        3. Importing Photos with a Scanner
          1. Choosing a Scanner
          2. Installing a Scanner
        4. Three Ways to Scan an Image
        5. Using Windows Scanner Wizard
      2. 5. Organizing Photos on Your PC
        1. Organizing Photos with Windows XP
          1. Navigating the My Pictures Folder
          2. Adding New Subfolders
          3. Moving and Copying Photos
          4. Deleting Photos
          5. Customizing Windows Folders for Photos
          6. Examining Photo Properties
        2. Organizing Photos with EasyShare Albums
          1. Getting Your Photos into EasyShare
          2. Creating and Removing Albums
          3. Copying Photos to New Albums
          4. Removing and Deleting Photos
          5. Fine-Tuning Your Organization Strategy
            1. Use albums to divide and conquer your photo library
            2. Use Favorites to single out special photos
            3. Use the “Date taken” and “Last acquired” albums in your photo hunts
            4. Use captions to identify and sort photos
        3. Organizing Photos with Picasa
          1. Getting Your Photos into Picasa
          2. Exploring the Library View
          3. Scrolling Through the Lightbox
            1. Resizing thumbnails
            2. Moving thumbnails within and between folders
            3. Deleting photos
          4. Creating, Editing, and Sorting Folders
            1. Creating a new folder by selecting photos
            2. Editing folder names and descriptions
            3. Sorting your folders and photos
          5. Organizing Folders with Collections
            1. Deleting and renaming collections
          6. Labeling Photos for Quick and Easy Browsing
            1. Creating a new label
            2. Editing label descriptions
            3. Deleting a label
          7. Adding Keywords, Captions, and Stars to Photos
            1. Adding captions to your photos
            2. Adding stars to your photos
          8. Searching for Photos
            1. Refining your search
      3. 6. Storing Your Photos Online
        1. Why Put Your Photos Online?
        2. Choosing an Online Photo Service
        3. Getting Photos Online with EasyShare
          1. Uploading from the EasyShare Program
          2. Uploading Photos with Your Web Browser
        4. Organizing Photos with EasyShare
          1. Arranging Your Photos in an Album
          2. Copying and Moving Photos Between Albums
          3. Deleting Photos from Your Albums
        5. Getting Photos Online with Shutterfly
          1. Uploading Photos with Your Browser
          2. Uploading Photos with Shutterfly Express
          3. Navigating Shutterfly’s Online Tools
            1. Arranging pictures in a Shutterfly album
        6. Organizing Photos with Shutterfly
          1. Moving, Copying, and Deleting Photos
            1. Deleting photos from an album
        7. Getting Photos Online with Snapfish
          1. Uploading Photos with Your Browser
          2. Navigating Snapfish’s Online Tools
            1. Ordering photos within a Snapfish album
        8. Organizing Photos with Snapfish
          1. Moving, Copying, and Deleting Photos
            1. Deleting photos from Snapfish
        9. Getting Photos Online with Flickr
          1. Uploading Photos with Your Browser
          2. Installing and Using Flickr Uploadr
          3. Emailing Photos to Flickr
        10. Organizing Photos with Flickr
          1. Creating a New Photo Set
          2. Browsing and Searching Your Photos by Tag
          3. Deleting Photos from Flickr
          4. Flickr’s Organizr
      4. 7. Backing Up Your Photo Library
        1. Strategies to Protect Your Photos
        2. CD, DVD, or Hard Drive?
          1. CDs (CD-R)
          2. Single Layer DVDs (DVD-R, DVD+R)
          3. Dual Layer DVDs
          4. External Hard Drives
          5. Internal Hard Drives
        3. EasyShare’s Backup Tools
        4. Picasa’s Backup Tools
      5. 8. Organizing and Backing Up with Elements
        1. Importing with the Photo Downloader
          1. Changing Elements’ Download Settings
        2. Browsing Photos in the Organizer
          1. A Tour of the Photo Browser
          2. Navigating Your Photo Folders in Organizer
          3. Viewing Photos by Date
        3. Creating Tags and Categories
        4. Assigning Tags to Photos
        5. Creating Collections
        6. Searching for Photos
          1. Using Tags and Categories to Find Photos
          2. Searching by Metadata
        7. Backing Up with the Organizer
    5. III. Editing Your Photos
      1. 9. Basic Photo Fixes
        1. Common Problems, Easy Fixes
        2. Rotating & Cropping with EasyShare
          1. Rotating Photos
          2. Cropping Photos
        3. Improving Photos with EasyShare
          1. Enhancing Exposure and Color with a Single Click
          2. Adjusting Exposure with Scene Balance
          3. Balancing the Color in Your Photos
        4. Fixing Red Eye with EasyShare
        5. Rotate and Straighten with Picasa
          1. Straightening Your Photos
        6. Cropping Photos with Picasa
        7. Fixing Exposure Problems with Picasa
          1. Adjusting Fill Light in Your Photos
        8. Fixing Contrast & Color with Picasa
          1. The “I’m Feeling Lucky” Button
          2. Applying Auto Contrast and Auto Color
          3. Fine-Tuning Your Photos
        9. Fixing Red Eye with Picasa
      2. 10. Rotating, Cropping, and Resizing with Elements
        1. Changing Your View of Your Photos
          1. Image Views
          2. The Zoom Tool
          3. The Hand Tool
        2. Rotating Photos
          1. Rotating and Flipping Options
        3. Straightening Photos
          1. Straighten Tool
          2. Free Rotate
          3. Straightening Scanned Photos
        4. Cropping Photos
          1. Using the Crop Tool
          2. Cropping Your Image to an Exact Size
          3. Cropping with the Marquee Tool
        5. Changing the Size of Your Photos
          1. Resizing Images for Email and the Web
          2. Resizing for Printing
            1. Resampling
          3. Adding Canvas
      3. 11. Elements’ Quick Fix Tools
        1. A Tour of the Quick Fix Window
          1. The Quick Fix Toolbox
          2. The Quick Fix Control Panel
          3. Different Views: After vs. Before and After
        2. Quick Fix Suggested Workflow
        3. Fixing Red Eye
        4. The Smart Fix
        5. Adjusting Lighting and Contrast
          1. Levels
          2. Contrast
          3. Shadows and Highlights
        6. Correcting Color
          1. Auto Color
          2. Using the Color sliders
        7. Sharpening
      4. 12. Advanced Photo Retouching with Elements
        1. Fixing Exposure Problems
          1. The Shadows/Highlights Command
        2. Sharpening Your Images
          1. Applying the Unsharp Mask
        3. Fixing Blemishes: An Introduction
            1. Spot Healing brush
            2. Healing brush
            3. The Clone Stamp
        4. Correcting the Colors on Your Screen
          1. Getting Started with Calibrating
        5. Taking Control with Levels
          1. Understanding the Histogram
          2. Adjusting Levels: The Eyedropper Method
          3. Adjusting Levels: The Slider Controls
        6. Removing Unwanted Color
          1. Using the Remove Color Cast Tool
          2. Using Color Variations
        7. Making Your Colors More Vibrant
          1. Using the Hue/Saturation Dialog Box
          2. Adjusting Saturation with the Sponge Tool
      5. 13. Creating Special Effects
        1. Adding Effects with EasyShare
          1. Adding an Effect
          2. Scene Effects
          3. Fun Effects
          4. Undoing an Effect
        2. Adding Effects with Picasa
          1. Applying an Effect
          2. The Effects Panel: A Tour
          3. Undoing Picasa’s Effects
        3. Adding Effects with Elements
          1. Applying Filters
          2. Choosing Filter Menu Commands
          3. Navigating the Styles and Effects Palette
          4. A Tour of the Filter Gallery
          5. Filter Categories
        4. Creating Panoramas with Elements
          1. Selecting Photos to Merge
          2. Merging Photos into a Panorama
          3. Adjusting Your Photos
          4. Fine-Tuning Your Panorama
          5. Finishing Up: Creating Your Panorama
    6. IV. Sharing Your Photos
      1. 14. Sharing Your Photos Online
        1. Choosing a Photo-Sharing Service
        2. Sharing Photos with EasyShare
          1. Selecting Photos to Share
          2. Sharing a Slideshow
        3. Sharing Photos with Shutterfly Express
          1. Uploading and Sharing with Shutterfly Express
        4. Sharing Photos with Snapfish
        5. Sharing Photos and Hobbies: Flickr
          1. Flickr’s Many Ways to Share
          2. Creating Contacts
          3. Setting Up Photos for Sharing
          4. Sharing with Groups
        6. Sharing with the Pros: Photo.net
          1. Your Photo.net Portfolio
          2. Uploading Pictures to Photo.net
          3. Viewing Photos and Critiques
      2. 15. Emailing Your Photos
        1. Understanding the File Size Dilemma
        2. Emailing Photos with EasyShare
        3. Emailing Photos with Picasa
        4. Emailing Photos with Elements
          1. Selecting Photos and Recipients
          2. Choosing an Email Format
          3. Finishing Up and Sending Your Email
            1. Photo mail options
            2. PDF slideshows
      3. 16. Printing Your Photos
        1. How to Make Great Prints at Home
          1. Understanding Resolution and Print Size
            1. Calculating resolution
          2. Tweaking Your Printer Settings
          3. Choosing the Right Paper
            1. Paper quality
            2. Aspect ratio
        2. Printing Photos with EasyShare
        3. Printing Photos with Picasa
        4. Printing Photos with Elements
          1. Previewing and Printing from the Editor
            1. Repositioning your photo
            2. Resizing your photo
            3. More print options
          2. Printing from the Organizer
          3. Printing Multiple Images
            1. Contact sheets
            2. Picture packages
        5. Printing at Photo Kiosks
          1. Photo Kiosks: What Goes In
          2. Photo Kiosks: What Comes Out
        6. Ordering Prints Online
        7. Ordering Prints Online with EasyShare
          1. Ordering Prints with the EasyShare Program
          2. Ordering Prints with EasyShare Gallery
        8. Ordering Prints Online with Picasa
        9. Ordering Prints Online with Shutterfly
        10. Ordering Prints Online with Snapfish
        11. Ordering Prints Online with Elements
      4. 17. Creative Photo Projects
        1. Making Slideshows with PhotoShow
        2. Simple Slideshows in Elements
        3. Custom Slideshows in Elements
          1. Slide Show Preferences
          2. Editing Your Slideshow
          3. Adding Special Effects
          4. Saving Your Slideshow
        4. Posters, Calendars, and Photo Books
          1. Posters
          2. Calendars
          3. Custom Photo Books
        5. More Elements Creative Projects
          1. What You Can Create
        6. Photo Mugs, T-Shirts, and More
    7. Index
    8. Colophon

Product information

  • Title: Digital Photography: The Missing Manual
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: June 2006
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9780596008413