Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 3rd Edition

Book description

Even film diehards have a tough time resisting the instant gratification of the digital camera. Today's digital cameras are more affordable then ever before, and they deliver high quality images that are a snap to share. Plus, you can take risks with a digital camera you never would with a film camera. You waste nothing; there's no film required, and because you only print the pictures you need, digital photography is cost effective and environmentally friendly.

But to take full advantage of a digital camera, you need to be an experienced photographer and an expert at digital photography too. With more than 15 years of experience as a photojournalist, author Derrick Story brings you Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 3rd Edition. For everyone who owns or will own a digital camera (and that pretty much means everyone!), this is the perfect on-the-go guide for taking top-notch digital photos.

In this third edition of the bestselling pocket guide, Story expands on the basic photography techniques that he introduced in earlier editions, including an explanation of each camera component and what it does, tips for choosing just the right settings for your needs, and much more. This indispensable guide covers everything from how to shoot sports action, close ups, and night shots, to dealing with image resolution, archiving, and memory cards.

Affordable and portable, Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 3rd Edition offers full-color photographs, screen shots, and line art illustrating all the topics in the guide's three main sections ("Digital Camera Components," "Standard Camera Functions," and "How Do I?"). Contents are labeled A to Z for quick reference. There's also a comprehensive table of contents and index so you'll waste no time flipping to the specific information you need--whether you want to transfer images, make a QuickTime movie, or just figure out what purpose that mystery setting on your camera serves. There's even a section of easy-to-read reference tables for quick look-up of white balance settings, exposure compensation, camera mode explanations, and plenty more.

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Table of contents

  1. Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 3rd Edition
    1. SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly
    2. Copyright
    3. Who's in Charge?
      1. What's New in This Third Edition?
    4. 1. What Is It?A Tour of Your Digital Camera
      1. 1.1. Overview of Camera Categories
      2. 1.2. Feature and Component Comparisons
        1. 1.2.1. Anatomy of a Compact Camera
          1. 1.2.1.1. Flash
          2. 1.2.1.2. Focus assist light
          3. 1.2.1.3. Microphone port
          4. 1.2.1.4. Optical viewfinder lens
          5. 1.2.1.5. Picture-taking lens
          6. 1.2.1.6. Confirmation light
          7. 1.2.1.7. Display control button
          8. 1.2.1.8. LCD monitor
          9. 1.2.1.9. Menu button
          10. 1.2.1.10. Mode dial
          11. 1.2.1.11. Multifunctional jog dial
          12. 1.2.1.12. Set/OK button
          13. 1.2.1.13. Trash button
          14. 1.2.1.14. Computer connection
          15. 1.2.1.15. Shutter button
          16. 1.2.1.16. Tripod socket
          17. 1.2.1.17. Video out connection
          18. 1.2.1.18. Zoom/magnify lever
          19. 1.2.1.19. Battery
          20. 1.2.1.20. Direct Print
          21. 1.2.1.21. Image sensor
          22. 1.2.1.22. Memory card
          23. 1.2.1.23. PictBridge
          24. 1.2.1.24. RAM buffer
          25. 1.2.1.25. USB Mass Storage
        2. 1.2.2. Advanced Amateur Cameras
          1. 1.2.2.1. Battery types
          2. 1.2.2.2. Diopter adjustment
          3. 1.2.2.3. Exposure metering options
          4. 1.2.2.4. Hotshoe
          5. 1.2.2.5. Image stabilizer
          6. 1.2.2.6. Infrared sensor
          7. 1.2.2.7. LCD viewfinders that swivel
          8. 1.2.2.8. Memory card options
          9. 1.2.2.9. Remote release
          10. 1.2.2.10. Zoom lenses
        3. 1.2.3. Professional Cameras
          1. 1.2.3.1. Electronic flashes
          2. 1.2.3.2. Image sensors
          3. 1.2.3.3. Optics
          4. 1.2.3.4. WiFi image transfer
        4. 1.2.4. Hybrid Devices
          1. 1.2.4.1. Cameraphones
          2. 1.2.4.2. DV Camcorders That Capture Stills
          3. 1.2.4.3. Still Cameras That Record High-Quality Movies
      3. 1.3. Putting It All Together
    5. 2. What Does It Do?
      1. 2.1. Digital Camera Controls A–Z
        1. 2.1.1. Aperture Value (Av) Mode
        2. 2.1.2. Autoexposure
        3. 2.1.3. AVI
        4. 2.1.4. Burst/Continuous Shooting Mode
        5. 2.1.5. Close-ups
        6. 2.1.6. Composition
          1. 2.1.6.1. Get closer.
          2. 2.1.6.2. Remember the Rule of Thirds.
          3. 2.1.6.3. Eliminate busy backgrounds.
          4. 2.1.6.4. Go high, go low.
          5. 2.1.6.5. Simple is better.
        7. 2.1.7. Compression and Image Quality
        8. 2.1.8. Continuous Shooting Mode
        9. 2.1.9. Deleting Images
        10. 2.1.10. Digital Zoom
        11. 2.1.11. DNG
        12. 2.1.12. Erasing Images
        13. 2.1.13. Exposure Compensation
        14. 2.1.14. Exposure Lock
        15. 2.1.15. Exposure Metering
        16. 2.1.16. File Formats (Still Images)
        17. 2.1.17. Film Speed
        18. 2.1.18. Flash Compensation
        19. 2.1.19. Flash Modes
          1. 2.1.19.1. Auto
          2. 2.1.19.2. Red eye reduction
          3. 2.1.19.3. Auto red eye reduction
          4. 2.1.19.4. Flash on
          5. 2.1.19.5. Flash off
          6. 2.1.19.6. Slow-synchro flash
        20. 2.1.20. Focus Lock
        21. 2.1.21. Format Card
        22. 2.1.22. Infinity Lock
        23. 2.1.23. ISO Speed
        24. 2.1.24. JPEG
        25. 2.1.25. Macro Mode
        26. 2.1.26. Magnify Control
        27. 2.1.27. Manual Exposure Mode
        28. 2.1.28. Movie Mode
          1. 2.1.28.1. Hold the camera steady during filming.
          2. 2.1.28.2. Shoot in good lighting.
          3. 2.1.28.3. Frame your subjects tightly.
        29. 2.1.29. MPEG-4 Movie Format
        30. 2.1.30. Panorama Mode
        31. 2.1.31. Partial Metering Area
        32. 2.1.32. Photo Effects
          1. 2.1.32.1. Black and white
          2. 2.1.32.2. Blackboard
          3. 2.1.32.3. Low sharpening
          4. 2.1.32.4. Sepia tone
          5. 2.1.32.5. Vivid color
          6. 2.1.32.6. Whiteboard
        33. 2.1.33. Programmed Autoexposure
        34. 2.1.34. Protect Images
        35. 2.1.35. RAW
        36. 2.1.36. Resolution
        37. 2.1.37. Self-Timer
        38. 2.1.38. Sequence Shooting
        39. 2.1.39. Shutter Priority Mode
        40. 2.1.40. Spot Meter
        41. 2.1.41. TIFF
        42. 2.1.42. Timed Value (Tv) Mode
          1. 2.1.42.1. Sports events
          2. 2.1.42.2. Children playing outdoors
          3. 2.1.42.3. Running water
          4. 2.1.42.4. Streaking lights
        43. 2.1.43. White Balance
          1. 2.1.43.1. Daylight
          2. 2.1.43.2. Cloudy
          3. 2.1.43.3. Tungsten
          4. 2.1.43.4. Fluorescent
          5. 2.1.43.5. Fluorescent H
        44. 2.1.44. Zoom/Magnify Control
      2. 2.2. Putting It All Together
    6. 3. How Do I…?Tips and Tricks for Shooting and Sharing
      1. 3.1. Shooting Tips and Tricks: How Do I…
        1. 3.1.1. Take Great Outdoor Portraits
          1. 3.1.1.1. Try adding supplemental light from the flash or a reflector.
          2. 3.1.1.2. Learn to love high clouds and overcast days.
          3. 3.1.1.3. Get close.
          4. 3.1.1.4. Avoid harsh side lighting on faces.
          5. 3.1.1.5. Don't show frustration.
          6. 3.1.1.6. Avoid skimping on time or the number of frames you shoot.
          7. 3.1.1.7. Don't torture models by making them look into the sun.
          8. 3.1.1.8. Avoid busy backgrounds.
          9. 3.1.1.9. Soft background portraits
          10. 3.1.1.10. Rim lighting for portraits
        2. 3.1.2. Set Up Group Shots
        3. 3.1.3. Capture Existing-Light Portraits
        4. 3.1.4. Take Passport Photos and Self-Portraits
        5. 3.1.5. Take Interesting Kid Shots
        6. 3.1.6. Capture Engaging Travel Locations
        7. 3.1.7. Take Pictures at Weddings
        8. 3.1.8. Prevent Red Eye
        9. 3.1.9. Take Pictures from the Stands at Sporting Events
        10. 3.1.10. Capture Action Shots
        11. 3.1.11. Shoot in Museums
        12. 3.1.12. Shoot Architecture Like a Pro
        13. 3.1.13. Shoot Items Using Tabletop Photography
        14. 3.1.14. Create Powerful Landscape Images
          1. 3.1.14.1. Work with "magic light."
          2. 3.1.14.2. Keep your compositions simple.
          3. 3.1.14.3. Don't put the horizon line in the middle of the frame.
          4. 3.1.14.4. Look for converging lines to give the eye a path to follow.
          5. 3.1.14.5. Alternate dark and light tones.
          6. 3.1.14.6. Use a tripod when possible.
          7. 3.1.14.7. Be patient.
          8. 3.1.14.8. Use a polarizing filter.
          9. 3.1.14.9. Protect against lens flare by shielding the front glass element of your camera from the sun.
          10. 3.1.14.10. Shoot at the highest resolution and sharpness your camera allows.
          11. 3.1.14.11. Get out and walk.
          12. 3.1.14.12. Don't increase your ISO speed setting to cope with low light.
        15. 3.1.15. Shoot Infrared Images
        16. 3.1.16. Take Flash Pictures of People Who Blink at Flash
      2. 3.2. Computer Tips and Tricks: How Do I…
        1. 3.2.1. Send Pictures via Email
        2. 3.2.2. Share Pictures on the Web
        3. 3.2.3. Get Photo-Quality Prints
        4. 3.2.4. Present a Digital Slideshow
        5. 3.2.5. Work with RAW Files
        6. 3.2.6. Archive Images for Future Use
        7. 3.2.7. Manage Movies Made with a Digital Camera
        8. 3.2.8. Stitch Together Video Clips into Short Movies
          1. 3.2.8.1. Editing tools
          2. 3.2.8.2. Full-screen playback
          3. 3.2.8.3. Additional audio and video controls
      3. 3.3. Where to Go from Here
    7. A. Appendix
    8. Index
    9. About the Author
    10. SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly

Product information

  • Title: Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 3rd Edition
  • Author(s): Derrick Story
  • Release date: August 2005
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9780596553159