Digital Photographer's Handbook: 7th Edition of the Best-Selling Photography Manual

by Tom Ang

Overview

Discover how to get the very best from your photography with clear step-by-step guidance from expert photographer, Tom Ang.  

In this fully comprehensive photography companion, renowned photographer and teacher Tom Ang teaches you how to capture, enhance, and transform your photographs.

The first half of the book explains all of the essential techniques that every photographer needs to learn - from how to handle your camera correctly and understand its features, to composing a successful shot.

The second half develops your understanding of photography, guiding you through a range of projects that focus on different photographic genres and subjects, including landscapes, cityscapes, and live events. It explains how to digitally enhance your images, not only to improve the original shot, but also to apply creative techniques that will take your image to a new level. This section also gives advice on the best way to share your work, to choosing the most suitable equipment, and should you wish, how to develop a career in photography.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781465494238
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	03/10/2020
Series:	DK Tom Ang Photography Guides
Edition description:	Seventh Edition of the Best-Selling Photography Manual
Pages:	408
Sales rank:	517,605
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Tom Ang is an award-winning photographer and best-selling author, and is the host of BBC TV's A Digital Picture of Britain. He was Senior Lecturer in Photographic Practice at the University of Westminster, London, for 12 years and has worked as a technical and picture editor for numerous specialist magazines.

His own photographs have been exhibited around the world, and he has contributed to magazines such as What Digital Camera, MacUser, and Creative Arts. Tom won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for his photographic coverage of the Marco Polo Expedition, which retraced the modern land crossing from Europe to China via Central Asia. He is now a full-time photographer, writer, and television host.

Books by Tom Ang available from DK Publishing include: Digital Photographer's Handbook, Digital Photography, Digital Photography Masterclass, Digital Video Handbook, Digital Video-An Introduction, and Eyewitness Companion: Photography.

Table of Contents

1 Core Skills

Handling cameras 12

Your first pictures 14

Picture composition 16

Focusing and depth of field 24

Image orientation 28

Image proportions 30

Composition and zooms 32

Movement blur 34

Close-ups 38

Extreme lenses 40

Quick fix: Optical problems 42

Influencing perspective 46

Changing viewpoints 48

Quick fix: Leaning buildings 52

Quick fix: Facial distortion 53

Color composition 58 Adjacent colors 54

Color contrasts 60

Quick fix: White balance 64

Exposure control 66

Silhouettes/backlighting 68

High-key images 70

Low-key images 72

Advanced metering 76

Accessory flash 80

Quick fix: Electronic flash 82

Electronic flash 84

2 Photography Projects

Starting projects 92

Abstract imagery 94

Architecture 97

Interiors 100

Documentary photography 104

Street photography 108

Vacations and travel 110

Weddings 118

Children 120

Landscapes 124

Cityscapes 132

Reflections 136

Low-light photography 138

Long-exposure photography 140

Night sky photography 142

Animals 144

Plants and gardens 148

Panoramas 154

Live events 156

Portraits 160

Camera phone photography 166

Point-of-view photography 170

Drone photography 172

Record-keeping 174

3 Image Development

Scanning basics 178

Workflow essentials 180

Handling files 182

File formats 184

Image management 186

Capture defects 188

Color management 190

Cropping and rotation 192

Quick fix: Poor subject detail 194

Quick fix: Poor subject color 195

Levels 196

Burning-in and dodging 198

Dust and noise 202

Sharpening 204

Blurring 208

Quick fix: Image distractions 212

Image size and distortion 214

Quick fix: Converging parallels 216

Quick fix: Image framing 217

White balance 218

Color adjustments 220

Saturation and vibranee 222

Manipulation defects 224

Curves 226

Bit depth and color 230

Color to black and white 232

Vintage effects 240

Working with RAW 242

Duotones 246

Tritones and quadtones 248

Sepia tones 249

Sabattier effect 250

Gum dichromates 251

Split toning 252

Hand tinting 256

Cross-processing 258

Tints from color originals 260

Quick fix: Bright landscapes 264

Filter effects 266

Multiplying filter effects 272

High dynamic range 274

Selections and masks 278

Quick fix: Removing backgrounds 284

Layer blend modes 286

Text effects 294

Cloning techniques 296

Simple composite 302

Photomosaics 304

Image stitching 306

4 Showing and Sharing

Proofing and printing 310

Output to paper 314

Art printing 318

Online printing 322

Presenting prints 326

Sharing images 328

Photos on the internet 332

Selling your pictures 334

5 Buying Guide

Your ideal camera 338

Camera phones 342

Compacts 344

Mirrorless compacts 346

Single-lens reflex 348

Choosing lenses 350

Photographic accessories 354

Digital accessories 358

Electronic lighting 360

Lighting accessories 362

Computers and monitors 364

Computer accessories 366

Choosing software 368

Printers and other devices 370

6 Going Further

Learning more 374

Portfolio technique 378

Building up your business 380

Mounting an exhibition 382

Copyright concerns 384

Shopping for equipment 386

Glossary 388

Index 400

Acknowledgments 408

Editorial Reviews

"In Ang's hands, ordinary subjects… become fodder for a whole array of colorful and intimate still lifes, portraits, and captured moments that anyone can emulate with a little practice and honing of technique." — Booklist

"A digital imaging bible." — Outdoor Photographer

From the Publisher

The thoroughly updated third edition of this camera classic covers the latest advances in hardware, software, and digital technology. With full-color examples and handy tips, award-winning photographer Tom Ang offers a winning 400-page tutorial that shepherds you through the entire process; from selecting a camera to mastering digital picture-taking techniques. Digital Photographer's Handbook even contains a section on taking different types of pictures; for example, buildings, portraits, travel, and action. A perfect camera accessory.

The revolution will surely be streamed as well as televised, and the slide show for the new century will projected from the desktop. This guide will have you clogging inboxes in no time; Ang (Tao of Photography), senior lecturer in photographic practice at London's University of Westminster, starts out with the very basic: he explains what the World Wide Web is and compares computers, cameras, software, and printers-before moving on to how to take better pictures. Ang then walks readers through manipulating and perfecting images (including cropping, rotation, sharpening, "split toning" and host of other possibilities), and incorporating old-style slides and photos into a digital portfolio. There are tip sheets in all the right places, and after every section, a "Quick Fix" list of common problems to help with troubleshooting. There's also a glossary and more than 1,000 color illustrations. Perhaps most useful are the screen shots of the many puzzling dialogue boxes computers offer, and careful explanations for dealing with them. In all, this is an excellent guide to a confusing realm. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Generously illustrated with over 1000 photographs, this fine book covers virtually every aspect of digital photography. Photo editor and author Ang knowledgeably discusses digital technology, including cameras, lenses, scanners, and printers, along with computers, accessories, and software. He then goes on to explore the unique challenges and advantages of composition and exposure with digital cameras. Separate chapters deal with scanning, including troubleshooting and file management. Ang thoroughly addresses image manipulation and image output, including details on printing, developing a portfolio, and mounting an exhibit. He offers practical advice about selecting equipment and establishing a profitable business. This is certainly one of the best and most comprehensive books available about digital photography. Despite the depth and detail of the subject, the book is written in a clear, straightforward style. Both amateur photographers and seasoned professionals will find this handbook to be a very useful guide as they explore new photographic technology. Highly recommended for both general and subject collections in public and academic libraries.-Raymond Bial, Parkland Coll. Lib., Champaign, IL Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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