The Digital Photography Book, Part 1 (2nd Edition)

The Digital Photography Book, Part 1 (2nd Edition)

by Scott Kelby
The Digital Photography Book, Part 1 (2nd Edition)

The Digital Photography Book, Part 1 (2nd Edition)

by Scott Kelby

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Overview

This is it—the #1 best-selling digital photography book ever! It’s the award winning, worldwide smash hit, written by Scott Kelby, that’s been translated into dozens of different languages, because it’s the one book that really shows you how to take professional-quality shots using the same tricks today’s top digital pros use (and surprisingly, it’s easier than you’d think).

This updated, second edition of the bestselling digital photography book of all time includes many new images; up-to-date information on gear, pricing, and links; and a new chapter from the author on the "Ten Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was First Starting Out in Photography."


Here’s how Scott describes this book’s brilliant premise: “If you and I were out on a shoot, and you asked me, ‘Hey, how do I get this flower to be in focus, with the background out of focus?,’ I wouldn’t stand there and give you a photography lecture. In real life, I’d just say, ‘Put on your zoom lens, set your f-stop to f/2.8, focus on the flower, and fire away.’ That’s what this book is all about: you and I out shooting where I answer questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I’ve learned just like I would with a friend—without all the technical explanations and techie photo speak.”

This isn’t a book of theory—full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts. This is a book on which button to push, which setting to use, and when to use it. With over 200 of the most closely guarded photographic “tricks of the trade,” this book gets you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos every time.

Each page covers a single concept that makes your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you’ll learn another pro setting, tool, or trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. If you’re tired of taking shots that look “okay,” and if you’re tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, “Why don’t my shots look like that?” then this is the book for you.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780321934949
Publisher: Pearson Education
Publication date: 05/10/2013
Pages: 256
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

For the past three years, Scott Kelby has been honored with the distinction of being the world’s #1 best-selling author of books on photography. He’s Editor and Publisher of L ight It! digital magazine (the how-to magazine for studio lighting and hot-shoe flash), Photoshop User magazine, and is President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). He’s the co-host of the highly acclaimed weekly videocast The Grid (a photography talk show), and teaches photography, Lightroom, and Photoshop workshops around the world. Scott is an award-winning author of more than 50 books, including The Adobe Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers, and Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It: Learn Step by Step How to Go from Empty Studio to Finished Image.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Pro Tips for Getting Really Sharp Photos 1

If Your Photos Aren't Sharp, the Rest Doesn't Matter

The Real Secret to Getting Sharp Photos 2

The Other Most Important Secret 3

Perhaps Even More Important Than That! 4

If You Skip This, Throw Away Your Camera 5

If You Do This Wrong, It Will Lock Up 6

It's Time to Get Serious 7

Getting "Tack Sharp" Starts with a Tripod 8

A Ballhead Will Make Your Life Easier 9

Don't Press the Shutter (Use a Cable Release) 10

Forgot Your Cable Release? Use a Self Timer 11

Getting Super Sharp: Mirror Lock-Up 12

Turn Off Vibration Reduction (or IS) 13

Shoot at Your Lens' Sharpest Aperture 14

Good Glass Makes a Big Difference 15

Avoid Increasing Your ISO on a Tripod 16

Zoom In to Check Sharpness 17

Sharpening After the Fact in Photoshop 18

Did You Resize That for the Web? Then Resharpen! 19

Hand-Held Sharpness Trick 20

Getting Steadier Hand-Held Shots 21

Chapter 2 Shooting Flowers Like a Pro 23

There's More to It Than You'd Think

Don't Shoot Down on Flowers 24

Shooting Flowers with a Zoom Lens 25

Use a Macro Lens to Get Really Close 26

Can't Afford a Macro? How 'bout a Close-Up? 27

When to Shoot Flowers 28

Don't Wait for Rain-Fake it! 29

Flowers on a Black Background 30

Flowers on a White Background 31

The Perfect Light for Indoor Flower Shots 32

Where to Get Great Flowers to Shoot 33

Stopping the Wind 34

Consider Just Showing One Part 35

Chapter 8 Shooting Weddings Like a Pro 37

There Is No Retaking Wedding Photos. It Has Got to Be Right the First Time!

Tricks for Low-Light Shooting in a Church, Part 1 38

Tricks for Low-Light Shooting in a Church, Part 2 39

Do You Really Need the f/1.4 Lens? 40

Getting Soft, Diffused Light with Flash, Part 1 41

Getting Soft, Diffused Light with Flash, Part 2 42

Use Your Flash at Outdoor Weddings 43

Finding That Perfect Bridal Light 44

Don't Spend Too Much Time On the Formals 45

Formals: Who to Shoot First 46

Formals: Build Off the Bride and Groom 47

How to Pose the Bride with Other People 48

The Trick to Keeping Them from Blinking 49

Formals: Where to Aim 50

Formals: How High to Position Your Camera 51

Formals: Don't Cut Off Joints 52

Formals: The Trick to Great Backgrounds 53

Reception Photos: Making Them Dance 54

Your Main Job: Follow the Bride 55

Shooting the Details (& Which Ones to Shoot) 56

Change Your Vantage Point to Add Interest 57

What to Shoot with a Wide-Angle Lens 58

Keep Backup Memory Cards on You 59

Back Up Your Photos Onsite 60

If Shooting JPEGs, Use a Preset White Balance 61

Chapter 4 Shooting Landscapes Like a Pro 63

Pro Tips for Capturing the Wonder of Nature

The Golden Rule of Landscape Photography 64

Become Married to Your Tripod 65

Shoot in Aperture Priority Mode 66

Composing Great Landscapes 67

The Trick to Shooting Waterfalls 68

A Tip for Shooting Forests 69

Where to Put the Horizon Line 70

Getting More Interesting Mountain Shots 71

The Trick for Warmer Sunrises and Sunsets 72

Turn on "The Blinkies" to Keep More Detail 73

How to Deal with the Dreaded Blinkies 74

How to Show Size 75

Don't Set Up Your Tripod. Not Yet 76

The Trick to Getting Richer Colors 77

What to Shoot in Bad Weather 78

Atmosphere Is Your Friend 79

Getting Rid of Lens Flare-The Manual Way 80

The Landscape Photographer's Secret Weapon 81

Keeping Your Horizons Straight 82

Shooting on Cloudy Days 83

Tips for Shooting Panoramas, Part 1 84

Tips for Shooting Panoramas, Part 2 85

Tips for Shooting Panoramas, Part 3 86

Faking Panoramas 87

Why You Need a Wide-Angle Lens 88

Want to Take Things Up a Notch? Shoot Low 89

Chapter 5 Shooting Sports Like a Pro 91

Better Bring Your Checkbook

Pro Sports Shooting Is Dang Expensive 92

Which Lenses to Use 93

This Lens Rocks for the Money 94

Stability for Shooting Sports 95

Don't Plan on Changing Lenses 96

Set Your White Balance for Indoor Sports 97

Shoot at a 1/1000 Sec. Shutter Speed or Faster 98

Shooting at Night or Indoors? Raise Your ISO! 99

Getting Burned by Indoor Lighting 100

Shoot Wide Open 101

Shooting in Burst Mode 102

RAW or JPEG for Sports Shooters? 103

Pan to Show Motion 104

Pre-Focus to Get the Shot 105

Shoot Vertically for More Impact 106

Don't Be Afraid to Crop Your Photos 107

You Need Two Eyes and a Ball 108

Don't Always Focus on the Winner 109

Composing for Sports 110

The Pros Know the Game 111

Chapter 6 Shooting People Like a Pro 113

Tips for Making People Look Their Very Best

The Best Lens for Portrait Photography 114

Which Aperture to Use 115

Using Seamless Backgrounds 116

Using Canvas or Muslin Backgrounds 117

The Right Background Outdoors 118

Where to Focus 119

Where to Position Your Camera 120

Positioning Your Subject in the Frame 121

Tip for Framing Portraits 122

Getting Great Light Outdoors 123

Getting Great Light Indoors 124

Taking Great Photos of Newborn Babies 125

Great Sunset Portraits 126

Better Natural-Light Portraits with a Reflector 127

Aiming Your Reflector 128

Use a Reflector When the Lighting Is Flat 129

Chapter 7 Avoiding Problems Like a Pro 131

How to Avoid Digital Headaches

Pro Tips to Avoid White Balance Problems 132

Cold Weather Shooting Means Extra Batteries 133

Don't Change Lenses in Dusty Weather 134

Apply for Permits to Shoot with Your Tripod 135

Be Careful What You Shoot 136

A Tip for Shooting on an Incline 137

The Other Reason Pros Use a Lens Hood 138

Keeping Your Lens Out of Trouble 139

Limit Your LCD Time to Save Battery Life 140

Bracket If You're Not Sure About Exposure 141

Avoid Red Eye 142

Remove Red Eye 143

Chapter 8 Taking Advantage of Digital Like a Pro 145

It's More Than Just a Replacement for Film

Level the Playing Field: Press That Button 146

The LCD Monitor "Gotcha!" 147

Edit as You Shoot to Get More Keepers 148

Take Advantage of the Blinkies 149

The Viewfinder "Border Patrol" Trap 150

No Penalty Fee for Experimenting 151

Don't Cram Too Much on One Card 152

Take Advantage of Poster-Sized Printing 153

You're Probably Going to Lose Your Lens Hood 154

Is It Better to Underexpose or Overexpose? 155

Keep from Accidentally Erasing Memory Cards 156

Which Brand of Camera Should You Buy? 157

Chapter 9 Taking Travel & City Life Shots Like a Pro 159

Tips for Travel Photography

How to Be Ready for "The Shot" 160

Shoot Kids and Old People. It Can't Miss 161

Hire a Model (It's Cheaper Than You'd Think) 162

What Time to Shoot 163

Look for Bold, Vivid Colors 164

Shooting Travel? Visit 500px.com First 165

Don't Try to Capture It All: Shoot the Details 166

The Best Shot May Be Just Three Feet Away 167

Shoot the Signs. You'll Thank Yourself Later 168

Showing Movement in the City 169

For Maximum Impact, Look for Simplicity 170

The Monopod Scam 171

What to Do When It Has Been "Shot to Death" 172

Including the Moon and Keeping Detail 173

Shooting Fireworks 174

If You Have a Laptop, Take It With You 175

Want a Rooftop Shot of the City? Try This 176

Getting "Nearly Tourist-Free" Shots 177

Chapter 10 How to Print Like a Pro and Other Cool Stuff 179

After All, It's All About the Print!

The Advantages of Shooting in RAW 180

How to Process RAW Photos in Photoshop 181

Compare Your LCD to Your Computer Monitor 182

Organizing Your Photos with Lightroom 183

How Many More Megapixels Do You Need? 184

Printing Lab-Quality 8×10s 185

Printing Lab-Quality 13×19s 186

Printing 17×22s-The Pros' Choice 187

Which Paper Should You Print On? 188

What Determines Which Paper You Use? 189

Getting Your Monitor to Match Your Printer 190

Download the Color Profiles for Your Paper 191

Selling Your Photos as "Stock" Online 192

A Quick Peek at My Gear 193

There Are Three Other Books in This Series 194

Learn More with Me Each Week on The Grid 195

Chapter 11 Ten Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me 197

When I First Started Out in Photography

#1: Buying a More Expensive Camera Doesn't Necessarily Mean Better Photos 198

#2: You Need to Sharpen After the Fact 199

#3: The Pros Take Lots of Bad Photos 200

#4: Learn Exposure Compensation 201

#5: Don't Worry About Manual Mode 202

#6: Today You Should Probably Shoot Wide 203

#7: Nothing Has Impact Like a Print 204

#8: Ignore Your Histogram 205

#9: Figure Out What Type of Photographer You Are 206

#10: Do What It Takes to Get the Photos You Want 207

#11: You Need a Portfolio 208

#12: Stop Reading Books About Photography 209

Chapter 12 Photo Recipes to Help You Get "The Shot" 211

The Simple Ingredients That Make It All Come Together

Index 227

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