Simply Digital Photography (eBook)

Rob Sheppard (Los Angeles, CA) is a professional photographer and author of Adobe Camera Raw for Digital Photographers Only, National Geographic Field Guide to Digital Photography, the Canon Digital Rebel Magic Lantern Guide, and other titles. He is also the editor of PC Photo and Outdoor Photographer magazines, and regularly conducts workshops around the U.S.A. to help photographers master the new digital techniques.

1 GETTING READY TO TAKE PICTURES.

Set Up Your LCD for Optimum Use.

Viewfinder or LCD - Which to Use?

Choose a Resolution and File Type.

Choose a Memory Card.

Hold the Camera for Sharpness.

Choose a Program Mode.

Use Your Camera's Autofocus.

2 TAKING A BETTER PICTURE THROUGH COMPOSITION.

Simple Pictures Work Best.

Get Close to Your Subject.

Find a Foreground.

Watch Your Background.

The Rule of Thirds.

When Centred Is Good.

Where Heads Belong.

Watch Your Edges.

Shoot Verticals and Horizontals.

3 USING LIGHT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.

See the Light.

Shadows Are Important.

Light Can Hurt Your Photos (What to Avoid).

Low Front Light Can Be Beautiful.

Make Textures Show Up with Sidelight.

Separate with Backlight.

Add Impact with Spotlight.

Turn On Your Flash When the Light Is Harsh.

Time of Day Changes the Light.

Try Out Night Light.

4 UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURE AND WHITE BALANCE.

What Your Camera Meter Does.

The Problem of Underexposure.

The Problem of Overexposure.

Correct Exposure Problems.

What Is White Balance?

When to Use Auto White Balance.

When to Use Definite White Balance Settings.

Use White Balance Settings Creatively.

5 CHOOSING SHUTTER SPEED AND F-STOP.

Control Exposure with Shutter Speed and F-Stop.

Stop Action with Fast Shutter Speeds.

Blur Action with Slow Shutter Speeds.

Increase Depth of Field with Small F-Stops.

Create Shallow Depth of Field with Large F-Stops.

ISO Settings Affect Exposure Choices.

6 GETTING MAXIMUM SHARPNESS.

Minimise Camera Movement.

Focus on the Most Important Part of the Subject.

Choose F-Stop or Shutter Speed for Appropriate Sharpness.

Get Maximum Sharpness with a Tripod.

Get Sharpness with Other Camera Supports.

7 GETTING THE MOST FROM A LENS.

Get a Big View with a Wide-Angle Lens.

Get a Tight View with a Telephoto Lens.

Zoom for Best Compositions.

Choose Focal Lengths for Different Subjects.

Closeups and Lenses.

Focal Length and People Photographs.

How to Buy a New Lens.

8 INDOOR AND NIGHT LIGHT PLUS FLASH.

Deal with Artificial Light.

Correct Colour with White Balance.

Use Appropriate Shutter Speed Technique.

Brace the Camera for Sharpness.

Understand How Flash Works.

Deal with Red-Eye Problems.

Avoid Flash Shadow Problems.

Bounce Your Flash for More Natural Light.

9 EDITING AND ORGANISING YOUR PHOTOS.

Import Photos to Your Computer.

Organise Photos on a Hard Drive.

Back Up Photos onto a Second Drive.

Using Photoshop Elements to Organise Photos.

Edit the Good from the Bad.

Using Photoshop Elements to Rename Your Photos.

Create a Slide Show with Photoshop Elements.

10 BASIC ADJUSTMENTS WITH PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS.

How Photoshop Elements Is Arranged.

You Cannot Hurt Your Photos.

Crop Your Photos for Better Images.

Fix Crooked Horizons.

Fix Grey Photos.

Make Dark Photos Brighter.

Correct Colour Easily.

Try Black and White.

Size a Picture for Printing.

Size Photos for E-mail.

Sharpen the Image.

11 ADDITIONAL CONTROLS WITH PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS.

Using Selections to Isolate Adjustments.

Modify Your Selections.

Increase Colour Saturation Without Problems.

Darken Specific Areas of a Photo.

Lighten Specific Areas of a Photo.

Clone Effectively.

What Layers Are About.

12 PRINTING PHOTOS.

Start with a Good Photo for a Good Print.

Using a Photo Printer with Photoshop Elements.

Set the Printer Driver Correctly.

Make a Good Print.

INDEX.