The Digital Photography Companion

The Digital Photography Companion

by Derrick Story
Released March 2008
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9780596521370

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Book description

Are you ready to take photos that reflect your creative spirit, rather than just another set of snapshots? Then you want this book in your camera bag. Well-organized so you can look up topics quickly, The Digital Photography Companion gives you creative tips and technical advice for taking top-notch digital photos in a wide range of conditions, and for a variety of occasions. In other words, this book will help you make pictures that look better than everyone else's.

Professional photographer and teacher Derrick Story, whose online tips and podcasts at The Digital Story (www.thedigitalstory.com) have made him a popular photography blogger, gives you plenty of examples of how to capture great shots of people, places, landscapes, and more. He also provides a complete summary on camera features, tips for printing, sharing your images, and an overview of photo management applications.

Chapters include:

  • What is It? -- Choose the right camera (DSLRs, compact cameras, or hybrids) and get a rundown on all of the typical features they offer, such as face detection, image stabilizers, diopter adjustment, focus assist light, RAM buffer, and more.


  • How Does it Work? -- This A-Z guide of digital camera controls explains everything from Aperture Value (Av) Mode and Autoexposure to White Balance, the Zoom/Magnify Control, and everything in between.


  • Shoot Like a Pro -- Advice for a variety of photographic adventures, such as capturing existing light portraits, creating powerful landscape images, and shooting fireworks, underwater portraits, infrared photos, and more, along with lighting and filter tricks.


  • I've Taken Great Pictures, Now What? -- You get complete advice for sharing your photos, converting from color to balck & white and more, plus an overview of photo management applications, from Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to Apple iPhoto.


  • Printing Made Easy -- Printing doesn't have to be a painful experience. Learn various options, including direct printing without a computer, ordering out, and selecting the right inkjet printer for home (and what to do with it once you get it there.).
You also get an appendix with Quick Reference Tables, as well as other useful tables scattered throughout the book.

The Digital Photography Companion offers you friendly advice so you can try techniques that may never have occurred to you -- approaches that will bring you more of what you're looking for when you click the shutter: Great looking pictures!

Table of contents

  1. Preface
  2. What Makes Your Pictures Different?
  3. Chapter 1: What Is It? Feature and Component Comparison
    1. Which Should I Choose: Compact or DSLR?
      1. Pros and Cons of a Compact Camera
      2. Pros and Cons of a DSLR (1/2)
      3. Pros and Cons of a DSLR (2/2)
      4. Making the Decision
    2. A Word About Cameraphones
    3. Camera Features from A to Z
      1. AVI
      2. Battery Types
      3. Color Space
      4. Computer Connection
      5. Confirmation Lighting
      6. Diopter Adjustment
      7. Direct Print
      8. Display Control
      9. Exposure Metering Options
      10. Face Detection
      11. Flash
      12. Focus Assist Light
      13. Function Button
      14. Hotshoe
      15. Image Sensor
      16. Image Stabilizer
      17. Infrared Sensor
      18. Intelligent ISO
      19. LCD Monitor
      20. Memory Cards
      21. Menu Button
      22. Microphone Port
      23. Mode Dial
      24. Multifunctional Jog Dial
      25. Optical Viewfinder Lens (On Compact Cameras)
      26. PictBridge
      27. Picture-Taking Lens
      28. RAM Buffer
      29. Remote Release
      30. Set or Confirmation Button
      31. Shutter Button
      32. Trash Button
      33. Tripod Socket
      34. USB Mass Storage
      35. Video Out Connection
      36. Wi-Fi Image Transfer
      37. Wi-Fi Transmitter
      38. Zoom Lenses
      39. Zoom/Magnify Lever
    4. Putting It All Together
  4. Chapter 2: How Does It Work? Taking Control of Buttons, Dials, and Menus
    1. Hands-On Techniques from A to Z
      1. Aperture Value (Av) Mode
      2. Autoexposure
      3. Burst/Continuous Shooting Mode
      4. Close-ups
      5. Composition (What to Think About While Looking Through the Viewfinder)
      6. Compression and Image Quality
      7. Continuous Shooting Mode
      8. Deleting Images
      9. Digital Zoom
      10. DNG
      11. Drive Modes
      12. Erasing Images
      13. Exposure Bracketing (Auto)
      14. Exposure Compensation
      15. Exposure Lock
      16. Exposure Metering
      17. Exposure Modes (Basic)
      18. Face Detection
      19. File Formats (Still Images)
      20. Film Speed
      21. Flash Compensation
      22. Flash Modes
      23. Focus Lock
      24. Format Card
      25. Image Stabilizer
      26. Infinity Lock
      27. ISO Sensitivity
      28. JPEG
      29. Macro Mode
      30. Magnify Control
      31. Manual Exposure Mode
      32. Movie Mode
      33. MPEG-4 Movie Format
      34. Panorama Mode
      35. Partial Metering Area
      36. Photo Effects
      37. Programmed Autoexposure
      38. Protect Images Command
      39. Raw
      40. Resolution
      41. Self-Timer
      42. Sequence Shooting
      43. Shutter Priority Mode
      44. Spot Meter
      45. TIFF
      46. Timed Value (Tv) Mode
      47. White Balance
      48. Zoom/Magnify Control
    2. Putting It All Together
  5. Chapter 3: How to Shoot Like a Pro. Advice for Real-Life Scenarios
    1. First Steps
      1. Take Portraits Your Subjects Will Love
      2. Set Up Group Shots
      3. Take Passport Photos and Self-Portraits
      4. Take Interesting Kid Shots
      5. Create Powerful Landscape Images
      6. Capture Engaging Travel Locations
      7. Take Pictures at Weddings
      8. Prevent Red Eye
      9. Capture Action Shots
      10. Shoot in Museums
      11. Shoot Architecture Like a Pro
    2. Gaining Speed
      1. Capture Existing-Light Portraits
      2. Take Pictures from the Stands at Sporting Events
      3. Produce Do-It-Yourself Product Photography
      4. Shoot Infrared Images
      5. Take Flash Pictures of People Who Blink at Flash
      6. Use Sunglasses As a Polarizing Filter
      7. Shoot Fireworks
      8. Get It Right with Custom White Balance
      9. Protect Your Camera from Condensation and Dust
      10. Devise a Shower Cap Inclement-Weather Protector
      11. Capture Time-Lapse Movies
      12. Preview Your Shots in B&W
      13. Extend the Dynamic Range of Your Image
      14. Shoot Underwater Portraits
      15. Create a Pantyhose Diffusion Filter
      16. Keep Your Tripod Steady with Tennis Balls
      17. Use Your Car Windshield Cover As a Reflector
      18. Use Your Cameraphone As a Visual Note-taker
    3. Where to Go from Here
  6. Chapter 4: I’ve Taken Great Pictures, Now What? Working in the Digital Darkroom
    1. Basic Survival Skills
      1. Send Pictures via Email That Will Be Warmly Received
      2. Share Pictures on the Web
      3. Present a Digital Slide Show
    2. Once You’re in the Groove
      1. Convert Still Images into a Movie
      2. Work with Raw Files
      3. Recover Photos from an Erased Memory Card
      4. Archive Images for Future Use
      5. Manage Movies Made with a Digital Camera
      6. Stitch Together Video Clips into Short Movies
      7. Process HDR Images in Photoshop
      8. Convert Color Pictures to B&W
    3. Photo Management Applications
      1. Apple iPhoto
      2. Adobe Photoshop Elements
      3. Adobe Bridge
      4. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
      5. Microsoft Expression Media
      6. Apple Aperture
    4. Gearing Up
    5. Where to Go from Here
  7. Chapter 5: Printing Made Easy. Simple Setups for Busy Photographers
    1. Fresh Approach to Printing
      1. Approach 1: Direct Printing
      2. Approach 2: Order Out
      3. Approach 3: Dedicated Photo Printers
      4. Shopping for a Desktop Photo Printer
      5. Calibrate Your Monitor
      6. Improving Your Photography through Printing
  8. Appendix (1/4)
  9. Appendix (2/4)
  10. Appendix (3/4)
  11. Appendix (4/4)
  12. Index (1/3)
  13. Index (2/3)
  14. Index (3/3)

Product information

  • Title: The Digital Photography Companion
  • Author(s): Derrick Story
  • Release date: March 2008
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9780596521370