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My new "how-to" photography book, Digital Photography Exposure for Dummies, is now available
at online bookstores (links below) and will soon be available at many bookstores across the country. If it isn't in stock at your favorite local bookstore, they can order it for you. Keep in mind that this book
would be an excellent gift for the avid photographer in your life! This book is part of the new, full-color, Digital Photography for Dummies
series, so it is loaded with full color photographs and practical, "how-to-do-it" information.
Is this book for you? *
Do you want more zip in your photos? * Would you like to "speak your camera's language"?
* Are you curious what would be possible if
you took control of your camera instead of leaving it on autopilot? * Do you ever wonder how the pros create unique looking images? * Are you ready to "kick it up a notch"?That's what this book is all about, with a special emphasis on the artistic
potential that is unleashed when you understand how to take control of photographic exposure. After reading this page, you should have a good idea if this book will make a dramatic difference in your photography. In a
few words, this book is about taking your photography to the next level. Even if you are a beginner, this book will show you how to take control of both the technical and artistic sides of exposure, setting you free to
create eye-catching images. If you are well past the beginner stage, this book will take you through some advanced exposure concepts and techniques that most books don't cover.
In "Program" mode, there are times
your camera will get the right exposure and times that it won't. The times your camera won't get it right are often the situations with the most dramatic artistic potential. This book will show you when you
need to take control of the exposure and how to do it. Sometimes the technically correct exposure isn't the best artistic exposure. Some of the most dramatic images are the result of taking control of
exposure and making your own creative choices. This book will show you how..
In almost any exposure situation, there are multiple combinations of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO speed that will give you
exactly the same exposure, but very different artistic "looks". That's the magic of the artistic side of exposure. Every exposure decision is also an artistic decision.
Knowing which combination to choose can make the difference between an ordinary looking snapshot and a unique and dynamic image you will be proud of.
If you leave your camera on auto all of the time and let it
make all the exposure decisions, you have turned over all the related creative decisions to a computer chip. If you take the camera off of autopilot and take control of exposure yourself, you open the door to all
kinds of creative and wonderful possibilities in terms of exposure, subject motion, and depth of field (which is the near to far sharpness in an image).
Part I is devoted to the scientific side of exposure
, all of the technical ins and outs of exposure, subject tonality, and metering. It starts with the basics and quickly takes you to more advanced techniques. You will learn multiple ways to determine the exposure for a
scene so you can choose the technique that you like best. That way you can develop your own exposure style, the style that works best for you. After all, the way another
photographer likes to work, may not be the way you
want to work. This book gives you multiple options. Part I also includes some specialized and mostly inexpensive metering tools to make your photo life simpler and easier. Part I also teaches you the language of light so you know how to
work with the light instead of fighting the light. Part I gives you a solid foundation that prepares you for for Part II, the fun side of exposure.
Part II introduces you to the artistic side of exposure. It shows you how to make the best choices of apertures, shutter speeds, and ISOs for the kind of creative results you want. If you want to freeze a fast
moving subject, or create long artistic blurs, you will know how. With the creative use of shutter speeds, you will learn how to create images that reveal things that are too fast or too slow for the human eye to see
. You will know how to use aperture, focal length, and focusing choices to create eye-popping depth of field so everything looks sharp from inches in front of the camera all the way to the distant horizon (to
see an example, go here). You can minimize depth of field
so you can isolate your subject against a background of a gauzy, blurry, sea of colors. Part II also introduces you to the wonderful world of flash and shows you how to use flash as a primary or secondary light source.
Parts I and II are both filled with lots of photo exercises you can do close to home to help you master the skills you need to be a better photographer. When you've mastered the exposure skills, you can
get out there and take on the big wide world of real life photo situations.
Parts III and IV have the "go out and do it" chapters. If you are looking for simple things to do that will make a big difference
in how your photos look, Parts III and IV are for you. Part III shows you great ways to go about people, wildlife, landscape, flower, and sports photography. Part IV introduces you to the specialized and wonderful
fields of closeup and low light photography. Part V is the infamous Dummies "Parts of Ten"
which covers ten photographic mistakes that can cost you, and ten accessories that will make you life simpler and/or improve your photography.
To make the most of this book, you will need two things, (1)
a willingness to experiment and try new things, and (2) a camera that allows you to take separate control of shutter speeds, apertures (f-stops), and ISO speeds. Just about any single lens reflex camera (SLR), both
digital and film, makes it easy to control the exposure settings. Some high end point-and-shoot cameras also make it easy to control aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
Warning: Some point-and-shoot cameras make it
difficult to control exposure which can lead to endless frustration. If your camera is holding you back artistically, you may need a better camera. If your camera is getting in your way and you want a better camera,
don't say I didn't warn you. :)
I've learned from years of teaching photography to all kinds of people that just about anyone who wants to improve the quality of their images can do so with the right kind of
help. If you are ready to take control of your camera's exposure and other controls, expand your photo horizons, and take some big artistic steps forward, you've come to the right place!
I love photography, and I love watching the light go on as other photographers discover new ways to do things to improve their photography. I hope you have a great time reading my
book and and an even better time going out with your camera and trying what you've read. Most of all, sometime in the future I hope you look back and say, "Wow! Look how far I've come!" What if you shoot film?
Despite the title, this book is still for you. The principles of exposure are the same for both film and digital photography, even if the application is a little different. 95% of this book applies just as well to film photography as to digital. Just ignore the occasional phrases like "check the histogram", and an occasional section here and there that is digital only. Almost everything else in the book applies to both digital and film photography. Shooting slide film is very much like using a digital camera. Overexpose by very much with slides or a digital camera and your picture is a throw away. If you use negative film, the principles of exposure are still the same except that under-exposure is your enemy so it is best to err on the overexposure side of things.
BOOK LINKS
Table of Contents
The Story Behind the Book
PURCHASE LINKS
To purchase the book from Amazon.com, click on the photo of the cover.
More information and purchase links at Dummies.com.
Order from:
Barnes & Noble Borders Books-A-Million November 9, 2010 |
