The digital photography book. [Vol. 1] : the step-by-step secrets for how to make your photos look like the pros'!

Cover......Page 1 Table of Contents......Page 9 Chapter One: Pro Tips for Getting Really Sharp Photos: If Your Photos Aren’t Sharp, the Rest Doesn’t Matter......Page 16 The Real Secret to Getting Sharp Photos......Page 17 The Other Most Important Secret......Page 18 Perhaps Even More Important Than That!......Page 19 If You Skip This, Throw Away Your Camera......Page 20 If You Do This Wrong, It Will Lock Up......Page 21 It’s Time to Get Serious......Page 22 Getting “Tack Sharp” Starts with a Tripod......Page 23 A Ballhead Will Make Your Life Easier......Page 24 Don’t Press the Shutter (Use a Cable Release)......Page 25 Forgot Your Cable Release? Use a Self Timer......Page 26 Getting Super Sharp: Mirror Lock-Up......Page 27 Turn Off Vibration Reduction (or IS)......Page 28 Shoot at Your Lens’ Sharpest Aperture......Page 29 Good Glass Makes a Big Difference......Page 30 Avoid Increasing Your ISO, Even in Dim Light......Page 31 Zoom In to Check Sharpness......Page 32 Sharpening After the Fact in Photoshop......Page 33 Pro Sharpening......Page 34 Hand-Held Sharpness Trick......Page 35 Getting Steadier Hand-Held Shots......Page 36 Chapter Two: Shooting Flowers Like a Pro: There’s More to It Than You’d Think......Page 38 Don’t Shoot Down on Flowers......Page 39 Shooting Flowers with a Zoom Lens......Page 40 Use a Macro Lens to Get Really Close......Page 41 Can’t Afford a Macro? How ‘bout a Close-Up?......Page 42 When to Shoot Flowers......Page 43 Don’t Wait for Rain—Fake it!......Page 44 Flowers on a Black Background......Page 45 Shooting on a White Background......Page 46 The Perfect Light for Indoor Flower Shots......Page 47 Where to Get Great Flowers to Shoot......Page 48 Stopping the Wind......Page 49 Chapter Three: Shooting Weddings Like a Pro: There Is No Retaking Wedding Photos. It’s Got to Be Right the First Time!......Page 52 The Trick for Low-Light Shooting in a Church......Page 53 Getting Soft, Diffused Light with Flash, Part 1......Page 54 Getting Soft, Diffused Light with Flash, Part 2......Page 55 Use Your Flash at Outdoor Weddings......Page 56 Keep Backup Memory Cards on You......Page 57 Formals: Who to Shoot First......Page 58 Formals: Where to Aim......Page 59 The Trick to Keeping Them from Blinking......Page 60 Reception Photos: Making Them Dance......Page 61 Your Main Job: Follow the Bride......Page 62 Formals: How High to Position Your Camera......Page 63 Formals: Don’t Cut Off Joints......Page 64 Formals: Build Off the Bride and Groom......Page 65 Formals: The Trick to Great Backgrounds......Page 66 Shooting the Details (& Which Ones to Shoot)......Page 67 Change Your Vantage Point to Add Interest......Page 68 Finding That Perfect Bridal Light......Page 69 How to Pose the Bride with Other People......Page 70 What to Shoot with a Wide-Angle Lens......Page 71 Back Up Your Photos Onsite......Page 72 If Shooting JPEGs, Use a Preset White Balance......Page 73 Chapter Four: Shooting Landscapes Like a Pro: Pro Tips for Capturing the Wonder of Nature......Page 76 The Golden Rule of Landscape Photography......Page 77 Become Married to Your Tripod......Page 78 Shoot in Aperture Priority Mode......Page 79 Composing Great Landscapes......Page 80 The Trick to Shooting Waterfalls......Page 81 A Tip for Shooting Forests......Page 82 Where to Put the Horizon Line......Page 83 Getting More Interesting Mountain Shots......Page 84 The Trick for Warmer Sunrises and Sunsets......Page 85 Turn on “The Blinkies” to Keep More Detail......Page 86 How to Avoid the Dreaded Blinkies......Page 87 How to Show Size......Page 88 Don’t Set Up Your Tripod. Not Yet......Page 89 The Trick to Getting Richer Colors......Page 90 What to Shoot in Bad Weather......Page 91 Atmosphere Is Your Friend......Page 92 Getting Rid of Lens Flare—The Manual Way......Page 93 The Landscape Photographer’s Secret Weapon......Page 94 Keeping Your Horizons Straight......Page 95 Shooting on Cloudy Days......Page 96 Tips for Shooting Panoramas, Part 1......Page 97 Tips for Shooting Panoramas, Part 2......Page 98 Tips for Shooting Panoramas, Part 3......Page 99 Faking Panoramas......Page 100 Why You Need a Wide-Angle Lens......Page 101 Shooting Wildlife? Aim at Their Eyes......Page 102 Don’t Crop Wildlife in Motion Too Close......Page 103 Shooting Wildlife? Get in Really Tight......Page 104 What to Shoot at Sunset......Page 105 Chapter Five: Shooting Sports Like a Pro: Better Bring Your Checkbook......Page 108 Set Your White Balance for Indoor Sports......Page 109 Shoot at a 1/640 Sec. Shutter Speed or Faster......Page 110 Pro Sports Shooting Is Dang Expensive......Page 111 Don’t Plan on Changing Lenses......Page 112 Which Lenses to Use......Page 113 Pre-Focus to Get the Shot......Page 114 Raise Your ISO to Get the Speed You Need......Page 115 The Pros Know the Game......Page 116 Don’t Always Focus on the Winner......Page 117 Shooting in Burst Mode......Page 118 Stability for Shooting Sports......Page 119 Shoot Vertically for More Impact......Page 120 Pan to Show Motion......Page 121 Shoot Wide Open......Page 122 Go for the Face......Page 123 RAW or JPEG for Sports Shooters?......Page 124 Composing for Sports......Page 125 Chapter Six: Shooting People Like a Pro: Tips for Making People Look Their Very Best......Page 128 The Best Lens for Portrait Photography......Page 129 Which Aperture to Use......Page 130 Using Seamless Backgrounds......Page 131 Using Canvas or Muslin Backgrounds......Page 132 The Right Background Outdoors......Page 133 Where to Focus......Page 134 Where to Position Your Camera......Page 135 Positioning Your Subject in the Frame......Page 136 Tip for Framing Portraits......Page 137 Getting Great Light Outdoors......Page 138 Getting Great Light Indoors......Page 139 Taking Great Photos of Newborn Babies......Page 140 Great Sunset Portraits......Page 141 Better Natural-Light Portraits with Reflectors......Page 142 Chapter Seven: Avoiding Problems Like a Pro: How to Avoid Digital Headaches......Page 144 Pro Tips to Avoid White Balance Problems......Page 145 Cold Weather Shooting Means Extra Batteries......Page 146 Don’t Change Lenses in Dusty Weather......Page 147 Apply for Permits to Shoot with Your Tripod......Page 148 Be Careful What You Shoot......Page 149 A Tip for Shooting on an Incline......Page 150 The Other Reason Pros Use a Lens Hood......Page 151 Keeping Your Lens Out of Trouble......Page 152 Back Up Your Photos in the Field......Page 153 Limit Your LCD Time to Save Battery Life......Page 154 Be Careful When Throwing Out CDs/DVDs......Page 155 Bracket If You’re Not Sure About Exposure......Page 156 Avoid Red Eye......Page 157 Remove Red Eye......Page 158 Chapter Eight: Taking Advantage of Digital Like a Pro: It’s More Than Just a Replacement for Film......Page 160 Level the Playing Field: Press That Button......Page 161 Put the LCD Monitor to Work......Page 162 Edit as You Shoot to Get More Keepers......Page 163 Take Advantage of the Blinkies......Page 164 Change Your ISO on the Fly......Page 165 No Penalty Fee for Experimenting......Page 166 Don’t Cram Too Much on One Card......Page 167 Take Advantage of Poster-Sized Printing......Page 168 You Can Make One Film Fit All......Page 169 Is It Better to Underexpose or Overexpose?......Page 170 Keep from Accidentally Erasing Memory Cards......Page 171 Chapter Nine: Taking Travel & City Life Shots Like a Pro: Tips for Urban Shooting......Page 174 How to Be Ready for “The Shot”......Page 175 Shoot Kids and Old People. It Can’t Miss......Page 176 Hire a Model (It’s Cheaper Than You’d Think)......Page 177 What Time to Shoot......Page 178 Look for Bold, Vivid Colors......Page 179 Shooting Travel? Visit PhotoSecrets.com First......Page 180 Don’t Try to Capture It All: Shoot the Details......Page 181 The Best Shot May Be Just Three Feet Away......Page 182 Shoot the Signs. You’ll Thank Yourself Later......Page 183 Showing Movement in the City......Page 184 Use an Aperture That Takes It All In......Page 185 For Maximum Impact, Look for Simplicity......Page 186 The Monopod Scam......Page 187 What to Do When It’s Been “Shot to Death”......Page 188 Including the Moon and Keeping Detail......Page 189 Shooting Fireworks......Page 190 Chapter Ten: How to Print Like a Pro and Other Cool Stuff: After All, It’s All About the Print!......Page 192 The Advantages of Shooting in RAW......Page 193 How to Process RAW Photos in Photoshop......Page 194 Compare Your LCD to Your Computer Monitor......Page 195 Organizing Your Photos with Lightroom......Page 196 How Many More Megapixels Do You Need?......Page 197 Printing Lab-Quality 8×10s......Page 198 Printing Lab-Quality 13×19" Prints......Page 199 Printing 16×20s—The Pros’ Top Choice......Page 200 Which Paper Should You Print On?......Page 201 What Determines Which Paper You Use?......Page 202 Getting Your Monitor to Match Your Printer......Page 203 Download the Color Profiles for Your Paper......Page 204 Selling Your Photos as “Stock” Online......Page 205 A Quick Peek at My Gear......Page 206 Some Books I Personally Recommend......Page 207 Learn from Me on Adobe® Photoshop® TV......Page 208 Chapter Eleven: Photo Recipes to Help You Get “The Shot”: The Simple Ingredients That Make It All Come Together......Page 210 C......Page 226 E......Page 227 I......Page 228 M......Page 229 P......Page 230 R......Page 231 S......Page 232 U......Page 233 Z......Page 234 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. Furnishes an overview of the latest in digital technology, including cameras and equipment, as well as the essential techniques and skills of the photographic process--exposure, lighting, shutter speed, depth of field, and resolution--and tips on how to avoid hours of photo-editing by taking great photographs the first time. Furnishes an overview of the latest in digital technology, including cameras and equipment, as well as the essential techniques and skills of the photographic process--exposure, lighting, shutter speed, depth of field and resolution--and tips on how to avoid hours of photo editing by taking great photos the first time 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 text tackles the most important side of digital photography - how to take professional-quality shots using the same tricks today's top digital pros use.