Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies^®, 2nd Edition

by David D. Busch (Cleveland, Ohio)

• ISBN13: 9780764573286
• ISBN10: 0764573284
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-10-01
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

An 816-page All-in-One guide designed for both beginning and experienced digital photographers, offering seven minibooks on everything from buying a camera and choosing the right equipment to editing with high-end tools and restoring photos digitally Includes chapters on basics such as point-and-shoot photography, with later chapters exploring editing, printing, and shooting portraits or high-speed action This new edition covers the latest technology changes in digital photography, including Photoshop 7, new low-priced SLR cameras, updated storage and output options with DVD technology, and how each of these changes affects photography techniques David Busch is the author of more than fifty technology books, most covering digital photography, image editing, and digital restoration

Author Biography

David D. Busch has more than 20 years of experience as a professional photographer

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
About This Book	2	(1)
What's in This Book	2	(3)
Book I: Digital Photography Overview	3	(1)
Book II: Building Your Digital Photography Studio	3	(1)
Book III: Taking Great Pictures	4	(1)
Book IV: Basics of Image Editing	4	(1)
Book V: Editing with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements	4	(1)
Book VI: Restoring Old Photos	4	(1)
Book VII: Printing and Sharing Your Digital Images	5	(1)
Color insert	5	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	5	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	6	(1)
Where To Go From Here	6	(1)
Book I: Digital Photography Overview	7	(78)
The Essentials of Good Digital Photography	9	(10)
Knowing What Equipment You Need	10	(2)
Minimum and Maximum Specs	12	(2)
Taking Great Digital Shots	14	(2)
Understand how your camera works	14	(1)
Know some photography fundamentals	14	(1)
Find out how to use an image editor	15	(1)
Master a scanner	15	(1)
Making Any Photo Digital	16	(1)
Printing Your Final Pictures	17	(2)
Basics of Equipment	19	(14)
Deciding What You Need	20	(4)
How much resolution do you need?	20	(2)
Do you plan to manipulate your photos?	22	(1)
Are you a photo hobbyist?	23	(1)
How often do you plan to upgrade?	24	(1)
Defining Categories	24	(6)
Web cams	25	(1)
Point-and-shoot models	25	(1)
Intermediate models	26	(1)
Advanced consumer models	26	(1)
Prosumer models	27	(1)
Professional models	28	(2)
Checking for Key Camera Features	30	(3)
Acquiring Your Digital Pictures	33	(8)
From Camera to PC	33	(2)
Grabbing Images of Hard Copies	35	(4)
Kinds of scanners	36	(1)
What to look for in a scanner	37	(2)
Letting the Other Guy Do It	39	(2)
Electronically Editing or Restoring a Photo	41	(24)
Choosing an Image Editing Program	42	(5)
Determining your needs	42	(2)
Checking out different applications	44	(3)
Performing Photographic Triage	47	(1)
Making Quick Fixes	48	(7)
Fixing red-eye	48	(2)
Removing dust spots	50	(3)
Correcting color	53	(2)
Restoring, Replacing, and Removing Photographic Content	55	(10)
Replacing missing or unwanted content	56	(5)
Rearranging parts of the picture	61	(2)
Getting rid of unwanted content	63	(2)
Storing and Organizing Your Digital Photos	65	(16)
Organizing Your Photos	65	(11)
Using your computer's file-management tools	66	(4)
Using photo album software	70	(4)
Using online galleries	74	(2)
Archiving and Backing Up Photos	76	(5)
Backing up your best shots	77	(1)
Using CD-R and CD-RW	77	(1)
Using DVD storage	78	(1)
Offsite storage for maximum safety	79	(2)
Printing and Sharing Your Pictures	81	(4)
Creating Prints on Demand	81	(2)
Getting the Most from Your Printer and Supplies	83	(1)
Sharing Your Photos	83	(2)
Book II: Building your Digital Photography Studio	85	(112)
Choosing the Right Camera	87	(38)
Choosing a Camera Category	88	(2)
Parts of a Digital Camera	90	(3)
Evaluating Your Lens Requirements	93	(1)
Understanding How Lenses Work	94	(11)
Magnifications and focal lengths	95	(4)
Lens apertures	99	(2)
Focus range	101	(1)
Exposure controls	102	(3)
Choosing Your Resolution	105	(4)
Choosing Your View	109	(7)
LCD viewfinders	109	(2)
Optical viewfinders	111	(2)
Electronic viewfinders	113	(2)
SLR viewfinders	115	(1)
Considering Your Storage Options	116	(2)
No Flash in the Pan: Determining Your Lighting Needs	118	(1)
The Digital SLR Revolution	119	(3)
Ten reasons why digital SLRs are cool	119	(1)
Some digital SLR considerations	119	(3)
A Dozen Exotic Digital Camera Features	122	(1)
Checking Out Ease of Use	123	(2)
Setting Up a Computer for Digital Photography	125	(16)
Hardware Wars Revisited	126	(4)
What Equipment Do You Need?	130	(1)
Determining How Much Memory You Need	131	(1)
Choosing Local Storage	132	(2)
SCSI and EIDE hard disks	132	(1)
External hard disks	133	(1)
Archiving and Backing Up	134	(2)
Zip disks	134	(1)
CD-Rs and CD-RWs	134	(1)
DVDs	134	(1)
Kodak Photo CD	135	(1)
Avoiding Microprocessor No-brainers	136	(1)
Determining What's Most Important	137	(2)
Choosing Pointing Devices	139	(2)
Getting Your Picture from the Camera to the Digital Darkroom	141	(22)
Making the Connection between Camera and Computer	142	(14)
Getting wired	143	(6)
Memory cards and disks	149	(7)
Transferring Images from Camera to Computer	156	(7)
Transferring pictures using camera utility software	156	(2)
Copying files to your hard drive	158	(2)
Importing images into image editing software	160	(3)
Adding a Printer and Scanner	163	(16)
Why You Want Prints	164	(1)
Choosing a Printer for Digital Photography	165	(3)
Choosing a Scanner	168	(11)
Types of scanners	169	(1)
Scanner prices and features	170	(2)
What scanner features do you need?	172	(4)
Resolution mythconceptions	176	(1)
Color depth confusion	177	(2)
Picking Up Some Accessories	179	(18)
Getting Support from Tripods	180	(6)
Types of tripods	182	(1)
Scrutinizing tripod features	183	(3)
Checking out tripod alternatives	186	(1)
Making Good Use of an Electronic Flash	186	(6)
Types of electronic flash units	188	(1)
What to look for in a photographic slave flash	189	(2)
Lighting/flash accessories	191	(1)
Choosing a Camera Bag	192	(1)
Acquiring Other Useful Devices	192	(5)
A filter holder	192	(1)
A second camera	193	(1)
Cleaning kits	193	(1)
Waterproof casings and housings	194	(1)
Filters	194	(2)
Battery packs	196	(1)
Book III: Taking Great Pictures	197	(204)
Tools and Techniques of Composition	199	(26)
Photo Composition: The Big Picture	199	(2)
Visualizing a Concept for Your Picture	201	(2)
What do you want your image to say?	201	(1)
Where will the image be used?	202	(1)
Whom are you creating the image for?	202	(1)
Selecting a Subject and a Center of Interest	203	(3)
Narrowing down your subject matter	203	(1)
Choosing one main subject	203	(2)
Using secondary subjects	205	(1)
Choosing an Orientation	206	(3)
Arranging Your Subjects	209	(3)
Choosing subject distance	209	(1)
Optimizing backgrounds	210	(2)
The Rule of Thirds	212	(3)
Placing important objects at imaginary junction points	212	(1)
When to break the Rule of Thirds	213	(2)
Some Compositional Guidelines	215	(1)
Using Straight Lines and Curves	216	(3)
Balancing an Image	219	(1)
Framing an Image	219	(2)
What's That Tree Doing Growing Out of My Head?	221	(4)
Close-Up Photography	225	(24)
Defining Macro Photography	226	(2)
Why Digital Macro Photography Is Cool	228	(1)
Picking a Place to Shoot	229	(1)
Setting Up Your Macro Studio	230	(10)
Background check	231	(2)
Visible means of support	233	(2)
Lighting equipment	235	(3)
Other equipment	238	(2)
Shooting Tips for Macro Photography	240	(6)
Setting up your subject and background	240	(1)
Setting up your camera	240	(1)
Lights, please	241	(1)
Ready . . . aim	242	(2)
Fire!	244	(2)
Digital SLRs and Close-Up Photography	246	(3)
Photographing People	249	(48)
Capturing Satisfying Portraits	250	(2)
Shooting in the Studio or on Location	252	(2)
Setting Up an Informal Portrait Studio	254	(14)
Choosing backgrounds	254	(2)
Selecting supports for lights, camera, and subjects	256	(1)
Basic lighting equipment	257	(4)
Professional studio lighting	261	(1)
Lighting gadgets	262	(6)
Lighting Basics	268	(9)
Using multiple light sources	269	(1)
Arranging a multiple-light setup	269	(8)
Basic Lighting Techniques	277	(1)
Advanced Lighting Techniques	278	(7)
Short lighting	278	(2)
Broad lighting	280	(2)
Butterfly lighting	282	(1)
Backlighting	282	(3)
Taking Your First Portraits	285	(3)
Shooting the Portrait	288	(6)
Posing your subjects	289	(4)
Arranging your lighting	293	(1)
Taking the picture	293	(1)
Advantages of Digital Cameras	294	(3)
Shooting for Publication	297	(34)
Finding Outlets for Print Publication	298	(4)
Local newspapers	300	(1)
Understanding what newspapers need	300	(2)
Working as a Professional Newspaper Photographer	302	(4)
Being a stringer versus freelancing	303	(3)
Getting your foot in the door	306	(1)
Magazines and Magazine-Like Markets	306	(7)
Making contact	310	(2)
Submitting photos	312	(1)
Shooting for Publication	313	(4)
Understanding group photography basics	313	(1)
Photographing groups of two to two dozen	314	(1)
Composing effective group shots	315	(1)
Managing the group	315	(2)
PR Photography	317	(9)
Executive portraits	317	(3)
Company events	320	(1)
Arranging a PR event worth photographing	321	(1)
Other photoworthy events	321	(1)
Producing placeable PR photos	322	(1)
Printing your PR photos	323	(1)
Writing cutlines	323	(1)
Preparing the cutline for submission	324	(2)
Submitting the photo	326	(1)
Following up	326	(1)
Product Photography	326	(5)
Product shot opportunities	327	(1)
Product demo shots	328	(3)
Sports and Action Photography	331	(34)
Choosing Your Weapons	331	(10)
Digital camera features and action photography	333	(5)
Digital cameras and latency	338	(3)
Taking Great Sports Photos	341	(11)
Choosing your sport and your spot	342	(8)
Winter sports: A special case	350	(2)
Taking Your First Action Photo	352	(8)
Setting your ISO speed	352	(1)
Understanding how to stop action	353	(1)
Stopping action with slow shutter speeds	354	(2)
Panning	356	(1)
Action approaching the camera	357	(1)
Using blur creatively	358	(2)
Taking the Picture	360	(5)
Capturing great sports moments	360	(1)
Setting up for predictable action	360	(3)
Capturing the fans	363	(2)
Travel Photography	365	(36)
Choosing Equipment	365	(13)
Selecting a camera for your needs	365	(3)
Choosing key camera features	368	(1)
Choosing lenses for travel	369	(1)
Considering a tripod	369	(1)
Choosing an electronic flash	370	(2)
Selecting a camera bag	372	(2)
Keeping your camera powered	374	(2)
Other useful devices	376	(2)
Getting Ready to Go on the Road	378	(1)
Meeting Your Storage Requirements	379	(1)
Tried-and-True Travel Photography Techniques	380	(13)
Shooting scenics	380	(2)
Capturing monuments and architecture	382	(4)
Shooting panoramas	386	(1)
Shooting adventure sports	387	(1)
Photographing people	388	(3)
Capturing people and their places	391	(2)
Documenting Your Trip	393	(8)
Varying your shots	393	(1)
Composing your shots	394	(1)
Getting organized	395	(6)
Book IV: Basics of Image Editing	401	(108)
What You Can and Can't Do with Image Editing Tools	403	(38)
Correcting Colors	403	(5)
You can't add color that isn't there	404	(1)
Fixing color casts	405	(2)
Causes of color catastrophe	407	(1)
Adjusting Brightness and Contrast	408	(8)
Murky shadows and washed-out highlights	410	(3)
Maintaining consistency	413	(1)
Reviving lost detail	414	(2)
Using Blurring and Sharpening Tools	416	(5)
Sharpening here and there	417	(1)
Blurring for effect	418	(3)
Repairing Damage, Small and Large	421	(8)
Removing artifacts (or tiny blemishes)	421	(4)
Spackling over more serious damage	425	(4)
Removing Unwanted Image Content	429	(5)
Delete your ex-brother-in-law	429	(1)
Cranial tree-ectomies	430	(4)
Combining Pictures	434	(7)
Pasting content from other images	435	(1)
Using layers to create overlapping images	436	(2)
Adjusting opacity for interesting effects	438	(3)
Common Editing Options	441	(38)
Checking Out Your Editing Toolkit	441	(3)
Painting Tools	444	(12)
Customizing your Brush and Pencil tools	445	(1)
Choosing a paint color	446	(3)
Applying the paint	449	(6)
Using the Eraser as a painting tool	455	(1)
Selection Tools	456	(13)
Making geometric selections	456	(5)
Drawing freeform selections	461	(4)
Selecting pixels by color with the Magic Wand	465	(4)
Blending Tools	469	(4)
Smudging and smearing your colors	469	(1)
Blurring the edges	470	(1)
Using the Scratch Remover	471	(2)
Correction Tools	473	(6)
Using the Sponge tool to add and remove color	473	(1)
Adjusting lights and darks	474	(5)
Choosing the Right Image Editor for You	479	(30)
Looking at Popular Image Editors: The Basics	479	(2)
Adobe Photoshop --- Alone at the Top	481	(4)
What's good about Photoshop	482	(1)
What's not so good about Photoshop	482	(1)
What you can do with Photoshop	483	(2)
Where to get Photoshop	485	(1)
Second-Tier Image Editors	485	(17)
Adobe Photoshop Elements	486	(2)
Corel PhotoPaint	488	(2)
Jasc Paint Shop Pro	490	(3)
Macromedia Fireworks	493	(3)
Corel Painter	496	(3)
Ulead PhotoImpact	499	(3)
Third-Tier Image Editors	502	(4)
Microsoft image editing software	502	(2)
Roxio PhotoSuite	504	(1)
Apple iPhoto	505	(1)
Deciding Whether You Need More Than One Image Editor	506	(3)
Book V: Editing with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements	509	(98)
Latest Features of Photoshop Elements 3.0 and Photoshop Elements	511	(6)
The Relationship between Photoshop and Photoshop Elements	511	(1)
What's New in Photoshop cs and Elements	512	(2)
What's New in Elements 3.0	514	(2)
What's New in Photoshop cs	516	(1)
Making Selections	517	(18)
Making Simple Selections with the Marquee Tools	517	(6)
Selecting geometric shapes	518	(2)
Selecting single-pixel rows and columns	520	(1)
Adding to, reducing, and combining selections	520	(3)
Snagging Irregular Shapes with the Lasso Tools	523	(4)
Selecting freeform shapes	524	(2)
Selecting magnetically	526	(1)
The Magic Wand Tool's Digital Prestidigitation	527	(2)
Making and adjusting selections based on color	528	(1)
Controlling the magic	529	(1)
Specialized Selection Tools	529	(3)
Using the Selection Brush tool	529	(2)
Selecting in Quick Mask mode	531	(1)
Using the Select Menu	532	(3)
Brushing Away Problems with Digital Photos	535	(12)
Photoshop and Photoshop Elements' Painting and Drawing Tools	535	(1)
Working with Brushes and Pencils	536	(3)
Painting with the Brush tool	537	(2)
Working with the Pencil tool	539	(1)
Customizing Your Brushes and Pencils	539	(8)
Choosing the right size and shape	541	(4)
Obtaining third-party brush sets	545	(2)
Restoring Images	547	(24)
Adding Light and Shadows	548	(3)
Using the Dodge tool to lighten tones	548	(1)
Burning your image to darken areas	549	(2)
Using Smudging, Sharpening, and Blurring Tools	551	(8)
Finger painting to blend colors and textures	552	(2)
Using the Sharpen tool to add detail	554	(2)
Blurring some or all of your image	556	(3)
Finding Relief with the Healing Tools	559	(12)
Using the Healing Brush	559	(3)
Working with the Patch tool	562	(2)
Cloning content to cover damage and unwanted content	564	(3)
Removing red-eye	567	(4)
Correcting Faded, Funny, and Funky Colors	571	(14)
Using Automated Tools in Photoshop and Elements	571	(2)
Auto correction in Photoshop	572	(1)
Auto correction in Photoshop Elements	572	(1)
Adjusting Color Balance	573	(7)
Adjusting color levels	573	(1)
Using the Variations dialog box	574	(2)
Equalizing colors	576	(1)
Fixing a color cast	577	(2)
Displaying and using channels	579	(1)
Working with Color Intensity and Quality	580	(5)
Increasing and decreasing color intensity	581	(2)
Tinkering with brightness and contrast	583	(1)
Riding the curves	583	(2)
Restoring and Enhancing Photos with Filters and Special Effects	585	(22)
Working with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements' Filters	586	(15)
Understanding how filters work	586	(2)
Fixing flaws with corrective filters	588	(5)
Turning photos into paintings with artistic filters	593	(3)
Going a little crazy with special effects filters	596	(5)
The Photoshop Elements' Effects Tab Palette	601	(3)
Displaying and moving the tab	603	(1)
Applying an effect	603	(1)
Getting Your Hands on Third-Party Filters	604	(3)
Book VI: Restoring Old Photos	607	(48)
Scanning Print Images	609	(14)
Prepping an Image for a Scan	609	(2)
Working with Scanner Settings	611	(12)
Choosing a resolution	611	(4)
Interpolate, schmerpolate	615	(2)
Sharpening	617	(1)
Blurring/descreening	618	(1)
Knowing when to halftone	618	(1)
Other scanner controls	619	(4)
Restoring Images Captured from Slides, Negatives, and Other Formats	623	(14)
Film and Photography	624	(2)
Scanning Options	626	(3)
Let the pros do it	626	(1)
Buy a slide scanner	626	(1)
Use a transparency-capable flatbed	627	(2)
Try the Rube Goldberg approach	629	(1)
Types of Originals	629	(4)
Prints	629	(1)
Slides	630	(1)
Transparencies	630	(1)
Black-and-white or color negatives	631	(1)
Exotica	632	(1)
Scanning Film	633	(4)
Prepping the film	633	(2)
Performing the scan	635	(2)
Some Common Fixes for Vintage Photos	637	(18)
Repairing Vintage Photos: The Basics	638	(2)
Replacing Depth and Detail	640	(5)
Shedding light on the subject	641	(1)
Don't be afraid of dark shadows	641	(2)
Creating focus by sharpening images	643	(2)
Correcting Faded Colors	645	(4)
Adjusting color levels	645	(1)
Increasing saturation	646	(1)
Adding color adjustment layers	647	(2)
Getting Nostalgic with Sepia Tones	649	(3)
Evening out existing sepia tones	650	(1)
Converting a black-and-white photo to sepia tone	650	(2)
Rip! Replacing Torn or Missing Content	652	(3)
Book VII: Printing and Sharing Your Digital Images	655	(26)
Printing Your Final Result	657	(10)
Why Do You Need Prints?	657	(2)
Evaluating Your Printing Options	659	(1)
Inkjet printers	659	(1)
Laser printers	659	(1)
Dye-sublimation printers	660	(1)
Touring the Print Process	660	(4)
Preventing surprises with Print Preview	661	(1)
Understanding your output options	662	(1)
Printing your photos	663	(1)
Using Professional Printing Services	664	(3)
Choosing a service bureau	664	(1)
Tell them what you want, what you really, really want	665	(1)
Knowing when you need a service bureau	666	(1)
Sharing Pictures on the Web	667	(14)
Appreciating the Advantages of Web Sharing	667	(4)
Sharing your personal photos	669	(1)
Sharing images with business associates	670	(1)
Choosing a Sharing System	671	(10)
Using commercial sharing sites and services	672	(1)
Using You've Got Pictures and Kodak Picture Center with America Online	673	(3)
Using your own Web space	676	(5)
Glossary	681	(22)
Index	703