Digital Photography Books - Page 19

Organizing and Editing Your Photos with Picasa: Visual QuickProject Guide

Steve Schwartz

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If you're looking for an easy way to find photos on your PC, make a few editing fixes, and then share your images with others, look no further. Picasa, available as a free download from Google.com, makes it easy to instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures in seconds and sorts them into albums. From there, you can apply basic edits to your photos, burn them to CD, post them on your blog, or email them to friends. In this colorful, compact guide, author Steve Schwartz starts at the beginning, walking readers through the Picasa interface and showing readers how to set preferences. From there, he launches into the heart of this book, offering project-based instruction for organizing, viewing, and editing your photos, and then shows you how to use Picasa's built-in tools to print, email, or order professional prints of your images. In addition, readers will learn how to share their photos instantly with Hello, Picasa's free instant messaging software. Throughout the book, full-page, full-color screen shots and simple, step-by-step instructions lead readers through several projects, such as saving an image to the Windows desktop, creating a screensaver, making movies, generating photo-based Web pages, running a slideshow, and creating posters, collages, and contact sheets.

Magic Lantern Guides: SONY DSLR A300/A350

Peter K. Burian

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Very disappointing book - do not buy! 1 out of 5 stars.
21 of 24 people found this review helpful.

I have purchased recently a Sony A300 dSLR and wanted to learn some tips & tricks, in addition to the materials in the excellent users guide.

As the book hinted that it may fit the bill, I have purchased it.

The book looks very nice from the outside - but the inside is very disappointing.

1. The structure is not very logical, and key parts are missing (for example it discusses the menu and fn button functions, but never gives an overview of what happens when you press the button first).
2. There are no tips / tricks in the book which I would consider useful - it looks simply as cut / reshuffle / paste of (some) parts of the users guide. (There ARE various hints and recommendations in the book - and they may be useful for some, but they did not help me.)

The original users guide (came with the camera) has lots of recommendations about how to use the camera and also how to take good pictures, in an easy to understand manner. This book is not good for either - and it actually may confuse the reader more than help. (It did confuse me for sure!)

Of course, if you like puzzle games: you may like this book as you will have to flip back and forth to find something (but in some cases you will never find it). If you want a solid document, helping you to make most of your camera: this book is not it.

Note: I had previous experience with SLR and digital cameras. I have also read a number of other similar books. As a result my perspective and the perspective of others on this books may differ. If you have no experience whatsoever about SLR cameras, or digital cameras in general, you may find this book interesting.

Editorial Review:

Meet the A300 and A350—the two newest cameras in Sony’s beginner-friendly “A” series. They’re alike except for sensor resolution (the 350 has the highest available in any consumer model), and are perfect for anyone ready to move up from point-and-shoot cameras. That’s because they actually allow photographers to view the scene in front of them on the LCD monitor prior to shooting. Owners will look to this guide to find out how to use the Live Preview with AF and exposure control; adjustable variable angle LCD monitor that flips out and twists; and Super SteadyShot(R) image stabilization that vastly reduces blur.

Digital Photography Workshops: Nudes: Unique Course in a Book Taking You from Beginner to Expert

Duncan Evans

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great overview of Issues related to nudes 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book is a sort of guide to nudes, being very concise with lots of "tips" and images, not the best images you will ever see, but more to the point, perhaps the best images for explaining the problems and solutions of the nude photography being explained.

Furthermore, it is not a beginners book teaching you how to shoot your camera and what f stop to use, etc. It sticks to the point, which is Nudes and how to shoot them. That being the case, it's not an "everything" book, but a good primer and reference that is easy to read and makes a good, fast and easy to use reference for shooting nudes.

My only complaint is that it shows how to adjust some of the images--maybe all of them?-- in Photoshop. This immediately dates a book, but it's a minor infraction, and since PS does stay similar even over years, it could be helpful to those not too up on post processing.

I would suggest getting this book and keeping it in your bag for reference. Clear, crisp, and concise.

Editorial Review:

• Big ideas? Little time? Take this photography course in a book!
• Accessible, assignment-led approach to creating great nudes
• Teaches digital basics and much more

Practical assignments and a clear, step-by-step approach make Digital Photography Workshops: Nudes the essential course-between-covers for any photographer who has big dreams and little time to accomplish them. Nudes guides readers through all the stages of taking a great nude, from working with people, to setting up flattering lighting, to ideas for poses and stunning compositions, styles of imagery, and creating mood with the camera. Each step is presented with easy-to-follow assignments, how-to tips, digital basics, and complete image-editing projects. Core skills are taught as part of the process of learning to photograph nudes, so the photographer can learn the basics while working toward taking professional-quality shots in the specialty.

Digital Sports Photography, Second Edition

G. Newman Lowrance

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Get an insider's look at the techniques, equipment, and know-how needed to take eye-catching and inspiring sports action photographs with "Digital Sports Photography, Second Edition." Written by an experienced professional sports photographer and featuring firsthand insight and ideas from other industry pros, this book provides the basics of sports photography whether you are just getting started or want to enhance your skills. You'll learn about color management, camera setup, equipment options, shutter speeds, composition, and more to help you attain professional-quality results with a digital camera. You'll also discover what a sports photo editor looks for when selecting images, knowledge you can use to help you take the best possible shots, whether you aspire to be a professional or just want to take great sports photos for fun. The book concentrates on shooting six major sports—baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, and tennis—while providing methods and strategies that can be used to photograph any sport, at the amateur, collegiate, or pro level. Filled with fantastic images to illustrate the skills taught, a full-color gallery of images taken by the author, and even a glossary of helpful photography terms, "Digital Sports Photography, Second Edition" provides invaluable information and guidance on the excitingand challenging world of sports photography.

Magic Lantern Guides: Canon EOS-1D Mark III EOS-1Ds Mark III

Michael Guncheon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Magic Lantern Guide for Canon EOS-1D Mark III 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.

Excellent, though brief, guide to this very powerful camera's many controls and functions. It goes much deeper into each of the zillion buttons, switches, and screens than the manual ever could, and the writer even discusses actual uses for each of them. Although it'd be better if many of the illustrations could be larger and in color, the clear black-and-white pictures provided are more than adequate. Good basic discussion of lenses and accessories, too, as well as information about the uses of Canon's provided software. The six-page, foldup pocket reference card is on good heavy stock and is, I think, plastic-coated and can stand up to a bit of carrying around as you get more familiar with the 1D Mark III in the field. Some of the Magic Lantern Guides I've seen aren't too much better than rehashes of the manufacturer's manual, but Michael Guncheon does a fine job of bringing the real world use of this pro camera into focus. If I were you, I'd buy it.

Editorial Review:

Photographers will happily welcome Canon’s two new professional-level cameras the EOS 1D Mark III and EOS 1Ds Mark III. They both offer
numerous cutting-edge features to delight skilled shutterbugs. The 1D Mark III has a new 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-H size) with Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System; a 3.0-inch LCD monitor with Live View technology and a redesigned 100% viewfinder; and a new 45-point AF system.
It can shoot up to 10 frames per second continuously with a maximum
burst of 110 shots. The 1Ds Mark III has all those elements plus a 21.1-megapixel full-frame Canon CMOS sensor.

 

Digital Negatives: Using Photoshop to Create Digital Negatives for Silver and Alternative Process Printing

Brad Hinkel, Ron Reeder

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Digital Negatives: Using Photoshop to Create Digital Negatives for Silver and Alternative
Process Printing bridges the world of traditional photographic printing with digital technology. A digital negative, prepared in Photoshop, allows you to skip the dark room time developing the negatives-getting straight to a variety of printing processes including silver, platinum, and a host of other "alternative" processes. You will see this as an opportunity to mix technology with traditional photo processes resulting in more time for your art! In the recent past, photographers that wanted digital negatives had to take their business to labs. Now all of you Photoshop users can incorporate this practice into your workflow of choice.

*Easy, quick start recommendations for specific supplies and instructions for making your first print quickly without all the details of calibrating digital negatives.
·Offers expert instruction for the more advanced; much of the book will be focused on how to calibrate digital negatives, configure a digital darkroom, and fine tune prints from digital negatives
·Adventurous, experimental techniques take printing using alternative processes into new options including toning, multiple printing, printing with ink and platinum, plus others.

Mastering Digital Flash Photography: The Complete Reference Guide (A Lark Photography Book)

Chris George

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Primer 4 out of 5 stars.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.

It seems strange that the best book around for a long time about flash photography was published in 1997, before the full scale invasion of digital cameras and super-smart flash units. That's the need that "Mastering Digital Flash Photography" is aimed at filling.

The first chapter deals with basic issues like the nature of the lighting systems available, and the second with the nature of light itself. The author then considers fill flash (the use of flash to supplement ambient light), low light flash and studio flash. The author finishes by discussing computer techniques that can be used to improve pictures captured with flash.

This book serves as an excellent introduction to the subject of flash photography, and will prove extremely useful to the individual with little or no experience with flash. (On the other hand, George does assume that the reader understands basic photography skills like exposure and digital post processing.) However, I sometimes felt that the author generalized a bit too much for an instruction manual and could have placed more emphasis on certain subjects. For example, he quite properly points out that a picture taken with fill flash is the combination of a picture at a slower speed with ambient light and a picture at higher speed with flash. I would have liked him to give more emphasis to the fact that this can sometimes create problems (as well as opportunities) by giving a moving subject blurred edges. I would also have liked to see more emphasis on the use of multiple portable flashes, given the facility for wireless control, like that of Nikon's CLS system, which modern flashes provide.

I also felt that drawing a sharp distinction between portable flash units and studio strobe lights was not necessary. Many of today's portable flash units can easily be used with umbrellas and softboxes specifically designed for them, in a manner similar to the larger, usually more powerful, studio lights, while many of the techniques for using multiple studio lights can also be applied to portable units, even outside of the studio. Yet these connections were not made.

When it came to digital post processing I was pleased to find the author made no attempt to deal with fundamentals. Instead he pointed out how the use of certain tools, with which an experienced Photoshop user would be familiar, could extend the capabilities of flash photography. Some beginning Photoshop users might wish that there was a little more detail on subjects like selective adjustments, but slightly experienced users will get just enough of an indication as to what is necessary.

Nature photographers also use flash, and have special problems and tools like flash extenders that were not dealt with here.

The use of flash is not something one learns from a single book. The more one uses flash, the more one thinks of other useful applications. This book will provide users with a good start. And it's not ten years old.

Editorial Review:

Electronic flash not only brings light to a photograph, it can be an important artistic tool—if you’ve acquired the knowledge to use it creatively. To master those skills, digital photographers need only turn to this complete reference. Packed with inspirational photos, it takes the mystery out of flash, covering every type of equipment and explaining such essentials as guide numbers, sync speeds, white balance, and more. Photographers will see how fill flash can decrease contrast and shadows in outdoor portrait photography, understand how to control the light using bounce and multiple flash techniques, and expertly employ high-speed and rear curtain synchronization to create impressive motion-blur images. Everything you need to know is here—including a section on studio flash and computer processing.

The Education of a Photographer

Charles H. Traub, Steven Heller, Adam B. Bell

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Essential in a photographer's library 5 out of 5 stars.
21 of 24 people found this review helpful.

I'm only halfway through and can only ask why such a book only surfaces now. Previous concise compilations of writings on photography concentrated on the mediums origins and historical figures. This one gives us a more contemporary context (ie the 50ies) and goes on from there until today, focusing on the ideas of key figures. Thank you editors!

Editorial Review:

• What inspires great visionaries?
• Ideal for art students at every level
• Illuminating words about creating great images
• Published in association with New York’s School of Visual Arts

What does it mean to become a photographer in the twenty-first century? This thoughtful collection of essays illuminates the spirit of the people who make the indelible images of our times. Aspiring and professional photographers—especially those in arts programs throughout the United States—will appreciate the comprehensive vision of The Education of a Photographer. Classic writings from the twentieth century as well as the thoughts of the most influential talents working today, plus essays from designers, editors, and gallery owners, make this a compelling look at what drives and inspires photographers to create great work.

The Official Nik Software Image Enhancement Guide: The Photographer's Resource for Professional Workflow Techniques

Joshua D. Bradley

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Designed to save time in the digital workflow, Nik Software's entire suite of products (Dfine 2.0, Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Sharpener Pro 2.0) were conceived with the single goal of helping photographers use products such as Adobe Photoshop easier while offering numerous editing capabilities not found within Photoshop. These powerful and highly successful digital imaging products have been written about extensively in trade magazines and publication's, however, to date no one has taken on the task of compiling techniques into a book on how best to utilize these highly popular products. The Official Nik Software Image Enhancement Guide: The Photographer's Resource of Professional Workflow Techniques is a product designed to resemble the way photographers think. The idea is to make sure the readers can apply techniques discussed in the book such as retouching, understanding the importance of light, and exposure, while learning all of the features and functionality of this family of products. The CD included with the book will have a trial version of Nik's most popular program, Color Efex Pro Standard Edition.The book will appeal to any and all owners of Nik Software products who have been asking for a book on this topic almost since the company's inception.

Nikon Capture NX 2 After the Shoot

Mike Hagen

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Not yet published By: Wiley

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Editorial Review:

Skyrocketing laptop sales combined with increased wireless connectivity across the US has made technology increasingly mobile.  Nikon Capture NX 2 After the Shoot will appeal to mobile users who want or need to download and edit their digital photographs outside of their home.  This full-color book on the latest version of Nikon Capture will offer readers a firm understanding of the applications' tools and features.  Using numbered steps to walk readers through the most common Nikon Capture NX tasks, Nikon Capture NX 2 After the Shoot will be the perfect guide for digital photographers who want a clear, concise guide to Nikon Capture.