Digital Photography Books - Page 5

The Hot Shoe Diaries: Creative Applications of Small Flashes (Voices That Matter)

Joe McNally

Amazon Price: $26.39 List Price: $39.99 Not yet published By: New Riders Press

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Photography & Video -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography

Editorial Review:

When Joe's not on assignment for the biggest-name magazines and Fortune 500 clients, he's in the classroom teaching location lighting, environmental portraiture, and how to get the shot at workshops around the world. These on-location workshops are usually reserved for a handful of photographers each year, but now you can learn the same techniques that Joe shares in his seminars and lectures in a book that brings Joe's sessions to life. In this book, Joe delivers the definitive guide to flash. He starts with the basics and how to get started and then moves on to techniques for using really simple approaches (one light, two light). The book contains a discussion of what's in the camera bag lighting wise, gadgets, field survival, light shaping tools, approaches, and more. All along the way he imparts his photography wisdom and gets the reader to move on past their fears, showing them examples of disasters and how to recover. Each section contains straight talk and a run-down of what can happen on location.

Complete Digital Photography, Fourth Edition (Graphics Series)

Ben Long

Amazon Price: $26.39 List Price: $39.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Charles River Media Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $22.89

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Photography & Video -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Photography & Video -> Beginning Guides

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 67 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Complete Digital Photography has become a classic book for helping traditional photographers move to digital! It's also the book of choice for many new digital photographers who want to learn how to take great digital photos. Now in its 4th edition, this bestseller has been fine-tuned and updated to provide the most current information available. Covering everything from the inner workings of the camera to the subtle intricacies of image editing software, the book is divided into four sections. The first section provides the basic technical foundation needed throughout the rest of the book. It details the basics of how digital cameras work and provides a quick photography primer. The second part explores everything needed to make an informed decision about which camera, computer, and software to choose. Section three has been thoroughly updated and expanded to cover the nitty gritty of shooting, including metering, choosing the right exposure, using histograms, flash photography, and much more. And the final section, teaches the latest digital editing and correction techniques, including new coverage of workflow and raw conversion.

Canon EOS Rebel XSi/450D Digital Field Guide

Charlotte K. Lowrie

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $10.73

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Less helpful than owner's manual 2 out of 5 stars.
12 of 19 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book based on the reviews of the author's "field guide" on the XTi, which were quite positive, with only a few critics. Usually, that's enough to steer me away if there's another choice, but I thought since there were so many positive reviews, the book must be pretty good. I was very disappointed, however, and I agree with the analysis of those critics of the XTi book.

If you're looking for a version of the owner's manual that's larger and in full color, you might be happy with this "field guide", but if you're looking for something to help you take advantage of what the XSi can do (i.e. tips and techniques), you'll be disappointed too. It was actually less helpful to me than the owner's manual was. For example, I'm new to SLRs (as most of the audience for this book should be), and I didn't know very much about the 4 metering modes that this camera offers. Both the owner's manual and this book describe what they do, but only the owner's manual gives a recommendation (spot metering and center-weighted average are labeled "for advanced users"). Perhaps Lowrie wouldn't agree with that, but at least it's something besides the nuts & bolts.

I can't imagine how Lowrie went about taking up so much space without saying something valuable, or even subjective, about this camera. Perhaps it was all the "full color photos". I also can't imagine ever bringing this "field guide" into "the field". I'd much sooner stick the owner's guide in my back pocket. I found Lowrie's blog much more informative and useful than this book.

Editorial Review:

Your Digital Rebel XSi/450D, with its 12.2 megapixel resolution, 3-inch view screen, and the option for "Live View" shooting, is designed for simplicity without sacrificing creative freedom. This guide is ideal for helping you use that creative control and get great shots anywhere, anytime. If you’re new to dSLRs, it makes the transition easy. If you’re already comfortable with the various modes and settings, the book helps you make the most of every one.

• Set up your camera and learn when to choose automatic, semi-automatic, and manual modes
• Understand the camera's controls, menus, and when to use different metering and autofocus modes
• Explore Canon Picture Styles and custom functions
• Learn to manipulate ISO, exposure, depth of field, and shutter speed
• Create intriguing night and low-light images, capture sports action, portraits, and get tips for better macro photography

Real World Nikon Capture NX 2 (Real World)

Ben Long

Amazon Price: $26.39 List Price: $39.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Peachpit Press Amazon Marketplace: 3 new & used starting at $26.39

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment

Editorial Review:

Capture NX 2 from Nikon is a powerful image-editing application that lets photographers work with digital photographs with more speed and efficiency than other software programs. Its underlying technology gives photographers the ability to make selective corrections to an image with just one click. "Real World Capture NX 2," written by digital photography expert Ben Long, takes photographers behind the scenes to see how this innovative program works.  Along the way, Ben offers valuable tips and techniques for getting the most out of the software and digital cameras.

Novice and expert photographers alike will benefit from Capture NX. New users can make advanced image corrections without learning sophisticated masking techniques. Advanced users can perform the complex edits they are accustomed to making in other programs in fewer steps. Any image corrections made with Capture NX 2 are non-destructive, which means that the actual image data is unaltered and reversible until the photographer achieves the best results. Photographers who use Nikon cameras have access to special software features for working with raw, JPEG and TIFF images.

Fine Art Printing for Photographers: Exhibition Quality Prints with Inkjet Printers, 2nd Edition

Uwe Steinmueller, Juergen Gulbins

Amazon Price: $29.67 List Price: $44.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Rocky Nook Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $23.83

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Design & Decorative Arts -> Graphic Design
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Fine Art Printing, The Sophisticated Inkjet! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is a title on digital printing by Rockynook, a recently established publishing house specializing in books on computers, digital photography and image production. They distribute their titles through O'Reilly here in the US. They have strong ties to a German publishing house dpunct.verlag, whose specialty is computer science and digital photography. Most of the early titles published by Rockynook have featured German authors. While I don't read German, the several books I've read in this series read as if parts have been translated from German, with occasional verbiage that reads as if it were transliterated, not translated. But the overall quality of the books is excellent, they're filled with beautiful pictures representative of the authors personal work, and overall the clarity of the text is more than adequate.

This is the second edition of this work, the first was published just last year in 2007. The publication of a second edition following so closely on the heels of the first suggests the rapid changes that are occurring in digital image production.

First, some caveats. The book is not really intended for the casual photographer who may print out occasional 4x6 prints on his ink jet printer. It is not for those who are using color lasers or small dye sublimation printers. It is for photographers using photo inkjet printers. The emphasis here is on "photo." Other printers are briefly discussed, but the discussion relates to "fine art printing."

What does that mean? It means one must be willing to make a substantial investment in both equipment and time. A high quality lower end photo printer with some printing capabilities for 13", 17", or 19" paper will start around $500, and the prices go up from there. These printers typically have 8-12 ink colors, and large prints use a lot of ink. That means substantial ink replacement costs. Good quality photo paper in larger sizes may run $2-$4 per print or more, depending on size. By the time you've calibrated your printer, done several test prints, make adjustments, hopefully printed a final perfect copy, you'll have invested some serious time and money to make a single quality image.

The stated goal of the book is to teach you how to make museum quality prints. Museum quality means not only are the prints excellent in composition and rendering, it also means that they'll last for decades to centuries. Besides outlining some of the tweaks in Photoshop that are an inevitable part of printing, there are discussions of the choice of archival inks, paper weight and finish, managing workflow, color, and presentation. The use of printing packages is covered. Both Windows and Mac systems are discussed. The final framing and presentation of prints is well covered.

A real positive is that specific recommendations concerning three manufacturer's printers are given, Epson, HP, and Canon.

This is an excellent work for the serious amateur, and possibly a reference for the professional photographer who wishes to retain final control over his images. Also, this is a good introduction for those interested in discovering the requirements for high quality inkjet printing.

Editorial Review:

Today's digital cameras provide image data files allowing large-format output at high resolution. At the same time, printing technology has moved forward at an equally fast pace bringing us new inkjet systems capable of printing in high precision at a very fine resolution, providing an amazing tonality range and longtime stability of inks.

Moreover, these systems are now affordable to the serious photographer. In the hands of knowledgeable and experienced photographers, these new inkjet printers can help create prints comparable to the highest quality darkroom prints on photographic paper.

This book provides the necessary foundation for fine art printing: The understanding of color management, profiling, paper and inks. It demonstrates how to set up the printing workflow as it guides the reader step-by-step through this process from an image file to an outstanding fine art print.

Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers Only (For Only)

Michael Meadhra, Charlotte K. Lowrie

Amazon Price: $23.09 List Price: $34.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $18.28

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Lighting
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not that great... 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I didn't manage to read the whole book (only the first third) because I got bored. It may be useful though for the very beginner photographer.

I stopped at Chapter 7 when I've read "Apertures toward the extremes of the range often tend to exhibit somewhat less sharpness and more distortion". The statement is correct regarding sharpness but not true regarding distortion (which doesn't change with aperture but does change on a zoom with focal length).

I do not recommend this book.

Nothing really new, but... 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

First I should say the title is not totally accurate as I was not familiar with the Zone System by Ansel Adams and the book has an interesting section on it. As for the rest, no truly new information is provided that could not either be provided by an experience with slide films, or inferred from digital cameras manuals. Still the text is quite fluent and provides a good refresh about known notions; moreover the pictures are stunning. I would encourage people in two groups to buy the book: big budget beginners with an interest in improving the quality of their pictures (the book in fact talks about _many_ expensive equipments), or experienced photographers wanting to have some new inspirations.

Editorial Review:

Even with digital cameras and automatic exposure, lighting and exposure remain the most difficult element to master in the quest for quality photography. This book, written by a professional photographer for photographers, provides real-world advice to help you achieve true creative control over lighting and exposure. Discover how to take your digital photos to the next level with the scores of lighting diagrams, techniques, and stunning full-color photographs. Order your copy today!

Photoshop CS3 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

Barbara Obermeier

Amazon Price: $26.39 List Price: $39.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: For Dummies Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $19.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Photography & Video -> Adobe Photoshop
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Photography & Video -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics

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

A usable practical guide for serious readers. 5 out of 5 stars.
19 of 21 people found this review helpful.

If you are like me -- an intelligent (I hope) experienced computer person who has never used Photoshop but wants to learn how to do useful work (not just play around) -- this book is for you. For example, you can actually look in the index and find what you are looking for.

Editorial Review:

Get your picture-perfect guide to using all the cool features of Photoshop CS3.

Whether you're new to Photoshop, want to take your skills up a notch, or want to quickly master the new features and enhancements in Photoshop CS3, you've come to the right place. Nine easy-to-follow minibooks cover Photoshop fundamentals plus the newest tools and techniques. "Putting It Together" exercises give you hands-on experience. This is your one-stop guide to Photoshop. You'll learn to:

• Specify size and resolution.
• Correct contrast, color, and clarity.
• Create top-notch selections.
• Composite images with layers and blending modes.
• Make adjustments with levels and curves.
• Prep graphics for print or the Web.

Order your copy of this 9 books in 1 - with hundreds of examples in full color -- today!

Photoshop Elements 4: The Missing Manual

Barbara Brundage

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Pogue Press Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $1.75

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Computer Science

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 89 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The popularity of digital cameras continues to grow exponentially. They are now more powerful, feature rich, and affordable--turning digital photography into a mainstream interest. And with Photoshop Elements, Adobe has created the most popular photo-editing program on the planet. Learning how to work Photoshop Elements and manage digital photos can be a challenge for anyone just getting started--from the hobbyist to the pro photographer. With the latest Photoshop Elements 4 update, Adobe delivers a powerful new program that provides photo editing and organizing functionality with improved performance. The updated version also includes new, more intuitive features that are streamlined and easier to use--when the photographer has the right learning tool in hand.

With Photoshop Elements 4: The Missing Manual, author Barbara Brundage has written the perfect digital photography guide. In a clear, easy-to-read format, the author provides step-by-step instruction so readers can learn what they need to do to edit their photos successfully and manage their collection. This new edition also includes more than a dozen downloadable images so readers can practice using the editing tools. Readers will master useful editing techniques--from the most common to the advanced:

• Automatically correct red eye and skin tones
• Select and extract complex objects with the Magic Selection Brush and The Magic Extractor
• Create photomontages
• Restore old photographs
• Post photos on the web
• Manage and archive an entire collection
• Design a custom slide show with panning and zooming capabilities

Once photographers learn how to edit their photos successfully, they'll also learn how to post them online or upload them to the Kodak EasyShare Gallery for use in creating personal mailing lists, post cards, calendars, and much more. Photoshop Elements 4: The Missing Manual, is for any photographer interested in learning the right editing techniques for producing and sharing beautiful digital photography.

Photoshop Elements 4: The Missing Manual covers the Windows version of the software only. When we published the book, there was no Mac version of the software (as there is now), and for various reasons, we've been unable to update this edition to include the Mac version. Nonetheless, if you're on a Mac, you can use this book. Just substitute Command for Ctrl, and Option for Alt whenever you see keystroke shortcuts, and about 98 percent of the Editor functions will work the same. The sections on the Organizer only apply to Windows because the Mac version has no Organizer.

Practical HDRI: High Dynamic Range Imaging for Photographers

Jack Howard

Amazon Price: $21.75 List Price: $32.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Rocky Nook Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $14.24

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Darkroom & Processing
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Reference

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

Editorial Review:

In this book, well-known expert Jack Howard leads you on an exploration into the exciting new frontier of High Dynamic Range Imaging. HDRI is a method to digitally capture, store, and edit the full luminosity range of a scene in ways that are just not possible with a single captured image.

Jack's illustrated text is easy to understand as he takes you from the initial image capture and into the digital darkroom. Here is where you will learn to use this cutting edge photographic technique to achieve spectacular results.

Covered are the most popular and effective HDR programs such as Adobe Photoshop CS3, FDRTools, Dynamic Photo HDR, Photomatix Pro, and more.

Topics include:

• Illustrated step-by-step tutorials
• Basic and advanced workflows
• Post-production optimization for both web and print
• File management
• Advice on cameras and software
• A wealth of HDR images, ranging from subtle to surreal
• Real-world shooting tips from Jack's personal experiences as both a creative photographer and photojournalist.

HDR imaging for the photographer can be challenging and frustrating for the uninitiated, as it involves both field and computer expertise. However, Jack Howard explains this complex subject matter in a practical way that will not intimidate the beginner, nor bore the experienced photographer. The emphasis is on the creative process and how to make it work for you-rather than the science behind it.

Picture Yourself Learning Corel Paint Shop Pro X2

Diane Koers

Amazon Price: $19.79 List Price: $29.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Course Technology PTR Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $18.73

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Photography & Video -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Graphic Design -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Harness the power of Paint Shop Pro Photo and discover all the fun and practical techniques you can use to perfect your photographs and create dynamic graphic elements. "Picture Yourself Learning Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2" introduces you to the tools you need to correct and enhance photographs, beginning with the basics of working with toolbars, palettes, and rulers, and setting up your Paint Shop Pro Photo preferences. Once you are acquainted with the basic tools, you’ll learn how to use layers to make brightness, hue, and color contrast adjustments; how resolution applies to your monitor, your images, and your prints; and how to use the various file and output functions. In addition to numerous retouching and repairing techniques, you’ll discover how to use special effects to turn your photographs into works of art and create digital scrapbook pages and 3D images. In addition to the step-by-step instructions, tips, and notes, you’ll find a glossary to help you define terms that are new to you, as well as appendixes featuring Paint Shop Pro Photo keyboard shortcuts and useful additional resources. Get ready to create beautiful scrapbook pages, panoramas, framed photographs, and more with "Picture Yourself Learning Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2."