IN THE PIONEER DAYS of photography, photographers had to be part-time chemists. They mixed potions and caustic powders together themselves to make images appear on paper, glass, and metal. Then Kodak introduced the Brownie, with the slogan “You press the button—we do the rest.” Kodak was betting on the general shopper’s reluctance to become an at-home chemist. And, as history has shown us, the bet paid off.
We see the same pattern repeating itself today. When digital cameras first became popular, people filled them up with pictures and then struggled to figure out how to get these images off of the camera and printed on home printers. This required learning a lot more than just photography. So, many companies now provide services to help digital photographers turn their digital images into beautiful prints. For instance, they can insert their memory card into a kiosk at a local photo lab, order prints from stores like Costco or Wal-Mart, or upload their photos to online companies for print ordering via the Web.
This means that anyone who wants to put off learning about computers, software, and printers can leave these lessons for a future time, focusing instead on photographic techniques. For this reason, this book focuses on shooting techniques, rather than software techniques. We’re going to take things one step at a time and concentrate first on the art of taking great pictures.
This book is entirely about making great photos with your digital camera. It is not about altering images on your computer, and it is not about scanning your old film pictures into your computer. We are here to focus on what you need to know in order to make great photos. It’s true that you can do a lot to improve your photos by tweaking them on the computer. However, since most of us only have so much time in the day, this book avoids lengthy discussions of Photoshop and cuts right to the chase. I will discuss only those software techniques that you really need to know.
Likewise, this book will not discuss how to set up your computer, printer, or e-mail account; I fully understand that these are important concepts for most digital photographers, but they are beyond the scope of this book. I’ve kept the focus here on technique—on how to make better photos with a digital camera while out in the field.
If you are converting from film photography, you may recognize many of the topics that we explore. That’s because many aspects of exposure, composition, and lighting apply equally to both film and digital photography. All the same, digital photography introduces a few new quirks that we’ll discuss in detail. By presenting both the traditional principles of photography and these digital aspects, this book is the perfect starting point for any photographer, whether you’ve been shooting film for a while or you are just now getting into photography for the first time.
I’m assuming that you already own a digital camera. The real question is, What kind of digital camera do you own? There are a few major types:
COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERAS. I refer to these as digicams from time to time throughout the book, and less frequently as point-and-shoots. These cameras are very small and usually feature a zoom lens, the ability to creatively control aperture and shutter speed, as well as a few other fun features. However, what you see through the viewfinder of this type of camera often is not exactly what you will get in the final composition.
One of the great advantages of shooting digital is that, because there’s no expense on film and developing, you can shoot almost as much as you like. All you need to do is come prepared with plenty of memory-card storage. This freedom is truly one of the great benefits of shooting digitally. For example, as we walked down a village lane in the Cotswolds in England, my son discovered this interesting doorknocker. I was free to make countless images of him as he approached and played spontaneously with it. The entire time, I didn’t have to worry about wasting film and spending a fortune having my pictures developed.
1/125 SEC. AT f/5.6, ISO 100, 16–35MM LENS AT 35MM
DIGITAL SINGLE-LENS-REFLEX (SLR) CAMERAS. These are bigger and bulkier than the compact cameras but much more flexible and powerful when it comes to getting creative with your photography. What you see through the viewfinder is what you get in the final image. This makes it easier for you to clearly see when the subject is in focus and when the scene is composed exactly the way you want it to be composed. These cameras are designed so that you can use a variety of lenses, giving you ultimate flexibility when it comes to image magnification. The fact that you can get extremely close to distant subjects with a particular lens is just one of the many benefits of an SLR. Furthermore, they do not suffer from shutter lag—the delay that some compact digicams have when the shutter button is pressed.
CELLULAR CAMERA PHONES AND LOW-END POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERAS. Although these fun kinds of digital cameras have been limited and low quality in the past, many manufacturers are beginning to add interesting features, such as zoom lenses and higher pixel resolutions. You may not be able to control some important settings when using these cameras, but you can, at the very least, apply my guidelines on composition, lighting, and subject selection.
Regardless of which kind of digital camera you use, this book will help you take better pictures. If you want to get especially creative, the camera should feature the ability to easily change aperture and shutter speed.
For most of my photographic work, I use a digital SLR—and I highly recommend it. With this kind of camera, you can take amazing photos with great ease and convenience. If I ever were to steer someone toward a compact digicam, the reason would be that the size of such a compact camera makes it much easier to carry around than a SLR. If the bulkiness factor keeps you from taking the camera with you everywhere you go, then by all means, get a smaller camera.
If you already have a compact digicam, don’t worry about it being too limited. Simply try the guidelines and techniques presented in this book and see how it goes. If you find that your camera does a great job, run with it. If you decide that you’d like more “power” and don’t mind the additional bulk, upgrade to a digital SLR. Today’s market offers several SLRs and price ranges to fit your budget.
We’ll discuss features that are nice to have in your camera in the first chapter, but for now, the most important functions are the ability to control aperture and shutter speed. This particular kind of creative control will take you a long way when it comes to capturing unique and beautiful images.
If you don’t already have a digital camera and are turning to this book for guidance in that arena, no problem. I can help you. Simply turn to the Digital Camera Buyer’s Guide at the back of this book.
Other than a good camera, all you need is a memory card and a tripod. With printing kioskspractically on every corner, you don’t even really need your own computer or software. As I mentioned earlier, you can simply take your camera or memory card to one of these kiosks to have your favorite photos printed.
A Note about the Images
I made all of the images in this book with a digital camera. I resisted the temptation to include scanned versions of my older slides because I wanted you to see firsthand that you can create excellent images digitally. And, to drive home that point, most of the images reflect the original in-camera composition; in other words, I didn’t crop them after I made them to improve the composition. Only a few images in the chapter on composition, and a few others that I designate as cropped in the caption, were trimmed after the fact.
What’s more, I made all of these images with an affordable digital camera. While most of the photos were created with a digital SLR, it was not an especially expensive camera. My point is that you too can create these kinds of images. Don’t allow yourself to think, “Oh sure, he can do it because he has such an awesome camera. I can’t do that!” While equipment is important, how you use the equipment you have is more important.
The guidelines presented in this book come from practical experience. If I haven’t tested it out myself, I’ll tell you. Having said that, these guidelines are just my personal thoughts and opinions. To really learn these concepts and make up your own mind about each technique, I encourage readers to go out shooting. That’s why you’ll find, at the end of each section, an exciting photography assignment. For each principle that we explore, the corresponding assignment will help you make it your own.
There’s an old saying by Confucius that I just love:
I hear and I forget. I see and
I remember. I do and I understand.
Let this be our mantra while we learn digital photography. Take each assignment as an opportunity to overcome—once and for all—the fears, doubts, and confusions that you have about digital picture-taking. After you’ve completed each assignment, share the photos with your friends and family, and feel free to upload them to the BetterPhoto online discussions or contest (go to www.betterphoto.com). I look forward to seeing what you yourself create when you put these guidelines into practice.
I’m thrilled that you’ve decided to take up digital photography. There’s a reason why digital photography is quickly becoming America’s #1 hobby—taking digital pictures is fun! The new technology makes it easier to get more satisfying photos and to learn more efficiently from your mistakes. Two of the best features—that digital cameras give immediate feedback after every shot (via the LCD screen) and that they automatically record camera settings (via EXIF data, see this page)—are alone worth their weight in gold. These two features help the beginning digital photographer learn quickly and make many stunning photos in the process. And, as far as camera features are concerned, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So, let’s get to know your camera better and explore a few things that you’ll come to love more and more as you grow into an expert digital photographer.
A Dozen Quick Tips to Get You Going