Contents

Also Available

Acknowledgments

Introduction

CHAPTER 1
Getting to Know Your Digital Camera

Your Particular Kind of Camera

Lens Options

The LCD Screen

EXIF: A Confusing Acronym for a Very Cool Feature

ASSIGNMENT Familiarize Yourself with Your Camera and Learn How to View EXIF Data

CHAPTER 2
Figuring Out What to Shoot

Previsualizing and Planning

Photographing What You Love

Take the Camera Everywhere

ASSIGNMENT Begin Gathering Ideas

CHAPTER 3
File Formats, Quality Settings & Resolution

Art as Ones and Zeros

JPEG

TIFF

Raw

Storage and Memory Card Options

Pixel Resolution

ASSIGNMENT Shoot JPEG, TIFF, and Raw

CHAPTER 4
Exposure

The Exposure Triangle

ASSIGNMENT Create Your Own Exposure Charts

ISO

ASSIGNMENT Learn about Noise

Shutter Speed

ASSIGNMENT Stop or Blur Action

ASSIGNMENT Control Depth of Field

Exposure Problems

Using the Histogram

Changing Exposure Settings

Other Ways to Adjust Exposure: Lock, Compensate, or Recompose

ASSIGNMENT Change and Control Your Exposure

CHAPTER 5
Light

The Characteristics of Light

Time of Day

Understanding White Balance

White Balance Choices

Selecting an “Everyday” White Balance Setting

Saving White Balance for When You’re at Your Computer

ASSIGNMENT Shoot the Same Scene throughout the Day

CHAPTER 6
Composition, or What Goes Where

Will the Real Subject Please Stand Up?

Move Closer

The Truth about Digital Zooms

Getting Superclose: Macro Modes and Lenses

ASSIGNMENT Go Macro

The Rule of Thirds

Vertical vs. Horizontal

ASSIGNMENT Apply the Rule of Thirds to a Vertical Composition

Cropping in Camera vs. Cropping on the Computer

Telephoto Lenses: Good for Getting Close and More

Altering Your Point of View

ASSIGNMENT Get Down, Get Up, Get Wacky, Get Wild

Graphic Elements

ASSIGNMENT Make Use of Line, Shape, Pattern, and Framing

Digital Camera Buyer’s Guide

The Very Least You Need to Know about Software

ASSIGNMENT Print an Image

Further Reading