Digital Photography For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	How This Book Is Organized
		Part 1: Fast Track to Super Snaps
		Part 2: Taking Your Photography to the Next Level
		Part 3: Pro Tips for Capturing Specific Subjects
		Part 4: After the Shot
		Part 5: The Part of Tens
		Beyond the Book
	Icons Used in This Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Fast Track to Super Snaps
	Chapter 1 Choosing the Right Camera
		Choosing the Right Level of Camera
			How much control do you want?
			How important is picture quality?
			Do you want to use multiple lenses?
		Looking at Lenses
			Camera compatibility
			Lens focal length
			Prime versus zoom lenses
			Lens aperture range
			Minimum focusing distance
			Lens weight and size
			Lens quality
		Reviewing a Few Final Camera Features
			Shooting modes
			Image stabilization
			Viewfinder: Optical or electronic?
			Video-recording capabilities
			Memory-card features
			Convenience features
		So . . . Is It Time for a New Camera?
	Chapter 2 Starting Out Right: Setup Do’s and Don’ts
		Preparing the Camera
			Buying and using memory cards
			Preserving battery power
			Working with interchangeable lenses
		Choosing Initial Camera Settings
			Selecting the exposure (shooting) mode
			Setting the shutter-release mode
			Setting photo resolution
			Setting the file type (JPEG or Raw)
		Looking at a Few More Setup Options
	Chapter 3 Shooting Your First Photos (and Movies)
		Looking at Automatic Shooting Modes
		Shooting in Auto Mode
		Stepping Up to Scene Modes
			Portrait mode
			Landscape mode
			Close-up mode
			Sports mode
		Recording Movies in Auto Mode
			Enabling movie mode
			Reviewing recording settings
			Recording a movie in Auto mode
Part 2 Taking Your Photography to the Next Level
	Chapter 4 Starting to See Like a Photographer
		Exploring Composition Basics
			Dead center is deadly boring
			Create movement through the frame
			Eliminate clutter
			Leave some “head room”
		Using Depth of Field to Artistic Advantage
		Capturing Motion: To Blur or Not to Blur?
		Becoming a Student of Light
		Exploring New Subjects and Angles
			Find a new angle
			Notice reflections, patterns, and textures
			Look beyond the usual suspects
	Chapter 5 Taking Control of Exposure
		Understanding Exposure
			Introducing the exposure trio: Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO
			Doing the exposure balancing act
		Adjusting f-stop, Shutter Speed, and ISO
			Taking advantage of exposure guides
			Changing the Metering mode
			Using “priority” exposure modes
		Adjusting Autoexposure Results
			Applying exposure compensation
			AE Lock (autoexposure lock)
		Expanding Tonal Range
		Bracketing Exposures
	Chapter 6 Adding Flash and Other Lights
		Enabling and Disabling Built-In Flash
		Comparing Built-In and External Flashes
			Pros and cons of built-in flashes
			Pros and cons of external flash heads
		Adjusting Flash Power
		Exploring Special Flash Modes
			Flash with red-eye reduction
			Slow-sync flash
			Rear-curtain sync
		Improving Outdoor Photos with Flash
		Considering Continuous Lighting
		Setting Up a Small Lighting Studio
		Looking at Simpler (and Cheaper) Lighting Setups
	Chapter 7 Manipulating Focus and Color
		Understanding Autofocus Options
			Enabling autofocus
			Locating your camera’s focus points
			Selecting a focus point or zone
			Choosing focus lock or continuous AF
			Using the right autofocus technique
		Focusing Manually
		Diagnosing Focus Problems
			My entire picture is blurry
			The wrong thing is in focus
			Moving subjects are blurry
			The camera won’t focus at all
		Playing with Depth of Field
		Controlling Color
			RGB: A new way of thinking about color
			Choosing between sRGB and Adobe RGB
			Using white balance to adjust color
		Looking at Picture Presets
		Shooting Raw for More Color Control
Part 3 Pro Tips for Capturing Specific Subjects
	Chapter 8 Shooting Frame-Worthy Portraits
		Starting with a Classic Portrait Recipe
		Creating Good Portrait Lighting
			Shoot indoor portraits by window light
			Catch light with a reflector
			Lessen the chances of red-eye in flash portraits
			Try slow-sync flash for softer flash lighting
			Shoot a subject in silhouette
			Use flash to fill in shadows outdoors
		Building a Better Backdrop
		Capturing More Memorable Portraits
	Chapter 9 Photographing Action
		Choosing an Action Plan
		Freezing Action
			Following the classic action recipe
			Shooting subjects “moving in place”
			Improving your odds of freezing action
		Blurring Motion
		Panning for Cool Background Effects
	Chapter 10 Taking in the Scenery
		Reviewing a Few Basics
			Composition is critical
			Lens focal length matters (a lot)
			Remember the impact of depth of field
			Pick the right exposure mode
			Pack a lens filter (or two or three)
		Taking a Panoramic View
		Photographing Tall Structures
		Catching the Night Lights
		Capturing Small Wonders
Part 4 After the Shot
	Chapter 11 Discovering Cool Playback Features
		Switching to Playback Mode
		Adjusting the Playback Display
		Getting a Close-Up Look at a Photo
		Displaying Thumbnails and Calendars
		Viewing Shooting Settings (Metadata)
			Reading histograms
			Displaying highlight alerts (“blinkies”)
		Rating, Protecting, and Deleting Files
			Rating files
			Protecting photos
			Deleting files
		Checking Out In-Camera Editing Tools
		Viewing Photos on a TV
	Chapter 12 Downloading, Editing, and Sharing Photos
		Sorting through Photo Software
			Basic (and free) programs
			Advanced (and not free) options
		Downloading Your Images
			Looking at connection options
			Completing the download process
		Preserving Your Files
		Converting Raw Files
		Looking at Your Printing Options
		Avoiding Printing Pitfalls
			Checking resolution: Do you have enough pixels?
			Getting print and monitor colors in sync
		Preparing Pictures for Online Sharing
			Sizing photos for screen display
			Saving files in the JPEG format
Part 5 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 13 Ten Fixes for Common Photo Flaws
		Discover a Few Easy Exposure Fixes
		Take Steps to Avoid Blurry Pictures
		Scan the Frame Before You Shoot
		Blur a Busy Background
		Level the Horizon
		Crop Away Excess Background
		Solve Color Miscues
		Turn Down the Noise
		Deal with Dust Spots and Lens Flare
		Watch Out for Weird Halos
	Chapter 14 Ten Accessories to Enhance Your Photography
		Invest in a Good Camera Bag
		Pick a Sturdy Tripod
		Consider Smaller Stability Solutions
		Find a More Comfortable Camera Strap
		Get a Better View of Your Monitor
		Download Some Cool Apps
		Calibrate Your Monitor with Precision
		Dive In with a Waterproof Housing
		Treat Your Wrist to a Graphics Tablet
		Pick Up a Portable Printer
Index
EULA