BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE BOOKS ON PHOTOSHOP AND DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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How do you learn the basics of Photoshop before going on to the books I recommend in the MASTERING PHOTOSHOP series? Look at the books below. And why did I lump Photoshop together with digital photography? Because some of the basic and intermediate books cover both.

There are any number of good, basic and intermediate photoshop/photography books. Look for books by Tom Ang, Rick Sammon, Tim Grey, Martin Evening, Bruce Fraser, and Scott Kelby. Also worth reading are Deke McClelland, Barbara Obermeier, and Peter Bauer who authored the popular “Dummies” series of books for various versions of Photoshop.
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Best Advanced Exposure Book

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I have no idea how Michael Freeman can be a well traveled, international photographer and still find time to write so many terrific photography books. But somehow he manages to do both. I suspect he never sleeps. I imagine him creating images and writing books 24 hours a day, stopping only to eat once or twice a week!!

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Photographic Composition: The Best Books

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Is composition something that can be taught, or if it is innate? Probably a bit of both. It is hard to look at photographs by Frans Lanting, Art Wolfe, Galen Rowell, and Dewitt Jones without coming to the conclusion that they were born with some kind of magic sense of composition. On the the other hand, it is clear that photographers can improve dramatically with the right kind of guidance.

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Portraits: Open Shade on a Sunny Day

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Portrait in Open Shade on a Sunny Day

Portrait in Open Shade on a Sunny Day

People generally look best when you photograph them in soft light. That’s why studios bounce the studios lights off of big umbrellas or through big “soft boxes” to widen and soften the light.  The umbrella or soft box mimics the nice soft light you get on a “cloudy bright” day when there are just enough clouds to soften the light and minimize shadows.

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Best Digital Cameras – 2011 (includes 2009-2010)

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Sony Alpha NEX-5N

Sony Alpha NEX-5N

Updated Dec. 26, 2011.

It’s that time of year with the holiday season approaching and I am already getting questions about which digital cameras I recommend. The camera lists below will point you to the highest rated models, along with information and advice. The lists will be updated throughout the holiday season as new, highly rated cameras become available.

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New Canon EOS 1D X

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The new Canon EOS-1D X

Canon introduced the new EOS 1D X today, the new flagship, pro level camera that replaces both the EOS 1Ds Mark III and the EOS 1D Mark 4.  It is an 18.1 Megapixel, full-frame DSLR with a high-precision 61-point AF system, an ISO range that’s expandable up to ISO 204,800, and a top shooting speed of 14 frames per second (fps).  Details are here.

Environmental Portraits and Off-Camera Flash, Part 1

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Warren Stevens, Magic 106.3, Columbus, Ohio.

Warren Stevens, Magic 106.3, Columbus, Ohio.

If I am using flash for an environmental portrait, I usually prefer having the flash off of the camera.  In this portrait of Warren Stevens (program director and mid-day air personality at Magic 106.3 FM in Columbus), the flash is above Warren and to his right, providing a nice semi side-lit photograph.  On camera flash is flat and even. Getting the flash off of the camera and moving it to the side provides more shape and texture to the subject.

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Remembering 9/11

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I first ran this post on the 5th anniversary of 9/11.


Photo by James Nachtwey for TIME magazine.

On this date, five years ago, we experienced a great national tragedy in the United States. Not only in the lives that were lost in the terrorist attacks, the families torn asunder, and the emergency responders who are suffering terrible health problems as a result of working at the scene – but also in the way we view ourselves and our world.

The photo essays linked below are a reminder of what we all went through on that fateful day.

Matt Dirty! Matt Clean!

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Matt - One Call Auto Mechanic

Matt – One Call Auto Mechanic

“Matt Dirty”, “Matt Clean” was Matt’s idea. He is the owner of One Call Auto Mechanic, and he asked me to do a set of “environmental portraits” of him at work (Matt Dirty), plus another set of portraits for his family (Matt Clean). In this post, I show you some of both, along with some photo tips and a few safety suggestions for this kind of shoot.

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Photo of the Day: Tahitian Wave

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Tahitian Wave

Wave, Tahiti Nui’s Western Shore

We were on the western shore of Tahiti Nui watching the the waves break on a reef, quite a ways from the beach.  A strong wind was blowing from the beach out toward the waves, blowing a fine mist of water off the tops of the waves and out toward the Pacific.  The waves themselves were a beautiful shade of blue and a nice contrast to the darker blue of the surrounding water. It was the blue of the waves and the fine mist blowing off the crest of the waves that attracted me to this scene.

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Independence Day

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Fireworks, Las Vegas

Fireworks, Las Vegas

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

From the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776. Written by Thomas Jefferson (1762-1826). 3rd US President (1801-09).

Declaration of Independence

To see an engraving of the original and George Washington’s personal printed copy, go here.

To read the entire Declaration of Independence, go on to the next page.

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Sai Charita: Dance Drama

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Saibaba Dance Drama

Shooting “events” is both challenging and rewarding. The photographer has very little control over the lighting and the position of the subjects (unlike most other kinds of photography), so you make the most of what happens and improvise. Shooting events will do wonders for your photographic skills, not to mention the eye-catching photos that can be captured.

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Speaking Your Camera’s Language: Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO

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50mm lens with aperture blades set to f/2

50mm lens with aperture blades set to f/2

Mastering exposure is a huge step toward better images. But to make your camera do its exposure tricks, you need to speak its language, and it’s not hard to learn.  Apertures, shutter speeds, and ISO settings are exposure’s “Big 3”. Not only are they the key to technically correct exposures, they are the experienced photographer’s secret weapon in the pursuit of creative, dynamic images.

You can learn the language of exposure in this article which is part of an ongoing series of exposure articles which are linked on this page.

The RAW vs Jpeg Exposure Advantage

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JPEG AND RAW Files, 2 Stops Overexposed.

JPEG AND RAW Files, 2 Stops Overexposed.

RAW files have a huge advantage over jpeg files when it comes to exposure latitude.  With the same exact exposure, a RAW file can give you a good image while the jpeg file is a throwaway. Why is that?  RAW files have a lot more exposure latitude than jpeg files. You can read all about it in The RAW vs Jpeg Exposure Advantage.