The Fundamentals of Digital Photography explores the guiding principles of great photography through efficient and effective technique. Easy-to-follow instructions teach you how to work with a digital workflow and develop a solid understanding of materials and processes. You will also find creative inspiration through the work of some of the world's great historical photographers, and discover how the history of photography can feed into your own work. Themed projects, featuring stunning images from contemporary international practitioners, will help you focus your ideas to produce truly original photographs.The assignments at the end of each chapter help you to create a body of work that will expand your photographic portfolio. By shooting these carefully devised assignments, you will become a confident software user, and develop the all-important visual and conceptual skills essential to successful photography.
Chapter 1: How equipment works: Digital SLR; Compact cameras; Medium format camera; Lens essentials; Computers and monitors; Adobe Photoshop; Image editing software: Adobe Lightroom; ProjectChapter 2: Shooting skills: Camera quality settings; File formats; Aperture; Shutter speeds and movement; Exposure and how to measure it properly; Camera metering modes; Camera program modes; The lens and focussing; Depth of field; Viewpoint; Composing your image; Seeing the world in monochrome; ProjectChapter 3: Themes and their workflows: Basic observational documentary: Urban texture; Culturally aware documentary: Out of season; Candid/street photography: People on the street; Eco/political study: The threatened landscape; Photo essay narrative: A day in the life; Location portrait: Public/private; Studio portrait: Alter-ego; Collaboration with others: Constructed reality; Current issue story: Signs of the times; 'Late' photography: The aftermath; Staging/performance: A re-enactment; Developing own work: A personal projectChapter 4: Project development: Researching your project; Planning and prep; Testing and review; Shaping your project; ProjectChapter 5: Treatment: Essential software skills; Creative emphasis; Project: Sample files to test editChapter 6: Output and finishing: Desktop printing; Remote printing services; Onscreen use; ProjectBibliographyGlossaryIndexAcknowledgements and picture creditsWorking with ethics
