Avoid the time-consuming task of image editing by taking great pictures from the get-go. Dave Huss walks you through the fundamentals of taking great digital photographs by dispelling digital photography myths and teaching you how to maximize all camera features available to you. Discover how to take clear, sharp, professional-level photographs every time; use light wisely; use flash photography to your advantage; match your camera to your computer; share your photos, and much more.

Photography has been the business and the passion of LIFE since the original weekly magazine's inception in 1936, and it continues to be the business and passion of LIFE Books and LIFE.com in the new millennium. But photography has surely changed during these many decades. The rigs and gear of old have given way-first slowly, then all at once-to sleek miracle machines that process pixels and have made the darkroom obsolete. The casual photog puts eye to lens, sets everything on auto and captures a photograph that is . . . perfectly fine. One of LIFE's master shooters-in fact, the final in the long line of distinguished LIFE staff photographers-was Joe McNally, and he has always believed that with a little preparation and care, with a dash of enthusiasm and daring added to the equation, anyone can make a better photo-anyone can turn a "keeper" into a treasure. This was true in days of yore, and it's true in the digital age. Your marvelous new camera, fresh from its box, can indeed perform splendid feats. Joe explains in this book how to take best advantage of what it was designed to do, and also when it is wise to outthink your camera or push your camera-to go for the gold, to create that indelible family memory that you will have blown up as large as the technology will allow, and that will hang on the wall forevermore. As the storied LIFE photographer and photo editor John Loengard points out in his eloquent foreword to this volume, there are cameras and there are cameras, and they've always been able to do tricks. And then there is photography. Other guides may give you the one, two, three of producing a reasonably well exposed shot, but Joe McNally and the editors of LIFE can give you that, and then can show you how to make a picture. In a detailed, friendly, conversational, anecdotal, sometimes rollicking way, that's what they do in these pages. Prepare to click.

Do more with your digital camera than you ever thought possible with help from this easy-to-use guide. You'll understand digital photography basics, learn to share results through e-mail or the Internet, store images electronically, apply advanced photography techniques, perform image editing, and much more. This book dissects digital photography in bite-sized, understandable sections that will help anyone--from beginner to professional--have a better digital camera experience.

Furnishes an overview of digital photography, covering such topics as cameras, exposure, lighting, shutter speed, depth of field, and resolution--and tips on how to avoid hours of photo-editing by taking great photographs the first time.

Free Lightroom 1.1 update available. Simply visit peachpit.com/register to gain instant access. Scott Kelby, author of the world's #1 bestselling Photoshop book, The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, brings his same award-winning, step-by-step, plain-English style, look and feel to The Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers. This groundbreaking new book doesn't just show you "which sliders do what" (every Lightroom book does that). This book takes you beyond that to reveal the secrets of the new digital photography workflow, and he does it using three simple, yet brilliant techniques that make this just an incredible learning tool: #1) Throughout the book Scott shares his own personal settings and studio tested techniques he's developed using Lightroom for his own photography workflow since well before Adobe released even the first Beta version. He knows what really works, what doesn't, and he tells you flat out which tools to use, which to avoid, and why. #2) The entire book is laid out in a real workflow order with everything step-by-step, so you can jump right in using Lightroom like a pro from the very start and sidestep a lot of productivity killing road blocks and time-wasting frustrations that might have tripped you up along the way. #3) But what really sets this book apart from the rest, are the last two bonus chapters. This is where Scott visually answers his #1 "most-asked" Lightroom question, which is: "Exactly what order am I supposed to do things in, and where does Photoshop fit in?" Scott teaches this in a manner we've never seen before in any book, by really showing every step of the entire process, from the initial shoot to the final prints. Both chapters start with an on-location photo shoot, including full details on the equipment, camera settings, and even the lighting techniques. You'll see it all as he takes the photos from each shoot (with you following right along using the very same images) all the way through the entire workflow process, to the final output of the 16x20" prints for the client. Plus, because he incorporates Adobe Photoshop seamlessly right into this workflow, you'll also learn some of his latest Photoshop techniques for portrait and landscape photography, which takes this book to a whole new level. It's the first, and only book to bring the whole process together in such a clear, concise, and visual way. Best all, it's taught in Scott's trademark plain-English style that has won him legions of Photoshop fans around the world, and made him the #1 bestselling author of all computer books across all Computing and Internet categories since 2004. If you're one of those people who learns best by actually doing the projects yourself; who learns best without all the complicated technical explanations and confusing jargon, and if you really want to start using Lightroom today to unlock the productivity secrets of "The new digital photography workflow,"----there is no faster, more "straight-to-the-point" or more fun way to learn than this groundbreaking new book, and you are absolutely going to love it!

With this appealing, irreverent companion to The Kids' Guide to Digital Photography, children 10 years and up can go wild with the new technology. It explains everything a kid needs to know about digital photography, from using the camera to coordinating it with the computer, printer, and scanner to manipulating the images. They can dive right into 50 cool, inventive activities and turn their friends into aliens, make a Warhol-esque pop art masterpiece, and create a "trapped-in-the-computer" screen saver!--From publisher description.

Digital photography is sweeping the country, and it's easy to see why. You can take pictures of anything, do it quickly, see instantly what you got (or didn't get), save only the stuff you like, and share your pictures as prints, on the Web, as a slideshow, or even on things like mugs and mousepads. A digital camera and the appropriate software let you Take wide-angle or closeup shots, indoors or out Know immediately whether you got what you wanted Delete shots you don't like and retake them Improve your images on your computer Combine images into a montage Customize your pictures by adding special visual effects Digital photography is fun, but whether you're an old hand at taking digital pictures or still picking out your first camera, there are plenty of times when you know what you want to do and just want to figure out how to do it, right now. That's exactly what Digital Photography Just the Steps For Dummies helps you do. It's designed so you can quickly find the task you want to perform and follow step-by-step instructions to get the job done, right now. Loaded with full-color photos to show you what you can do, Digital Photography Just the Steps For Dummies helps you Choose the camera, lenses, and flash equipment that are best for the type of photography you want to do Compose good pictures regardless of your subject Scan and digitize existing photos so you can enhance or repair them Change the size or format of an image Adjust color, brightness, contrast, sharpness, and other attributes of a digital image Repair tears, creases, or scratches in a scanned photo, remove red-eye, and restore a faded image Use layers to alter an image, add text, or change the background Photograph items you want to sell online to show them at their best Sort and organize photos on your computer Print picture albums, make photo T-shirts, create a slideshow, or burn a video CD When you're looking for a clear set of instructions so you can get results right away, you want a Just the Steps For Dummies book. With Digital Photography Just the Steps For Dummies, you'll find everything quickly comes into focus!

The top-rated and top-selling photography ebook since 2012 and the first ever Gold Honoree of the Benjamin Franklin Digital Award, gives you five innovations no other book offers: Free video training. 9+ HOURS of video training integrated into the book’s content (requires Internet access). Travel around the world with Tony and Chelsea as they teach you hands-on. Appendix A lists the videos so you can use the book like an inexpensive video course.Classroom-style teacher and peer help. After buying the book, you get access to the private forums on this site, as well as the private Stunning Digital Photography Readers group on Facebook where you can ask the questions and post pictures for feedback from Tony, Chelsea, and other readers. It’s like being able to raise your hand in class and ask a question! Instructions are in the introduction.Lifetime updates. This book is regularly updated with new content (including additional videos) that existing owners receive for free. Updates are added based on reader feedback and questions, as well as changing photography trends and new camera equipment. This is the last photography book you’ll ever need.Hands-on practices. Complete the practices at the end of every chapter to get the real world experience you need.500+ high resolution, original pictures. Detailed example pictures taken by the author in fifteen countries demonstrate both good and bad technique. Many pictures include links to the full-size image so you can zoom in to see every pixel. Most photography books use stock photography, which means the author didn’t even take them. If an author can’t take his own pictures, how can he teach you? In this book, Tony Northrup (award-winning author of more than 30 how-to books and a professional portrait, wildlife, and landscape photographer) teaches the art and science of creating stunning pictures. First, beginner photographers will master: CompositionExposureShutter speedApertureDepth-of-field (blurring the background)ISONatural lightFlashTroubleshooting blurry, dark, and bad picturesPet photographyWildlife photography (mammals, birds, insects, fish, and more)Sunrises and sunsetsLandscapesCityscapesFlowersForests, waterfalls, and riversNight photographyFireworksRaw filesHDRMacro/close-up photography Advanced photographers can skip forward to learn the pro’s secrets for: Posing men and women. including corrective posing (checklists provided)Portraits (candid, casual, formal, and underwater)Remotely triggering flashesUsing bounce flash and flash modifiersUsing studio lighting on any budgetBuilding a temporary or permanent studio at homeShooting your first weddingHigh speed photographyLocation scouting/finding the best spots and timesPlanning shoots around the sun and moonStar trails (via long exposure and image stacking)Light paintingEliminating noiseFocus stacking for infinite depth-of-fieldUnderwater photographyGetting close to wildlifeUsing electronic shutter triggersPhotographing moving carsPhotographing architecture and real estate

Digital Photography Through the Year is an inspiring guide to capturing the moments and moods of every season from digital photography expert Tom Ang, now updated and in a newly repackaged edition. DK's Digital Photography Through the Year is your essential companion to capturing the most beautiful moments of every season. Updated to include all the latest technological developments and creative trends, this guide is packed with practical explanations of key techniques and tips and tricks for taking photographs that convey a sense of time, place, and atmosphere unique to each season. Capture the nuances of a snowy landscape. Do justice to the fall leaves. Catch reflections in a dewdrop. Convey the exuberant joy of a summer picnic. With the unique season-based approach of Digital Photography Through the Year, you can do it all. Digital photography expert and best-selling author Tom Ang's clear writing and direction makes stunning photographic results achievable, whether you are a casual smartphone user or an SLR expert.

This newly revised edition of Bryan Peterson's most popular book demystifies the complex concepts of exposure in photography, allowing readers to capture the images they want. Understanding Exposure has taught generations of photographers how to shoot the images they want by demystifying the complex concepts of exposure in photography. In this newly updated edition, veteran photographer Bryan Peterson explains the fundamentals of light, aperture, and shutter speed and how they interact with and influence one another. With an emphasis on finding the right exposure even in tricky situations, Understanding Exposure shows you how to get (or lose) sharpness and contrast in images, freeze action, and take the best meter readings, while also exploring filters, flash, and light. With all new images, as well as an expanded section on flash, tips for using colored gels, and advice on shooting star trails, this revised edition will clarify exposure for photographers of all levels.