Better Available Light Digital Photography, 2nd Edition

Book description

This classic book on available light photography is back, thoroughly updated for digital photography and, for the first time, is packed with stunning, full color images throughout. Creating great images under less-than-ideal lighting conditions is one of the most difficult, yet rewarding, experiences in photography. Challenge yourself, and with this book by your side you won't be disappointed. Photography expert Joe Farace and Pulitzer Prize winner Barry Staver use real-world examples of their own images to give you invaluable advice on how to get the shot right the first time. From practical tips, such as how to deal with inclement weather while shooting outdoors, to detailed information about getting great shots at your cousin's or your client's wedding, to brand new chapters on noise and white balance, you'll find everything that you need to turn your ordinary night and low-light shots into masterful works of art.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Introduction
    1. The "gasp factor"
    2. This one's for you
    3. It's all about the photographs
    4. What's new
  7. Chapter 1 What is available light?
    1. The golden hour
    2. Zap!
    3. Weather tips from Barry
    4. Light is light
    5. What is exif and what is it good for?
    6. Artificial light
    7. Painting with light
    8. Artificial natural light
    9. The philadelphia story
    10. Out of the past: film noir
    11. Moulin rouge!
    12. Flash in the pan
  8. Chapter 2 Basic exposure
    1. The age of aquarius
    2. Light and color
    3. Meet the histogram
    4. The perfect exposure
    5. Really available light
    6. Creating high dynamic range images
    7. HDR in Photoshop
    8. Other HDR software
    9. HDR files from scanned film
    10. What does it all mean?
  9. Chapter 3 Digital noise: What it is and how to deal with it
    1. Noise comes from many sources
    2. Chip size vs. Noise
    3. Shutter speed vs. ISO speed
    4. Do a noise test
    5. Built-in noise suppression
    6. Noise-reduction software
    7. Got noise?
    8. Picture code
    9. Keepin' it neat
    10. Visual infinity
    11. Applied science fiction
    12. The imaging factory
    13. Stoic STOIK
    14. Noise in motion
    15. Taking action against noise
    16. Noise in print
    17. Our take on noise
  10. Chapter 4 White balance techniques
    1. Light is light?
    2. Real-world color balance
    3. AWB: color-temperature range of approximately 4000-8000 k
    4. Daylight: approximately 5200 K
    5. Shade: approximately 8000 K
    6. Cloudy: approximately 6000 K
    7. Fluorescent light
    8. Tungsten light: approximately 3200 K
    9. Flash: approximately 5400 K
    10. Manual
    11. Facing lighting challenges indoors
    12. On location
    13. Black and white?
    14. In-camera monochrome color effects
    15. No more film storage
  11. Chapter 5 Fast lenses
    1. Zoom vs. prime lenses
    2. Case study: canon's 85 mm f/1.2 L lens
    3. One more time, boys
    4. Image-stabilization lenses
    5. Case study: fun in acapulco
    6. In-body stabilization
    7. Does it matter?
    8. What about depth of field?
  12. Chapter 6 Tripods and other camera supports
    1. Standing on three legs
    2. It's made of what?
    3. Carbon-fiber choices
    4. Legs and feet
    5. Heads and columns
    6. The tripod bottom line
    7. Monopods
    8. Panorama heads
    9. Alternate supports
  13. Chapter 7 Available light photography at weddings
    1. The new wedding photography
    2. New technology = new opportunities
    3. Wedding-day coverage
    4. Off to the reception
  14. Chapter 8 RAW-image-file capture
    1. Paper or plastic?
    2. What's behind door no. 1
    3. Making the decision
    4. Pros and cons
      1. JPEG advantages
      2. JPEG disadvantages
      3. RAW advantages
      4. RA W disadvantages
    5. Digital film?
    6. Raw software
    7. Adobe camera raw
    8. Workflow: pictures, you've got pictures
    9. Sort 'em out
    10. Did somebody say distribution?
    11. Embed copyright with your files
  15. Glossary
  16. Index

Product information

  • Title: Better Available Light Digital Photography, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Joe Farace, Barry Staver
  • Release date: August 2008
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136090370