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Digital Portrait Photography For Dummies®

Name: Digital Portrait Photography For Dummies®
Author: Doug Sahlin
ISBN: 9780470527634

by Doug Sahlin

December 2009

Beginner

336 pages

7h 53m

English

For Dummies

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Copyright
About the Author
Author's Acknowledgments
Publisher's Acknowledgments
Introduction
A Peek at the Road AheadPart I: Introducing Portrait PhotographyPart II: Portrait Photography TechniquesPart III: Editing and Sharing Your PortraitsPart IV: The Part of TensIcons and Other DelightsAbout the Software Shown in This BookShoot Lots of Pictures and Enjoy!
I. Introducing Portrait Photography
1. Exploring Portrait Photography
1.1. Becoming a Portrait Photographer1.2. Photographing Friends and Family1.2.1. Creating candid portraits1.2.2. Creating formal portraits1.2.3. Capturing a slice-of-life portrait1.2.4. Photographing children1.2.5. Photographing pets1.2.6. Creating animal portraits1.3. Shooting Portraits on Location1.3.1. Photographing people in parks and public places1.3.2. Photographing subjects at work and play1.4. Capturing Portraits in Your Home1.4.1. Capturing candid photos in your home1.4.2. Using studio techniques in your home1.5. Visualizing Your Photograph1.6. Editing Your Work
2. Choosing Your Equipment
2.1. Finding the Ideal Camera for Your Needs2.1.1. Portrait photography camera checklist2.1.2. Choosing a point-and-shoot camera2.1.3. Choosing a digital SLR2.1.4. Choosing a second camera2.1.5. Trying before you buy2.2. Lighting Your Portraits2.2.1. Using available light2.2.2. Lighting with commercial strobes2.2.3. Using external flash2.3. Choosing Accessories2.3.1. Choosing additional lenses for your dSLR2.3.2. Using filters2.3.3. Steadying the camera with a tripod2.3.4. Using a monopod2.3.5. Choosing a camera case2.3.6. Choosing other accessories
3. Getting to Know Digital Photography
3.1. Understanding Digital Photography3.1.1. What the heck are pixels and megapixels?3.1.2. Resolving to resolve resolution3.2. The Recipe for a Perfect Exposure3.2.1. Understanding how exposure works in the camera3.2.2. Controlling depth of field3.2.3. Deciphering a histogram3.3. Mastering Your Equipment3.3.1. Mastering your camera menu3.3.1.1. Setting image quality3.3.1.2. Changing to a different metering mode3.3.1.3. Adjusting white balance3.3.1.4. Formatting your cards3.3.1.5. Setting other useful options3.3.2. Demystifying your camera dial3.3.3. Understanding shooting modes3.3.4. Correcting exposure3.3.5. Using autoexposure bracketing3.3.6. Understanding focal lengths3.3.7. Setting image quality and image format3.3.8. Understanding ISO3.3.9. Creating a perfect portrait3.3.10. Establishing a post-shoot ritual3.4. Editing Your Images3.4.1. Choosing an image editor3.4.2. Sorting, ranking, and other delights3.4.3. Working with RAW files3.4.4. Tweaking your images
4. Becoming a Portrait Photographer
4.1. Seeing, Thinking, and Acting4.1.1. Being in the moment4.1.2. Practicing 'til your images are pixel-perfect4.1.3. Becoming a student of photography4.1.4. Never leave home without a camera4.1.5. Waiting for the light4.2. Working with Your Subjects4.2.1. Photographing people you know4.2.2. Taking pictures of strangers4.2.3. Candid photography4.2.4. Gaining rapport4.2.5. Lights, camera, action4.3. Defining Your Goals4.3.1. What is your center of interest?4.3.2. What is your best vantage point?4.3.3. What else is in the picture?4.4. Thinking like a Photojournalist4.4.1. Telling a story4.4.2. Being the fly on the wall4.4.3. Becoming the family historian4.4.4. The genius of digital photography

II. Portrait Photography Techniques
5. Composing Your Portraits
5.1. Using the Right Camera Settings5.1.1. Choosing a camera mode5.1.1.1. Shooting portraits using Portrait mode5.1.1.2. Shooting portraits in Aperture Priority mode5.1.2. Choosing a focal length and aperture5.1.3. Specifying an ISO setting5.2. Composing Your Images5.2.1. Composing your picture in the viewfinder5.2.2. Defining the center of interest5.2.3. Positioning the camera5.2.4. Using the rule of thirds5.2.5. Determining point of view5.2.6. Framing your subject5.2.7. Placing the horizon5.2.8. Using lines and natural curves in your composition5.2.9. Using color, shapes, and texture5.2.10. Using selective focus5.2.11. Breaking the rules5.2.12. Feeding your creative muse5.2.13. Practice makes perfect
6. Working with Your Subjects
6.1. Photographing Children6.1.1. Photographing babies6.1.2. Photographing young children6.2. Creating Portraits of Couples6.3. Photographing Groups6.4. Choosing Wardrobe6.5. Using Makeup6.6. Posing Your Subject6.7. Using Props6.8. Photographing People with Pets6.9. Photographing Pets6.9.1. Creating formal pet portraits6.9.2. Creating candid pet photos
7. Lighting Your Portraits
7.1. Understanding Light Sources7.2. Using Camera Flash7.2.1. Using auxiliary flash7.2.2. Bouncing flash7.2.3. Creating a bounce card7.2.4. Modifying pop-up flash7.2.5. Modifying the light from an auxiliary flash7.3. Using Fill Flash7.4. Creating Portraits with Window Light7.5. Modifying Light7.5.1. Using a reflector7.5.2. Using a diffuser7.6. Using Auxiliary Flash Off the Camera7.7. Creating Portraits at Night7.8. Shooting in Sunlight7.8.1. Photographing backlit subjects7.8.2. Photographing subjects facing the sun
8. Photographing Portraits on Location
8.1. Shooting Portraits on the Beach8.2. Photographing Subjects in Your Hometown8.3. Capturing Informal Portraits8.4. Creating Candid Portraits8.5. Shooting Portraits of Wildlife8.5.1. Photographing birds and wildlife in state parks8.5.2. Creating animal portraits at the zoo and in city parks8.5.2.1. Photographing animals at the zoo8.5.2.2. Photographing birds in city parks
9. Photographing Portraits in Your Home or Office
9.1. Becoming the Family Photojournalist9.2. Creating Formal Portraits in Your Home9.2.1. Using backdrops and backgrounds9.2.2. Creating a makeshift studio9.2.3. Studio lighting kits9.3. Creating Informal Portraits in a Home or Office9.4. Creating a Slice-of-Life Portrait
III. Editing and Sharing Your Portraits
10. Editing with Photoshop Elements
10.1. Introducing Photoshop Elements 810.1.1. Getting to know Photoshop Elements 810.1.2. Downloading your images10.1.3. Organizing your work10.1.3.1. Ranking images10.1.3.2. Adding keywords to images10.1.3.3. Creating albums10.1.4. Processing RAW files10.2. A Tale of Two Editing Workspaces10.2.1. Exploring the Editing workspace10.2.2. Editing an image in the Quick Fix workspace10.3. Resizing and Cropping Your Portraits10.3.1. Understanding image size and resolution10.3.2. Resizing images10.4. Color Correcting Images10.5. Sharpening Photos10.5.1. Cropping images10.6. Saving Your Work10.7. Saving for the Web10.8. Archiving Your Work
11. Retouching Your Portraits
11.1. Editing Non-Destructively11.2. Removing the Background11.3. Creating a Digital Background11.4. Retouching Your Portraits11.4.1. Softening skin11.4.2. Removing blemishes11.4.3. Enhancing your subject's eyes11.4.4. Retouching portraits of older subjects
12. Sharing Your Images
12.1. Sending Photo Mail12.2. Printing from Photoshop Elements12.3. Creating a Picture Package12.4. Creating a Contact Sheet12.5. Showing Off with a Slide Show12.5.1. Setting up a slide show12.5.2. Adding pizzazz to your slide show12.5.3. Outputting your slide for sharing12.6. Creating Wall Art
IV. The Part of Tens
13. Ten Editing Tips and Tricks
13.1. Replacing a Background13.2. Creating a Painting Using Corel Painter 1113.3. Creating a Vignette13.4. Adding a Border to a Portrait13.5. Creating a Gallery Print13.6. Converting an Image to Black and White13.7. Creating a Sepia-Toned Image13.8. Simulating a Hand-Tinted Image13.9. Using a Digital Tablet and Stylus13.10. Editing Your Photos Online
14. Ten Photography Tips and Tricks
14.1. Developing Your Style14.2. Creating a Self-Portrait14.3. Creating Makeshift Reflectors14.4. Steadying the Camera without a Tripod14.5. Creating a Homemade Soft-Focus Filter14.6. Using a Neutral-density Filter14.7. Using Second Curtain Shutter Sync14.8. Creating a Digital Double Exposure14.9. Calibrating Your Monitor14.10. Keep It Clean
15. Ten Resources for Portrait Photographers
15.1. Shopping 'Til You Drop at B&H Photo15.2. Checking Out Online Retailers15.3. Buying and Selling Stuff on eBay15.4. Sharing Your Photos on Flickr15.5. Creating Photo Books at Blurb15.6. Finding Inspiration at Photo.net15.7. Researching Digital Cameras at Digital Photography Review15.8. Getting Quality Prints at Mpix15.9. Finding Tutorials at YouTube15.10. Viewing Tutorials at Adobe TV

Content preview from Digital Portrait Photography For Dummies®

Chapter 10. Editing with Photoshop Elements

Your images do you absolutely no good if you keep them on the memory card. It's really inconvenient to drag the camera out every time you want to show someone what you've photographed. You also run out of memory cards real quick — I know this is a case of the blindingly obvious, but some of you may not have used a digital camera before. In this chapter, I show you how to get the images out of the camera and into your computer. I also show you some basic editing techniques, such as resizing and cropping images. If your camera didn't ship with image-editing software, or you have image-editing software other than Photoshop Elements 8, a word of warning: the next three chapters are written specifically for Photoshop Elements 8. However, even if you don't own Photoshop Elements, you will find useful information here.

Introducing Photoshop Elements 8

Photoshop Elements 8 is a powerful image-editing program. You use the application to tweak your photos, color-correct images, and so on. You also use the program to organize your images into collections. The following sections are dedicated to organizing and editing your images in Photoshop Elements 8.

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