book

Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

by David D. Busch

September 2009

Beginner to intermediate

348 pages

8h 53m

English

For Dummies

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About This BookFoolish AssumptionsHow This Book Is OrganizedPart I: Digital SLRs and YouPart II: Oh, Shoot!Part III: Beyond the BasicsPart IV: Fine-Tuning Your OutputPart V: The Part of TensIcons Used in This Book
1.1. dSLR: dNext Great Digital Camera1.2. Improving Your Photography with a dSLR1.2.1. Composing shots with a more accurate viewfinder1.2.2. Flexing the powerful sensor1.2.3. Reducing noise in your photos1.2.4. Reclaiming depth-of-field control1.2.5. Taking photos faster1.2.5.1. Wake-up time1.2.5.2. Shot-to-shot time1.2.5.3. Shutter lag1.2.6. A dSLR works like a camera1.2.7. Getting more lens flexibility1.2.8. Freeing yourself from image editors1.3. The Downsides That Have Been Overcome1.3.1. The lack or expense of super-wide lenses1.3.2. New technologies for fending off dirt and dust1.3.3. Live View's LCD preview1.3.3.1. Live histograms in real time1.3.3.2. Déjà view with extended eye-points1.3.3.3. Infrared imagery not up to your imagination1.3.4. Carrying that weight1.3.5. Budding Spielbergs no longer out of luck1.3.6. In-camera editing!
2.1. Megapixels and Why dSLRs Have More of Them2.1.1. Pixelementary, my dear Watson2.1.2. Deciding how many pixels your camera needs2.1.3. Matching pixels to print sizes and printers2.1.4. Nothing's super about superfluous pixels2.2. Touring through a Digital SLR2.2.1. Sensorship2.2.1.1. Two (count 'em), two types of sensors2.2.1.2. Piling on the components2.2.1.3. Understanding noise and sensitivity2.2.2. The bits that control exposure2.2.2.1. Your exposure time machine2.2.2.2. An aperture is a lens opening is an f-stop2.2.2.3. Two of one, half a dozen of the other2.2.3. Taking time out for viewing2.2.4. Through the looking glass2.2.5. Storage2.3. Overcoming Quirks of the dSLR2.3.1. Out, out damned spot: Cleaning the sensor2.3.2. Multiplication fables: Working around the crop factor
3.1. Features for Now and the Future3.2. Breadcrumbs on the Upgrade Path3.3. Cameras of Today and Tomorrow3.3.1. Basic dSLR cameras3.3.2. Enthusiast dSLRs3.3.3. Advanced amateur/semi-pro dSLRs3.3.4. Professional dSLR models3.3.5. dSLR-like cameras — hanging on?3.4. Checking Out Key Features3.4.1. Lenses3.4.2. Sensors and image processors3.4.3. Exposure systems3.4.4. Focusing systems3.4.5. Special features
4.1. Memory Cards in a Flash4.1.1. The right write speed4.1.2. Finding the key to the (capa)city4.2. Storing Your Images4.2.1. Exploring options for backup media4.2.2. Creating image archives that last4.3. Filtering Factors4.4. The Tripod: Your Visible Means of Support4.4.1. Putting a tripod to good use4.4.2. Choosing a tripod4.5. Electronic Flash in the Pan4.5.1. Perusing different types of flash units4.5.2. Tools for triggering the flash4.6. Other Must-Have (Or Maybe-Have) Gear4.6.1. A second camera4.6.2. Sensor cleaning kit4.6.3. Close-up equipment

5.1. Discovering the Secrets of Exposure5.1.1. Understanding why exposure is tricky5.1.2. Getting exposure right with the histogram5.2. Fine-Tuning Exposure with the Metering System5.2.1. Metering works how?5.2.2. Choosing a metering scheme5.2.3. More versatility with metering options5.3. The Many Ways to Choose Exposure5.3.1. Adjusting exposure the easy way5.3.2. Giving up control (in Program mode)5.3.3. Taking control5.3.3.1. Getting your aperture and shutter priorities straight5.3.3.2. Doing exposure yourself5.4. Focus Pocus5.4.1. Focusing manually5.4.2. Oughta autofocus
6.1. Optical Delusions6.1.1. Shooting in low light6.1.2. Improving your shutter speed6.1.3. Producing sharper images6.1.4. Taking a step back6.1.5. Getting closer6.1.6. Focusing closer6.2. Choosing Your Prime Lens — or Zoom6.2.1. Prime time6.2.2. Zoom, zoom, zoom6.2.3. Special (lens) delivery6.3. Lens Concepts6.3.1. Different strokes6.3.2. Going for bokeh6.4. Using Lenses Creatively6.4.1. Creative use of wide angles6.4.2. Creative use of telephotos
7.1. Feel the Noize at Night7.1.1. A fast lens ...or not?7.1.2. Taking night shots at short shutter speeds7.2. Noise Reduction Made Easy7.3. Shake, Shake, Shake7.3.1. Leaving camera-shake myths behind7.3.2. Testing for tremors7.3.3. Everyday solutions for shakiness7.3.4. Image stabilization: The ready-steady-shoot technology7.4. Time Waits for Someone: Creating Time-Lapse Sequences7.5. Better Infrared than Dead7.6. Dust Off
8.1. So Many Formats, So Little Time8.2. Worth the Fuss: Understanding the Main Formats8.2.1. Don't get TIFFed8.2.2. JPEG o' my heart8.2.3. The RAW deal8.3. Choosing a File Format8.3.1. TIFF enuff8.3.2. JPEG junkies unite!8.3.3. JPEG+RAW8.3.4. Working RAW8.4. Using RAW Files as Digital Negatives8.4.1. Salvaging images from RAW files8.4.2. Archiving RAW files8.4.3. Finding RAW image-editing applications8.4.3.1. Nikon Capture NX 28.4.3.2. EOS Utility/Digital Photo Professional8.4.3.3. Third-party applications
9.1. Kind of a Lag9.1.1. Comparing point-and-shoot cameras to dSLRs9.1.2. Understanding the sources of lag9.1.3. Minimizing shutter lag9.1.4. Minimizing first-shot delays9.1.5. Minimizing shot-to-shot delays9.1.6. Minimizing flash delays9.2. Shooting in Sequences9.3. Stopping Action in Its Tracks9.3.1. Going with the flow (or panning)9.3.2. Catching peak action9.3.3. Zapping action with flash9.4. Flash in the Pan: Other Keys to Good Flash Photography9.4.1. Understanding flash at different distances9.4.2. That sync-ing feeling: Coordinating flash and shutter9.4.3. Getting the right exposure9.5. Yo, Trigger! Setting Off an External Flash
10.1. Composing a Photo: The Basics10.1.1. Composing for message and intent10.1.2. Applying the Rule of Thirds10.1.2.1. The origins of the Rule of Thirds10.1.2.2. Putting the Rule of Thirds to work10.2. Posers and Poseurs10.2.1. Shooting individual portraits10.2.2. Shooting group photos10.3. Tips for Publicity and PR Photography10.4. Capturing Architecture10.4.1. Reeg, your perspective is out of control!10.4.2. Charge of the lighting brigade10.4.3. You've been framed!10.5. Designing Your Landscape Photos10.6. Compositional Ideas That Travel Well
11.1. Editor-ial Comments: Choosing an Image Editor11.1.1. Adobe Photoshop CS411.1.1.1. The good news11.1.1.2. The bad news11.1.2. Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.011.1.2.1. The good news11.1.2.2. The bad news11.1.3. Alternative image editors11.1.4. Free image editors/albums11.2. Workflow Workarounds11.3. Fixing Your Photos11.3.1. Cropping11.3.2. Fixing murky or contrasty photos11.3.2.1. Working with the Shadow/Highlight controls11.3.2.2. Working with levels11.3.2.3. Working with curves11.3.3. Correcting those colors11.3.4. Spot removers11.3.4.1. Reducing noise11.3.4.2. Spotsylmania11.3.4.3. Send in the Clone Stamp11.3.4.4. Healer, heal thyself11.3.5. Look sharp, be sharp11.3.6. Blurring for effect11.3.7. Fixing with filters
12.1. Making Selective Modifications12.1.1. What is a selection?12.1.2. Performing everyday changes with selections12.2. Making Basic Selections12.2.1. Making rectangles, squares, ovals, and circles12.2.2. Selecting odd shapes12.2.3. Selecting pixels12.2.4. Painting selections12.2.5. Fiddling with your selections12.3. Adding to and Subtracting from Your Pictures12.3.1. Evicting your ex-brother-in-law12.3.2. Bringing a family closer together12.4. Adding New Backgrounds12.5. Combining Several dSLR Photos into One12.5.1. The pitfalls of compositing images12.5.2. Getting creative with compositing
13.1. Prints? What Prints?13.2. You Pays Your Money, You Takes Your Choice13.2.1. Doing it yourself13.2.2. Online output outsourcing options13.2.3. Live and in person!13.3. Choosing a Printer
14.1. Does Lighting Ever Strike Twice?14.2. Choosing a Righteous Resolution and Other Settings14.2.1. Changing environments14.2.2. Living with limited memory card space14.2.3. Shooting for a low-resolution destination14.2.4. Hurrying along14.3. Stop! What's That Sound?14.4. Working the Right F-Stop14.5. Focus Is a Selective Service14.6. Playing the Angles14.7. Through a Glass Brightly14.8. Feel the Noize14.9. Editing, Retouching, and Compositing Images14.10. Reading the Funny Manual (RTFM)
15.1. Capturing the Unseen with Infrared Photography15.2. Lighting for All in Tents and Purposes15.3. Turning Your dSLR into a Pinhole Camera15.4. Warping Time with Time-Lapse Photography15.5. Expanding Your Creativity with Slow Shutter Speeds15.6. Capturing an Instant in Time with Fast Shutter Speeds15.7. Making Your Own Effects Filters15.8. Shooting the Works!15.9. Going for Baroque15.10. Going Crazy with Your Image Editor
16.1. Online Editing with Photoshop.com16.2. All Your PBase Are Belong to Us16.3. Digital Photography Viewed and Reviewed16.4. For the Shutterbug in You16.5. Pop Goes the Photo!16.6. Landscapes Can Be Luminous16.7. Photos That Don't Bite16.8. Cult of Personality16.8.1. Rob Galbraith16.8.2. Charmin' Miranda16.9. Don't Miss eBay
17.1. Ambient Lighting/Available Lighting17.2. Anti-Aliasing17.3. Bracketing17.4. Chromatic Aberration17.5. Dodging/Burning17.6. Fill Flash17.7. Hyperfocal Distance17.8. Lossy/Lossless Compression17.9. Moiré17.10. Saturation17.11. Threshold17.12. Tolerance17.13. Unsharp Masking

Content preview from Digital SLR Cameras & Photography For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Chapter 15. Ten Things You Never Thought of Doing with Your Digital SLR

In This Chapter

Exploring the secret world of infrared photography
Playing with light
Using time to your (photographic) advantage
Making do-it-yourself effects
Saturating your colors
Going nuts with image editors

Anybody can take a digital SLR, point it at something interesting, and come back with a good photo. It takes a genu-wine second-degree black belt photo master to turn the mundane into something special. One way to add excitement to your humdrum photos is to apply some techniques that you probably never even thought of. This chapter provides a quick introduction to ten cool techniques.

Ten Things You Never Thought of Doing with Your Digital SLR

Capturing the Unseen with Infrared Photography

If you're looking for a new type of photography to play with, infrared imaging with digital cameras can easily become your new playground. By ignoring visible light and capturing subjects solely by the infrared light they reflect, you can picture the unseen — in more ways than one. That's because, thanks to the magic of the digital SLR, you likely have to shoot blind. The same techniques that shield your sensor from visible light also keep you from seeing anything through the viewfinder. Fortunately, workarounds exist.

Infrared photography lets you render foliage in eerie shades of white and the sky in an unearthly black color. Human skin takes on a soft, fuzzy glow. You'll either love ...