Book description
Scott Kelby, author of The Digital Photography Book, part
1, the top-selling digital photography book of all time, is
back with an entirely new book that picks up right where part 1
left off. It's more of that “Ah ha–so that's how they
do it,” straight-to-the-point, skip-thetechno- jargon stuff
you can really use today that made part 1 so successful.
This book truly has a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott
describes it: “If you and I were out on a shoot and you asked
me, ‘When I use my flash, the background behind the person
I’m shooting turns black. How do I fix that?’ I
wouldn’t give you a lecture on flash ratios, or start a
discussion on flash synchronization and rear curtain sync.
I’d just say, ‘Lower your shutter speed to 1/60 of a
second. That should do it.’ Well, that’s what this book
is all about: you and I out shooting, where I answer questions,
give you advice, and share the secrets I’ve learned just like
I would with a friend–without all the technical explanations
and techie photo speak.”
Each page covers a single concept on how to make your photography
better. Every time you turn the page, you’ll learn another
pro setting, tool, or trick to transform your work from snapshots
into gallery prints. If you’re tired of taking shots that
look “okay,” and if you’re tired of looking in
photography magazines and thinking, “Why don’t my shots
look like that?” then this is the book for you.
This isn’t a book of theory–full of confusing jargon
and detailed concepts. This is a book on which button to push,
which setting to use, and when to use it. With over 200 of the most
closely guarded photographic “tricks of the trade,”
this book gets you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper,
more colorful, more professional-looking photos every time.
Table of contents
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication Page
- Acknowledgments
- Other Books by Scott Kelby
- About the Author
- Contents
-
Chapter One. Using Flash Like a Pro
- 10 Things You’ll Wish You Had Known...
- ...Before Reading This Book!
- Here Are Those Last Three Things
- Pop-Up Flash: Use It as a Weapon
- The Advantages of a Dedicated Flash
- If You Don’t Already Own a Dedicated Flash
- The Pro Look: Get It Off-Camera & Soften It
- Get Your Flash Off Your Camera, Method #1
- Using Pop-Up Flash Wirelessly (#2)
- Using a Wireless Triggering System (#3)
- Going Wireless (Nikon), Part I
- Going Wireless (Nikon), Part II
- Going Wireless (Canon), Part I
- Going Wireless (Canon), Part II
- “Drag the Shutter” to See More Background
- How to Soften the Light from Your Flash
- Make It Softer Light by Bouncing It
- Putting That Nice Twinkle of Light in the Eyes
- Softbox-Quality Softening from Your Flash
- Tip for Shooting Through a Diffuser
- Why You Might Want a Stand for Your Flash
- Mounting Flashes Anywhere
- Rear Sync Rocks (& Why You Should Use It)
- The Fourth Secret to Pro Flash Results
- Using Gels (& Why You Need Them)
- Using Gels to Get That SI Look
- If You Have to Use Pop-Up Flash, Do This
- Using a Second Flash
- Controlling a Second Flash (Nikon)
- Controlling a Second Flash (Canon)
- How Far Back Can You Stand Using Flash?
- How to Stand Back Even Farther
- Controlling Your Light to Add Drama
- Shooting Sunset Portraits with Flash
-
Chapter Two. Building a Studio from Scratch
- Studio Backgrounds
- Using Studio Flash (Called Strobes)
- Softening Harsh Studio Strobes
- Why I Prefer Softboxes to Umbrellas
- What a Speed Ring Does (& Why You Need It)
- Using a Modeling Light
- Firing Your Studio Strobe
- Firing Your Studio Strobe Wirelessly
- Using Continuous Light Instead
- Choosing the Size for Your Softbox
- How a Light Meter Makes Your Studio Life Easier
- How to Use a Light Meter
- How Many Lights Should You Use?
- The Least Expensive Extra Light
- Adding a Hair Light
- Where to Position Your Hair Light
- Testing Your Hair Light’s Position
- Keeping Your Hair Light from Spilling
- Which Mode Should You Shoot In?
- Where to Position Your Main Light
- How High to Position Your Main Light
- How Close to Position Your Light
- Using a Fan for Windblown Effects
- Want Softer, More Even Light? Feather It!
- What That Extra Panel in Your Softbox Does
- Using a Pop-Up Collapsible Background
- Keep Light from Hitting the Background
- Three Backgrounds for the Price of One
- Using Off-Camera Flash to Light Backgrounds
- The Advantage of Shooting Tethered
- Getting Super-Saturated Background Color
- Lighting a White Background
- Which Color Reflector to Use
- Where to Position a Reflector
- Reflectors Without an Assistant
- Seeing the Light from Your Reflector
-
Chapter Three. Shooting Portraits Like a Pro
- Don’t Leave Too Much Headroom
- Great f-Stop for On-Location Portraits
- Shoot in Portrait Orientation
- Shooting Portraits? Get a Battery Grip!
- The “Sun Over Your Shoulder” Rule Is Bogus
- Shoot Wide and Push in Tight
- Shoot Profile Shots in Horizontal
- Shoot Long for More Flattering Portraits
- Why Diffusers Rock for Outdoor Portraits
- Making a Better Background for Portraits
- Cropping Off the Top of Their Head
- Trendy Composition Tip
- Group Photos Are Easier Outdoors
- Tip for Posing Group Portraits
- Great Tip for Casual Group Shots
- Get Couples Really, Really Close
- Want Better Portraits? Don’t Count Down!
- Shoot Before & Between Shoots for More Natural-Looking Portraits
- Don’t Light Your Entire Subject Evenly
- Window Light: Where to Position the Subject
- Window Light: Where You Should Shoot From
- Window Light: Where to Position the Reflector
- Six Quick Tips for Fixing Facial Challenges
- Don’t Shoot with Their Shoulders Straight On
- Making Your Subject Look Slimmer
- Using a Posing Chair
- Keeping Your Subject “In the Zone”
- Avoid Dappled Light
- Gold Reflectors Are for Outdoors
- Minimizing Shadows Under the Eyes
-
Chapter Four. Shooting Landscapes Like a Pro
- The Secret to Shooting Sunsets
- Cutting Reflections in Water
- For Landscapes, You Need a Clear Subject
- Using Your LCD Monitor Outdoors
- A Trick for Shooting Great Rainbows
- A Timesaving Pano Trick
- The Trick for Using a Fisheye Lens
- When to Shoot Streams
- Don’t Stop Shooting at Sunset
- How to Shoot Fog
- Getting Shots of Lightning (Manually)
- Getting Shots of Lightning (Automatically)
- Where to Focus for Landscape Shots
- Find the Great Light First
- How to Shoot on a Gray, Overcast Day
- A Trick for Great-Looking Flower Shots
- The Full-Frame Camera Advantage
- The Seven Deadly Sins of Landscape Photography
- Landscape Sin #1: Choppy Water
- Landscape Sin #2: Frozen Water in Waterfalls
- Landscape Sin #3: Bald, Cloudless Skies
- Landscape Sin #4: Harsh, Midday Sun
- Landscape Sin #5: A Crooked Horizon Line
- Landscape Sin #6: Distracting Junk Near Edge
- Landscape Sin #7: No Foreground Object
- And...Dead Trees and Tree Stumps...And...
-
Chapter Five. Shooting Weddings Like a Pro
- Create a Shot List
- Have Backups for Everything!
- Silencing Your Camera’s Beep
- Backlighting Your Bride
- Don’t Changes Lenses, Change Cameras
- Bring a Stepladder for a Higher Vantage Point
- Why You Want a Second Shooter
- When to Shoot in RAW
- Where to Aim Your Flash
- Shoot in Lower Light Without Raising Your ISO
- A Recipe for Balanced Flash in Church
- Compose to Include the Church
- Tip for Posing the Bride
- Keeping Detail in the Bridal Gown
- Getting More Flashes Per Wedding
- How to Lessen Noise in Your Photos
- Tips for Shooting the Bride’s Profile
- Wedding Zoom Effect Made Easy
- Add B&W to the Album
- Read David Ziser’s Digital ProTalk Blog Daily
-
Chapter Six. Shooting Travel Like a Pro
- In This Case, Less Gear Is More
- Working People into Your Travel Shots
- Getting People to Pose
- What to Shoot on Overcast Days
- Shooting from Your Hotel Room
- The Magic Time for Cityscapes
- Get These Shots Out of the Way First
- One Landscape Rule Kinda Applies to Travel
- Air Travel with Camera Gear
- Shoot the Food
- Get a GPS for Your Digital Camera
- Shooting Where They Don’t Allow Flash
- Look for High Vantage Points
- Give Yourself a Theme
-
Chapter Seven. Shooting Macro Like a Pro
- Maximize Your Depth of Field
- Why You Should Turn Autofocus Off
- Don’t Touch That Shutter Button!
- Which f-Stop Works Best
- Point-and-Shoot Macro Photography
- A Trick for Visualizing Macro
- Why You Might Want to Shoot Indoors
- Buying a Macro Lens
- Perfect, Even Light for Macro Shots
- Making Your Lens into a Macro Lens
-
Chapter Eight. Pro Tips for Getting Better Photos
- Which Mode to Shoot In
- Choosing the Right ISO
- Which Format to Shoot In (RAW, JPEG, or TIFF)
- Which JPEG Size to Shoot In
- WHIMS Will Keep You Out of Trouble
- How to Lock Focus
- Moving Your Point of Focus
- Zooming in Close? Fast Shutter Speeds Help
- When It’s Okay to Erase Your Memory Card
- Why You Need to Get in Really Close
- What to Use Your Histogram For
- Leave Your Lens Cap Off
- Removing Spots and Specks After the Fact
- What Looks Good in Black & White
- Recompose, Don’t “Fix It” in Photoshop
- Want to Be Taken Seriously? Start Editing
- Label Your Memory Cards
- Go Square
- Tip for Shooting at Night (Long Exposure Noise)
- The Very Next Book You Should Get
-
Chapter Nine. Photo Recipes to Help You Get “The Shot”
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- The Recipe for Getting This Type of Shot
- Index
Product information
- Title: The Digital Photography Book, Part 2
- Author(s):
- Release date: September 2013
- Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
- ISBN: 9780133510751
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