It's All About The Light
This is an enhanced iBook, meaning it has embeded videos.
A beginner/intermediate guide to digital photography covering a variety of photography techniques with an emphasis on understanding light. Camera basics (f-stop, ISO, shutter speed, Depth of Field), outdoor portraits, studio portraits, landscape and wild life photography are explored. Brian walks you through each of these topics, and more, using his down-to-earth, easy to understand way of teaching.
First published March 7th, 2011 exclusively on iBooks.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
How To Read This Book
Video: Viewing videos in this book
What is in this Book?
Video: What Is In This Book?
Why I Wrote this Book
Who Is This Book For?
Why This Book Is Different From The Gazillion Other Books Out There
Chapter 1: Basic Concepts
JPG vs RAW
Shooting in JPG Mode
Shooting RAW
Video: Shooting Raw vs. jpg
How Many Megapixels Do I Need?
Back To The Basics: How your camera sees light
Shutter Speed, f-stop and ISO
Shutter Speed
f-stop (aperture setting)
A Mathematical Discussion of f-stop
ISO
Depth of Field (DOF)
Let’s Look At Some Scenarios
Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Program Modes
Program Mode (P on a Canon camera)
Aperture Priority (Av on a Canon camera)
Shutter Priority (Tv on a Canon camera)
Manual Mode (M on a Canon camera)
Chapter 2: Outdoor Portraits
Getting The Right Exposure
In-Camera Light Metering Modes
Shooting in Open Sunlight
Shooting with Fill Flash
Video: Using Fill Flash Outdoors
TTL Mode
Bounce Some Light
Shooting in Open Shade
Video: Using a Shallow Depth of Field
Shooting Silhouettes
Rim Lighting
Video: Watch Out For Shadows From Your Flash
Using a Polarizing Filter
Chapter 3: Landscape Photography
Necessary Equipment
Get the Good Light
Shooting Waterfalls
Hyperfocal Distances
Chapter 4: Wildlife Photography
Major Suggestions For Shooting Wildlife
Shoot Wildlife as if Shooting a Portrait
Chapter 5: The Zone System
Types of Metering Systems
Reading Histograms
Thinking of Zones as +/-
Applying the Zone System to Digital Photography
Chapter 6: Studio Portraiture
Equipment
Shooting with one Flash Head
Video: Using One Off Camera Flash
Video: Using One Flash Head and a Reflector
Shooting with Two Flash Heads
Video: Using Two Flash Heads
Video: Using Three Flash Heads with a Bounce Card
Don’t Be Afraid To Shoot Down
It’s OK To Cut Off Part Of Someone’s Head
Chapter 7: Recommended Web Resources
Chapter 8: Wrapping Things Up