Complete Guide to Digital Photography

YOUR CAMERA: Introduction to your camera; Assignment - Making a pinhole camera; Anatomy of a camera; Megapixels and image quality; Types of lens; Accessories; Flashguns; Assignment - Make your own reflector; Care and cleaning; Which computer; Imaging software; Files and format; Scanners and scanning; Assignment - Scanography; Printers and printing. USING YOUR CAMERA: Using your camera; Composition; Rules of composition; Assignment - Using the rule of thirds; Lenses and composition; Assignment - Understanding lens perspective; Light; White balance; Exposure; Assignment - Shooting the perfect sunset; Measuring and assessing exposure; Assignment - Shooting light trails with long shutter speeds; Depth of field; Assignment - Shooting a shallow depth of field portrait; Macro photography; Assignment - Close-up eyescapes; Long exposures; Creative flash photography; Assignment - Flash-lit, smoky, still-life images. ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHY: Portraits and people; Focus On - Formal portraits; Assignment - Shooting an environmental portrait; Focus On - Children's Portraits; Assignment - Shooting a window-light portrait; Still life; Assignment - Shooting a back-lit still life; Urban landscapes; Assignment - Urban exploration; Landscapes; Focus On - Landscapes; Landscape composition; Assignment - Shooting moving water; Dynamic range; Travel photography; Assignment - Shooting a street portrait; Focus On - Travel; Assignment - Shooting an early-morning marketplace; Architectural photography; Focus On - Architecture; Converging verticals; Assignment - Finding the detail in architecture; Reportage photography; Focus On - Reportage; Assignment - Documenting everyday life; Street photography; Sharing your photos; Wedding photography; Assignment - Shooting a wedding portrait; Shooting your first wedding; Sports and action; Assignment - Multiple exposures from continuous shooting; Lens choice for sports; Assignment - Tracking and shooting a fast-moving object; Garden photography; Assignment - Shooting wildflowers; Nature and wildlife; Assignment - Photographing spiders in the morning; Going on a wildlife holiday; Focus On - Urban wildlife safari; Assignment - Photographing garden birds; Shooting in low light; Creative ISO; Assignment - Shooting a live music event; Focus On - Shooting live events; Assignment - Shooting fireworks on a tripod; Astrophotography; Black and white; Assignment - Black and white still-life project; Fine-art photography; Assignment - Reflections; Assignment - Abstract patterns. THE DIGITAL DARKROOM: From emulsion to data; Introducing Photoshop; The Photoshop interface; Editing raw files; Adobe Lightroom; Assignment - Customizing your Photoshop workspace; Exposure and histograms; Levels; Assignment - Creating borders for your images; Highlights and shadows; Dodging and burning; Removing colour casts; Assignment - Giving your pictures a cross-processed look; Colour saturation; Assignment - Changing eye colour; Making selections; Cropping and straightening; History in Photoshop; Black and white; Assignment - Creating a black and white still life; Enhancing black and white; Toning and tinting; Assignment - Split toning. ADVANCED DARKROOM TECHNIQUES: Working with raw files; Assignment - Setting white balance retrospectively; Colour management; Calibrating your screen; Output colour profiles; Assignment - Camera calibration with an X-Rite colour passport; Correcting with curves; Assignment - Digital lith printing; Sharpening; Resizing images; Assignment - Sharpening in portraits; Cloning and healing; Assignment - Restoring an old photograph; Assignment - Creating a dust profile for your camera; Panoramic photography; Assignment - Shooting a stitched panoramic landscape; Assignment - Breaking the rules; High dynamic range; Assignment - Using HDR to shoot architecture; Layers; Cutting out; Masks and masking; Assignment - Replacing skies with layers and masks; Adjustment layers; Blending modes; Retouching with layers; Assignment - Adding textures using smart objects and blending modes; Smart objects and layers; Assignment - Miniature landscapes; Retouching portraits; Skin smoothing; The details; Assignment - Shooting a beauty makeover. FINISHING TOUCHES: Printing at home; Assignment - Making a greetings card; Printing on the high street; Assignment - Making a print portfolio; Online print services; Your pictures on the internet; Assignment - Making an online portfolio site; Creating slideshows; Printing photobooks; Assignment - Creating your own coffee-table art book; Your first exhibition; Protecting your images online; Selling stock photography. Glossary. Index. Acknowledgements.