Table of Contents

Introduction. 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.

About the Author

Ian Farrell has been shooting pictures since his parents bought him an SLR for his 12th birthday, and hasn't been far from a camera since. He is a professional portrait photographer with studios in both London and Cambridge. Author of the bestselling Digital Photography Beyond the Camera, Ian also writes for a number of leading industry publications, including Amateur Photography, British Journal of Photography, DSLR Photography and Digital Photography. He lives in Cambridge, UK.