Book Description
Whether you are using a digital compact or dSLR camera to shoot, or a Mac or PC to manipulate your images, Joe Farace explains what products are out there-and how to use them to get the best shots.
While most books offer photographers tips and tricks for working with the latest software package, this book offers a new approach to working with digital images:
Learn how to use digital imaging tools - not just a particular software package - to produce professional prints or digital images for the web.
Getting Started with Digital Imaging offers a new approach for amateur photographers working with digital images. It takes you behind the screens, showing you how to use the tools - not the software itself - to produce professional prints or digital images for the Web.
Joe Farace guides you through the entire digital workflow, from choosing the right digital camera, setting up your digital darkroom, learning the key imaging tools and shortcuts, understanding file formats, printing and preparing images for the web.
Packed with step-by-step tutorials, case studies and invaluable tips from the pros, this guide will help you get to grips with digital imaging and produce fantastic results in no time at all.
* Guides you through digital workflow from capture to output
* Relevant for ALL digital imaging software
* Real world examples and invaluable tips are clearly explained with high quality full color images and screengrabs
Table of Contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Fantastic Four
- Capture the Sun
- Artificial Lies
- Home Field Advantage
- Print the Image
- Presenting the Image
- Torn Curtain
- Two-Minute Warning
- Fun with Dick and Jane
- 1. Welcome to the Digital Darkroom
- Back to the Future
- A Shot in the Dark
- Don’t Go Near the Water
- Permanent and Temporary Storage
- The Monitor and Merrimac
- Monitor Checklist
- Rocket’s Red Glare
- Out Here in the Real World, and I Don’t Mean MTV
- Operation Swordfish
- Riding the Resolution Carousel
- Good Resolutions
- Trading Places
- The Bottom Line
- 2. Tools of the Trade
- Candid Cameras
- How Many Megapixels are Enough?
- Digital Film
- How Fast is Your Memory Card
- The Big Three
- Real World Testing
- Scanners
- Pick a Scanner; Any Scanner at All
- Scanner Slang
- Keepin’ It Real
- Duck Soup
- The Importance of Being Earnest
- Hub Cap World
- Memory Card Readers
- Real World Tests
- The Mouse That Roared
- Just What I Need
- 3. The X Files: Don’t Fight the Future
- The Ipcress Files
- I am a Camera
- The Gang That Couldnd’t Shoot Straight
- Crossing Delancey
- Lost in Translation
- Revenge of the Sith
- 4. Before Opening Raw Files
- Getting Started with Raw
- I’ll be Back with You in a Byte
- Should I Work with 16- or 8-Bit Files?
- Eight or Sixteen?
- Space: not Necessarily the Final Frontier
- Other Voices, Other Options
- Exif 2.2
- Perfection?
- 5. Working with RAW Files
- Lets Get Raw
- The 800-Pound Gorilla
- What’s New Pussycat?
- Show Workflow Options
- Crop Size: Does Matter
- Resolution: of the Matter
- Settings? not more Settings?
- The Adjust Tab
- And Now for the Rest of the Story
- The Detail Tab
- The Lens Tab
- Calibrate, Calibrate, Dance to the Music
- Converting to Black and White
- Transfers: Gateway to Photoshop
- Baking a Batch of Chocalate Chip Actions
- 6. Opening the Software Toolbox
- Send in the Clones
- What Kind of Computer?
- How much does it Cost?
- Image File Formats Handled?
- Does it Accept Photoshop-Compatible Plug-Ins?
- Using Digital Imaging Software
- A Peek Inside the Toolboxes
- Painting Tools?
- The Magic Wand
- 7. Understanding Layers
- Layers of Creativity
- The Layers Palette
- Adjustment Layers
- Simple Use of Layers
- Two Faces of Japan
- Speed Thrills
- Making Collages and Mosaics
- Create Collages
- 8. Traditional and Non-Traditional Tools for Digital Methods
- Retouching Tools and How to Use them
- The Band-Aid Tool
- Traditional Tools for Digital Methods
- Burn and Dodge
- The Cropping Tool
- Lighten/Darken
- Levels and Curves
- Brightness and Contrast Control
- Non-Traditional Tools
- Unsharp Masking
- External Solutions to an Internal Problem
- Sharpness vs. Blur
- Digital Blur and Soft Focus
- 9. Power Tools
- Photoshop-Compatible Plug-Ins
- Enhancing that Image
- Manipulating Images
- Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire
- Film Grain VS. Digital Noise
- Moonstruck
- Photoshop Actions
- MAC OS? Windows? doesn’t Matter!
- This is a Recording
- Commercial and Freeware Actions
- 10. The Monochrome Difference
- In Camera
- Black and White with Color Filters
- In-Camera Color Effects
- I Can do that in Photoshop!
- The Digital Difference
- Channel Mixer
- Monochrome Power Tools
- It was a Dark and Stormy Night . . .
- The Duotone Command
- 11. Making Photo Quality Ink-Jet Prints
- Ink and Paper Compatibility
- Printing in the Real World
- Practical Color
- Monitor Calibration
- Output Solutions
- Ink and Paper
- Alternative Inks
- Black and White in Color
- The Print Button
- Get to Know Your Printer Driver
- A Personal Test Print
- Ink-Jet Paper Choices
- Print Longevity
- 12. Preparing Images for the Web
- The Pixel Parade
- The Machine that goes Ping
- Save for Web
- Web Tips
- Jpeg 2000
- Tools of the Trade
- Photo-Sharing Websites
- Other Websites
- Cybertheft
- Basic Protection
- Embed Protection within the File
- Take Action
- Glossary
- Index