1 Getting Started: Basic Camera Equipment
and Essentials .....3
Understanding the anatomy of your camera and
making the most from photographic accessories.

2 Exploring Photographic Optics.....27
How a lens functions and how to use your zoom
lens to its best advantage; plus, information on
controlling exposure and depth of field.

3 Understanding Photographic Exposure ..................... 55
The ins and outs of exposure, including f-stop,
ISO settings, shutter speeds, and light meters.

4 Formats: Digital Sensors and Traditional Film ..... 77
Exploring megapixels, JPEG, RAW, color, and
black-and-white.

5 Photography Rules and Conventions......................... 99
Moving beyond the snapshot and learning to see
photography as a visual language; plus, tools and
tips to make you a better photographer.

6 Light Is Color, and Color Is Light............................. 121
Understanding how film and digital cameras
see different light sources and the relationship
between color and light; plus, learn how to use
both to your advantage.

7 Photographing People ........................................... 155
Simple techniques for taking better portraits and
candid photos that put everyone at ease.

8 Shooting Events .................................................... 179
Being well prepared before the big day to ensure
you get the most out of every photo opportunity
and still have a great time.

9 Travel and Landscape Photography ..... 199
Thinking editorially to make travel photos a
story instead of a stack of snapshots.

10 Shooting Still Lifes: The Secret Life of Things ........... 219
Some simple approaches to photographing and
lighting inanimate objects.

11 Digital Imaging, Archiving, and Printing ..... 237
Looking at equipment options and the bare basics
of postprocessing images.

12 Be On Your Way Now .......................................... 247
Some resources and ideas for taking next steps
toward becoming a better photographer on your
own.

Appendixes

A Glossary .............................................................. 257

B An Overview of Photoshop Editing Tools................. 267

Index.................................................................... 278

“The illiterate of the future will be ignorant of camera and pen alike.” —Lazlo Moholoy-Nagy

When the artist/photographer Moholoy-Nagy made that statement in the early 1930s, cameras were bulky, heavy, and expensive things. Using them required special training, and developing and printing one’s own photographs required a purpose-built, dedicated darkroom and even more special training. Surely it seemed impossible that in the future everyone would own many different cameras (in the form of camera phones, video cameras, point-and-shoots, and SLRs) and carry them as personal effects the way we carry keys and wear watches. It probably seemed equally unlikely that we would have the ability to print photos with a keystroke at the comfort of our desks in broad daylight. Yet, in the modern world, photography is as accessible and easy as reading and writing. It’s a skill and a technology that we take for granted.

As a teacher at a (very expensive) major university, I am often asked by anxious parents whether four-plus years of formal training is still necessary for photographers in this day and age. On some levels the answer is no; it was never necessary to have formal training to learn photography as a craft. But we have always been able to learn the craft of photography through reading, practice, and/or apprenticeship.

So in many ways, photography is easier than it’s ever been—but somehow it seems harder. Why is that?

There is much more to know now than there ever was in the past. There are more cameras, different types of cameras, more printing options, and many more essential skills in the form of photo editing and web presentation. More equipment is also necessary in the form of lighting and computer options.

What might be more important is that we live in a time when Moholy-Nagy’s prediction has become a fact of life. We live in a world of images—a world that has put tools in the hands of school children that just a few years ago were inaccessible to all but the highest-paid professionals. Photography is no longer a craft; it has become a language—a language that enriches all of our lives and is as much a necessity to modern life as the ability to read and write. Digital photography and our image-rich environment have also raised the bar for what we expect and what excites us visually. Creating good photography, and being a good photographer, are harder than ever.

This book is designed with two purposes in mind. The first is to guide you through learning and using your own camera. Although there are many photo books that do this (and a lot of them are very good), I have tried to look at some of the common tools and techniques in slightly different ways in the hope that it will make you consider things from a different perspective. I hope that this book will offer food for thought, whether you have just unpacked your new camera from the box or you have been shooting for years.

The second purpose of the book is to help you think and see more creatively and decisively—to make photography matter. This is the part of photography that engages us at our very core; the part that teaches us who we are and puts us in contact with the world.

This is what can make photography an integral part of your life. It makes going to a softball game or enjoying a family vacation even more fun because there’s a bigger investment and something to strive for. These are the photographs you’ll cherish—the ones that go beyond being a simple recording of life’s little moments and become about life itself.

I’ve always thought that as an art form, photography is closer to the performing arts or athletics than to painting or some of the other visual arts. The photographic act—planning, observing, reacting, thinking, feeling, embracing, sweating, laughing, acting, and participating—tie the photographer to the real and physical world. At its best, it is a transcendent moment that approaches a religious experience. I think much more about being “in the zone” than I do about composition. I question my thoughts about a subject more than I think about lenses.

Photography is a visual art because it creates a tangible piece of visual evidence—a record of the performance, both about the subject and the photographer. In many ways, good photographs are just the trophies of a game well played.

Throughout this book you will encounter several boxes of useful information designed to help you along your way to becoming a better photographer. These boxes include definitions of the lingo used in photography industry, tips and directions on how to become a better photographer, and cautionary tidbits on how to keep you from damaging your equipment or making photographic errors.

I have many people to thank for their help in making this book possible. First and foremost, my literary agents Janet Rosen and Sheree Bykofsky, who approached me with the project. My acquisitions editor, Michele Wells at Penguin, who took a big chance on me as a first-time author. My development editor, Susan Zingraf, who caught many of my mistakes. I also want to extend a special thank you to my (stellar and awesome) editorial assistant, Alexandra Pacheco-Garcia.

Finally, many thanks to all of my colleagues and students at New York University’s Department of Photography and Imaging for their inspiration and fellowship over the years. It has been a rare privilege to have been part of such a remarkable community.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Photography Essentials was reviewed by an expert who double-checked the accuracy of what you’ll learn here to help us ensure that this book gives you everything you need to know about photography. Special thanks are extended to Avi Gerver.

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be or are suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Alpha Books and Penguin Group (USA) Inc. cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

Dear Reader,

Wasn’t photography supposed to get easier with the advent of digital technology? Isn’t your new camera supposed to be idiot-proof? Why does it seem so hard? Why does photography seem more confusing than ever?

There are many answers. One is the tools and techniques have become easier and more flexible, but we have also come to expect more from photographs than we ever did in the past. We live in a very sophisticated visual culture where we are bombarded by stunning imagery on a daily basis. Very few of us would be happy with the simple family snapshots of Christmas morning that were the staple of our parents’ family albums (although those pictures have charm as well). Our creative aspirations have grown in step with technology.

However, this is also one of the reasons why photography seems harder than it used to be. Cameras are machines—simple optical devices that are subject to the laws of physics. Your camera is close to foolproof, but it can be fooled in many everyday situations. Furthermore, when you use your awesome digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera like an expensive point-and-shoot, you aren’t using it to its full potential or getting the performance you paid for. Problems arise when we ignore the fundamentals of photography and expect the camera to take over. The full potential of your camera is unlocked when you know how and when to use it manually—and when to set it to “ auto.”

My job in writing this book is to boil down the basics so you will know how and when to bend the rules. Your job is to practice a little and have fun by just making some photographs.

Your camera is a tool, not a brain. You are the software that runs the machine. You are a unique entity; you have a personal legacy that is worth preserving. You are the historian of your life as well as many of the lives you touch. The photographs you make today will be one of the many footprints that your children, grandchildren, and friends will discover in the sand. They matter, and with a little practice you can make them memorable.