Focal Press Focal Digital Camera Guide: Canon EOS 450D
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Our opinion:
The Focal Digital Camera Guide series is an excellent choice if you are relatively new to digital photography, DSLRs or just want a more visual guide on how to use your new camera.
As daunting as it may be to begin with, it is worth making an effort and learning what your camera and your image editing software can do for you. Reading the camera manual is an absolutely necessary first step (even if it tends to be a bit of a sleeping pill) - but you will search in vain for any explanations on the included software in printed form. Also, camera manuals don’t give you any tips on how to improve your photographic skills or on how to organize or manipulate your images, which is where a good book fills the gap.
With film photography, your job as photographer was done after you took the photos and dropped them in for developing and printing. In digital photography, there are a few extra steps required:
1. As digital photography doesn’t provide you with a tangible, fileable, long-lasting negative, you will need to find a method of storing and organizing your originals - referred to as ‘backing up’.
2. You are going to have to learn how to ‘optimize’ or enhance your photos yourself. With film, this is done for you before printing by a photo lab employee - but the rule with digital photography is that photos get printed off as they are. Hence, if your photo is underexposed, lacking contrast, colour and saturation, it will remain so unless and until you adjust the image yourself. Actually, once you got the hang of it, you will be amazed what a difference software can make to your photos.
Generally speaking, Digital SLRs are a lot more complicated than their film counterparts. However, there is a flipside to the coin too: What you used to have to carry around with you in form of filters to compensate for colour casts and films of various ISO speeds and saturations can now all be done INSIDE your digital SLR - the trouble is learning enough about your camera to get the best out of it.
The Focal Digital Camera Guide series will give you a good introduction to your camera in particular and digital photography in general - in a visually appealing and easy to understand manner.
Manufacturer's description:
Get up and running fast with a visual tour of your camera purchase and quick start guide by a professional photographer who writes in a clear, no-nonsense style. See how camera settings change your images with good and bad shots side by side and understand how to shoot, process and colour manage and archive your images
This brand new series of colourful, modern guides for the top DSLRs go way beyond the details found in the manual. They are one-stop easy-to-read tutorials that cover all the basic functions of the camera, and everything beyond.
For the basics, turn to the quick start guide, which will get you up and running in five minutes.
For an understanding of your camera's many controls and features, check out the section called 'The Camera.' If all you need is a quick explanation, you'll find it. If you're looking for the Whole Story, you'll find that, too. Settings that affect how your pictures look are accompanied by full-colour examples that show you exactly what you can expect. This section also covers the camera's menus, playback features, memory, and power sources.
The section called 'Software' shows you how to get the most out of your camera's software. It covers tethered shooting, colour management, RAW conversion, storing your images, managing your library, and backup strategies - to name just a few topics.
Ultimately, this book's greatest strength isn't its focus on the camera or the software; it's the detailed, easy-to-follow instruction it offers on using your camera to take truly superior photographs. Sections devoted to lenses, subject matter, and light cover these variables in depth, always presenting the most effective techniques in the context of the strengths and limitations of the camera.
Written by a widely acclaimed photographer and photography teacher, the guide shows you how to get the shots you can see in your head but have never been able to capture with a camera.
Contents:
The Quick Start Guide will have you taking great photos in five minutes.
In-depth coverage of every feature and control ensures that you have access to the tools you need for every shot.
Full-colour examples demonstrate how different settings affect your photos.
Expert coverage of lenses, lighting, and subject matter gives you the practical knowledge you need to go after any shot.
Step-by-step instructions on photo editing and image management help you get the most out of your camera's software.
A detailed review of accessories for your camera explains which of these add-ons offer the most value for your needs.
Dozens of tips and tricks prepare you for every situation you're likely to encounter - in the field, at the studio, or at your next wedding or family reunion.
The Focal Digital Camera Guide series is an excellent choice if you are relatively new to digital photography, DSLRs or just want a more visual guide on how to use your new camera.
As daunting as it may be to begin with, it is worth making an effort and learning what your camera and your image editing software can do for you. Reading the camera manual is an absolutely necessary first step (even if it tends to be a bit of a sleeping pill) - but you will search in vain for any explanations on the included software in printed form. Also, camera manuals don’t give you any tips on how to improve your photographic skills or on how to organize or manipulate your images, which is where a good book fills the gap.
With film photography, your job as photographer was done after you took the photos and dropped them in for developing and printing. In digital photography, there are a few extra steps required:
1. As digital photography doesn’t provide you with a tangible, fileable, long-lasting negative, you will need to find a method of storing and organizing your originals - referred to as ‘backing up’.
2. You are going to have to learn how to ‘optimize’ or enhance your photos yourself. With film, this is done for you before printing by a photo lab employee - but the rule with digital photography is that photos get printed off as they are. Hence, if your photo is underexposed, lacking contrast, colour and saturation, it will remain so unless and until you adjust the image yourself. Actually, once you got the hang of it, you will be amazed what a difference software can make to your photos.
Generally speaking, Digital SLRs are a lot more complicated than their film counterparts. However, there is a flipside to the coin too: What you used to have to carry around with you in form of filters to compensate for colour casts and films of various ISO speeds and saturations can now all be done INSIDE your digital SLR - the trouble is learning enough about your camera to get the best out of it.
The Focal Digital Camera Guide series will give you a good introduction to your camera in particular and digital photography in general - in a visually appealing and easy to understand manner.
Manufacturer's description:
Get up and running fast with a visual tour of your camera purchase and quick start guide by a professional photographer who writes in a clear, no-nonsense style. See how camera settings change your images with good and bad shots side by side and understand how to shoot, process and colour manage and archive your images
This brand new series of colourful, modern guides for the top DSLRs go way beyond the details found in the manual. They are one-stop easy-to-read tutorials that cover all the basic functions of the camera, and everything beyond.
For the basics, turn to the quick start guide, which will get you up and running in five minutes.
For an understanding of your camera's many controls and features, check out the section called 'The Camera.' If all you need is a quick explanation, you'll find it. If you're looking for the Whole Story, you'll find that, too. Settings that affect how your pictures look are accompanied by full-colour examples that show you exactly what you can expect. This section also covers the camera's menus, playback features, memory, and power sources.
The section called 'Software' shows you how to get the most out of your camera's software. It covers tethered shooting, colour management, RAW conversion, storing your images, managing your library, and backup strategies - to name just a few topics.
Ultimately, this book's greatest strength isn't its focus on the camera or the software; it's the detailed, easy-to-follow instruction it offers on using your camera to take truly superior photographs. Sections devoted to lenses, subject matter, and light cover these variables in depth, always presenting the most effective techniques in the context of the strengths and limitations of the camera.
Written by a widely acclaimed photographer and photography teacher, the guide shows you how to get the shots you can see in your head but have never been able to capture with a camera.
Contents:
The Quick Start Guide will have you taking great photos in five minutes.
In-depth coverage of every feature and control ensures that you have access to the tools you need for every shot.
Full-colour examples demonstrate how different settings affect your photos.
Expert coverage of lenses, lighting, and subject matter gives you the practical knowledge you need to go after any shot.
Step-by-step instructions on photo editing and image management help you get the most out of your camera's software.
A detailed review of accessories for your camera explains which of these add-ons offer the most value for your needs.
Dozens of tips and tricks prepare you for every situation you're likely to encounter - in the field, at the studio, or at your next wedding or family reunion.
The book that goes a lot further than the manual
Price: £11.49
UK delivery available from £7.99
Delivery: 1-3 Days
Product: 20171
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