Amherst Media
Advanced studio lighting techniques; for digital portrait photographers.
Written for the professional photographer seeking to create portraits with dramatic impact, this guide describes modification of common lighting patterns by increasing or reducing the intensity of the light and suggests alternative approaches to lighting that produce evocative images. Numerous color photographs illustrate window lighting, a single light source, eyes without catchlights, shaping with contrast, sculpting the face, and reducing head size. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Beginner's guide to Adobe Photoshop, 3d ed.
For beginners, Perkins, a writer and digital photo retoucher, explains the basics and tools of Photoshop CS2 (which also apply to early versions): cropping and orientation, basic and advanced techniques in color and exposure, filters and styles, layers, making selections, adding artwork, image retouching, simple projects, and outputting images. Each technique is explained in two pages. Many color photos, which can be downloaded from the publisher's website, serve as examples. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The best of professional digital photography.
The editor of Rangefinder magazine lauds the advantages of digital photography — particularly digital single-lens reflex cameras. Despite cautioning against getting caught up in the hardware and software, Hurter focuses mainly on digital-specific techniques, file formats, workflow methods, and Adobe Photoshop tools for image editing, rather than on fundamentals. The book, which includes the work of 41 professionals, includes a glossary. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Black & white photography techniques with Adobe Photoshop.
The author of The Digital Darkroom Guide with Adobe Photoshop (Amherst Media, 2004) describes and illustrates classic concepts and Adobe Photoshop editing techniques for digital photographers seeking to create fine art prints. He begins with Ansel Adams' Zone System, and concludes with a gallery of b&w images converted from color transparencies. Hamilton, who specializes in photographing the American West, is based in California. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
How to create a high profit photography businesss in any market.
An Ohio studio owner acknowledges that photography is not the easiest way to make a living. Focusing on wedding, student, and other types of picture-taking that can be lucrative, Williams focuses on creative and marketing tips. He discusses how understanding client psychology can result in unique portraits and big orders. The guide includes examples of his work, forms he uses to prepare clients for successful results, and a short list of vendors. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Master composition guide; for digital photographers.
The author of Composition Techniques from a Master Photographer (2000) and other photography books treats composition as more a matter of timeless visual considerations rather than outdatable technical ones. Wildi pairs explanations of the basic building blocks of composition with before- and after-photos showing the effects of tips on how to adjust color, depth of field, and other techniques to optimize desired effects for specific types of photos. Lastly, he addresses the issue of what distinguishes a photograph from a digitally-enhanced photographic illustration. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Master lighting techniques; for outdoor and location digital portrait photography.
Intended for experienced wedding and portrait photographers, this guide shares techniques for lighting outdoor scenes to compensate for harsh sunlight and shadows, and for addressing the constraints imposed by the limited capture range of digital cameras. Color photographs shot in Hawaii illustrate the effect of different techniques. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Night and low-light; techniques for digital photography.
Cope, a professional photographer, presents digital photography techniques for night or low-light situations. He gives tips on photographing sunrises and sunsets, low-light landscape images, lightning, city lights, fireworks, and portraits. Common problems and solutions are illustrated with color before-and-after photos. A chapter on tools covers cameras and camera controls, lenses and flashes, and software. There are reference appendices on exposure values and reciprocity failure, plus a glossary. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Professional digital techniques for nude & glamour photography.
The author of Professional Secrets of Nude & Beauty Photography, who is a glamour photographer based in Novato, California, shares images with comments on digital camera exposures, posing, and other technical and creative considerations. Photos are shot in outdoor and studio settings, in color and b&w. Lemon's models are of little ethnic, size, or age diversity, but he does devote a chapter to couples. Some of the photos are less artistic than others. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Professional marketing & selling techniques for digital wedding photographers, 2d ed.
This guide presents ideas for advertising a new wedding photography business, defining a market, networking with other wedding vendors, interviewing clients, taking both traditional and contemporary styles of pictures, and selling photo albums. Sample forms and photographs are provided. The second edition adds new images and marketing techniques. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
