ix
foreword
Creative, successful professionals are highly motivated to improve their skills by engaging in
continuous learning activities. Whether through the formal setting of a classroom, workshops,
seminars, on-line learning, or just picking up a book, we are always searching for information on
the complex issues of our chosen profession.
When it comes to photography (especially during the past ten years), the amount of information we
seek has been compounded by the sheer speed at which innovations are brought to market.
Cameras, sensors, resolution, lens factor, exposure latitude, noise, compression artifacts, RAW,
chromatic aberrations, AWB, and so on, are some of the topics and skills that have had to be
learned as brand new concepts or re-learned from the digital perspective. The speed at which
“new and improved” tools and concepts are being introduced makes everyone seem expert but in
fact misinformation is as abundant as poorly crafted digital captures.
How do I put into words my appreciation for a book like this? As a professional photographer for
more than 25 years and an educator for 19 years, building a reference library for my studio is an
on-going task.
This book is one of the best I’ve ever read due to the depth and breadth of topics covered and
will fi nd a prominent place in my collection. I particularly appreciate that the author addresses
the dynamic changes in the fi eld of digital capture whilst remembering photography’s timeless
qualities.
Hooray for Mark, for he is speaking to us all with the single-minded goal of disseminating clear and
thoughtful information.
Thank you Mark, from all of us.
Michael E. Stern
Adjunct Faculty
Brooks Institute of Photography
& http://www.CyberStern.com