Absolute Beginner's Guide to Digital Photography

Preface

This book is about digital photography, which

includes every operation from taking the picture to

delivering the print. In 23 chapters you will learn

about cameras, film, scanners, portraiture, print-

ing, and presentation.

Did I just say the word “film?” This beginner’s

guide is about digital photography, not digital

cameras. A big difference not so apparent to ama-

teurs. Most beginners think “digital photography”

simply means donating the old instamatic and

buying a digital Canon. This book will show you

that digital cameras are great (because they are so

convenient), but even an old Pentax 35mm film

camera can get you started.

Digital photography is also known as the “Digital

Darkroom,” because you no longer need to build a

darkroom in your basement, and mess around

with smelly chemicals. The digital darkroom

includes digital cameras and traditional cameras.

Yes that’s right. Digital photography replaces the

traditional darkroom, not necessarily the camera

you’ve been using all these years.

If you have a digital camera, photography is just

that much easier. But if you haven’t broken down

and shelled out several hundred (to several thou-

sand!) for a new digital camera, not to worry. You

can be a “digital photographer” too. Editing your

images, printing pictures, and showing your work

to the world has nothing to do with the camera

you use or the medium on which you captured

your subjects. How your get your pictures on the

hard drive is up to you. Fortunately, this book

explains the entire acquisition and editing process.

xii ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Some printers today

can “speak” the language

of digital cameras. You no longer

even need a computer to move

from digital images to prints!

Be sure to check out

the full-color online gallery

of digital photographs, including

photographs featured in this book,

at the companion Web site

http://www.quepublishing.com. Type the

ISBN (excluding hyphens), or type

in the title of the book in the

Search field and click on the Web

Resourceslink.

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