Photography is a complex craft. Some excel at the technical side of image-making, focusing perfectly on the subject, releasing the shutter at just the right moment and making exposures with the precise amount of light. Others are artists and storytellers, capturing a fleeting moment in time which inspires a viewer to gaze upon an image and ponder its meaning. The best photographers are masters of both. In this highly visual, informative new book, Angela Faris Belt discusses the four crucial elements of photography that are essential for successful technical and conceptual image-making: .the photographic frame and its borders .quality of focus as determined by the aperture or lens .shutter speeds and their effects in relation to time and motion .the physical media used to create the aggregate image Step-by-step guidance including informative screen shots, traditional darkroom and Photoshop techniques, suggested exercises, and before and after images help both film and digital photographers improve their skills, learn new techniques, and better understand their craft. More than 300 stunning, full color images and portfolios featuring the work of over 40 prestigious artists provide visual inspiration as well as a gorgeous collection of artwork for photography enthusiasts.

The greatly revised and expanded edition of The Elements of Photography is a new kind of textbook for a new generation of photographers. Moving far beyond the usual technical manual, Angela Faris Belt dives deep into merging technique and vision, allowing you to master craft while adding meaning to your images. Here you'll really learn to see photographically, expand your creative and conceptual use of apertures and shutter speeds, and choose the right media to create the look and feel you want.

Most photographers love photographing people—but they will also readily admit that there are a lot of challenges to making great portraits. In this book, professional portrait photographer Bill Israelson explores the skills that lie at the heart of a successful approach to portrait photography. First, he helps you set your overall objectives for the image and your depiction of the subject, which will determine the equipment you’ll need. Then, he lays out a simple six-step process designed to help you achieve your objectives(from location selection through lighting and posing) and create a great-looking portrait of any subject in any situation. Delving further into the process, he presents individual chapters dedicated to meeting the unique challenges of creating portraits outdoors, in the studio, and at indoor locations. Concluding with tips for editing your images, Israelson charts a simple course to more appealing, more flattering portraits!

This book breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that’s never been done before—it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly “how to do it.” It’s not a bunch of theory; it doesn’t challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure things out on your own. Instead, it does something that virtually no other Elements book has ever done—it tells you flat-out which settings to use, when to use them, and why. If you’re looking for one of those “tell-me-everything-about-the-Unsharp-Mask-filter” books, this isn’t it. You can grab any other Elements book on the shelf, because they all do that. Instead, this book gives you the inside tips and tricks of the trade for organizing, correcting, editing, sharpening, retouching, and printing your photos like a pro. You’ll be absolutely amazed at how easy and effective these techniques are—once you know the secrets. LEARN HOW THE PROS DO IT Each year we train thousands of digital photographers and, almost without exception, they have the same questions and face the same problems—that’s exactly what we cover in this book. You’ll learn: The real secrets of how the pros retouch portraits How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat (you’ll be amazed at how the pros do it!) How to use Camera Raw for processing not only RAW photos, but JPEGs and TIFFs, too! (And you’ll learn why so many pros like it best—because it’s faster and easier) The sharpening techniques the pros really use (there’s an entire chapter just on this!) How to deal with common digital camera image problems, including removing noise and avoiding halos The most requested photographic special effects, and much more! THE BOOK’S SECRET WEAPON Although Elements 10 offers some digital photography features that Photoshop CS5 doesn’t offer, there are plenty of features that Photoshop CS5 has that Elements 10 still doesn’t have (things like paths, Channel Mixer, etc.). But in this book, you’ll learn some slick workarounds, cheats, and some fairly ingenious ways to replicate many of those Photoshop features from right within Elements. Plus, since this book is designed for photographers, it doesn’t waste your time talking about how to frame a shot, set your exposure, etc., and there’s no talk about which camera or printer to buy. It’s all Elements, step by step, cover to cover, in the only book of its kind, and you’re gonna love it!

Zen Camera is an unprecedented photography practice that guides you to the creativity at your fingertips, calling for nothing more than your vision and any camera, even the one embedded in your phone. David Ulrich draws on the principles of Zen practice as well as forty years of teaching photography to offer six profound lessons for developing your self-expression. Doing for photography what The Artist’s Way and Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain did for their respective crafts, Zen Camera encourages you to build a visual journaling practice called your Daily Record in which photography can become a path of self-discovery. Beautifully illustrated with 83 photographs, its insights into the nature of seeing, art, and personal growth allow you to create photographs that are beautiful, meaningful, and uniquely your own. You’ll ultimately learn to change the way you interact with technology—transforming it into a way to uncover your innate power of attention and mindfulness, to see creatively, and to live authentically.

ARE YOU READY FOR AN ELEMENTS BOOK THAT BREAKS ALL THE RULES? This book breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that’s never been done before–it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly “how to do it.” It’s not a bunch of theory; it doesn’t challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure things out on your own. Instead, it does something that virtually no other Elements book has ever done–it tells you flat-out which settings to use, when to use them, and why. If you’re looking for one of those “tell-me-everything-about-the-Unsharp-Mask-filter” books, this isn’t it. You can grab any other Elements book on the shelf, because they all do that. Instead, this book gives you the inside tips and tricks of the trade for organizing, correcting, editing, sharpening, retouching, and printing your photos like a pro. You’ll be absolutely amazed at how easy and effective these techniques are–once you know the secrets. LEARN HOW THE PROS DO IT Each year Scott trains thousands of digital photographers and, almost without exception, they have the same questions and face the same problems–that’s exactly what he covers in this book. You’ll learn: How to unlock the power of layers (you’ll be amazed at how easy it is!) How to use Camera Raw for processing not only RAW photos, but JPEGs, TIFFs, and PSDs too! (And you’ll learn why so many pros like it best–because it’s faster and easier) The sharpening techniques the pros really use (there’s an entire chapter just on this!) How to deal with common digital camera image problems, including brightening people in dark shadows and getting the best color possible The most requested photographic special effects, and much more! THE BOOK’S SECRET WEAPON Although Elements 2020 offers some digital photography features that Photoshop doesn’t offer, there are plenty of features that Photoshop has that Elements 2020 doesn’t (like channels, HDR, etc.). But in this book, you’ll learn some slick workarounds, cheats, and fairly ingenious ways to replicate many of those Photoshop features right within Elements. Plus, you can download many of the images used in the book, so you can follow right along with the techniques. Since this book is designed for photographers, it doesn’t waste your time talking about what a pixel is, how to frame a shot or set your exposure, etc., and there’s no talk about which camera or printer to buy. It’s all Elements, step by step, cover to cover, in the only book of its kind, and you’re gonna love it!

Photography is a complex craft. Some excel at the technical side of image-making, focusing perfectly on the subject, releasing the shutter at just the right moment and making exposures with the precise amount of light. Others are artists and storytellers, capturing a fleeting moment in time which inspires a viewer to gaze upon an image and ponder its meaning. The best photographers are masters of both. In this highly visual, informative new book, Angela Faris Belt discusses the four crucial elements of photography that are essential for successful technical and conceptual image-making: .the photographic frame and its borders .quality of focus as determined by the aperture or lens .shutter speeds and their effects in relation to time and motion .the physical media used to create the aggregate image Step-by-step guidance including informative screen shots, traditional darkroom and Photoshop techniques, suggested exercises, and before and after images help both film and digital photographers improve their skills, learn new techniques, and better understand their craft. More than 300 stunning, full color images and portfolios featuring the work of over 40 prestigious artists provide visual inspiration as well as a gorgeous collection of artwork for photography enthusiasts.