A lot of serious hobbyist love to play photographer and often times end up taking photography jobs on the side. They start out through word of mouth until later on, they become known to the world. So if you are among those people who are still on the verge of practicing, familiarizing, and perfecting your talent in digital photography, then perhaps a DIY digital photography studio will do you good. You don’t need to invest much on a digital photography studio right now. You can do it on your own as you practice your photography skills. At the same time, it will help you save a lot. After all, if you aren’t still sure that you’ll turn this hobby into a career, then perhaps doing it on your own will be the best solution. Who knows if next month, you’ll get busy with your real day time job and you lose time for your photography hobby? It would be best that you do this hobby cheaply first until you are very sure about it. So if you’re ready, here are some tips on DIY digital photography studio.

The beauty of digital photography is that you can shoot hundreds and hundreds of pictures and you can simply erase what you don’t like and keep those beautiful accidents as well as those photos that you have successfully put a lot of effort. But as you do this, might as well make a DIY digital photography studio where all your notes, gadgets, and equipment are in place. You can start practicing there and also edit your pictures there as well.

So what do you need for your DIY digital photography studio?

1.A work area – have a clean wide table where you can write your notes or place your computer when you try to view the photos that you’ve taken. The very important thing when doing a lot of photo shoots is to take notes. Make sure that you note down the settings before you take that shot. You can do this by writing or just by typing it in your computer. Whatever is more convenient for you will certainly work.

2.Plain background, wall – have one side of your DIY digital photography studio a blank wall without any furniture. A plain and simple background will help you focus on your subject and get to play with the settings that you have in your digital SLR. Again, make sure to take notes.

3.Lighting – you need objects that produce light so you’ll need lights, bulbs, and even glow-in-dark materials when you want to test out night scenes. You will also need reflectors to redirect light as they give that impression of having more than just one light. It will help you get good lighting on all sides of your subject. You may also need diffusers. If you’ve seen those umbrellas in studios, those are diffusers. They help in attenuating the light. And if you need to change light, moderators are needed. They are the filters of colored gels that give different special effects to your photos like casting shadows or limiting the light where it’s supposed to just hit in your subject.

Related posts:

1. The Basic Photography Equipment Needed in a Photo Studio
2. Setting Up a Photography Studio Lighting Equipment
3. Guide to Digital Photography Light

Choosing the right digital camera for beginners can be quite confusing. There are many factors to consider like the size of the camera and its features. Understanding the basic terms in digital photography will help you decide which camera suites your needs. Whether it is a compact digital camera or a digital SLR, these basic terms apply to both. Below is three of the basic photography terms you need to understand before buying a camera.

1.Pixel. A pixel is derived from the term Picture Element. A digital image is composed of millions of tiny squares, which are similar to a mosaic design. These tiny squares have their own color that makes up the whole digital photograph. A way camera manufacturers categorize their digital cameras is by the pixel count. Megapixel (MP) is the common term used today to describe the camera’s pixel count. A 1 Megapixel is equal to 1 million pixels and so on. Generally, more pixels will result to higher resolution.

2.Zoom. There are two kinds of zoom that can be found in cameras today. These are the optical zoom and digital zoom. The optical zoom works by changing or adjusting the focal length of the lens to magnify the subject. On the other hand, the digital zoom works by simply enlarging the image, which is similar to the zoom found in most programs for image editing. The image quality of the optical zoom is obviously higher, as compared to digital zoom, wherein significant image quality is loss. Usually, the digital zoom is only used as a secondary tool for zooming if the desired magnification is not achieved by the optical zoom.

3.Memory cards. Digital cameras use different kinds of memory cards like Compact Flash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), Smart Media, Multimedia, Memory Stick, etc. These memory cards differ in size, memory capacity, and features. The Compact Flash (CF) memory card is the original card used by cameras and is the largest in terms of size. Its dimension is 42mm x 36mm x 3mm. Due to the demand of smaller compact cameras in the market, smaller memory cards are now used. Secure Digital (SD) memory card is small, with dimensions of 24mm x 32mm x 2mm. It has a write protect feature to prevent accidental erasures of data. The Multimedia card is basically the same as the SD card, but without the write protect feature. The Memory Stick card is produced by Sony and is usually used in Sony products.

Related posts:

1. Key Tips on Buying Digital Camera

The secret on being a successful digital photographer is to read, read, and read all about photography. Through reading, you will learn the proper way of shooting a particular scenario, the techniques, and the different tricks. Sometimes, you are missing a lot when you simply rely on other people to teach you. It is through reading where you will learn a lot of new things about photography. The next question is where can you find the best reading materials about photography, aside from you camera’s user manual? Well, of course, the source of most people is the internet, where you can see tons and tons of articles about photography, plus getting into online forums where you can learn a lot of things. On second thought, what if you just can’t be online all the time? A handy and very informative material is the magazine. Nowadays, since a lot of people are getting into photography, there are just so many digital photography magazines out there. You just can’t seem to choose which is the right one or the more useful one for you. To help you on what to watch out for in digital photography magazines, read through below.

1. Let’s start first with those who are still about to buy a camera. Don’t buy just yet without going through the wide variety of choices, their specs, and their feedbacks from the owners. A useful magazine is the one that presents all possible choices in the market and compares cameras that are in the same class.

2. If you are just a newbie in the photography world, go for magazines that explain things from the very top in the simplest terms. Even if you have read a few articles already about photography, don’t think you can actually advance to magazines that the pros read. Remember, there are just too many things to learn about photography.

3. A good magazine to look out for is the one that explains step by step the tips and techniques it teaches. An article that simply states a technique is no good unless it give details on how you should actually do the technique.

4. Digital photography magazines are not just about getting tips about photography. It is also a way to keep you informed about the upcoming events in the photography world. These are not mere advertisements that should be ignored. These events are actually very helpful to those who want to start doing photography as a hobby or as a business. This is where you can meet new connections or friends, who will greatly help you along the way.

5. Learning photography is an ongoing process. Once you think you are equipped with the right knowledge, it never stops there. There will always be something new in the photography world and digital photography magazines are a way to keep you updated on what’s new.

Related posts:

1. Ways to Learn Digital Photography
2. What to Get from Digital Photography Magazine

Where to begin? Hopefully you’ve stumbled across this guide wanting to know what is involved with becoming a digital photographer. Obviously, there is more knowledge about the field than you could probably every dream of trying to divulge. We’re going to take a stab at it anyway. By the end of this guide you should go from knowing absolutely nothing about cameras to a full head of knowledge that will allow you to head out into the world and start taking photographs. There’s really no “correct” starting point in photography so we’re just going to dive headfirst into the world of cameras and how to take photographs.

Camera

If you’re serious about photography you’re going to need something better than the small pocket camera that you use when on vacation. You’ll probably need to spend a few hundred dollars on the right type of equipment. That includes a camera, straps, bags, tripods, etc. For now though, let’s just focus on the camera. What kind should you buy? Preferably you should pick up a DSLR camera, or Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera. Why? Because these days DSLRs are the industry standard and compared to film cameras, they’re able to hold a lot more information and obtain a purer image. Because of the mechanical operations inside of digital cameras, the image that is seen through the lens is a much more accurate representation just milliseconds before a photo is snapped compared to a standard film camera. Also, the base of the camera and the lens are two separate pieces and can be interchanged. This makes for better versatility in the field. Being able to swap out lenses on your camera (we’ll get to why you would ever want to fairly soon) is a great feature that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Some popular names in the camera world are Canon and Nikon. While very disputable, the Canon Rebel XT and the Nikon D70 and D90 are the most popular on the market.

Focal Length

Before we talk about the hardware side of things when it comes to lenses, it may be best to first discuss the focal length of a lens. Cameras have lenses on them to focus incoming light and direct it towards the film. In the case of a DSLR, there is no film. Instead there is an image sensor at the back of the camera that the lens directs the light towards. Typically the size of this sensor will be 35mm in length. You have probably heard the term “35mm film” when talking about cameras in the past. This simply means that the sensor at the back of the lens is 35mm wide.

When you put a lens on the front of the camera, the lens restricts the amount of light that can reach the sensor. In theory, without any lens, all of the light that is in front of the camera would reach the sensor. But because the light isn’t focused, all of your images would end up as blurry white splotches of garbage. You may or may not have seen someone in the past with a really long lens on the front of their camera or a “regular” looking one that seems to just be a few inches in length. Both lenses serve different purposes. But how?

The amount of information that makes it to the sensor at the back of the camera is determined by how much light the lens can focus. Focal length in a camera can be best described as the amount of information that makes it to the sensor relative to the distance the subject is away from the lens. What I mean by this is if you have a very long lens, the viewing angle for the photograph will be much narrower because light from the far left field of view and far right field of view can’t make it to the sensor. So in summary, if you have a very long focal length, i.e. your subject is very far away and you are focused on them, you will have a narrower field of view. If your subject is very close to the lens, the focal length is much smaller and you will have a much wider view of the area surrounding the subject. In this diagram the focal plane is where your camera is and the focal length is how far away the subject is. Different lenses have different focal lengths meaning they have an easier or harder time focusing on objects at closer/farther distances.

Light Exposure

I’m not quite sure how to go about this section and how to explain how light works. I’ll do my best to explain why we see things the way we do, just so you have an idea of the reason things are named the way they are in terms of exposure and how it all comes together to give you a picture.

We’ll start things off with a little biology and psychology. The human eye is a very funny thing in that it has a very difficult time distinguishing how bright something is. To the human eye, when the amount of light from a light bulb for instance, is doubled, the eye sees this increase to be the exact same increase as when the newly doubled light is doubled yet again. That means that the eye is only capable of understanding the increment of change between brightness, not the actual amount of doubling taking place. Asking someone to figure out when a light has doubled is next to impossible because the eye is simply not well equipped enough to do that.

Moving on the camera terminology, light is measured in what are called “stops.” One stop represents the increment between one doubling and the next. Stops do not represent the overall brightness of objects but rather, relate their brightnesses to one another. One light bulb at a particular brightness and another light bulb of double the brightness would be considered to be one stop apart. While the first light bulb may be next to blindingly bright and the second one even brighter still, the second one is still one stop (double the brightness) of the first. Hopefully you can see that brightness in terms of “stops” is nothing more than a measure of how bright they are compared to one another, not how bright they are in terms of light measurement.

The amount of light that makes it to the sensor at the back of the camera is controlled by many different things, two of the most important of which are aperture and shutter speed.

Aperture

On the camera itself there are many different settings for aperture. They normally come in the form of odd looking decimals that don’t really seem to be of use to anyone. But, they are indeed logical numbers. Cameras let light in through an iris. To control the amount of light that makes it to the sensor, a small opening is opened and closed on top of the iris called an aperture. Aperture numbers are measured in terms of a ratio of the focal length (the focal point within the lens), and its width. In a camera that has a 35mm focal length and width of 35mm, the optimum aperture size is 1 because the ratio of 35 to 35 is 1. That probably all sounds confusing, because it is. It takes a lot of practice to understand how to open and close the aperture to make things brighter or darker.

To halve the amount of light that makes it into the iris, the aperture has to be halved as well. Due to the length of lenses relative to the length of the sensor at the back of the camera, camera stops (aperture settings), multiplying your current aperture setting by 1.4 will give you a smaller aperture size and consequently, half the amount of light. The number 1.4 is based on dividing the circumference of the aperture circle surrounding the lens by two. As you move up the aperture scale settings (1,1.4,2,2.8 etc..), the less light that is let in. Bigger the number, the smaller the amount of light that gets in. Moving all the way down to an aperture setting of 1 is often referred to as “wide open” meaning that all of the light from the scene is making its way into the lens. In places where there is often too much light, an object might be called “hot” meaning that it is too bright and aperture stops will have to be increased to reduce the amount of light that makes it into the sensor.

Shutter Speed

Now that you understand that you can control the amount of light that enters a camera by changing the size of the aperture circle around the iris, there’s yet another step to take to control how much light enters.

The shutter on the front of the camera is a flap that opens and closes for small increments of time to allow light in. because the iris is extremely sensitive to any type of light, a barrier must stand in the way between it and the outside world. When you press the button on the camera, the shutter flies open and lets light flood the iris and make its way to the sensor. Because there is limited space on the sensor for light to be absorbed, the shutter has to be very precise in how long it is open for. Think of it like paint. If you had a blank canvas (your sensor) and started throwing paint at the canvas from a distance, after a relatively short amount of time you’d have specks of paint all over the canvas. If you kept throwing paint (meaning that the shutter is left open) eventually the paint would start overlapping the previous paint and make a mess of the picture. That is exactly what happens if the shutter is left open too long on a camera. Too much light floods the sensor and things become a blur.

Through some pretty fantastic engineering, camera developers figured out exactly how long a shutter should be open to capture an image. Why do images look still when you take a picture? When the shutter is opened to let light in, the amount of time it stays open is the amount of time that elapses in the scene. So as light is emitted from your subject’s body, it makes its way to the sensor of the camera. Hypothetically speaking, if the subject was to emit light from one part of the scene one split second and then emit another bit of light from a completely opposite part of the scene, the subject would appear twice in the same photo assuming the shutter was left open long enough for the light from point A and point B to reach the camera.

In summary, if you set a very quick shutter speed, something like 1/1000th of a second, you will be able to capture very sharp images that took place on that interval. If you leave the shutter open for more than a few seconds, images become blurry and unmanageable because of the amount of light information that made it to the sensor. Sometimes though, in dimly lit scenes, the shutter speed has to be set higher to capture more light from the same objects, making them seem brighter than they actually are.

Meter

Most modern DSLR cameras are capable of determining the perfect exposure for a shot. They are able to see what you see through the lens and automatically set the aperture and shutter speed on the camera to capture the image as it is seen. In some cases though, the camera is doing nothing more than guess work. Because it has no brain like you or I, it can’t know for sure that you’re not pointing at the field of grass in the background as opposed to the flower right in front of you. Because of this, it is often unsure how black or white a picture needs to be relative to how it looks in real life. This is because when it picks the aperture and shutter settings, it sets them for what it thinks you’re looking at and ultimately causes other objects in the shot to be over or underexposed. To counter this there is a technique called metering which gives you the option to point the camera at an object and tell the camera how white or dark it should be.

Things like stones look gray but if the camera is set to take a picture with a very high aperture setting, the stone may come out black. Settings on the meter range from -2 to +2. These numbers represent the number of stops above or below zero (the current light setting), it should go. If you wanted to make the stone look even darker than it currently does in the shots, you would put the meter setting on -2 to reduce the light content by even more and if you wanted it to look brighter, towards a whiter or gray scale, you would of course set the meter to +2.

Sensitivity

The last concept we’re going to cover is sensitivity on a camera’s sensor. A camera’s plate sensitivity is measured in terms of ISO units. Why would you ever want to change the sensitivity of the plate sensor? A number of different reasons actually. Say you have your camera set up perfectly to take a photo on a very bright day. Because the outside light is very bright and your shutter speed is probably set to a very low setting to prevent a lot of light from getting in, you need to set up the camera’s sensor to be less sensitive to the light coming in as well. By reducing the amount of light that makes it to the plate through the aperture setting, you also reduce the amount of information coming from the scene. You can counter this with the sensitivity setting.

You may be asking yourself now though, if the shot has the potential of being too bright, why wouldn’t you just reduce the aperture or shutter speed? Well the shutter speed is set to capture the timing of an image. So in rain fall for instance, if you want to capture a single rain drop mid flight, you can’t readjust your quick shutter speed to accommodate the brightness and your aperture settings are there in such a way to make things in the foreground or background seem to be in better or worse focus. The last thing left to change is the sensitivity.

Sensitivity settings on a camera range from 100 to about 10,000. There are a few cameras that go well above that range but without some money to burn, you probably won’t be able to afford them. The higher the sensitivity number, the less sensitive the plate is. Sensitivity settings work the way as the eye meaning that if you want an image to be twice the stop brightness, you would double the ISO number. If you want 2 stops brighter, 400. 3 stops brighter, 800…etc.

Increasing the sensitivity also increases what’s called noise. This is unwanted information reaching the plate causing a distortion. Whenever possible it is best to have the plate be set to its stock settings so just the right amount of light hits. In certain situations though, the plate sensitivity has to be increased to accommodate for the lack of or overabundance of light. But as the sensitivity increases, so does the amount of “noise.” Noise can be thought of as static like what would appear on a TV set.

Editing

Wow! We made it through everything that there is to know on your first DSLR camera. Of course, there’s no substitute for practice and fiddling around with different settings and seeing the results. Pictures and descriptions can only show so much. But now that you have some nice photos, or maybe even some not so nice ones, it’s time to edit them.

Editing is a whole other animal that would more than likely take another entire article all by itself. But, to get you started in the right direction you will want to check out programs like GIMP (free) and Adobe Photoshop for your editing needs. Both programs offer a lot of tools to make your photos brighter/darker and better balanced. Sometimes photos just don’t come out the way you want them to in the real world and a little tweaking is necessary. Have fun with it and go wild. This is just the beginning!

That’s it from our end for now. If you have anything you would like to add, feel free to do so in the comments section.

Related posts:

1. A Beginner’s Guide to Digital Photography
2. Tips on Buying Digital Photography Lenses
3. Basic Digital Photography Tips

Hello and Welcome to Digital Photography Basics.  If you are looking for a source that will teach you basics of digital photography, then you shouldn’t look far. This blog is updated regularly with new information that will help you become a better photographer, be it for fun or professional commitment. In case, you want us to cover a certain topic,  ask away in the comments section or contact us privately. We will try our best to cover it for you.

Welcome To Digital Photography Basics.

No related posts.

There are certain factors that one should keep in mind whenever looking for a digital photography camera. There are certain aspects that you have to note down when planning on buying one. Thus, here are a couple of tips on choosing a digital photography camera to help you decide on what to buy.

1. Probably the most important thing when buying a digital photography camera is to determine what you really need. Why are you buying a digital photography camera in the first place? Is it to use casually for capturing fun and memorable events in your life? Is it to use for a hobby that you are serious about? Or are you planning to buy a digital camera to start a new career? By knowing what your purpose of buying this digital camera, you’ll know what kind of digital camera to get. It is very important that when you buy your digital camera, you’ll know what to look for. If you haven’t established the purpose of this purchase, then how would you know what you are looking for in a camera?

2. What features are very important to you? When you buy a digital photography camera, it is important that you note down the most important features that you want to have. Note down those that you NEED to have, those that are NICE to have, and those that you can LIVE WITHOUT. By categorizing the features of the digital camera you want to have, you’ll have a better idea of which digital photography camera to get. It will help you even more on how to decide which to buy. An example note for this step would be as follows. You really need 10 megapixels for your camera, nothing less. It’s nice to have 12 megapixels but you’re not pushing your luck too much. You can live without the water proof feature because you are going to use this mostly indoors and to take shots of landscapes. You may also opt for a slim size of digital camera. It’s also nice to have the shock proof feature but you’ll do fine without it. You can live without the additional flash. These are just examples of how you can define the features that you need, want, and can live without.

3. The next tip that you should remember when buying a digital photography camera is the fact that it’s not always in the mega pixels of the camera. It was important back then when digital cameras were still new to the market and because those digital cameras had lower range of megapixels. However today, digital cameras left and right are coming out and all have come up with crazy high megapixels that you won’t even be able to maximize.

4. Always keep in mind the kit that comes along with your digital photography camera. Remember that sometimes, the price indicated in the digital camera doesn’t include the kit. Which means it will cost you more. Check the digital camera to see what it has. Important accessories to a camera include the camera case – to keep your camera safe at all times, it should have a memory card, spare batteries, charger, lenses, tripods, filters, reflectors, and external flashes among others.

Related posts:

1. Key Tips on Buying Digital Camera

You know, people spend thousands of dollars on fantastic cameras only to let them either collect dust or be brought out when it’s time for a wedding or birthday. And when those days come, it’s unfortunate that the majority of the pictures that get taken are usually of very poor quality. But, why does that happen? Lack of experience? Maybe. But probably the real reason behind the photographs you never want to show people while sober is that you just don’t have the knowledge base to know what it is you’re doing. Sure, there are those out there that say things like “There’s no substitute for experience!” And ya know something, they’re a little right. But practicing techniques that you made up on the spot like kneeling down in front of your subjects and shouting phrases like “Give it to me baby” and “Give me some more attitude, you’re a tiger in the jungle” in a British accent are never going to make you a better photographer.

You need to hear it from the professionals and once you know what to do, and once you’ve grasped the concepts behind great photographs, you can put those into action and practice and make your photos stand out of the crowd. Having said all of that, without further ado, I present 20 books that every amateur photographer must read.

note : images link to amazon page for that particular book

1. Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition):

Assuming you’ve got the camera basics down, like how to make sure there’s enough light in the room so your photo doesn’t turn out black and that blurry photographs don’t make you a great artist, this book is the perfect next step. While it may be a little more advanced than other amateur books, it takes the prize in being the best way to learn how to take more interesting shots by using light and angles to your advantage. Those boring vases or tables will take on new life if you’re able to grasp the concepts of using different vantage points and zooms. Do yourself a favor, amateur or not, this is a must buy if you’re at all serious about your photography.

2. Photography (9th Edition):

This book has published over 9 different editions in its life since the mid 70’s. It has even been heralded as the Bible of photography for amateurs. It may be a little on the pricy side (unless you can find an excellent deal), but is well worth its weight in gold when it comes to teaching you how to shoot some nice photos. It covers all of the basics and even works into some fairly advanced techniques. Don’t be fooled by the timid cover. You need this one on your bookshelves as not only a learning tool, but also as a reference point once you make it beyond amateur status. Whatever you’re wondering, it has it.

3. The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos:

Photography is very often neglected as an art form. Because it doesn’t use paint and sound to flourish, it must rely on a single image to captivate an entire idea. “The Photographer’s Eye” is fantastic in its delivery. It delves deep inside the world of art photography and gets you, the reader, engaged enough to start turning your photography into art. Photographs no longer have to be just ideas that get lost in time, they’re now works of art by themselves and Freeman shows you just how to take your art to the next level in both pre and post production.

4. The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers:

You can’t really consider yourself a photographer until you’ve at least tried a few techniques in Photoshop. Some complain that it taints images and takes them out of their raw form. But on the contrary, Photoshop enables photographers to do exactly what they want with their photo, just like a painter. This comprehensive guide to Photoshop takes you from start to finish by showing you exactly how to do it like the pros. Don’t worry about having to thumb through all of those buffer pages like other books. This one jumps right in and doesn’t let you out until it makes sure you’ve mastered the technique. Anyone serious about Photoshop needs to give this book, any of the editions, a thorough read.

5. The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes:

Controlling the amount of light in a photo is one of the most daunting tasks any photographer can take on. Light is so essential to our perception of the world that too much or too little can completely ruin the mood. The Hot Shoe Diaries really explores the world of small flashes. With a little bit of humor, you find out that a little light can make a lot of difference.

6. A Short Course In Photography:

Every book up to now has been something that’s a “must have” or “necessity.” But what if you’re not ready to make that jump into full fledged photographer yet? This book will help you get started in the field without specializing in any one technique. The amount of knowledge out there about photography is overwhelming but if you’re just a small time photographer that wants to get started and learn some valuable tip and tricks along the way, this is the book to start with.

7. Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision:

Photography is an art form no matter what anyone tells you. But what if the picture you’re taking just aren’t “speaking” to you? Within the Frame takes you behind the boundaries of just instructional text and brings you into the world of thought. It makes you really look at your subject and setting so that you can get a better idea of what the photo means. In a truly inspiring work, you’ll not only learn technique and form, you’ll also learn why you should be taking photos the way you are. It’ll take you from snapping photos of the grass in your garden to a world of infinite possibilities.

8. Click:

Photography doesn’t have to be all serious. Click helps aspiring teen photographers take a better look at the world through the lens. It covers all the basics. So, if all you’ve ever done is use a disposable camera at Disney, this book is a great way to get started and get introduced to the “professional” side of things.

9. Photography: A Critical Introduction:

By now you’re probably tired of looking at how-to books. No amount of how to books can get you ready to actually look at photography you’re producing and photography through the ages. The book simply entitled “Photography” takes a look at photographs through culture and history and puts them in modern context. It challenges you to think critically about what makes a photograph “good” or “pretty” and plays Devil’s advocate when it comes time to look at the reason we shoot what we shoot. If you’re interested in the history of photography and how it plays a role in our society, this is a great place to start.

10. Photography: The Concise Guide:

This one falls more into the category of textbook than casual literature but nonetheless, it’s still an amazing guide. It is very fast paced and if you’re looking for something with a little more cushion, look elsewhere. It introduces students to the world of photography by taking it step by step. You won’t miss a beat if you pick this book up off the shelf. It covers everything from exposure, contrast, and how to take better shots. It even has a great how-to section with follow along instructions so you’re not completely left in the dark when you’re trying to put things to practice in the field.

11. Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting:

Lighting isn’t really something that you can explain in a book but in this rare exception, you can learn a whole lot. Lighting properly seems to be one of those things that eludes even the best of photographers. In this book you’ll learn to drop any preconceived notions you may have about how to light something and let them take you on a great ride through the world of light. From basic amateur lighting to professional studio lighting, this book covers it all.

12. Black and White Photography, Third Revised Edition:

Believe it or not, black and white photography is more popular than ever and may actually surpass color photography in terms of sheer popularity. And each year, new equipment is released that makes black and white photographs even better to look at. While it is kind of a niche part of photography as a whole, this comprehensive guide summarizes all of the new and great techniques, equipment, and processing materials that are new on the market. While it isn’t a buyers guide, it certainly does a great job of highlighting the things you need to produce great black and white photos and how to go about using them.

13. On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography:

I know I joke about photography at weddings and kid’s birthday parties, but in reality, it’s the types of things most people take photos of. And in these types of situations, carrying a full lighting kit around is just completely impractical. For that reason, on-camera flashes were invented to provide just the right amount of light without having to bring a truck full of equipment. This great guide shows you how to use the on-camera flash in real world situations so you don’t ruin your brother’s wedding photos or portraits!

14. The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world’s top shooters:

Very rarely do you get a glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s best photographers. Joe McNally may or may not be a name you hear a lot. If you haven’t heard of him, look him up and prepare to be blown away. Mr. McNally gives some of the best insider tricks that money can buy. Even if you only ever have the chance to go into the local bookstore to thumb through this, the knowledge you’ll gain in just a few minutes will be more than you could ever get while practicing in the field.

15. Understanding Shutter Speed: Creative Action and Low-Light Photography Beyond 1/125 Second:

While it’s one hell of a long title, this relatively short book helps you better understand the world of high speed photography. There are some images and events out there that only happen in the blink of an eye and there’s no reason you should miss them with your cell-phone camera that can barely keep in focus. Learning how to capture shots of speeding objects is key to advancing in the field of photography.

16. Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images:

So, you take great photographs, right? Well, there’s no way you can for sure unless you’ve read this book that takes the number 16 spot. Taking a look at other people’s work and analyzing it critically is the best way to learn what you should be looking for in your own photography. It’s a great book for both beginners and professionals that helps you develop technique and standards in photography. You may not think you need it, but if you want to push your photography to a truly professional level, learning how to give and receive proper criticism is a fundamental skill.

17. Understanding Close-up Photography: Creative Close Encounters with or without a Macro Lens:

We’ve been talking a lot about those “fundamental skills” that every photographer must have. Well get ready to revise your list once again. Close up photography is a close second to lighting in terms of difficulty to master. Sure, anyone can push the zoom all the way in and call it close up photography. This book goes beyond the usual close up flowers and grass photographs and shows you how to do close up photography of nearly everything from animals to mountains. Macro photography of mountains? You read right. That curiosity you’re experiencing right now should be enough reason to go out and find this book!

18. Nikon D90 For Dummies:

The Nikon D90 could quite possibly be the most popular DSLR of all time. You may for that very reason, already have one. But, if you don’t, don’t fret. The D90 is very similar to other cameras in Nikon’s lineup and if you have a camera in the D series, this book should still be of some value. The For Dummies book really delivers this time around and gives you a very in-depth look at the D90 camera. It takes the camera apart, inside and out, and helps you understand what’s going on so you can ultimately take better pictures.

19. Visual Poetry: A Creative Guide for Making Engaging Digital Photographs:

The hardest challenge any photographer faces is the challenge of making a photograph interesting. While it may seem as though you could take a picture of anything and have someone in the world that finds it engaging, finding the balance between personal satisfaction and interest so that the majority of people find it captivating is hard. Visual Poetry explores the realm of really making your photos speak to the viewer. And, it may be a word of caution or praise depending on how you look at it, but there is a very minimalistic approach to the way the photographs are taken. Chris Orwig strips things down and with the bare elements, builds it all back up.

20. Vanity Fair: The Portraits: A Century of Iconic Images:

Phew! We finally reached the end of the guide and I’m sure you’re exhausted with books on how to do this and how to do that. So, let’s finish up the list with a book that is sure to inspire both amateur and professional, young and old. Vanity Fair took the liberty of compiling a book that spans over 100 years of photography between its covers. Seeing images of Marilyn Monroe and other famous personalities in fantastic lighting and settings is sure to tickle your photography nerve and get you inspired to keep taking photos. Who knows, maybe one day your photo will end up in a book like this too!

Please take a moment and share some books or tips on photography with the rest of us.

Related posts:

1. 10 Realistic Tips to Be a Better Photographer
2. What are the Top Digital Photography Books of Today?

A digital photography book comes in handy for the aspiring professional photographer. But even if you just love to snap shots as a hobby, digital photography books will come in handy. They offer great tips and advice to help you learn those hard to take shots at night or those blurring and moving scenes. So if you are asking “what are the top digital photography books of today”, here are a couple of digital photography books to get you started.

1.       One of the many books available in the market today is known as “The Digital Photography Book”. It seems right exactly what we’re looking for if you just read the title. The author of the book is Scott Kelby and covers various techniques and tips for digital photography. It’s a great book for beginners because it is explained in a manner that is so easy to understand. So if you are one of those newbie photographers who want to improve their photography skills and get going with a new hobby, this book will prove to be very helpful and effective. You’ll find that the tips provided are pretty much for beginners so the more advanced photographers might not be fully satisfied.

2.      Of course, another popular digital photography book comes from the popular “For Dummies” series of books. Almost everyone knows about the Dummies series of books, if not all. You’ve probably heard of titles such as Internet for Dummies, DIY for Dummies, Gardening for Dummies, Auto Repair and Maintenance for Dummies, HTML for Dummies, Windows Vista for Dummies, Cooking for Dummies, and even Dating for Dummies. The titles are numerous. So obviously, there will surely by a Digital Photography for Dummies, what with the popularity of digital photography is facing these days. If you’d like to get the Dummies book, look for “Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies”.  It’s a fun approach to digital photography, taking away the geeky side of things. However, make sure that if you want to get this book, you’re no beginner.

3.      Another popular digital photography book that you might want to get is Mastering Digital Photography. It’s a great book to get if you want more explanation about your digital camera. It also teaches the avid photographer how to take good pictures with your digital camera. That great thing about this book is that it breaks down the guides per photo type such as portraits, macro mode, action or moving shots, night scenes, landscapes, and so on.

Related posts:

1. 20 Must-Reads for Any Amateur Photographer

There are a lot of different digital photography forums out there. But what are they really for? Just like any other type of forums, these forums offer help regarding their subject matter. If the forums are about cars, they take time to help each other about cars, prices, buy and sell, maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. So if you would go to a computer forum, then they will talk about computers, codes, programming, latest technology, etc. Same goes with the digital photography forums. They help those people in the digital photography world with anything about digital photography. You can find tips there on shooting pictures as well as tips about equipment and the like. Buying digital cameras and other kits are also among the topics to be found at digital photography forums. Let me show you the many digital photography forums out there in the World Wide Web today.

1. Digital Photography Review, also known as DP Review – their website can be found through www.dpreview.com/forums. They have been in the industry since the start of the year 1999. They are known as the original and best digital photography forums in the Internet today. You can discuss with fellow digital photographers anything that is related to digital photography. Their website is also easy to use.

2. The Canon Digital Photography Forums – is another popular forum for the Canon camera users. Their website’s link is www.photography-on-the.net/forum. You can talk all about Canon cameras here as well as techniques and features of such cameras. They discuss about lens, body, compositions and storage of Canon digital camera among other things. But that’s not all you can expect from them. They also feature a multitude of topics that are not just specific to their cameras. They also have general photography discussions which will surely help any digital photography enthusiast, hobbyist, or professional.

3. Phototakers - this is another photography forum that you can find through the link, www.phototakers.com. There are a lot of discussions going on around here like the latest news and updates regarding photography. Their topic is broad that you can find almost any question that you have about digital photography.

Of course, these are just a few examples of the digital photography forums available today. If you’d like to learn more about other digital photography forums, all you have to do is browse the web. And if you still aren’t convinced that these forums can help, perhaps you should look at one to see for yourself.

No related posts.

To see examples of their work or to learn more please click on the images (a new window will open)

1. Robert Capa

Robert Capa is often considered to be the most accomplished war photographer of all time. Capa was born in Budapest in 1913 and was a combat photojournalist that covered five wars in total. He was involved with the Spanish Civil War, the First Indochina War, the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Capa was known for often shunning the technical aspect of photography in favor of capturing the most dramatic photo possible. He is remembered for his work as he landed on Omaha Beach with US Soldiers during D Day and his stunning photos that survived in Indochina, even though he did not make it home after encountering a landmine. His work was inspiring, timeless, and nothing short of remarkable. He is also remembered for co-founding Magum Photos along with the second photojournalist on our list.

2. Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photojournalist born in August of 1908. He was a co-founder of the inspiring Magnum Photos group and managed to survive for close to 96 years. When his name is mentioned he is often referred to as the father of photojournalism and was one of the first to work in the 35 mm format. It was Cartier-Bresson who inspired the real life reporting style that became so popular for years after his work came into the scene. His most memorable work would have to be his coverage of the Chinese Civil War and the photos he produced from Gandhi’s funeral in 1948. His understanding of different people and impeccable ability to capture the moment and tell the entire story is unrivaled to this day.

3. Robert Frank

Robert Frank was born in Switzerland in 1924 and is most remembered for his photographic book that was called, “The Americans” which he produced in 1958.  The book itself was undeniably influential after the war had ended. Frank was often referred to as a new, modern version of de Tocqueville due to his cynical and in depth look at American society and how it was developing. After that moment Frank began to experiment more with the manipulation of photos and video rather than stick to field work. However, that book is instilled in history and is a true symbol of photojournalism at its best.

4. Dorothea Lange

The depression was an incredibly hard time in America and no one documented it quite as well as Dorothea Lange. Lange was born in 1895 in the USA and even though she moved on and did a great deal of other work, it is those depression era photos that defined Lange’s abilities as a photojournalist. Lange was immortalized in the California Hall of Fame in 2008 after her work was displayed in exhibits all around the world. They were displaying the harsh realities of the depression as well as her work from World War 2 involving the Japanese Internment.

5. James Nachtwey

There are many photographers and journalism experts that consider James Nachtwey to be the best photojournalist alive today. He was born in 1948 and is definitely one of the most influential American photojournalists ever. He has been awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal five times and was even injured by a grenade while reporting for Time magazine in 2003. His ability to convey extremely powerful messages through just one photo inspired the movie “War Photographer” which went on to win an academy award for best documentary. Even when his photos revolve around a horrific topic or problem, Nachtwey can find a way to make them look beautiful and inspirational.

6. Zoriah Miller

Zoriah Miller is one of the most well known and popular journalists of the 21^st Century. He was born in 1976 and has been labeled exclusively as a war photographer. Miller began his career working for Humanitarian Aid and providing disaster management help to developing countries. After years of work he returned to his passion of photography and has chosen to only work on a freelance basis, despite having worked with World Picture News and a number of other prevalent agencies. The photos he has captured from places such as the Gaza Strip, Iraq, and Afghanistan have been published all over the world. It hasn’t all been a bed of roses for Miller though as there was quite a bit of backlash over photos he released of dead US Marines as the issue of Wartime Censorship rang out loudly.

7. Don McCullin

Don McCullin was born in 1935 in London and is one of the most highly regarded photojournalists to ever come out of Britain. He will always be remembered for his close examination of the underside of different societies and his in depth focus on impoverished and downtrodden people. He began his career in 1959 and made an instant name for himself with a photo of a London gang. In terms of war photography his work during the Vietnam War is thought to be some of the most powerful photojournalism ever done. In fact, his ability to hit hard with his photos forced the British government to refuse him access to cover the Falklands War. McCullin fans will often tell the story that happened in 1968 when his camera protected him from a bullet that was intended to kill him.

8. Eugene Richards

Eugene Richards was born in 1944 in Massachusetts and holds his place among some of the best American photojournalists to ever pick up a camera. He is noted for his documentary work and has focused his camera on events that are meant to bring forth social awareness. Many people have classified his work as being deeply personal and hard hitting and most of his photos can be found within a number of popular collections. One of his most notable publications was the collection titled “Few Comforts or Surprises” which came out in 1973 and put faces to poverty within inner America. He is noted as one of the best for his ability to connect with the people he was portraying and add their personal story to every moment.

9. Luc Delahaye

Luc Delahaye is a new age French photographer that broke free from the restrictions of black and white photography and found a way to depict rich details of situations through large, brightly colored works. He tends to take a documentary approach to his work but then blends it with an undeniably and often overwhelming dramatic touch. His career of course began as a photojournalist and began to take off when he joined Magnum Photos and Newsweek Magazine. He truly made a name for himself with his raw and direct work that came out of places like Rwanda, Lebanon, and Chechnya. In 2001 he turned a new leaf and began to use imposing sized pictures in museums that almost instantly make his work timeless and inspire reflection.

10. William Eugene Smith

Another American photojournalist has made the list but not because he is alike any of the others. Smith was born in 1918 in Kansas and stood out from other photographers due to his professional attitude and unrivaled commitment to his work. He refused to even take a picture that he did not feel was perfect and published some brutally vivid moments from World War II. He will be remembered for his in depth photo essays on topics such as mercury poisoning in Japan, psychiatric institutes, and humanitarian work dealing with Africa.

While there are arguments made by people stating that photojournalism is a dying trade, these men and women prove how much deeper thing can be than just a picture. Yes many photographers can take great pictures, but it takes special talent to truly put meaning, conviction and inspiration all into one single shot. These 10 best photojournalists of all time had that eye for deeper meaning and that ability to capture society in one picture that simply cannot be taught. Their photos inspire, their work will always be remembered, and they are classic examples of what true photojournalism is all about.

No related posts.