Description

Over 200 full-color images, an attractive two-column design, and a price under $30 make this guide a must for digital photographers who want to take their skills to the next level

Presents step-by-step instructions in uncluttered, highly visual format

Clear steps illustrate the before-and-after transformations of images

Topics covered include selecting proper camera settings, shooting against the best backdrop available, using photo-editing tools to correct mistakes, adjusting software and printer settings for better results, and performing "extreme" makeovers

40 percent of U.S. households now own a digital camera, and digital camera sales grew by 43 percent in 2004 over the prior year

Table of Contents

Introduction.

1 SETTING UP YOUR CAMERA AND DIGITAL DARKROOM.

Turn Down ISO to Stifle Noise.

Capture More Pixels for Better Prints.

Bury JPEG Artifacts.

Go Raw for Maximum Quality and Control.

Turn Off Digital Zoom.

Expand Your Palette with a Wider-Gamut Color Space.

Frame Loosely for Greater Print Flexibility.

Profile Your Monitor for Accurate Image Display.

Make Friends with Your Photo Editor.

Customize Your Tool Brush to the Job.

Choose Your Paint Colors.

Master the Art of Selecting.

Wave the Magic Wand to Select by Color.

2 EXPOSURE AND LIGHTING MAKEOVERS.

Exposing a Better Picture.

Autoexposure Hack #1: Change the Metering Mode.

Autoexposure Hack #2: EV Compensation.

Go Flash Free for Better Indoor Portraits.

Use Fill Flash to Improve Outdoor Portraits.

Snap a More Colorful Sunset Portrait.

Banish Reflections and Shadows from Product Shots.

Correct Exposure in Your Photo Editor.

Reveal Lost Shadow Detail.

3 FOCUS MAKEOVERS.

Draw Attention to Your Subject with Focus.

Blur a Busy Background in Your Photo Editor.

Steady the Camera, Sharpen the Shot.

Solve Autofocus Miscues.

Bring More of the Scene into Focus.

Increase Shutter Speed to Freeze Action.

Turn Water into Mist with a Slow Shutter.

Discover Drama in the Details with Macro-Focusing Power.

Create the Illusion of Sharper Focus.

4 COLOR MAKEOVERS.

Neutralize Light with Manual White Balancing.

Add Warmth for Better Portraits.

Tweak Color Balance in Your Photo Editor.

Remove a Color Cast with a Single Click.

Dial Back Saturation to Reveal Subtle Details.

Direct the Eye with Color.

Lower the Odds of Red Eye.

Repair Red Eye (Or Green, Yellow, or White Eye).

Add Impact by Going Gray.

Give Your Picture an Antique Look.

5 MORE DIGITAL DARKROOM MAKEOVERS.

Straighten a Tilting Image. &