Description:

Take charge of your digital camera and images—faster, smarter, better!

Now you can do everyday things—from snapping birthday photos to sharing an online album—faster, smarter, and better. Dive in! This friendly, high-energy guide makes it easy to teach yourself exactly what you need. You get expert guidance and examples to master the essentials—so you can move on to doing the cool things you want to do!

• Pick the right camera for you—and get creative!
• Compose better shots with tips from a professional photographer
• Learn smart ways to offload and store images
• Crop and resize photos, fix flaws, and add interesting effects
• E-mail your pictures or post them to a Web site
• Create a slide show you run on a PC or a television
• Make the best prints at the right price

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	xiii
PART I:   THE BASICS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The part title says it all: the chapters in this part will tell you everything you need to know, whether it's what you need to know to pick the right camera, understand the features in the camera you picked, or take better pictures. They'll also cover such practical issues as how to take best advantage of your camera's memory and how to make your batteries last longer. Armed with the knowledge in these chapters, you'll be all set to take great pictures.
CHAPTER 1:   Everything's Coming Up Digital	3
Digital Cameras: The Professional Photographer's Choice (at Least Sometimes)	4
You've Got to See Your Pictures After You Take Them	5
A Bit about the Digital World	7
About Color	13
How Digital Is Better Than Film and Film Is Better Than Digital	31
Why Film Wins on Quality	32
Why Digital Photography Wins on Convenience	36
Other Advantages: A Point-by-Point Comparison	37
Digital Photography Versus Film for What You Want to Do	39
CHAPTER 2:   Knowing (and Choosing) Your Camera	41
Categories of Cameras	42
What Kind of Photographer Are You?	43
What Kind of Photographs Do You Want?	44
Medium-Range Snapshots	45
Close-Ups	45
Indoor Shot	46
Closing in from a Distance	48
Extreme Close-Ups	49
Photos That Need Special Lenses or Filters	49
Panoramas	51
Stitched Panoramas	52
Rapid-Fire Stills for Capturing Action	53
Full-Motion Video	54
How Easy Is the Camera to Carry?	55
Choose a Resolution: How Much Do You Need?	56
What the Minimum Resolutions Are Based On	57
If You're Picky, You Need More	60
Choosing a Lens System	60
Quality of the Optics	61
Changing the Lens	63
What Lenses Are Available?	66
How Easy Is It to Change the Lens?	67
Adding Filters	67
The Need for Zoom	68
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