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Introduction to "Creative Photography"
Photography has changed more rapidly in the past 10 years than it did in the 50 years before. The phenomenal rise of the digital camera (and decline in film photography) is well known. The popularity of the computer has meant that digital photo editing and manipulation is within the reach of anyone with a mild creative streak and a keen enthusiasm to create images that were once the preserve of the professional.
There are hundreds of books on photography, and yet the authors of this web site and book decided that there was room for another. So does this web site offer something new and different? If you are wondering whether it is worth reading any further, at least make it to the end of this introduction and we will try to convince you that we do offer something a little different.
So who is this web site aimed at? If you can answer yes to at least a few of these questions then you will get something out of this book …
- Would you like to take better pictures?
- Would you like to understand what makes a good picture?
- Would you like to learn some of the golden rules of photography that professionals the world over take for granted?
- Would you like to get the most out of your digital camera (ie. learn to use the modes other than 'auto')?
- Do you like to go out and take pictures just for the sake of it?
- Would you rather get two or three stunning images rather than 20-30 reasonable ones?
- Do you feel there is always room for improvement?
- Would you drag yourself out of bed at 5am on a Sunday in the hope of getting that perfect sunrise?
Okay, so the last one might seem a little extreme, but it is something we have both done (well okay, 6am then), and that we hope might not seem so excessive after you've read this book. So if you value your Sunday morning lie-ins, then maybe you should stop reading now.
Most of the books on digital photography currently available focus very heavily on image processing (and some even do this quite well). However if you look back at a book written 20 years ago, you will see that most of the emphasis is on capturing the image. Understanding the camera, composition and lighting are all fundamental to being a great photographer even today.
While we appreciate that the computer is an important tool in the digital photographer's arsenal, it is not the most important. We have tried to strike a balance between the importance of image capture and what you can do on the computer afterwards to turn a great photograph into a stunning 'image'. We have intentionally used the word image here as, although the camera takes a photograph, the computer can turn this into a weird and wonderful image that bears little resemblance to the picture that came off your memory card. Although we will concentrate on creating realistic results, we will also introduce some techniques that are very popular at the moment such as high dynamic range (HDR) photography.
A few of the aims of this Web Site
- Understanding the camera
- Photographic concepts
- Taking a good picture
- Tips for different types of photography
- Getting the most out of digital images
- Basic editing and enhancement
- Workflow
- Advanced photo manipulation
- Showing off your results (printing / the internet)
Although you can skip to any section of the web site which may be of interest, you will get the most benefit by reading it in a sequential manner.
In the main sections of the web site you will find various pale blue boxes. These are what we call ‘nerd boxes’. You do not need to read these, although if you have an inquisitive and curious mind, you may wish to as they often cover something mentioned in the main text in more technical detail.
Requirements
To get the most out of this web site, you will need three things: a digital camera, a PC with some photo-editing software and, most importantly, a desire to learn. Actually owning a digital camera is probably the most important as practice (and lots of it) really does make perfect, but the desire to constantly improve your skills will see you producing greatly improved pictures very quickly.
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Photographs
This is a site about photography so we're sure you are expecting to see plenty of pictures.
For now, why not take a peek at the Flickr galleries belonging to the two authors of this site.
Colin's Flickr Page
Phil's Flickr Page
"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."
- Ansel Adams
Top tips for becoming a Creative Photographer
Take lots of pictures and try and learn from them
Look at other peoples pictures
Find yourself a good web site / book
You've already achieved the last one so just two more to go. |
