Title Details

Mikkel Aaland is an award-winning photographer and author of ten books, including Photoshop Elements 4 Solutions from Sybex. His photography has been published in Wired, Newsweek, and several European periodicals, and he is a regular guest on the television show Call for Help, hosted by Leo Laporte. His work has been exhibited in major institutions around the world, including the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris and the former Lenin Museum in Prague.

Chapter 1: Before You Shoot.

Bridging the Film/Digital Gap.

The Right Digital Camera.

Knowing Your Digital Camera.

Software Solutions.

Accessories That Make a Difference.

Finding Up-to-Date Information and Support.

Chapter 2: Shooting RAW.

When to Shoot RAW.

Critical—and Less Critical—Digital Camera Settings.

Getting the Correct Exposure for RAW.

RAW Data Revealed.

Optimizing a Raw Image with Software.

Preparing RAW to Share.

Chapter 3: Shooting Great Portraits.

The Digital Photographer and the Subject.

Preparing for Your Shoot.

Working with Your Subject During the Shoot.

Making Head and Shoulders Shots.

Environmental Portraits.

Group Portraits.

Chapter 4: Photographing Children, Pets, and Social Events.

Beating the Odds.

Overcoming Camera Lag.

Photographing Children.

Photographing Pets.

Photographing Social Events.

Chapter 5: Shooting Action.

The Zen of Shooting Action.

Optimal Digital Camera Settings for Speed.

An Ideal Digital Camera for Action Shots.

Panning for Action.

Composition and Motion.

Capturing the Decisive Moment.

Focus on Reaction.

Chapter 6: Shooting Digital on the Road.

Packing Digital for the Road.

Storage and Archiving on the Road.

Shooting Digital Candids.

A Digital Road Trip.

Shooting in the Cold.

Shooting in Heat and Humidity.

Using the Movie Mode.

Chapter 7: Shooting Interiors and Exteriors.

A Different Approach.

Choosing Light and Location.

Maximizing Image Quality.

Playing with Scale.

Adding Motion.

Considering Keystoning.

Composing the Shot.

Interior and Exterior Light.

Mixing Interior and Exterior Light.

Attention to Detail.

Chapter 8: Shooting Beautiful Landscapes.

What Makes a Good Landscape?

Maximizing Image Quality.

Composition and Content.

Chapter 9: Shooting Black and White.

Black-and-White Shooting Considerations.

When to Convert: Camera or Computer?

Using Photoshop’s Channel Mixer.

Advanced Localized Black-and-White Control with RAW.

Chapter 10: Shooting Your Stuff.

Using Indirect Natural Light.

Shooting Loose with Software in Mind.

A Basic Digital Photography Studio.

A Digital Studio in a Box.

Studio Lighting Techniques.

The Art of Composition.

Pushing the Envelope.

Shooting Flat Objects with Lights.

Chapter 11: Shooting Past the Boundaries.

Shooting Beyond Visible Light.

Shooting Digital Underwater.

Shooting Digital from the Sky.

Night Shots.

Digital Grid Photos.

Shooting Digital Minimovies.

Shooting Simple Panoramas.

Chapter 12: Organizing and Sharing Digital Photos.

Direct to Print.

Digital Camera to Computer.

Organizing and Managing Digital Photos.

Sharing Digital Photos.

Appendix: An In-Depth Look at Digital Technologies and Procedures.

Reading the Histogram.

Fine-Tuning White Balance.

Sensors Expanded.

Extending Exposure Latitude with Software.

Index.

Contributors.

Major companies like Kodak and Nikon are abandoning the manufacture of film cameras and are producing affordable digitals, so it's an ideal time for substantial manuals on their use to appear. Aaland was among the first to write such books when his Digital Photography was published in 1992. In this second edition of Shooting Digital, he has removed material that is no longer relevant (e.g., shutter-release lag) and added chapters on shooting and processing RAW data and on the digital renaissance in shooting in black and white. Highly recommended. (Library Journal, March 15, 2007)

"Renowned author Aaland takes photographers through an enjoyable but fluidly intellectual guide for self-improvement." (Digital Photographer)