Digital Photography in Available Light

247 Pages·2007·23.89 MB·English

essential skills
digital photography
in available light
third edition
mark galer
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Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier
Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier
Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP
30 Corporate Drive, Burlington MA 01803
First edition as Location Photography: Essential Skills 1999
Reprinted 2000
Second edition 2002
Third edition 2006
Copyright © 1999, 2002, Mark Galer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2006, Mark Galer and Philip Andrews. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The right of Mark Galer and Philip Andrews to be identifi ed as the authors of this work
has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
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No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons
or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
ISBN 13: 978 02405 2013 1
ISBN 10: 02405 2013 0
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Acknowledgements
Philip Andrews would like to thank Karen, Adrian and Ellie and the great guys at Kaidan and
Realviz for their support.
I would like to pay special thanks to Philip Andrews, John Child, Andrew Fildes and Michael
E. Stern for their editorial input and to Orien Harvey for many of the wonderful images used to
illustrate the text. I would also like to thank the students of RMIT University and PSC Melbourne
who have also kindly supported this project with their images. I would also like to pay special
thanks to my wife Dorothy - without whom this book would never have seen the light of day.
Thank you.
mark galer
Picture Credits
Ansel Adams (Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust/Corbis), Paul Allister, Shane Bell,
John Blakemore, Ricky Bond, Dorothy Connop, Tamas Elliot, Walker Evans (Walker
Evans Archive, The Metropolitan Museum of Art) , Andrew Goldie, Andy Goldsworthy,
Orien Harvey, John Hay, Wil Hennesy, Itti Karuson, Sean Killen, Dorothea Lange, Jana
Liebenstein, Michael Mullan, James Newman, Kim Noakes, Matthew Orchard, Ann
Ouchterlony, Rod Owen, Stephen Rooke, Michael Wennrich, Amber Williams.
All other images by the authors.
contents
Foreword ix
Introduction xi
Digital Cameras 1
Introduction 2
Megapixels 2
The need for speed 4
Prosumer digicams - closing the gap? 5
Choosing a system 8
Check list overview 18
Asset Management 19
Digital asset management 20
Workfl ow sequence 21
Conclusion 36
Exposure 37
Introduction 38
Intensity and duration 40
TTL light meters 44
Interpreting the meter reading 46
Reading exposure levels 48
Camera RAW 53
Introduction 54
Processing RAW data 55
Processing activity 55
White balance 55
Tonal adjustments 56
Noise reduction and sharpening 58
Choosing a bit depth 59
Choosing a color space 61
Save or open 61
Additional information 62
iv
contents
Framing the Image 65
Introduction 66
Communication and context 67
Format 68
Content 69
Balance 70
Subject placement 71
The decisive moment 72
Vantage point 73
Line 74
Depth 76
Summary of basic design techniques 77
Creative Controls 79
Introduction 80
Focus 81
Duration of exposure 85
A creative decision 89
Perspective 90
Summary of basic camera techniques 91
Light 93
Introduction 94
Light source 95
Intensity 96
Quality 98
Color 99
Direction 100
Contrast 101
Exposure compensation 105
Filtration 108
v
contents
Lighting on Location 111
Introduction 112
Fill 113
Refl ectors 114
Flash 115
Choice of fl ash 116
Guide numbers 118
Flash as the primary light source 119
Diffusion and bounce 120
Fill-fl ash 121
Flash as a key light 122
Slow-sync fl ash 123
Post-production Editing 127
Overview 128
Sequential editing 130
Stage 1 - Global adjustments 130
Stage 2 - Local adjustments 135
Stage 3 - Final adjustments 138
Converting images to black and white 140
Advanced tone control - part a 145
Advanced tone control - part b 150
Panoramic Photographs 153
Introduction 154
Core steps in creating panoramas 156
Shooting panoramas 156
Producing panoramas 168
Landscape 173
Introduction 174
History 174
Personal expression 178
Expressive techniques 180
Detail 185
Night photography 186
The constructed environment 187
Assignments 188
vi
contents
Environmental Portraits 191
Introduction 192
Design 193
Revealing character 196
Connecting with new people 197
Directing the subject 199
Character study 200
Assignments 201
The Photographic Essay 203
Introduction 204
Visual communication 206
Capturing a story 208
Working styles 211
Editing a story 214
Ethics and law 215
Distribution and sale of photo-essays 216
Assignments 217
Glossary 219
Index 227
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This Page Intentionally Left Blank
Amber Williams
viii
foreword
Creative, successful professionals are highly motivated to improve their skills by engaging in
continuous learning activities. Whether through the formal setting of a classroom, workshops,
seminars, on-line learning, or just picking up a book, we are always searching for information on
the complex issues of our chosen profession.
When it comes to photography (especially during the past ten years), the amount of information we
seek has been compounded by the sheer speed at which innovations are brought to market.
Cameras, sensors, resolution, lens factor, exposure latitude, noise, compression artifacts, RAW,
chromatic aberrations, AWB, and so on, are some of the topics and skills that have had to be
learned as brand new concepts or re-learned from the digital perspective. The speed at which
“new and improved” tools and concepts are being introduced makes everyone seem expert but in
fact misinformation is as abundant as poorly crafted digital captures.
How do I put into words my appreciation for a book like this? As a professional photographer for
more than 25 years and an educator for 19 years, building a reference library for my studio is an
on-going task.
This book is one of the best I’ve ever read due to the depth and breadth of topics covered and
will fi nd a prominent place in my collection. I particularly appreciate that the author addresses
the dynamic changes in the fi eld of digital capture whilst remembering photography’s timeless
qualities.
Hooray for Mark, for he is speaking to us all with the single-minded goal of disseminating clear and
thoughtful information.
Thank you Mark, from all of us.
Michael E. Stern
Adjunct Faculty
Brooks Institute of Photography
& www.CyberStern.com
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