Digital Photography Outdoors: A Field Guide for Travel and Adventure Photographers [Paperback]

James Martin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2007

This title is fully illustrated in color with examples of great and not-so-great photographs. It offers new tips on the latest digital techniques: noise reduction and sharpening to minimize image degradation; adjustment layers and layer masks; and use of the flash outdoors.It also offers expanded coverage of recent features in Photoshop including the Spot Healing Brush, Image Processor, High Dynamic Range (HDR), and Lens Correction menu. The title presents a description of the latest equipment options such as sensor cleaning tools and the Lensbaby option for selective focus and artistic blurs elsewhere.A long-time mountaineer and wilderness traveler, Jim Martin is uniquely suited to show us how to make the most of digital photography's advantages for outdoor photography. In this expanded second edition, Martin gives us the latest in technique and equipment innovations while still sticking to the basics: how a digital camera works, special considerations for use and maintenance in the field, and selecting the best equipment and most useful accessories for capturing outdoor action and storing images safely.Martin presents the new rules of digital photography (why overexpose?) and reminds us of old rules that still apply (light and good composition remain key). He covers the fundamentals of digital editing, including selecting software tools, applying filters, creating the illusion of movement, and stitching photos together to create panoramas.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"BONUS: Beautiful enough to be left on the coffee table. BUMMER: So beautiful you may be demoralized by your efforts." -- --The (Colorado Springs, CO) Gazette

"One of the strong points, in my estimation, is the author's examples of photos done right and done almost right. The comparisons are vivid learning experiences... If you enjoy capturing excellent outdoor experiences with excellent digital photos you'll value the information that Martin shares. Considering buying or upgrading your digital camera? [Then] consider this book-required reading... Martin tackles the complexities of going digital and, for the most part, dissects the information in understandable terms." -- TNS Communications

"There's a wealth of practical advice in this field guide for travel and adventure photographers." -- --Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader

"Whether you're among the point-and-shoot masses or more advanced, [Digital Photography Outdoors] will have lasting value. Almost everyone packs a digital camera on outdoor adventures these days. Do yourself a favor and read this before your next outing." -- The Idaho Falls Post Register

"Whether you're among the point-and-shoot masses or more advanced, the book will have lasting value." -- --The Sacramento Bee

"[The] premier instructional manual and guide for the use of digital cameras in taking memorable and dramatic photographs in the field... Digital Photography Outdoors provides digital camera users with a wealth of invaluable tips on photographing outdoor subjects in all manner of field conditions. Superbly organized and presented, practical and portable, Digital Photography Outdoors is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library photography instructional reference collections." -- The Midwest Book Review

About the Author

James Martin has written for Outdoor Photographer magazine and has seventeen books to his credit, most illustrated with his photos. He is represented by Getty Images and ImageState. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 219 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 2 edition (November 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594850879
• ISBN-13: 978-1594850875
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #944,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Martin has written and photographed professionally since 1989 with articles and photographs appearing in Sports Illustrated, Summit, Smithsonian, Outside, Backpacker, Climbing, Outdoor and Travel Photography, Boys' Life, Ranger Rick, Outdoor Photographer, Destination, Blue, Audubon, and Rock & Ice.

He wrote Digital Photography Outdoors, 2nd edition (Mountaineer Books). He recently completed Planet Ice, a survey of ice that elucidates the relationship between climate and ice, and the action of ice on the landscape. In the course of shooting he hiked to Everest Base Camp, soloed across the Andes, climbed Kilimanjaro and the mountains of the moon, visited Greenland twice, and led trips to Antarctica. See www.planeticebook.com.

He wrote Masters of Disguise: the natural history of chameleons, the first comprehensive book on chameleons in English. Sasquatch Press published a series of his coffee table books on the mountains of the West, including The North Cascades Crest, Mount Rainier, and Sierra. Extreme Alpinism (Mountaineer Press), written and photographed with Mark Twight, concerns techniques for climbing and surviving the most difficult mountains. The book won the Outdoor Retailer Award and the Banff Mountain Festival Award in 1999.

He has written books for children on natural history, including Hiding Out: camouflage in the wild and Dragons in the Trees (both published by Crown), each declared an Outstanding Science Trade Book by the National Science Teacher's Association and distinguished as Selectors' Choices. They were also Booklist Editor's Choices, American Library Association Best Book selections, and ALA Notable Books for Children. Dragons in the Trees was named the 1992 Outstanding Nature Book for children by the John Burroughs Association and a recommended book for children by the Children's Literature Center of the Library of Congress. Crown published Living Fossils and Frogs in 1997.

Getty Images represents his photography. His travels led him to Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica, Europe, Borneo, Indonesia, and S.E. Asia. He leads photography tours around the world for Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris. He currently acts as executive director of Art Wolfe Inc. Over the last three decades he has hiked thousands of miles and climbed extensively.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly organized and presented, April 4, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Photography Outdoors: A Field Guide for Travel and Adventure Photographers (Paperback)

With every passing year, digital cameras are becoming more 'user friendly', more popular, more effective, and more versatile. Now in a thoroughly updated and significantly expanded second edition, James Martin's "Digital Photography Outdoors" continues to be the premier instructional manual and guide for the use of digital cameras in taking memorable and dramatic photographs in the field. Still providing novice digital photographers with a comprehensive and basic grounding in how a digital camera works, special considerations for its use and maintenance in the field, and how to select the best equipment and most useful accessories for capturing outdoor action and then storing those images safely, this new edition goes on to provide up-to-date information on the latest changes in Photoshop (CS3 version) and an illustrative description of the latest equipment options. Profusely illustrated throughout in full color, "Digital Photography Outdoors" provides digital camera users with a wealth of invaluable tips on photographing outdoor subjects in all manner of field conditions. Superbly organized and presented, practical and portable, "Digital Photography Outdoors" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Photography instructional reference collections.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My first photography book, August 14, 2008

By 

Dr.K (Reykjavik, Iceland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Photography Outdoors: A Field Guide for Travel and Adventure Photographers (Paperback)

This was my first ever book about photography (actually, the first edition of this book). Not that I was an absolute beginner; I just never bothered to read any photography books. James Martin's book nicely surprised me since in the first chapters I found a lot of ideas I was subconsciously aware off before. I am not sure this is the right book for someone who does not know what 'shutter speed' is but it is highly recommended for someone who wants to go over photography theory quickly and get some nice tips. It covers photo-shooting techniques, basics of composition, information on archiving photos and digital darkroom skills. My skills are definitely improved after reading the book, instantly I started to take better pictures!

The other day I wanted to purchase a digital photography guide as a birthday gift. 'Digital Photography Outdoors' book would not be available in the stores so I went through almost everything that was on the shelf. There would be lots of books for absolutely beginners in the book stores, "Dummies" books etc, we are not talking about these. Among 'serious' books, I did not find any one that can beat 'Digital Photography Outdoors'. I ended up purchasing this book via Amazon and going to the birthday party with the excuse that the gift is still on the way! This also motivated me to write this review, hope it helps.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and useful, August 23, 2007

By 

Daniel Guimarans Serrano (Barcelona, Catalunya) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Digital Photography Outdoors: A Field Guide for Travel and Adventure Photographers (Paperback)

Very interesting book with several useful tips. It is focused in the "digital darkroom" processes and it becomes an interesting handbook while working with image processing software. Moreover, it gives some advices on photographic techniques specially oriented to digital cameras and their particular performance.