Perfect Digital Photography: Brilliant Pixels from the Digital Darkroom (Paperback)

by Jay Dickman (Author), Jay Kinghorn (Author) "We are a nation of photographers..." (more)
Key Phrases: finished print size, raw camera files, digital photography workflow, National Geographic, Channel Mixer, Photo Mechanic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Written by photography experts--including a Pulitzer-Prize winning National Geographic photographer--this full-color book is a must-have for amateur photographers serious about improving both the quality of their photographs and their proficiency in the digital darkroom. The book is the perfect combination of a technical treatise on digital imaging and an artistic exploration of light, composition, and form, allowing you to glean the essential techniques needed for digital photography without losing sight of the artistic and aesthetic aspects of the craft. Using an easy-to-follow approach, the authors explain the image conceptualization process through shooting, editing, and image correction to finished print. In addition, top photographers from a variety of disciplines offer real-world advice on how they use digital photography to create compelling images for high-profile magazine articles, advertising campaigns, and fine art prints.

From the Back Cover

Expert advice for capturing, correcting, and printing exceptional images

“It is rare to discover a book on digital photography that is not technically dated by the rapid changes in the digital technology… From cover to cover this book is filled with priceless information on how to get the great photos, and how to make sure they are your best.” --John Knaur, Senior Marketing Manager Digital SLR, Olympus Imaging America

Written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning National Geographic photographer and a Photoshop certified expert, this full-color book is a must-have for anyone serious about improving both the quality of their photographs and their proficiency in the digital darkroom. Perfect Digital Photography is the perfect combination of a technical guide to digital imaging and an artistic exploration of light, composition, and form, allowing you to learn essential techniques for digital photography without losing sight of the artistic and aesthetic aspects of the craft. Using an easy-to-follow approach, the authors explain the image conceptualization process through shooting, editing, and image correction to finished print. Stunning color photographs throughout the book show you the results that you too can achieve.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1 edition (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072259213
• ISBN-13: 978-0072259216
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #291,450 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Perfect Digital Photography" truly does live up to it's name., February 5, 2006

By	S. Nigl "Chugach124" (Anchorage, AK USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are looking for an all-encompassing digital photography how-to book, "Perfect Digital Photography" is it. I have been an amateur home shutterbug for over twenty years. In the early days, I shot with my trusty little Kodak 110 pocket camera and later graduated to a quality 35mm SLR. I began dabbling in digital photography in the mid 1990's with a pocket 640x480 pixel Panasonic model and was amazed at the instant feedback and lack of developing costs that digital provided. But even then, I knew that the quality of digital was just not up to film standards yet. I also shot with a 35mm point-and-shoot (jokingly dubbed by this book as a PHD camera... as in "Push Here, Dummy"). I made the transition in recording all of my family's memories in digital about three years ago when I bought a 4-magapixel high-end pocket camera. That camera had served me well, but I am longing to improve my skills as a digital photographer and that means two things. Stepping up to a digital SLR for greater control, and gaining more knowledge to improve my skill as a photographer. To that end, I have been browsing digital photography books for several months now, and have bought a couple - never quite satisfied until now. "Perfect Digital Photography" is the book that I have been looking for all this time.

The book falls into two halves, each written by a different author. The first section is on photo technique and the camera and is written by Pulitzer prize-winning National Geographic photographer Jay Dickman. The second half, by Adobe Photoshop Certified Expert Jay Kinghorn, is all about the "digital darkroom" and the use of Photoshop to put the finishing touches on your work.

"Perfect Digital Photography" is written (with a few exceptions) for the beginner. It follows a workflow from the basics of composition and use of light, camera basics, and really excels at giving good insider 'pro' tips, with many asides about the authors philosophies on everything from ethics to tips on how to approach strangers that you want to photograph. Much of the content of this first half can really apply to film photography too. In the second half, Jay Kinghorn begins with Photoshop basics, then moves on to cover how to scan and organize your photographic library. Next, he goes deeper into how to refine your images, correcting tone and color, tips on black and white photography, printing considerations, and finally (for the aspiring pro) automation and workflow. The only negative I had found was the author (Dickman, primarily) had a tendency to lapse into technical jargon once and awhile. It was nothing that I couldn't look up, infer, or just read past.

"Perfect Digital Photography" truly does live up to it's name and is the best book on the subject I have yet read. I have two friends lined up asking to borrow it and two others who, after leafing it, took down the ISBN to buy copies themselves. What higher praise could there be.

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of 2 must have books, November 2, 2005

By	Patrick Holt "txdragon" (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This is a great book, I would give it 10 stars if I could. In fact if your intrested in starting on photography you need this book and Rick Sammon's complete guide to digital photography. The authors of this particular book, one is a photographer for National Geographic and the other an expert in Photoshop. Spaced through out the book are little article by other leaders in the field of photography and digital.
This book start of nicely by address photography and concepts like composition, equipment, posing, and other aspects of photography (even ethical photography) as well as some of the special things to take into acount when using a digital camera. That is the 1st half of the book, the 2nd half deals with taking the photos out of your camera and tweaking them in photoshop for printing and saving. The nice thing about this is that it cover photoshop cs2 and the newer features. The example photos are top notch and serve as something you should strive to emulate in your photography.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My photography bible, March 2, 2006

By	J. Cable (Saratoga, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It seems that I have read a million articles on digital photography and my brain feels like a sponge. Although many of the articles in the popular photo magazines have been helpful, no source of writing has been as informative and interesting as this book. This book is very easy to read and even easier to understand. I do not consider myself to be a beginner, nor am I a professional, I am one of those guys who has learned to take a chance with my camera and to try new things. With the help of this book, I have switched my DSLR from "Auto" and learned to master aperture and shutter priority. I can not thank these authors enough for helping me to understand many of the creative aspects of photography and how to "get there". My camera bag now has 6 lenses, my Canon 20D and "Perfect Digital Photography" as a constant source of learning.