Digital Photographer's Handbook (Hardcover)

by Tom Ang (Author) "Covering the basic principles underlying both digital and traditional photography, the range of equipment available for all budgets and degrees of expertise, and a good..." (more)
Key Phrases: gradient fill, shutter lag, receiving layer, Nikon Coolpix, Nikon Coolscan, Color Burn (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The revolution will surely be streamed as well as televised, and the slide show for the new century will projected from the desktop. This guide will have you clogging inboxes in no time; Ang (Tao of Photography), senior lecturer in photographic practice at London's University of Westminster, starts out with the very basic: he explains what the World Wide Web is and compares computers, cameras, software, and printers-before moving on to how to take better pictures. Ang then walks readers through manipulating and perfecting images (including cropping, rotation, sharpening, "split toning" and host of other possibilities), and incorporating old-style slides and photos into a digital portfolio. There are tip sheets in all the right places, and after every section, a "Quick Fix" list of common problems to help with troubleshooting. There's also a glossary and more than 1,000 color illustrations. Perhaps most useful are the screen shots of the many puzzling dialogue boxes computers offer, and careful explanations for dealing with them. In all, this is an excellent guide to a confusing realm.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Generously illustrated with over 1000 photographs, this fine book covers virtually every aspect of digital photography. Photo editor and author Ang knowledgeably discusses digital technology, including cameras, lenses, scanners, and printers, along with computers, accessories, and software. He then goes on to explore the unique challenges and advantages of composition and exposure with digital cameras. Separate chapters deal with scanning, including troubleshooting and file management. Ang thoroughly addresses image manipulation and image output, including details on printing, developing a portfolio, and mounting an exhibit. He offers practical advice about selecting equipment and establishing a profitable business. This is certainly one of the best and most comprehensive books available about digital photography. Despite the depth and detail of the subject, the book is written in a clear, straightforward style. Both amateur photographers and seasoned professionals will find this handbook to be a very useful guide as they explore new photographic technology. Highly recommended for both general and subject collections in public and academic libraries.
Raymond Bial, Parkland Coll. Lib., Champaign, IL
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT; 1st edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789489074
• ISBN-13: 978-0789489074
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #790,016 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the digicam/image editing books I've seen!, February 7, 2003

By	Michael K. Smith (Gonzales, Louisiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

As a relatively novice photographer (haven't owned one since my old Brownie Hawkeye) with some knowledge of computers and a new digital camera, I've been working my way through as many books on digicams and image-editing software as I can find. Some are pretty general, some are more specialized, but most seem to repeat the same mostly superficial information and advice on both photography and digital editing. This book is the great exception! Ang is a very talented photographer and this lushly printed... volume is crammed with his work, but he's also a very good teacher. The first part of the book, under the heading of "Total Photography," is a mini-course in types of cameras and lenses, lighting, optical physics, and the essential practical differences in using film-based and digital cameras. (There's also a survey of information on specific models of cameras, printers, and scanners, which will soon be outdated and which might have been omitted.) The second section, "Photography for the Digital Age," leads you through such topics as composition, zoom, optical distortion, color balance, and how to avoid or at least fix the most common mistakes; I learned a great deal from his clear explanations and visual examples. "A Compendium of Ideas" is almost a separate book, being an excursion through all the major categories of subjects that interest people with cameras, from buildings and travel to microphotography and high-speed sports; you'll want to return to this section now and then for leisurely browsing. "Radical Conversions" and "All about Image Manipulation" are worth the price of the book all by themselves, with very clear and often very detailed discussions of issues which I'm sure are old hat to experienced shutterbugs but which are new and often perplexing to me, including proper cropping, burning-in and dodging, sharpening, blurring, cross-processing, color vs. black-and-white, and lots of others. Ang is quite good at balancing received photographic wisdom with new digital ideas. He also gets deeply into such computer-specific subjects as levels, cloning, and the differences and similarities between channels, layers, and masks. (He seems not to have much use for such glitzy effects-filter tricks as stained glass and embossing filters, with which I have to agree.) "The Output Adventure" is very good on getting the color on your monitor to agree with the color your printer produces, and there's a final section on portfolios, copyrights, and the business of photography. I can't recommend this one highly enough.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully done - Excellent content - I use it in my class, January 21, 2003

By	James L. Wilson "wilson99" (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As an instructor of digital photography at Florida Atlantic University, I recently selected this work for use as a required Textbook for all my classes. It is a must read for a variety of levels of experience. The selection of pictures, illustrations, use of color are well thought-out. Even the gloss-coat paper gives a notice of quality. Let me say this another way; I had already begun writing my own textbook, being unsatisfied with what was available, until I came across this book. My classes contain many diverse students, from practicing medical doctors, attorneys, e-bay retailers, photography enthusiasts, and of course college students. All are quite satisfied with this 400+ page work of art. Jim Wilson ...

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference book for intermed+ , not Photog 101, September 12, 2004

By	jeanne425 (REDMOND, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Photographer's Handbook Revised (Hardcover)

This is an excellent digital photography reference book, but it should be noted upfront that it is not "How to take photos 101". If you need to understand basics like f-stops and exposure, there are 100's of other books out there better suited for you. I mention this because another reviewer was critical for those omissions. The author assumes you have basic photographic understanding, and works upward from there. I don't want or need basic information, and it was refreshing to find a current (2004) book that doesn't waste space on the elementary. I'd checked out a dozen books from the library prior to this one (which had a waiting list), and this one was the only one I am purchasing.

This is not a book intended to be read front to back. It is a reference book best digested in chunks. It starts off with some technical info on digital, as well as film, cameras, followed by info on PCs, monitors, scanners, printers and software. Not terribly exciting, but I read a few paragraphs here and there and did learn a few things. From there the book is organized in "topic format" allowing you to quickly find on your present interest, be it photographing buildings, clouds, animals, sports, children, etc. Then it progresses into scanning, color management, cropping, correcting and enhancing images, filters, and other creative processes prior to finalinzing your image, and also speaks to certain software.

Overall the book is intelligently organized. Interspersed throughout are "Quick Fix" charts for a multitude of issues, enabling a quick scan across a page or two to find your issue, which is a real benefit. At the end of the book, there is also an extensive glossary, a couple of pages of web resources, and a list of manufacturer and software websites, as well as some further reading suggestions. Lastly, there is an extensive index, a real plus for any reference book.

The book does have a few weak points, such as needless text on the internet and viruses. And the inclusion of information on hardware is risky due to frequent technology changes. But I do admire the author's idea to include complementary material.

The book is loaded with beautiful photos on nearly every page, which will serve to inspire your creativity. The pages are top quality stock, coffee-table book quality, and the hardcover is a full color replica of the dustjacket. I plan to keep this out in full view on a table, not buried in a bookcase.

If you are a competent digital photographer looking to refine your technique and expand creatively beyond merely saving/printing photos with little editing, this book is for you. The intent is to make a good phographer a great photographer.