Darlow - Focus and filter: professional techniques for mastering digital photography and capturing the perfect shot

Text copyright 2017 Andrew Darlow. Photographs copyright 2017 Andrew Darlow except as noted below. Design and concept copyright 2017 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the Internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published in the United States by:

Ulysses Press

P.O. Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN13: 978-1-61243-622-7

Acquisitions editor: Keith Riegert

Project editor: Alice Riegert

Managing editor: Claire Chun

Editor: Renee Rutledge

Proofreader: Lauren Harrison

Front cover design: Ashley Prine

Interior design: Ashley Prine and Jake Flaherty

Layout: Jake Flaherty and Caety Klingman

Photographs: Andrew Darlow except (page 185) Ron Wyatt

Distributed by Publishers Group West

IMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS: This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with, any trademarked brands or other products mentioned or pictured within is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in this book belong to their respective owners and are used here for informational purposes only. The author and publisher encourage readers to patronize the quality brands and products mentioned or pictured in this book.

To my wife Belinda and son Tylerthe two people I most enjoy having in front of my lens, and whom I feel blessed each day to have in my life.

Table of Contents

Contents

Welcome to the Focus & Filter virtual photo studio! Im Andrew, and Ill be your guide as we navigate the world of digital photography. This book contains specific suggestions for taking photos, finding the right gear, and using traditional and nontraditional approaches to improving your photography.

This book is geared primarily toward intermediate to advanced photographers (amateurs and pros) who use cameras that have the ability to manually set the exposure, aperture, ISO and similar functions. Those cameras generally fall into these categories: digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLRs), mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (MILCs), digital rangefinder cameras, and advanced, compact fixed-lens cameras. You can use this guide as a reference before going on a trip or on an assignment. That assignment might come from a Fortune 500 company, a local hair salon or your significant other who has been asking you for weeks to create a family portrait. This book was not tailored for those who want to use the P or program mode, or scene modes on their cameras (usually indicated by cute little icons like flowers and fireworks). While those may be useful in some situations, Im here to help you truly take control of your equipment and create images worthy of your passion and creativity.

Ive been fortunate to make photography my profession since the early 90s, and witnessed the evolution of digital photography from its infancy. My clients (either through my own company or as the head photographer for another company) have included Brooks Brothers, The Body Shop, Kenneth Cole, Swatch International, Victorinox and many families who have asked me to help them preserve special memories in their lives.

My editorial work and photo tips have been internationally published in magazines and newspapers, and Ive written three other books on photography topics. For more than 20 years Ive been teaching others how to improve, edit and print their photographs, and with this book Ive decided to pull back the curtain and share many of the secrets Ive been using to help me get my work done efficiently and at a high-quality level.

Focus & Filter is broken down into 50 how-tos, with four main sections: Master Your DSLR, Shopping Smart, Studio Mastery and Shooting in the Field. Theres no need to follow all of the tips in order, but the first 19 tips are designed to be read in order. Youll also find some overlap, such as .

And with that, I look forward to spending some quality time with you behind the camera!

All the best,

Andrew

Specific Techniques for Getting the Most from Your Camera

Photography is truly magical. And Im certainly not alone in thinking so. Millions of people around the world take photographs with a wide range of cameras, from cell phones to large-view cameras. In this section, I will present specific tips and techniques for understanding and using many of the creative tools that can be found on all DSLR and mirrorless cameras, as well as many advanced compact cameras.

DIGITAL CAMERA TYPES

Digital cameras are sold in four main configurations: digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLRs), mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (MILCs), compact fixed-lens mirrorless cameras and digital rangefinder cameras. Digital rangefinder cameras are also mirrorless, but have some distinct differences.

The main difference between DSLRs and the three mirrorless camera types mentioned is that every DSLR contains an optical viewfinder that works in tandem with a mirror thats positioned at an angle inside the camera and behind the lens. This allows you to see through the lens while focusing and composing photographs. During an exposure, the mirror flips up and out of the way. There is also often a button you can press to see a depth-of-field preview, which gives you a preview of the sharpness in different parts of the scene.

Fig. 0.1 A Canon EOS 6D (left), Canon Rebel T4i (right) and a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 (bottom).

In the three mirrorless cameras types, there is, as you may have guessed, no mirror. Instead, in almost all cases, a video image created by the image on the cameras sensor is sent in near real-time to an electronic viewfinder (EVF) located in the back top area of the camera, which allows the viewer to see an image prior to the shot being taken that approximates the final image (assuming no flash, or strobe, is being used).

Fig. 0.2 An Olympus PEN E-P2 with an Olympus Electronic Viewfinder VF-2 and an LCD Loupe.

A fixed-lens camera means that you cannot change the cameras lens, but you can often add screw-on accessories such as close-up lenses or telephoto lenses. Some mirrorless cameras have no viewfinder at all, like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 ( with an Olympus Electronic Viewfinder VF-2, offer optional viewfinders. One negative with that option is that the cameras hot shoe (the slot on top of many cameras usually reserved for shoe-mount flash units) will generally be used for that, making it impossible to use a shoe-mount flash at the same time in that location.

Digital rangefinder cameras differ from DSLRs primarily due to the way you compose and focus the scene. You view the scene through an optical viewfinder and line up two images until they overlap. There are some advantages and disadvantages to digital rangefinders. The greatest advantage is that their lenses (especially wide to medium focal length lenses) tend to be smaller and lighter than DSLR lenses (especially full-frame lenses).