Daniel Johnson - 4-H Guide to Digital Photography

Daniel Johnson

A portion of the sales of this product will be used to promote 4-H educational programs. No endorsement of this product by 4-H is implied or intended. Use of the 4-H Name & Emblem is authorized by USDA.

4-H is a community of six million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of National 4-H Headquarters (USDA). The 4-H programs are implemented by the 106 Land-Grant Universities and the Cooperative Extension System through their 3,100 local Extension offices across the country. Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org. 18 USC 707

First published in 2009 by Voyageur Press, an imprint of MBI Publishing Company, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA

Copyright 2009 by Daniel Johnson

All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purposes of review, no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the author or Publisher, who also disclaims any liability incurred in connection with the use of this data or specific details.

We recognize that some words, model names, and designations mentioned herein are the property of the trademark holder. We use them for identification purposes only.

Voyageur Press titles are also available at discounts in bulk quantity for industrial or sales-promotional use. For details write to Special Sales Manager at MBI Publishing Company, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA.

To find out more about our books, visit us online at www.voyageurpress.com .

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Johnson, Daniel, 1984

4-H guide to digital photography / by Daniel Johnson.

p. cm.

Includes index.

Digital edition: 978-1-6167-3224-0
Softbound edition: 978-0-7603-3652-6

1. PhotographyDigital techniques. 2. Image processingDigital techniques. I. National 4-H Club Foundation of America. II. Title.

TR267.J638 2009

775dc22

2009014679

Edited by Danielle Ibister

Design Manager: Katie Sonmor

Series designed by Pauline Molinari

Layout by Barb Drewlo

Cover designed by the Book Designers

Front cover main image: Shutterstock

Printed in China

Introduction
W ELCOME TO D IGITAL P HOTOGRAPHY

Chapter 1
E XPLORING D IGITAL C AMERAS

Chapter 2
T HE B ASICS OF G OOD P HOTOGRAPHY

Chapter 3
C REATING B EAUTIFUL P ICTURES

Chapter 4
L ET T HERE B E L IGHT(ING)

Chapter 5
M ANAGING D IGITAL I MAGES

Chapter 6
E XPOSURE: T HE B IG T HREE

Chapter 7
T IPS FOR S PECIFIC T YPES OF P HOTOGRAPHY

Chapter 8
H AVING F UN

Chapter 9
E XHIBITING Y OUR P HOTOS

I would like to thank the following people who were particularly helpful during the process of writing and photographing this book: My editors, Amy Glaser, for her continued help and enthusiasm, and Danielle Ibister, for her help and encouragement. Everyone at Voyageur Press, for the opportunity to write about my favorite subjectthank you! Lorin, Paulette, and Samantha, for long hours spent proofreading the manuscript and offering many great ideas. Emily and Anna, for helping with and appearing in many of the photos. J. Keeler, for some advice on the more technical portions of the book, and for assistance with many of the pictures, especially those of the cameras themselves. W. O. P., for sharing his vision.

T O J OSH, MY CAMERA BUDDY

The idea occurred to mehow charming it would be if it were possible to cause these natural images to imprint themselves durably and remain fixed on paper.

William Henry Fox Talbot (18001877), inventor of the
positive/negative process of photography

Photography is the most popular 4-H projectand this book will put you well on your way to becoming an excellent photographer. Shutterstock

Welcome to the world of digital photography! In this book, I hope to present a fun and informational look at the basics of good photography and digital photo management, as well as some more advanced techniques to boost your skills. Photography is a wonderful way to create art, preserve memories, and have fun, all at the same time. Digital photography can help us to do all of these things even better than ever.

Photography is the most popular 4-H project, and many participants enjoy entering their photography in competitions, whether its at the county fair or in other type of contests. Those interested in competition will definitely want to study , which describes making prints and includes some winning tips. Elsewhere, well take a look at different camera types, various lighting situations, solutions to common problems, and some fun ideas that you may not have heard of before. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as Ive enjoyed writing and photographing it. I was involved with 4-H for many years, and photography was my favorite project. I started entering my photos in the county fair when I was eight years old and, later, won my first Best of Show award with a photograph of an old barn. (Actually, old barns are still one of my favorite subjects to photograph.) When I was fourteen, my 4-H photography project was to take one special photograph every day for ninety days, and also to write a brief description of each photo. It was a fascinating project that I greatly enjoyed, and I like to think that my early days in 4-H encouraged me in my choice of profession as a photographer today. I hope I can encourage you in your photography pursuits as well.