In film-based photographic education, strong programs and writings have placed great emphasis on making a negative. But to get to the negative, good exposure is required. The beginning of the photographic process significantly affects the final outcome of an image - a fact that has not changed with digital photography.
Capture: Digital Photography Essentials concentrates on photography from a digital-capture workflow point of view. The text addresses both the opportunities and limitations of digital photography, and how to work with those opportunities and around the limitations. Authors Glen Rand, Chris Broughton, and Amanda Quintenz-Fiedler discuss the digital tools that allow photographers to capture, create, and maintain high-quality digital photographs. Readers will learn to maximize the potential of their images through an understanding of the core principles and more advanced aspects of the digital photographic process.
Various projects that are based on tested teaching concepts for digital photography can be found throughout the text, as well as numerous images that are both inspirational and instructional.
Sensors and Lenses
Digital Capture Workflow
Digital Zone System
Chapter 1 Capture Devices
Get the Picture . . . Cameras
Basics of Cameras
Chapter 2 Sensors
Basic Sensor Structure
How a Sensor Collects Light
Sensor Construction and Operation
Resolution and Detail
Chapter 3 Lenses
Lenses and Shutters
Types of Lenses
Digital Camera Lens Design
Chapter 4 Exposure Basics
From Light to Image
Basic Daylight Exposure
Light Meters and Basic Metering
Reflective and Incident Meters
Average Value Metering
Chapter 5 Exposure for Digital Photography
Exposures Become Digital
Exposure Testing for Digital Sensors
Exposure Based on the Histogram
Digital Equivalent Exposures
Understanding Dynamic Range and Bit Depth
Chapter 6 Digital Capture Workflow
Progressing to Capture
Chapter 7 Saving Captured Images
The File Cabinet
Chapter 8 Image Editing and Corrections
An Editing Checklist
Chapter 9 Asset Management
Keeping Track of Images
Importing Image Files
Backing Up Files
Evaluating and Adding Metadata for Images
Chapter 10 Beyond Exposure 1: Digital Zone
Digital Zone System
Zone Vocabulary for Digital Photography
Using the Digital System
Chapter 11 Beyond Exposure 2: HDRI
Some Basics of HDRI
DSLR and Small-Camera-Based HDRI
Chapter 12 Beyond Exposure 3: Hybrid Digital Photography
Glenn Rand is an artist with internationally acceptance. His photographs are in the collections of more than two dozen museums and public collection in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Included are the Detroit Institute of Art and the Kresge Art Center. He has also exhibited widely throughout the United States.
Glenn has published and lectured extensively about photography and digital imaging ranging from commercial aesthetics to the technical fine points of black and white photography. Books written include Black and White Photography and Digital Photographic Capture.
Presently, Dr. Rand is the program director of the graduate program at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California.
Christopher Broughton, has been a faculty member of Brooks Institute since 1996. Prior to becoming a full-time faculty member he served as Director of Laboratory Operations while completing his Masters of Science degree at Brooks Institute. Also in 1996, he served as faculty for University of Pittsburgh's Semester of Sea program. Broughton has authored articles in Petersen's Photographic, Outdoor Photographer, PC Photo, and in Studio Photographer and Design Magazines. He has been a featured lecturer for Hasselbald USA and Eastman Kodak. His photographs are exhibited and represented by Four Friends Gallery in Thousand Oaks, CA and can be seen on his website www.christopherbroughton.com. Broughton was responsible for revamping Brooks Institute's introductory photo class to be digitally-based. He has been active in working on digital capture, workflow, and output since it was introduced into the photographic workflow.
Amanda Quintenz-Fiedler is a writer, photographer, and educator. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Purdue University in 2000 with a major in Interdisciplinary Film Studies and minors in Photography, English, and Math. She went on to pursue a MFA in Photography from Brooks Institute, graduating in 2009. Her MFA culminating project, "American Narcissism", was a visual and verbal examination of modern American attitudes. She has written articles regarding photographers, digital fine art theory, and fine art education for publications such as Rangefinder, Digital Photo Pro, Photographers Forum, and the Photo Imaging Education Association (PIEA) Journal.
Capture by Rand, Broughton and Quintenz-Fiedler is an opulent manual that plumbs the depths of photographic theory, presenting it with clarity and extends the traditional analogue into the digital discussing the aspects that make working digital unique. This is a principle-based approach that posits that full appreciation of the theory can lead to free and creative exploitation of the your potential. Its not hands-on workshop approach. This is more of a conceptual approach that discusses the factors you should be considering when undertaking digital photography. Its all about the science of image and light. The biggest challenge with this approach is that you have to take the time to read, consider, ponder and to approach the creative process in a linear fashion. This calls for a specific way of learning and applying that suits only a particular sector of the photographic community. This is by no means a criticism, as a linear thoughtful approach Capture is a brilliant execution. However, when trying to describe who will benefit from this book it must be noted that for the hands-on, workshop, see and do type, this may not be the appropriate manual. The Beyond section in particular is very well presented. It identifies the some of the challenges and trends at the cutting edge of digital photography today. The book is aimed at the contemplative photographer who will take the time to appreciate the science behind the practise. The photography presented in the book is stunning in its own light. The photographs have been superbly selected by the authors (some from their own portfolios) which really enhance the pleasure of the experience.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend