Teach Yourself Visually Digital Photography

Charlotte K. Lowrie is a Seattle--based writer and photographer, is the managing editor of MSN Photos content (http://photos.msn.com/home.aspx). Her writing and photography have been published in magazines, including Walking and Texas Highways; newspapers, including the Dallas Morning News, and in technical books, help systems, and promotions for a variety of Microsoft products. You can visit her Web site at http://wordsandphotos.org.

Chapter 1: Understanding Digital Photography. Why Go Digital? Discover Digital Cameras. From Start to Finish: The Digital Workflow. Chapter 2: What You Need to Get Started. Choose a Digital Camera. Consider Digital Camera Accessories. Build a Digital Darkroom. Choose a Photo Printer. Chapter 3: Understanding Light. Learn about the Color of Light. Measuring and Filtering for Light. Photograph in Varied Lighting. Using a Flash. Chapter 4: Control Exposure and Focal Length. Learn about ISO. Learn about Aperture. Control Depth of Field. Understanding Shutter Speed. Discover Exposure Modes. Learn about Focal Length. Using a Wide--Angle Lens. Using a Telephoto Lens. Using a Zoom Lens. Learn about Digital Camera Lenses. Chapter 5: Learn About Focus. Understanding Focusing Systems. Focus on a Still Subject. Using Focusing Modes. Discover Focus Techniques. Chapter 6: Compose Pictures Like a Pro. Think about Composition. Consider Design Principles. Practice Traditional Composition Techniques. Ways to Control Composition. Chapter 7: Put It All Together. Experiment with Depth of Field. Mix and Match Settings. Use Different Shutter Speeds for Effect. Focus Selectively. Compose Creatively. Experiment with Different Lighting Options. Try Creative Techniques. Chapter 8: Take Your First Digital Pictures. Set Up a Digital Camera. Take Test Pictures. Troubleshoot Problems. Download Pictures to the Computer. Evaluate Pictures. Fine--Tune Camera Settings. Chapter 9: Avoid Digital Photography Pitfalls. Avoid Taking Unfixable Pictures. What Is a Histogram? Use a Histogram As You Take Pictures. Work Around Shutter Lag. Avoid Blown Highlights. Keep Lightweight Cameras Steady. Avoid Inaccurate Color Casts. Do Not Use Digital Zoom. Reduce Digital Noise. Avoid In--Camera Adjustments. Learn Your Camera's Characteristics. Chapter 10: Retouch Images in Photoshop Elements. Learn about Image--Editing Programs. The Image--Editing Process. Calibrate Your Monitor. Start Adobe Photoshop Elements. The Photoshop Elements Workspace. Get Help. Access More Photoshop Elements Tools. Open a Picture. Browse for a Picture. Increase and Decrease Image Magnification. Rotate an Image. Undo Changes. Save and Open a Copy of the Picture. Set White and Black Point Values Adjust Contrast. Adjust Color and Saturation. Correct a Color Cast. Remove Dust and Scratches. Retouch a Photo. Dodge and Burn Selected Areas. Remove Red Eye. Adjust Lighting. Chapter 11: Create Effects. Straighten a Crooked Photo. Correct Wide--Angle Distortion. Convert to Black and White. Add Film Grain. Convert a Photo to a Sketch. Add Horizontal Text to a Photo. Add Vertical Text to a Photo. Edit Text. Delete Text. Add a Text Effect. Add a Layer Style to a Photo. Create a Drop Shadow. Add a Frame. Use Special Effect Lighting. Create a Composite Photo. Create a Panoramic Image. Distort a Photo. Use Color Selectively. Combine Effects. Add Motion Blur to a Photo. Create a Custom Vignette. Add a Quick Vignette. Add a Quick Matte Effect. Add Texture to an Image. Tint a Photo. Create a Sepia--Tone Photo. Liquify a Photo. Add a Gradient to a Photo. Create a Photo Collage. Paint with the Paint Bucket Tool. Chapter 12: Crop, Size, and Sharpen Photos. Why Crop, Size, and Sharpen Photos? Crop a Photo. Crop to a Specific Size for Printing. Straighten and Crop a Photo. Crop with Space for Text. Crop without the Crop Tool. Determine Size by Print Resolution. Size a Digital Photo to a Page Size. Size a Digital Photo for Online Use. Sharpen a Photo for Printing. Sharpen a Photo for Online Use. Convert File Types. Convert Image Sizes. Chapter 13: Print Photos. Understanding Resolution. Digital Photo Printing Options. Choose a Photo Printer. Matching Prints to Screen Display. Add a Picture Caption. Print to an Online Service. Optimize Printer Settings. Create a Contact Sheet. Preview and Print a Photo. Print a Picture Package. Chapter 14: Share Photos Electronically. Display a Photo on Your Desktop. Create a Slideshow Screen Saver. Share Photos through E--mail. Create a Web Photo Gallery. Upload Photos to a Photo--Sharing Web Site. Preview an Image in a Browser. Make a PDF Slideshow. Chapter 15: Create Print Projects. Do More with Your Photos. Create a Photo Calendar in Word. Create a Home Inventory Using Excel.