Tips & Technique Books / P

When photographing people, you can have a great composition, perfect light, and the right camera settings, but if your subject doesn’t look right―if the pose is off―the shot will not be a keeper. Posing is truly a crucial skill that photographers need to have in order to create great photographs. If you’re looking to improve your ability to pose your subjects―whether they’re men, women, couples, or groups―best-selling author and photographer Lindsay Adler’s The Photographer’s Guide to Posing: Techniques to Flatter Everyone is the perfect resource for you. In the first half of The Photographer’s Guide to Posing, Lindsay discusses how the camera sees, and thus how camera angle, lens choice, and perspective all affect the appearance of your subject. Lindsay then covers the five most important things that ruin a pose―such as placement of the hands, and your subject’s expression and posture. If you can look out for and avoid these five things, your skills (and your images) will quickly improve. Next, Lindsay dives into “posing essentials,” outlining her approach to start with a “base pose,” then build on that to create endless posing opportunities. She also discusses posing the face―with specific sections dedicated to the chin, jaw, eyes, and forehead―as well as posing hands. In the second half of the book, Lindsay dedicates entire chapters to posing specific subject matter: women, men, couples, curvy women, families and small groups, and large groups. In each chapter, Lindsay addresses that subject matter’s specific challenges, provides five “go-to poses” you can always use, and covers how to train the eye to determine the best pose for your subject(s). In the final chapter of the book, Lindsay brings it all together as she teaches you how to analyze a pose so that you can create endless posing opportunities and continuously improve your work

This is a brand new title based on the newly-released Adobe Photoshop 2020 software.

Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Photoshop choose Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book (2019 release) from Adobe Press. The 15 project-based lessons show key step-by-step techniques for working in Photoshop, including how to correct, enhance, and distort digital images, create image composites, and prepare images for print and the web.

Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Photoshop choose Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book (2020 release) from Adobe Press. The 15 project-based lessons show key step-by-step techniques for working in Photoshop, including how to correct, enhance, and distort digital images, create image composites, and prepare images for print and the web.

Photoshop Elements offers the tools to make quick, simple fixes to photos or to turn your images into completely different pieces of art. Digital imaging pros Barbara Obermeier and Ted Padova walk you step-by-step through the tools that help you take control of this powerful software.

This book breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that's never been done before–it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure things out on your own. Instead, it does something that virtually no other Elements book has ever done–it tells you flat-out which settings to use, when to use them, and why.
If you're looking for one of those "tell-me-everything-about-the-Unsharp-Mask-filter" books, this isn't it. You can grab any other Elements book on the shelf, because they all do that. Instead, this book gives you the inside tips and tricks of the trade for organizing, correcting, editing, sharpening, retouching, and printing your photos like a pro. You'll be absolutely amazed at how easy and effective these techniques are–once you know the secrets.

No more formal, corporate-style poses - this book offers a modern, vibrant approach, capturing a moment in the subject's lifestyle. It discusses technical aspects from equipment to exposure, aperture, metering, shutter speed, depth of field and white balance settings, in addition to how natural light, color and movement affect an image. The book also covers posing, home studios, backgrounds, artificial light, and pre-shoot prep such as make-up, hair styling and clothing. Post-production topics include skin retouching, color correction, printing options and presentation.

Without light, there is no photograph. As almost every photographer knows, the word "photograph" has its roots in two Greek words that, together, mean "drawing with light." But what is less commonly acknowledged and understood is the role that shadow plays in creating striking, expressive imagery, especially in portraiture. It is through deft, nuanced use of both light and shadow that you can move beyond shooting simply ordinary, competent headshots into the realm of creating dramatic portraiture that can so powerfully convey a subject's inner essence, communicate a personal narrative, and express your photographic vision.

Martin Evening, Photoshop hall-of-famer and acclaimed digital imaging professional, has revamped his much-admired Photoshop for Photographers book for an eleventh edition, to include detailed instruction for all of the updates to Photoshop CC on Adobe’s Creative Cloud. This comprehensive guide covers all the tools and techniques serious photographers need to know when using Photoshop, from workflow guidance to core skills to advanced techniques for professional results. Using clear, succinct instruction and real world examples, this guide is the essential reference for Photoshop users of all levels.

When looking at a photograph, too often a conversation starts–and, unfortunately, ends–with a statement such as, “I like it.” The logical next question, “Why?”, often goes unasked and unanswered. As photographers, we frequently have difficulty speaking about images because, frankly, we don’t know how to think about them. And if we don’t know how to think about a photograph and its “visual language”– how an image is constructed, how it works, and why it works–then, when we’re behind the camera, are we really making images that best communicate our vision, our original intent? Vision–crucial as it is–is not the ultimate goal of photography; expression is the goal. And to best express ourselves, it is necessary to learn and use the grammar and vocabulary of the visual language. Photographically Speaking is about learning photography’s visual language to better speak to why and how a photograph succeeds, and in turn to consciously use that visual language in the creation of our own photographs, making us stronger photographers who are able to fully express and communicate our vision. By breaking up the visual language into two main components–“elements” make up its vocabulary, and “decisions” are its grammar–David duChemin transforms what has traditionally been esoteric and difficult subject matter into an accessible and practical discussion that photographers can immediately use to improve their craft. Elements are the “words” of the image, what we place within the frame–lines, curves, light, color, contrast. Decisions are the choices we make in assembling those elements to best express and communicate our vision–the use of framing, perspective, point of view, balance, focus, exposure. All content within the frame has meaning, and duChemin establishes that photographers must consciously and deliberately choose the elements that go within their frame and make the decisions about how that frame is constructed and presented. In the second half of the book, duChemin applies this methodology to his own craft, as he explores the visual language in 20 of his own images, discussing how the intentional choices of elements and decisions that went into their creation contribute to their success.

Amateur photographers and photo enthusiasts turn to Photoshop Elements for a powerful but simpler way to edit and retouch their snapshots. Photoshop Elements 11 For Dummies is the perfect guide for helping every shutterbug add a touch of creativity to their images. Learn how to find your way around the Elements interface and its new features; create, edit, fix, and organize your photos; add type and interesting effects to your images; and share them with the world. Full color pages bring the techniques to life and make taking great photos fun and easy.

Whether you’re a photographer, scrapbooker, or aspiring graphic artist, Photoshop Elements is an ideal image-editing tool—once you know your way around. This bestselling book removes the guesswork. With candid, jargon-free advice and step-by-step guidance, you’ll get the most out of Elements for everything from sharing and touching-up photos to fun print and online projects

In this completely revised edition of her best-selling guide to masking and compositing, Photoshop artist and educator Katrin Eismann--along with compositing experts Sean Duggan and James Porto--takes readers through numerous step-by-step examples, highlighting the tools and techniques used for masking and combining images. Featuring work by leading artists and photographers, this book focuses on the techniques used to create compelling compositions, including making fast and accurate selections, mastering Photoshop's masking tools, and implementing the concept and photography from start to finish. The book addresses working with Photoshop's selection tools; selecting and maintaining fine details and edges; and working with difficult image elements, such as cloth, hair, or translucent objects. All-new photographic examples, updated instruction to cover the latest version of Adobe Photoshop, and an expanded section on shooting photographs for composite work make this a must-have guide for anyone interested in photographing and creating professional composite images.

Translating the chaos of the real world into a breathtakingly simple, beautiful photograph can often seem like an impossible task. With busy, cluttered backgrounds and subjects who don’t know how to pose, how can you take control and get a great shot no matter the situation? In Picture Perfect Practice, photographer Roberto Valenzuela breaks down the craft of photography into three key elements–locations, poses, and execution–that you can use to unlock the photographic opportunities lying beneath every challenging situation.

Food photography is on the rise, with the millions of food bloggers around the word as well as foodies who document their meals or small business owners who are interested in cutting costs by styling and photographing their own menu items, and this book should serve as your first course in food photography. Discover how the food stylist exercises unique techniques to make the food look attractive in the finished product. You’ll get a taste of the visual know-how that is required to translate the perceptions of taste, aroma, and appeal into a stunning, lavish finished photograph.

With her friendly tone and insightful knowledge, Nicole S. Young takes readers through all the products in the onOne Photo Suite, walking through each and showing readers how to use the tools to stretch their creativity and showcase their personal photographic style.
This beautifully illustrated guide provides easy-to-follow instructions on processing images from start to finish. Nicole will show readers how to use the following onOne tools to enhance their photos: Perfect Layers for a layered workflow without Photoshop: Perfect Portrait retouching; Perfect Mask for replacing backgrounds; Perfect Effects, Focal Point, and PhotoFrame for creative effects; and Perfect Resize for image enlargement.
This step-based guide will show readers how to use these seven products together seamlessly as integrated modules also support their workflow - however they work. Readers can use Perfect Photo Suite directly from Photoshop, Lightroom, or Aperture - or as a standalone application.

Sharpen your print production skills with this definitive resource created specifically for design professionals who need to create files using the Adobe Creative Cloud, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat and output for printing.

Design is the single most important factor in creating a successful photograph. The ability to see the potential for a strong picture and then organize the graphic elements into an effective, compelling composition has always been one of the key skills in making photographs. Digital photography has brought a new, exciting aspect to design - first because the instant feedback from a digital camera allows immediate appraisal and improvement; and second because image-editing tools make it possible to alter and enhance the design after the shutter has been pressed. This has had a profound effect on the way digital photographers take pictures.

Discover the different types of cameras available and how they work, from digital cameras to the latest DSLRs to Compact System Cameras and iPhones. Learn how to choose the most essential camera accessories for the modern photographer, including lenses, flashguns, studio lighting, and tripods. Filled with valuable techniques and expert advice on how to shoot a broad range of subjects, use a variety of equipment and effectively manipulate images using the latest software.

This book (for Windows and Mac) breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that's never been done before–it cuts through the bull and shows exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge readers to come up with their own settings or figure things out on their own. Instead, it tells readers flat-out which settings to use, when to use them, and why. This book gives the inside tips and tricks of the trade for organizing, correcting, editing, sharpening, retouching, and presenting photos like a pro. Readers will be absolutely amazed at how easy and effective these techniques are–once they know the secrets.

The Print and the Process is a book of ideas, thoughts, and techniques about our photographs and the process that leads us to the final image. (To be clear, it is not an instructional book about how to print your images.) In this beautiful book, David duChemin takes the reader behind the scenes on four distinct photographic projects, discussing motivation, image creation, and post-production. The projects he walks the reader through are from Iceland, Kenya, Antarctica, and Venice–and for each he discusses the hows and whys of his own image-making process.
Each project begins with a beautiful series of 20-30 final images from that project–this is "the print" section, and it's geared for the reader to really take in those images holistically. Then, duChemin discusses "the process" behind creating those images.
In this section, the reader will see the project images again but as thumbnails, and David goes through each one, explaining very thoroughly his process. duChemin does not "pre-visualize" a scene, as Ansel Adams famously discussed. Instead, he feels it. And it's from that feeling that he begins working with the elements in front of him and looking at the choices available to him. As he moves around, including and excluding elements from the frame, the camera and the photographer become collaborators. It's from this struggle that the final image emerges.
DuChemin has been making images for over two decades, and this process has changed and evolved during that time. By exploring duChemin's images and reflecting on the process behind them–both behind the camera and in post-processing–the reader learns to pay more attention to their own process, and identify ways in which their process can be further examined and improved in order to take more compelling images.