P. Burian – Mastering Digital Photography and Imaging

Автор: P. Burian
Название книги: Mastering Digital Photography and Imaging
Формат: PDF
Жанр: Фотография
Качество: Изначально компьютерное, E-book

In my nearly three decades as a professional photographer, I’ve seen some incredible changes
in the way we make images. When I started in newspaper work, there were still cigar-chomping
old-timers on the street who lugged WW II-era Rollei twin lens reflex cameras fitted with
big, manual, potato-masher style strobes to shoot check passings, ribbon cuttings, and yes,
even house fires. Why? Because they just couldn’t get the hang of using 35mm gear. Needless
to say, those guys went the way of dinosaurs and typewriters.
I, on the other hand, was a total gearhead who embraced every new bit of technology
that came down the pike. First it was thyristor strobes that put out just the right amount of
light. Then TTL metering modes and flash control, then autofocus, then “smart”flash which
effortlessly blended flash and available light calculations. With each new innovation, there I
was on the cutting edge, fully embracing and understanding the technology and how it could
make my image-making easier, quicker, and more efficient.
And then came the digital revolution.
Back then, I was the guy with the stogie and the PRESS card stuck in the hatband of
my fedora, hopelessly lost in the jungle of a new technology I neither understood nor
wanted. Every aspect was bewildering, and I literally howled as I struggled with Curves, Levels,
Histograms, RAW, DPI, PPI, not to mention computer freezeups, crashes, and upgrades.
Just when it all got to be too much, I reached out to my friend Peter Burian.
In a calm and sensible way, Peter walked me through the digital minefield, in no-nonsense,
photographer-to-photographer language that I could understand. Peter demystified
the process without oversimplifying it, literally talking me back off the ledge of becoming a
terminal Luddite. I used to think, “wouldn’t it be great if everyone had a Peter Burian to
guide them into the digital age?”
Now, in the form of this book, you do. While most instructional guides are either
hopelessly elementary or written so only a software engineer could decipher it, Peter has
managed to walk the middle line. And unlike a lot of other how-to writers, he’s not afraid to
tell it like it is; when he gives you a bit of advice, you know it’s something that he has tried
and made work. His writing reflects that most rare commodity in the Tower of Babel that is
digital photography advice: an informed and evenhanded opinion.
And so, dear reader, thanks to the 15th century miracle of moveable type and the printing
press, you’ve got access to one of the true masters of this very 21st century practice of
digital photography. I can think of no one better to guide you. And Peter, if you wonder why
I hardly ever call or e-mail you anymore, you have only yourself, and this book, to blame!
Bob Krist
New Hope, Pennsylvania
Bob Krist is an award winning freelance photographer who works regularly on assignment for
magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, Islands, Caribbean Travel and
Life and GEO Saison. Krist’s book Spirit of Place: The Art of The Traveling Photographer was
hailed by American Photographer magazine as “the best book about travel photography we’ve
ever read.” Bob Krist is also a contributing editor with National Geographic Traveler and
Islands as well as travel photography columnist with Outdoor Photographer magazine. He
teaches travel photography at the Maine, Cuba, and Tuscany Photo Workshops.

As recently as five years ago, photography was experiencing a decline. Many photo enthusiasts
were abandoning their camera systems and darkrooms, switching to a point-and-shoot
camera for the few obligatory snapshots during seasonal events. Often, the primary family
camera was a disposable model, not designed for high image quality but popular because of
convenience and price. Despite the introduction of the Advanced Photo System, a small film
and camera format designed to make picture taking more “fun,” interest in the still image
and in the “same old” equipment was waning. Digital cameras and printers were available,
of course, but they failed to attract many consumers due to high prices, mediocre image
quality, and the perception that imaging software was “too complicated.”
For the most part, the picture in 2004 is quite different, thanks to more affordable,
user-friendly digital equipment and software that’s also vastly more sophisticated. According
to a prediction by InfoTrends (www.infotrends.com), digital camera sales should reach nearly
53 million this year. My own anecdotal evidence may be even more persuasive. Today, virtually
all my friends—both snap shooters and photo hobbyists—own digital equipment.
They’re shooting frequently enjoying both photography and scanning as well as the benefits
of image enhancement and printmaking. The few holdouts will probably add digital cameras
to their systems by the end of this year.
Clearly, digital cameras have revitalized photography. And, yes, any image capture
with a still camera qualifies as photography, a term drawn from the Greek words for photo
and graphia, translated as “writing with light.” Whether the image is formed in silver halide
crystals or electronic pixels, the process of picture taking is quite similar and equally rewarding.
In that case, why does the title of this book refer to “imaging” as well? Because some
topics relate to processes that are purely digital in scope, such as scanning images, manipulating
them with software, making the right computer and software selections in the digital
darkroom, creating digital prints, and sharing electronic images using the Internet. Although
these are essential aspects in digital photography, none are available to the purely analog
photographer. Consequently, we have decided to categorize them under the term “imaging.”
Some pundits maintain that “the medium is the message,” echoing a comment made by
media guru Marshall McLuhan in the 1960s; they’re implying that we buy digital gear
because we love electronic gadgets. That may be true for a few consumers but not for most
photo enthusiasts or even for snap shooters. The joy of photography does not lie in the
equipment (or medium) that we use but in the images that we make, photos that capture
memories or allow us to exercise our creativity.