The Fundamentals of Digital Photography from Focal Press explores the guiding principles of great photography through efficient and effective technique. Easy-to-follow instructions teach you how to work with a digital workflow and develop a solid understanding of materials and processes. You will also find creative inspiration through the work of some of the world's great historical photographers, and discover how the history of photography can feed into your own work.

Themed projects, featuring stunning images from contemporary international practitioners, will help you focus your ideas to produce truly original photographs.The assignments at the end of each chapter help you to create a body of work that will expand your photographic portfolio. By shooting these carefully devised assignments, you will become a confident software user, and develop the all-important visual and conceptual skills essential to successful photography.

Author: Tim Daly    Softcover, 200 Pages    Publisher: Routledge Taylor & Francis    1st Edition, Published December, 2013

• Chapter 1: How equipment works:
  • Digital SLR
  • Compact cameras
  • Medium format camera
  • Lens essentials
  • Computers and monitors
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Image editing software
  • Adobe Lightroom
  • Project
• Chapter 2: Shooting skills:
  • Camera quality settings
  • File formats
  • Aperture
  • Shutter speeds and movement
  • Exposure and how to measure it properly
  • Camera metering modes
  • Camera program modes
  • The lens and focussing
  • Depth of field
  • Viewpoint
  • Composing your image
  • Seeing the world in monochrome
  • Project
• Chapter 3: Themes and their workflows:
  • Basic observational documentary
  • Urban texture
  • Culturally aware documentary
  • Out of season
  • Candid/street photography
  • People on the street
  • Eco/political study
  • The threatened landscape
  • Photo essay narrative
  • A day in the life
  • Location portrait
  • Public/private
  • Studio portrait: Alter-ego
  • Collaboration with others
  • Constructed reality
  • Current issue story
  • Signs of the times
  • 'Late' photography
  • The aftermath
  • Staging/performance
  • A re-enactment
  • Developing own work
  • A personal project
• Chapter 4: Project development:
  • Researching your project
  • Planning and prep
  • Testing and review
  • Shaping your project
  • Project
• Chapter 5: Treatment:
  • Essential software skills
  • Creative emphasis
  • Project
  • Sample files to test edit
• Chapter 6: Output and finishing:
  • Desktop printing
  • Remote printing services
  • Onscreen use
  • Project
• Bibliography
• Glossary
• Index
• Acknowledgements and picture credits
• Working with ethics

Tim Daly is a well-known writer on digital photography. He currently teaches Photography at the University of Chester, UK, and leads practical workshops for the Royal Photographic Society in Bath.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. Does anyone have experience hand-tinting photos with the paper and materials were used?

A: The (300lb) paper takes acrylic, water color and gouache well. In the dark blacks the ink tends to lift a little but the other inks do not intermix or lift. I am printing with and Epson Surecolor P8OO using Epson's ultrachrome HD inks (recommended).

Q: 2. What is the sizing since there is no small size? Can the medium fit a smaller hand?

A: The size of the PGYTECH Master Photography Gloves (Medium) is approximately 16x7cm.

Q: 3. Why are there no good photos of this item? All the photos are from the same angle. I can only guess at the actual shape and size of the stand.

A: There is a YouTube video by the manufacturer that may be of interest. a href= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CUNLK5zLaE target= _blank https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CUNLK5zLaE/a

Q: 4. I have an Epson Stylus 2200 that still prints beautifully on Epson Velvet Fine Art paper. I bought some Epson Hot Press Bright, and found out there's no ICC profile for this paper on the Stylus 2200. The print comes out way off color using velvet FA settings. Yes, I did install the matte black ink. Any suggestions or workarounds for this problem?

A: You would need to use a spectrophotometer to create a profile for it on your printer.

Q: 5. Does the Stearman Press work for direct positive paper?

A: Yes it can be used for paper developing too. But paper developing is generally recommended to be done in the darkroom under a red light so you can watch the image appear before putting it into a stop bath. Paper developing times are very short (1 minute or so) while film often takes 7-8 minutes or more.

Q: 6. What is this core size?

A: The Epson Hot Press Bright Archival Inkjet Paper has a 3 inch core.

Q: 7. Is this different from Epson Signature Worthy Hot Press Natural paper? It appears to have the same spec. Please confirm. Thanks.

A: It is the exact same paper, just different packaging.

Q: 8. Can I use this paper to hot press transfer to T-Shirts? Can I use this paper with the Canon Pro-100 printer?

A: No, the Epson Hot Press Bright Paper (8.5 x 11", 25 Sheets) BH #EPHPBL25 is not designed for heat transfer.

Q: 9. do these gloves have leather on them?

A: No, the PGYTECH Photography Gloves (L) does not have leather on the gloves. The glove’s main material is 70% polyester, 12% nylon, and 18% PU. The gloves’ lightweight and breathable multi-layer design features a HIPORA waterproof outer layer, a windproof layer and a thermal inner liner made from soft, 3M Thinsulate™ insulation to ensure your hands stay warm and dry. The palms are covered in a PU anti-slip lining to help prevent accidental slips or drops.

Q: 10. Difference between Cold Press Bright and Hot Press Bright Epson Papers?

A: Cold Press papers have texture, and the Hot Press papers are smooth. Think of it as pressing a hot iron on the material to smooth it out.