Composition / From Snapshots to Great Shots (PDF)

Now that you've bought an amazing new DSLR, you need a book that goes beyond the camera manual to teach you how to take great shots. That's where Composition: From Snapshots to Great Shots, Second Edition, comes in, teaching you the fundamentals of composition-the creative arrangement of elements in the shot, and the way a viewer's eye travels through an image-so you can get great shots no matter what gear you use.

In this book, author and professional photographer Laurie Excell starts with the basics of composition-such as the popular rule of thirds-and illustrates how elements like color, shape, angles, and contrast work to create compelling images. In the process, she covers all key camera features that affect composition (regardless of what type of DSLR you have), including the ability to freeze and convey motion depending on what shutter speed you choose, and the correlation between aperture and depth of field.

In addition to dozens of brand-new images and more in-depth coverage on topics such as patterns and textures and arranging elements in a frame, this revised edition features several completely new chapters. These will include a chapter of step-by-step examples that highlight the compositional technique used to get just the right shot; a new chapter on black-and-white photography; and a chapter on what to do after the shot-enhancing and editing the images in post-processing.

Beautifully illustrated with large, vibrant photos, this book will help you bring your own unique artistic expression to any situation whether taking portraits, action shots, landscapes, or events, teaching you how to take control of your photography to get the image you want every time you pick up the camera.

The book includes coverage of Lightroom for image management; Nikon Capture NX2 for RAW processing; Photoshop for image processing; and NIK and OnOne software for creative effects.