Sam Wormley's Digital Photography for Photojournalists

Digital Photography for Photojournalists http://edu-observatory.org/olli/DP0/Week1.html "Photography, like any form of visual art, is primarily a product of the artist's intellect and sensibilities, and only secondarily a matter of equipment. But it goes without saying that a photojournalist who has mastered the camera and its accessories can translate experience into pictures more easily than one who has not". -- Mary Ellen Mark It doesn't really matter whether you are capturing images on film or with a digital sensor, with a throw away camera, a shirt pocket digital point and shoot camera, or an expensive single lens reflex (SLR) camera--the goals are the same--to understand what your camera can and can't do. Once you understand your camera's capabilities (and its limitations), you can capture images without the camera getting in your way. That's why it is important to read your camera manual! REVIEW OF BASICS The Science of Photography - Controlling the Image http://www.ted.photographer.org.uk/photoscience_control.htm PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIALS http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm http://www.geofflawrence.com/photography_tutorials.htm http://teeksaphoto.org/Writing/BasicPhotoExercises.html CANON EOS CAMERAS Current Canon EOS dSLR (and film) Cameras http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=111 Canon EOS 5D Mark II http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=17662 http://www.canon.com.au/products/cameras/digital_slr/eos5dmkII_support.aspx http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetProductAct&productID=249 eos5dmkii-im-en.pdf Canon EOS 1D Series Cameras EOS1DIM-EN.pdf EOS-1DMKIINIM-EN.pdf EOS1DsMII-IM-EN.pdf EOS-1DMarkIII_HG_EN.pdf EOS-1DsMIII_HG_EN.pdf Canon EOS 30D http://www.canon.com.au/products/cameras/digital_slr/eos30d_support.aspx EOS30DIM_EN.pdf Camera Manuals http://www.canon.com.au/support/manuals.aspx Canon Camera Image Examples http://www.pbase.com/cameras/canon Canon Digital Learning Center - Travels to the Edge http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/travels/index.jsp CANON EF LENSES Current Lenses (Overview, Specifications, MTF Charts) http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=140 Current and Older Lenses (History, Specification, Block Diagram) http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/ef/ultra_wide.html EFFECTS OF APERTURE This image by Robert Harrington was made using a large aperture. Photographers pay a lot of money for large aperture lenses of high optical quality. Exploring the Out-Of-Focus http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/bokeh.shtml "Photographers know that one of the characteristics that separates photographic imaging from drawing or painting is the matter of focus". "The lens introduces an opportunity for selectivity in image-making, portraying objects in the near field and background with a special kind of de-emphasis: out of focus. Observant photographers have noticed that not all lenses are created equal: large aperture lenses show strong out-of-focus effects while small-aperture lenses lead simply to a softening of the image. And even among lenses of equal focal length and aperture, there are differences. The Japanese apparently refer to the quality of the out-of-focus image as 'bokeh'. What is bokeh, and why are lenses different from one another"? More background on Aperture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aperture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-number Understanding aperture -- and how it can help your photography http://www.digital-photography-tips.net/aperture.html This graphic compares the aperture ranges of several telephoto lenses used on single lens reflex (SLR) cameras and the aperture ranges of two popular point and shoot cameras, Canon A620 and Fuji E900, zoomed to the telephoto end. Selecting the Sharpest Aperture http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/50-comparison/f-stops.htm "Most lenses are their sharpest from two stops below maximum to about f/8". However, there are exceptions! For example, several of Canon's Super Telephoto Lenses, each costing thousands of dollars, is sharpest at and near its maximum aperture. The Canon EF 300mm F2.8 L IS USM and EF 500mm F4 L IS USM come to mind. How to read MTF Characteristics MTF.pdf http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mtf.htm BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS Greg Lewis PhotojournalisM: Content and Technique 2nd ed Publisher: Brown & Benchmark (1995) ISBN-10: 0697146294 Table of Contents: http://edu-observatory.org/olli/DP0/GregLewis_TOC.pdf Brian Horton Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism 2nd ed Publisher: McGraw-Hill (2001) ISBN-10: 0071363874 Ansel Adams The Camera Publisher: Bulfinch (June 1, 1995) ISBN-10: 0821221841 Leslie D Stroebel, Hollis Todd & Richard Zakia Visual concepts for photographers Publisher: Focal Press (1980) ISBN-10: 0240510259 Beaumont Newhall History of Photography: From 1839 to the Present (Paperback) Publisher: Bulfinch; Revised edition (October 30, 1982) ISBN-10: 0870703811 SOME PHOTO MAGAZINES RECOMMENDATIONS PHOTO Techniques http://www.phototechmag.com/ Photographer's Forum http://www.serbin.com/Photo_Forum/ swormley1@gmail.com