DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIALS

Learn how to take and edit digital photographs using visual tutorials that emphasize concept over procedure, independent of specific digital camera or lens. This is a complete listing of all tutorials on this site; click the drop-down links in the top menu to see particular topics.

CONCEPTS & TERMINOLOGY

 

How Your Camera Works

 

• Understanding Digital Camera Sensors
• Understanding Camera Exposure: Aperture, ISO & Shutter Speed
• Understanding Camera Metering
• Understanding Depth of Field
• Understanding Camera Lenses: Focal Length & Aperture
• Understanding White Balance
• Understanding Camera Autofocus

 

Qualities of Digital Photos

 

• Understanding Bit Depth
• Understanding Sharpness
• Understanding Image Noise
• Understanding Dynamic Range

 

Advanced Concepts

 

• Digital Camera Sensor Sizes: How Do These Influence Photography?
• Understanding Diffraction: Pixel Size, Aperture and Airy Disks
• Digital Cameras vs. The Human Eye (NEW)
• Understanding the Hyperfocal Distance

CAMERA EQUIPMENT

 

Camera Types & Accessories

 

• Compact vs. Digital SLR Cameras
• Selecting & Using a Camera Tripod
• Camera Flash, Part 1: Light Quality & Appearance
• Camera Flash, Part 2: Flash Ratios & Exposure

 

Camera Lenses

 

• Understanding Camera Lenses: Focal Length & Aperture
• Using Wide Angle Lenses
• Using Telephoto Lenses
• Tilt/Shift Lenses: Using Shift Movements to Control Perspective
• Tilt/Shift Lenses: Using Tilt Movements to Control Depth of Field
• Macro Lenses: Magnification, Depth of Field & Effective F-Stop
• Macro Extension Tubes & Close-up Lenses

 

Lens Characteristics

 

• Camera Lens Flare: What It Is and How to Reduce It
• Camera Lens Quality: MTF, Resolution and Contrast

 

Camera Lens Filters

 

• Choosing a Camera Lens Filter: Polarizers, UV, ND & GND
• Understanding & Using Polarizing Filters
• Using Graduated Neutral Density (GND) Filters
• Using Neutral Density (ND) Filters

 

Caring for Your Camera & Photos

 

• Digital Camera Sensor Cleaning: Tools & Techniques
• How to Make Archival Digital Photo Backups
• How to Protect Online Photos: Copying, Watermarks & Copyrights

PHOTO EDITING & POST-PROCESSING

• Overview: Digital Photo Editing Workflow (NEW)

 

Image Files

 

• Understanding Bit Depth
• Understanding Image Types: JPEG & TIFF
• Understanding RAW Files: Why Should I Use RAW?

 

Tones & Contrast

 

• Understanding Histograms, Part 1: Tones & Contrast
• Understanding Histograms, Part 2: Luminosity & Color
• Using the "Levels" Tool in Photoshop
• Using the "Curves" Tool in Photoshop
• Understanding Image Posterization

 

Sharpening & Detail

 

• Understanding Sharpness
• Guide to Image Sharpening
• Sharpening Using the "Unsharp Mask" Tool
• Using Local Contrast Enhancement

 

Image Resizing

 

• Understanding Digital Image Interpolation
• A Closer Look at Resizing an Image for the Web & Email
• Optimizing Digital Photo Enlargement

 

Image Stacking & Multiple Exposures

 

• Using the High Dynamic Range (HDR) Feature in Photoshop
• Averaging Images to Reduce Noise
• Extending Depth of Field Using Focus Stacking
• F-Stop Stacking: Depth of Field & Corner Sharpness

 

Photo Stitching & Digital Panoramas

 

• Photo Stitching Digital Panoramas, Part 1: Overview & Capture
• Photo Stitching Digital Panoramas, Part 2: Using Stitching Software
• Photo Stitching Digital Panoramas: Image Projections

 

Specialty Techniques

 

• Using Lens Corrections to Improve Image Quality
• Digital Photo Restoration: Bring Old Photos Back to Life
• Converting a Color Photo Into Black & White
• How to Create Animated 3D Stereo Photos

COLOR MANAGEMENT & PRINTING

 

Concepts

 

• A Background on Color Perception
• Understanding Digital Pixels: PPI, Dithering & Print Size

 

Understanding the Process

 

• Color Management, Part 1: Concept & Overview
• Color Management, Part 2: Color Spaces
• Color Management, Part 3: Color Space Conversion
• Understanding Gamma Correction & Digital Tones

 

In Practice

 

• How to Calibrate Your Monitor for Photography
• Soft Proofing: Matching On-Screen Photos with Prints
• Working Space Comparison: sRGB vs. Adobe RGB 1998

PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES & STYLES

 

Camera Usage

 

• Using Camera Shutter Speed Creatively
• Reducing Camera Shake with Hand-Held Photos
• Digital Exposure Techniques: Expose to the Right, Clipping & Noise

 

Subjects

 

• Photography in Fog, Mist or Haze
• Introduction to Macro Photography
• Intro & Common Obstacles in Night Photography

 

Photo Lighting

 

• Making the Most of Natural Light in Photography (NEW)
• Portrait Lighting with One Light: Introduction
• Portrait Lighting with Two Lights: Fill Light
• Specialty Lights: Background, kickers, hair, rim, etc.
• Overall: Studio Portrait Lighting Styles & Diagrams
Composition
• The Rule of Thirds
• Using Diagonals for Dynamic Photos
• Negative Space - Sometimes Less is More

Photography is going through an exciting transition period as many film photographers are beginning to explore the new capabilities of digital cameras. While the fundamentals have remained similar, other aspects are markedly different. This is a great time to get involved with digital photography. These tutorials are rarely influenced by changes in image editing software and camera equipment — due to their unique concept-based approach. Most tutorials therefore apply to both compact and digital SLR cameras. So, don't be afraid to dig deeper! You'll be sure to find what you need regardless of the camera you've purchased.