THE ENTHUSIAST’S GUIDE SERIES

50 Photographic Principles You Need to Know

COMING FALL 2016

The Enthusiast’s Guide SeriesIf you’re a passionate photographer and you’re ready to take your work to the next level, The Enthusiast’s Guide book series was created just for you. Whether you’re diving head first into a new topic or exploring a classic theme, Enthusiast’s Guides are designed to help you quickly learn more about a topic or subject so that you can improve your photography.

These handy books don’t waste your time covering all the photography basics you already know. Instead, they build on that knowledge so you can quickly advance your photography skills. The subtitle, “50 Photographic Principles You Need to Know,” alludes to how chapters are broken down into a series of numbered lessons, with each lesson providing what you need to know to capture better images. Sample lessons include titles such as “Exposure Settings for Time Lapse Photography,” “Add a Dash of Foreground,” and “Let Color Direct the Eye.”

Written in a friendly and approachable manner, and illustrated with examples that drive home each lesson, The Enthusiast’s Guide series is effective and efficient, friendly and fun. Read an entire chapter at once, or read just one topic at a time. With either approach, you’ll quickly learn a lot so you can head out with your camera to capture great shots.

The Enthusiast’s Guide series launches in Fall 2016 with three titles:

• The Enthusiast’s Guide to Composition• The Enthusiast’s Guide to Portraiture• The Enthusiast’s Guide to Multi-Shot Techniques

More titles will follow in 2017, with plans for future books to cover topics and subject matter such as exposure, wedding photography, night photography, mobile/iPhone photography, lighting, and much more.

The Enthusiast’s Guide to CompositionKHARA PLICANIC ISBN: 978-1-68198-130-7

The Enthusiast’s Guide to Composition addresses everything you need to know in order to shoot great images with powerful compositions. Photographer and author Khara Plicanic shares 48 photographic principles to help you create strong compositions, covering topics such as lens selection, light, color, lines, movement, and more.

The Enthusiast’s Guide to Multi-Shot TechniquesALAN HESS ISBN: 978-1-68198-134-5

The Enthusiast’s Guide to Multi-Shot Techniques addresses everything you need to know in order to shoot compelling images that require multiple exposures. Chapters are broken down into a series of numbered lessons, providing all the information you need to improve your photography. Topics covered include double exposures, high dynamic range (HDR) images, panoramas, time- lapse images, focus stacking, and image stacking.

The Enthusiast’s Guide to PortraitureJEROD FOSTER ISBN: 978-1-68198-138-3

The Enthusiast’s Guide to Portraiture addresses everything you need to know in order to create great portraits in natural light. Inside you’ll discover 50 photography lessons in which photographer and author Jerod Foster covers equipment, setup, light, composition, posing, color, storytelling, and post-processing.

Sample ContentsThe Enthusiast’s Guide to Composition: 48 Photographic Principles You Need to Know

Introduction

Chapter 1: A Few Fundamental Concepts

1. Fill the Frame2. Consider the Rule of Thirds3. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat4. Lead the Way with Lines5. Make Things Pop with Contrast6. Create with Color7. Dramatize with Black and White8. Add to Your Image with Negative Space9. Strive for Balance

Chapter 2: Kicking It Up a Notch

10. Change Your Point of View11. Find a Frame within a Frame12. Compose Responsively13. Add Depth with Foreground14. Tilt the Horizon

Chapter 3: Choosing a Format

15. Composing a Horizontal Image16. Framing a Vertical Scene17. Shooting in a Square18. Consider Your Crop19. Keep Intended Use in Mind

Chapter 4: People and Place

20. Gear Up for Landscapes21. Get a Deep Field of Focus22. Think of Portraiture as the Opposite of Landscape Photography23. Frame and Crop Carefully24. Put Your Subjects at Ease

Chapter 5: Layering Your Coverage

25. Capturing Details26. Catch the Happenings27. Setting the Scene

Chapter 6: Getting the Shot

28. Know Your Focus Modes29. Direct Focus with Focus Points30. Get a (Proper) Grip31. Go Get the Shot32. Let Go of the Camera33. Pre-Focus Your Selfie Shots34. Sharpen Your Sense of Timing35. Understand the Effects of Shutter Speed and Aperture36. Understand the Basics of Exposure

Chapter 7: The Skinny on Lenses

37. Choose a Focal Length38. Make Sense of Maximum Aperture39. Experiment with Novelty Lenses

Chapter 8: Seeing the Light

40. Warm Up to Hard Light41. Finding (or Making) Soft Light42. Keep It Ambient, or Add a Dash of Flash43. Find Direction44. Understand that Light Has Color

Chapter 9: Everything After

45. Manage Your Files (Like a Boss)46. Back Up for Safekeeping47. Use Good Tools and a Tight Workflow48. Cull Like a Pro

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Bold, fun, and engaging layout! Chapter introductions help ease the reader into a new series of lessons!

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Fresh design off ers a new approach to consumer-driven educational resources!

7THE ENTHUSIAST’S GUIDE TO PORTRAITURE

16.1 On-axis lighting throws shadows back from the subject, eliminating depth and dimension. This shot was made with direct sunlight that, although behind me, was at a high angle in the sky, providing shadow underneath structures such as the nose, chin, and arms. ISO 100; 1/3200 sec.; f/2.8; 125mm

16.2 Turning the subject and myself nearly 90 degrees off-axis (away from the sun) created dimensional shadows on the subject’s face. ISO 100; 1/3200 sec.; f/2.8; 140mm

16.3 Positioning your subject relative to the light source will determine where shadows fall. In this portrait, the light source is hitting Preston nearly straight on, so his shadow is straight back and a bit toward the camera. ISO 100; 1/800 sec.; f/4; 64mm

16.4 Simply rotating Preston’s head toward the camera changes how the light hits his face. Now, it’s hitting him from the left, and a new arrangement of shadows adds different dimensionality to the face.

16.5 Visualize the light by looking at your subject as you rotate with them, changing your own position relative to the light source. On-axis, over-the-shoulder light lacks defini-tion, but is useful when the entire front of the face needs to be lit. ISO 100; 1/1600 sec.; f/4; 64mm

16.6 Positioning your subject with the light behind them makes for soft light on the front of them and great backlight behind them. However, depending on your background, you may have issues with exposure. ISO 100; 1/400 sec.; f/4; 64mm

16.3

16.5

16.4

16.6

Each lesson offers a bite-size approach that promises clear and powerful takeaways for the reader.

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8CHAPTER 3: WORKING WITH NATURAL LIGHT

At 180 degrees, the light is simply behind the subject, and in front of you. When the camera is positioned appropriately, this is useful lighting for a silhouette.

The point is to be extremely cognizant of the direction from which the light source hits your subject and your relative position to it. Pay attention to the how the shadows appear and what they are saying about your image. To cre-ate dimension in your portraits, position your subject and yourself so you’re using off-axis light. Off-axis light does not come from straight over your shoulder to hit your subject square in the face. Off-axis light creates visible shadow, and as a result, creates contrast and emotion in your imagery.

On-axis light has its appeal, but for the most part, you are probably better off using some form of off-axis light, in which a lit side and a shadowed side of the face are evident. You can turn a portrait subject’s face away from the light source, letting the shadows fall toward the camera (we call this short lighting), or use light that is just off-axis from center, where the shadows fall away from the camera (we call this broad lighting). There are varying degrees to how short or broad the lighting for a portrait might be, but ultimately, it’s about creative ap-peal and storytelling.

16.7 As your position changes relative to the light, as well as to your subject’s position, the shadows in the portrait will convey a great deal of meaning. This hatchet (side) lighting, created by placing your subject at a 90-degree angle to the light, is considered a dramatic way to use the light to convey intrigue, attitude, or undefined edginess about your subject. ISO 100; 1/640 sec.; f/4; 64mm

Learn it your own way! Chose to read the entire book at once or focus on one specific lesson at a time!

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Richly illustrated to demonstrate key points of each lesson!

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Before grabbing your camera and heading out, quickly discover the tips and techniques you need to know to create your own stunning images!