You may be passionate about photography, and own a digital SLR with perhaps more advanced equipment as well. But do the photographs you take with this powerful equipment come out as well as you'd like? With this fascinating and beautifully illustrated book, you learn how to apply the techniques and principles of classic photography so you can make great images with today's digital equipment. Harold Davis, author and renowned fine art photographer, puts the focus in Practical Artistry on light and exposure, two crucial concepts you need to understand and master if you are to truly capture the images you see. Davis presents a generous number of his own images in each chapter, complete with technical information and an explanation of what he was trying to achieve. These striking photographs not only illustrate the lesson at hand, but also serve as inspiration for your own efforts. Browsing the photographs alone will tell you a lot. Topics covered in this book include: Camera, lenses, and equipment Understanding exposure and measuring light Relationship of aperture to shutter speed and ISO Working with depth of field Natural lighting, studio lighting, and the use of flash Light and color temperature Working with white balance Photographing at dawn or dusk Photography at night Capturing motion Telling a story with your image Capturing people, places, and things Setting up a digital workflow RAW processing and double RAW processing Adjusting exposure and reducing noise Black & white photography And much more Concise and to the point, Practical Artistry clearly demonstrates that photography, essentially, is writing with light, and that the type of images you produce depend on the many choicesyou have for using that skill. Harold Davis gives you an array of choices in full living color.

Davis, a professional photographer/writer (The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite & the High Sierra; Photoblog 2.0) approaches photography holistically, lucidly explaining the principles integral to both classical and digital photography. For each of his color photographs of landscapes (sans people), he explains his creative intent, terminology, photographic process, and technical specifics such as lens and exposure settings. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This fascinating book teaches enthusiasts how to apply the techniques and principles of classic photography to today's digital reality — and helps them to make great images in the process. Harold Davis introduces general concepts of digital photography, with an emphasis on understanding light and exposure: crucial concepts that must be understood and mastered to take great photographs.