Photography Books by Harold Davis

Light & Exposure for Digital Photographers

"If you buy only one photography technique book this year, make it Harold Davis's Light & Exposure for Digital Photographers. This book is an instant classic, and is the first to provide the information you need to really understand exposure from the perspective of the digital (as opposed to film) photographer. And Davis doesn't just talk about technique, he walks the walk - Davis's example photos are creative and awe-inspiringly beautiful. Best of all: he explains the tools and techniques used to create each photo in Light & Exposure for Digital Photographers."

—Rick Smolan, Photojournalist and creator of the Day in the Life book series

Today's digital cameras offer enormous technical sophistication, but the equipment alone won't help you capture compelling images. In Light & Exposure for Digital Photographers, photographer Harold Davis teaches you the essential light and exposure principles you'll need to take great photographs. Each chapter features Davis' breathtaking work with captions that explain how these images were created. Browsing his photographs will spark ideas for your own projects, and the chapters lessons teach you to apply the techniques he uses. This is a pragmatic guide for digital photographers looking for a creative way to explore their world.

Along with each photo, Davis explains his photographic process and creative intention, and shares technical information such as lens and exposure settings. Topics covered include:

• Understanding exposure, measuring light, and choosing the best exposure
• Working with aperture and depth of field
• Selecting shutter speed
• Using ISO, noise, and light sensitivity to your advantage
• Shooting in available and artificial light
• Understanding the true potential of the digital darkroom
• Starting with the best exposure in your camera, rather than relying on post-processing fixes

About the author
Harold Davis is a writer and professional photographer whose work has been widely published and collected. His most recent books are The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite & the High Sierra and 100 Views of the Golden Gate. Harold writes the popular Photoblog 2.0 at www.photoblog2.com.

From the introduction:
This book aims is to present the best practices of the craft of photography in the context of the digital era. A great photograph starts with the photographer’s understanding of light, and proceeds with a good (and sometimes creative) exposure.

Light & Exposure for Digital Photographers is a practical book for digital photographers who want to understand light and exposure and to use photography to explore their worlds. It is a substitute for neither your camera manual nor a good Photoshop book. My philosophy is that if you understand the principles behind a concept, it’s easy to look up the details.

That said, this book is rich in pragmatic details. For example, you can find the exact lens and exposure settings I used for every photo in this book. Speaking of the photos, I do believe that a picture is worth a thousand words. This cliché is certainly true when it comes to learning photography. It’s very reasonable to start with this book by finding a few photos that interest you, and discovering how they were made.

In fact, I designed this book to work for you on a number of different levels. If all you want to do is browse my photos, read the captions that discuss how each photo was made, and consider some of the light and exposure issues that went into making them, that’s fine. You can use the photos as a springboard, or an idea book, for taking photos of your own.

In other words, you don’t have to start at the beginning and end at the end. But, of course, I hope that eventually you do so—and that your journey with this book and making photos is as joyous and magical as mine has been.

100 Views of the Golden Gate

Book Description (jacket copy):

Unique among icons, the Golden Gate combines geography, topography, and engineering.

100 Views of the Golden Gate portrays the secular, serene, and spiritual grandeur of this symbol, following the path laid down by the great Japanese artist Hokusai, who wrote about Mount Fuji, “Each view is different, and each view expresses a lifetime.”

Harold Davis is a professional photographer and writer. His most recent books are The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite & the High Sierra and Light and Exposure for Digital Photograohers. He writes the popular Photoblog 2.0 at www.photoblog2.com.

Harold lives in the hills of Berkeley, California with his wife and three young sons, directly across San Francisco Bay from the Golden Gate.

Read an excerpt from 100 Views of the Golden Gate (PDF).

The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite and the High Sierra

Book Description (back cover copy): The scenic wonders of Yosemite and the mountains that surround it—the high Sierra—attract visitors from around the world. If you are planning to visit Yosemite with your camera, photography will be important part of your trip to the area that John Muir called “the greatest temple” in the world. The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite and the Sierras provides insider information about exactly how to find the most scenic vistas in Yosemite and the Sierras, and how to go about taking great photos once you are there. You’ll learn about weather, photography and phases of the sun and the moon, and the best times of year to visit and photograph specific attractions. You’ll find out about the logistics of visiting Yosemite and the Sierras off-season—and discover the stunning photographic payoffs that can reward off-season travel.

Even if you plan to travel no further than your armchair (beside a roaring fireplace) you’ll enjoy the luscious photography that fills The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite and the Sierras. Yosemite is iconic in the history of photography and The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite and the Sierras presents an all new, digital way of seeing Yosemite.

Harold Davis is a photographer and the author of many books. Harold’s photographs have been widely published, exhibited, and collected. Many of Harold’s fine art photography posters are well known, including some recent alternatively processed digital flower images published by New York Graphic Society. Harold writes the popular Photoblog 2.0, www.photoblog2.com, which displays his photographs and covers a wide range of topics related to digital imaging. He has explored and photographed Yosemite and the High Sierra for more than thirty years.

Digital Field Guide

Book Description (back cover copy):

The digital camera has revolutionized photography. Sporting events, breathtaking landscapes, the mood of the sea, or a child's eyes as a present is opened-capture whatever fascinates you. Learn to use your images in ways only highly skilled professionals could manage a mere decade ago. With this practical guide in your camera bag, you'll have professional advice at your fingertips to help you get great shots, use all your camera's features, download and enhance your photos, and share them in dozens of creative ways.

* Understand digital camera basics

* Learn the secrets for getting a good close-up

* Find out when and why to use RAW format

* Explore dozens of formulas for shooting a variety of scenes, including suggested lenses, settings, and lighting options

* Rid your pictures of red-eye and other imperfections

* Create a slide show, prints, or e-mail- and Web-ready images

* Make the most of your camera's abilities with filters and other accessories

The digital camera has revolutionized photography. Sporting events, breathtaking landscapes, the mood of the sea, or a child's eyes as a present is opened—capture whatever fascinates you. Learn to use your images in ways only highly skilled professionals could manage a mere decade ago. With this practical guide in your camera bag, you'll have professional advice at your fingertips to help you get great shots, use all your camera's features, download and enhance your photos, and share them in dozens of creative ways.

• Understand digital camera basics
• Learn the secrets for getting a good close-up
• Find out when and why to use RAW format
• Explore dozens of formulas for shooting a variety of scenes, including suggested lenses, settings, and lighting options
• Rid your pictures of red-eye and other imperfections
• Create a slide show, prints, or e-mail- and Web-ready images
• Make the most of your camera's abilities with filters and other accessories

About the Author

Harold Davis is a strategic technology consultant, hands-on computer programmer, photographer, and the author of more than twenty books including Building Research Tools with Google For Dummies. Harold writes the Googleplex Blog and Photoblog 2.0. In addition to his work as a writer, Harold has been a technology company executive, enterprise consultant, software developer, and a professional photographer. He maintained a photography studio in New York City for over ten years. His photographs are published, exhibited, and widely collected.