Digital Photography for Graphic Designers: From Photo Shoot to Image Output

This is a must have book for designers and photographers, especially designers of the old school who have been more then a little afraid of going digital and there are many out there. For the beginer designer, this book puts on the page what they will be told about the digital work flow as it exists today. Lee Varis takes the reader on a digital ride explaining more then enough to get the reader to appreciate the digital workflow.

Even though there are many books as there are about digital imaging, none discuss in detail the relationship of designers and art directors with the process (and people) involved with creating digital images. This book covers a great many of the complexities of digital imaging with a clear, casual style that does a great deal towards clearing up many misconceptions people have about digital photography. Not only does it cover that, but the book goes further into aspects such as pre-press, proofing, editing and printing, and and does so with a very enjoyable, non-technical narrative. Anecdotal writing, along with supporting photography (beautifully printed) helps lend creedence to this book. A necessary text for anyone in graphic design and/or advertising.

While this book was written for designers working with photographers, I believe it is an invaluable tool for the photographer as well. I read this book several weeks ago, and a few days later the worst case scenario happened to me, just as the book predicted. A color house deliberately messed up my digital vs. film comparison in their favor. In large part due to my having read this book I was able to quickly recognize what they were doing and alert my client to it. It saved both the shoot and my credibility. It also has some excellent step by steps for montaging studio images with location backgrounds that proved very easy to achieve, and easy to understand information on digital color. Overall this book paid for itself many times over almost immediately, and I have ordered copies for several of my clients. Whether you are a photographer, a designer/A.D working with digital photographers, or anyone in between that just wants to greatly improve their digital photographic skills, this book is an invaluable resource.

Just so there's no confusion, I am the author of this book. This book is written for the graphic industry professional. It is not a how-to book for the layman, though there are sections that outline specific techniques. The focus of the book is on professional applications of digital photography and how digital capture impacts the workflow of the professional graphic artist and art director. Digital photography affords a more collaborative environment for art directors, photographers and graphic artists in a commercial environment but there are many pitfalls due to the lack of the tangible point of reference that a physical piece of film provides. This book provides an overview of the types of professional digital cameras- their strengths and weaknesses. It examines resolution requirements for modern reproduction and gives details for the best practices in color control and communication between photographer, designer, prepress and printer. Real world examples from leading digital photographers from around the world highlight solutions that digital capture provides in commercial work. There is a special chapter on the "Politics of Color" that examines the potential problems in utilizing digital images with workgroups that incorporate separate professional agendas. Designers need this book to stay on top of the latest developments in digital photo methodology. Photographers need this book to get an overview of how digital photography integrates into a complete graphics workflow (many are buying copies of the book for their clients). Art directors need this book to learn about various creative applications that digital capture makes possible. Anyone considering a career in the graphic arts will want to read this book to learn about the future direction of photography in graphic design.