Looking to take your photography to the next level? Need guidance on the basics, from choosing cameras to perfecting capture, managing files, editing images and developing a creative, critical eye?

Packed with quality images to inspire and enthuse, Digital Photography: Essential Skills takes a refreshingly practical, focused approach to cover exactly what you need to know develop a creative, competent style and a seamless photography workflow.

As a working photographer and teaching lecturer, Mark Galer is the perfect guide to take you through the skills and knowledge needed to take fantastic images. Now updated to cover file management and editing in Lightroom, Adobe's popular workflow software, for a stream-lined process from capture to output.


Photoshop CS3: Essential Skills

by Mark Galer

Published 1 January 2007

Brimming with beautiful pictures, this successful book guides you through a project-based, progressive curriculum so that you can build all the essential skills to enhance photographs creatively and professionally with Photoshop CS3. If you are an aspiring professional, enthusiastic amateur photographer, or a student learning photography, digital imaging, art and design, or design graphics, you'll be amazed at the stunning results you can achieve!

New! Downloadable resources are included FREE. Additional learning materials include * full-resolution, royalty-free images to download for trying-out your new techniques * over 8 hours of QuickTime movie tutorials to support the practical projects * Presets from layer styles to curves, shapes, and gradients * indispensable RAW files for editing practice

And don't miss the companion website with updates, practice material, and more at www.photoshopessentialskills.com!

"The perfect companion guide for Photoshop users of multiple levels."
Photoshop Creative Magazine

"This book provides excellent coverage of Photoshop as a digital darkroom tool, as well as covering a truly amazing amount of background information. It is very readable and is truly a gem."
Mark Lewis, Director, Mount Saint Mary College, USA

The Essential Skills Photography Series from Focal Press uniquely offers a structured learning experience for photographers of all ages, with both the underlying theory and loads of invaluable 'how to' and real-life practice projects - all from the most talented photography practitioners/educators in the world.

Each subject includes:

* learning objectives for each section - for class use or self-study
* color images of student and teacher/author work
* activities to check learning outcomes
* assignments to put theories into creative practice
* full glossary of terms

Other titles in the series:
Studio Photography: Essential Skills by John Child, Photographic Lighting: Essential Skills by John Child and Mark Galer and Digital Photography in Available Light by Mark Galer.


Digital Photography

by Mark Galer

Published 1 September 2008


The approach taken is very practical, focusing on building on the users competence throughout the book.

A new chapter, Lighting Techniques is to be included devoted to specific examples and illustrations of specific lighting techniques. These include a selection of examples; portraiture, fashion set-ups and mixed lighting techniques appropriate to a location situation. As well as a solid grounding in the principles of lighting techniques these real world examples will provide the reader with all they need to know to manage a shoot in a particular environment.

Reference will also be given to digital capture running in parallel with traditional film imaging.

This is an inspirational text; as well as encouraging visual expression; it is a highly structured learning tool that ensures all the essential skills are learnt and applied to help improve use of light in photography.


Photoshop Cs4

by Galer, Andrews, Mark Galer, and Philip Andrews

Published 25 November 2008

This inspirational guide to creative image editing will help you master the essential features and tools of Adobe Photoshop CS4. Broken into three parts to form a structured, self-study guide, Photoshop CS4: Essential Skills covers the foundation skills and more advanced techniques you need to enhance photographs creatively and professionally. Practical, step-by-step imaging projects then give you the chance to practice your skills and see what you can achieve with the right tools and knowledge.

Written by two internationally recognised authors and Adobe Photoshop Ambassadors, this established book and DVD package cuts through the complexities of Photoshop to deliver essential, clear guidance on how to get the best results. Fully updated with the latest CS4 features, it also contains vital information on how to optimize your photography and digital imaging workflow.

Now includes a free DVD, packed with more than 10 hours of detailed video tutorials to accompany the projects in the book, royalty-free hi-resolution images, indispensable RAW files for editing practice and much more.


Photoshop Cs3

by Mark Galer and Philip Andrews

Published 22 May 2007
Over 27,000 copies of previous editions sold worldwide!


Photoshop CS

by Philip Andrews and Mark Galer

Published 1 January 2004

Digital Photography in Available Light is an inspirational guide as well as a structured learning tool for mastering the essential techniques. Learn how to choose the most appropriate digital camera for your workflow, manage your image files and process images using camera RAW. Try key capture techniques including exposure, framing the image and how to work with the available light in all situations. Explore different styles: panoramas, landscapes, environmental portraits and photo journalism. Understand ethics and law, how to plan a shoot and sell your work. Throughout you'll learn the importance of image design, communication of content and essential techniques for competent and consistent image capture and creation. Includes a full glossary of terms.


Mark Galer's and Les Horvat's new text is a must-have guide for every student needing to get to grips with digital imaging. They provide a comprehensive, practical guide to the entire digital chain, from capture - with coverage of digital cameras and help on which one to choose, to output - with extensive information on image adjustment and colour management.


This is far more than a Photoshop manual; it builds your competence to deal with potentially confusing areas such as resolution and the control over tonality of colour. Put into practice the skills learnt by completing creative assignments and practical activities.

This is an inspirational text; as well as encouraging you to express yourself visually; it is a highly structured learning tool that ensures all the essentials skills are learnt and applied to help improve your digital photography.

Mark Galer: lectures in photography in the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia. He is also co-writer and teacher on their new online photography courses. He has lectured in photography in the UK and Australia and has worked commerically as a freelance photographer on corporate and editorial assignments.

Les Horvat: lectures part-time in photography at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia. For the past 18 years he has been working as a commerical photographer from his own studio, supplying the imaging needs of the advertising and design industries both in Australia and overseas. he is actively involved in the digital areas offering a complete digital service for his commercial clients.