This series of step-by-step guides acquaints amateur digital photographers with the full spectrum of techniques and technology they need to attain the professional edge in digital imaging. The manuals offer a clear, no-nonsense approach to teaching basic skills, such as understanding the basic functions of the digital camera and how to arrange a photograph artistically, while more experienced photographers will profit from the guides that focus on complex issues, including effective posing and lighting strategies, color and image balancing methods, and design techniques for perfecting the digital image in Adobe Photoshop Elements. Photographers new to digital cameras will learn the basic terminologies and technologies associated with digital photography in this all-inclusive guide. Starting out with the basics of resolution, digital color, and file formats, this book takes a look at the various types of cameras, and what to look for when buying one, including batteries, memory cards and view finders. Step-by-step, readers are guided through how to shoot the best photos, upload images to a computer, troubleshoot to remove red-eye, crop images, correct problematic exposures, adjust the color, output images, and archive them. Techniques for backing up and safely storing images and tips for creating digital contact sheets to make retrieving images a snap are also provided. Favoring images over text, this format will appeal to visual learners.