Focal Press’ New Focus On Series Brings Fundamental Techniques and Software Know-How to Beginning Photographers

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Focal Press, a leading publisher of media technology books, today announced the launch of Focus On, a how-to series that presents fundamental explanations of important photography techniques and software programs. The six-book series is intended to help serious beginner and hobbyist photographers cut through instructional industry jargon and hone their photography skills.

“The step-by-step guides, visual examples and author notes make these books quick, fun and incredibly informative reads.”

The Focus On series is written by highly respected professional photographers who tap into their respective areas of expertise to simplify the concepts of lighting, composition and photographing people, and address the fundamental uses of Apple Aperture, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Elements. Each book offers actionable advice, easy-to-digest information, step-by-step visuals, tip boxes, tutorials and assignments to help readers practice what they have learned.

“You could write a whole series on each one of the topics we cover in our Focus On books, but our authors have concentrated on the basics – just the right amount of information – so photographers can easily understand and implement the illustrated techniques,” said Focal Press Publisher Cara St.Hilaire. “The step-by-step guides, visual examples and author notes make these books quick, fun and incredibly informative reads.”

The first three books in the series will be available for purchase in May; the last three will be available in July. The titles and respective authors have been noted below, in order of the books’ publication dates:

Focus On Composing Photos – Award-winning Arizona photojournalist, freelance photographer, photo instructor and director of photography Peter Ensenberger shows readers how to use focal points and the rule of thirds, how to choose the right lens and crop your images, and how to get great highlights and shadows in photographs. This book will be available May 2. (ISBN: 9780240815053, $19.95)
Focus On Photoshop Elements – As the author of this book, Photoshop Elements beta tester and expert editor David Asch offers easy-to-follow advice and instructions on setting up, storing and sharing your image library with Photoshop Elements. Asch also addresses the essentials of RAW image processing and color correction, and how to edit and retouch your images for stunning results. Asch is also the co-author of Focal Press’ How to Cheat in Photoshop Elements 9. This book will be available in May 2. (ISBN: 9780240814452, $19.95)
Focus On Photographing People - Aimed at beginners or amateurs toting a DSLR and looking for pointers on how to make their people and portrait photography really shine, this book offers the basics on composition, lighting, posing, street photography and post-production techniques in a fun and conversational manner. The book is authored by freelance writer, photographer, editor and www.photocritic.org blogger Haje Jan Kamps. This book will be available in May 2. (ISBN: 9780240814698, $19.95)
Focus On Apple Aperture – In this book, professional photographer and educator Corey Hilz leads readers through a highly effective, professional workflow with Aperture, from importing photos from a camera and making image adjustments, to labeling each photo with metadata and keywords for effective organization and searching. He focuses on the vital information, such as correcting exposure, adjusting tone, using metadata, and managing a fast, expanding library. The author of this book, which will be available in July 15, is also the author of two Focal Press digital camera guides and Lensbaby: Bending Your Perspective. (ISBN: 9780240815138, $19.95)
Focus On Adobe Photoshop – Photographer and author Corey Hilz guides readers through importing and organizing photos, demonstrates how to ease search with ratings and keywords, and details the basics of editing in both Camera RAW and Photoshop. He finishes this book with next steps: How to print that prized final image, upload it to social networking sites, and create a slideshow or Web gallery. This guide is compatible with any version of Photoshop and will be available in July 15. (9780240812205, $19.95)
Focus On Lighting Photos – When do you need to use a flash? What’s the best lighting for a macro shot? How long should your exposure be in low lighting? In this guide, expert photographers Fil Hunter and Robin Hunter-Reid show how to take shots in certain settings, seasons and times, and they illustrate the use of back-lighting, water lighting, and mid-day light. Fil Hunter is also the author of Light Science and Magic, a bestseller that will be published in its fourth edition this fall. This book will be available in July 15. (ISBN: 9780240817118, $19.95)

Focal Press’ series of Focus On photography books will be available online and at bookstores nationwide. For more information about these and other books from Focal Press, visit www.focalpress.com/focuson.

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About Focal Press

Focal Press has been a leading publisher of Media Technology books for 70 years. We provide essential resources for professionals and students in many areas including: film and digital video production, photography, digital imaging, graphics, animation and new media, broadcast and media distribution technologies, music recording and production, mass communications, and theatre technology.