ABSTRACT

While there are many books that teach the "how-to" of photography, Science for the Curious Photographer is a book for those who also want to understand how photography works. Beginning with an introduction to the history and science of photography, Charles S. Johnson, Jr. addresses questions about the principles of photography, such as why a camera needs a lens, how lenses work, and why modern lenses are so complicated.

Addressing the complex aspects of digital photography, the book discusses color management, resolution, "noise" in images, and the limits of human perception. The creation and appreciation of art in photography is discussed from the standpoint of modern cognitive science.

A crucial read for those seeking the scientific context to photographic practice, this second edition has been comprehensively updated, including discussion of DSLRs, mirror-less cameras, and a new chapter on the limits of human vision and perception.

chapter 1|4 pages

What Is Photography?

chapter 2|6 pages

What Is Light?

chapter 3|10 pages

The Camera—An Introduction

chapter 4|5 pages

Images: What Is Perspective?

chapter 5|3 pages

Why Does a Camera Need a Lens?

chapter 6|5 pages

Elementary Optics: How Do Lenses Work?

chapter 7|6 pages

The Simple Thin Lens and What it Does

chapter 9|11 pages

Coming to Terms with Real Camera Lenses

chapter 11|7 pages

What Is an Equivalent Image?

chapter 12|18 pages

How to Get Very High Magnification

chapter 13|21 pages

Do We Need Filters Anymore?

chapter 14|11 pages

The Limits of Human Vision

(How Good Does a Photographic Image Need to Be?)

chapter 15|24 pages

How Can Color Be Managed?

chapter 16|22 pages

Image Capture and Processing

chapter 17|17 pages

What Is Perceived Image Quality?

chapter 19|7 pages

What We See and How We Photograph It