Petersen’s PHOTOgraphic Digital Photo Guide, available only on newsstands, is a beautifully designed quarterly with 48 pages of up-to-date tutorials, uninterrupted by advertising from cover to cover.

What makes this publication unique is that each issue is devoted to a single topic, enabling you to make the most of your digital camera and shoot like a pro.

When it comes to photographing people, there is a big difference between snapshots and portraits. A snapshot is a picture of a person where artistry is not part of the equation, where no consideration went into choosing the lighting, the background, and the posture. The photographer usually requests a fake smile from the subject and then everyone is happy. The photos document a moment in time with no attempt to capture any depth of an individual or an insight into the human condition.

In this issue I try to clearly explain and demonstrate what makes good portraits. There are many considerations that come into play, and to integrate the various factors takes practice and, more than anything else, time. It takes time for your photographic vision to mature. When I look back on the pictures of people I took after shooting seriously for 10 years, sometimes I say to myself, "What in the heck was I thinking?"

Volume 4 - People Photography
People Photography Photographing Children Photographing children is a joy because of their innocence, the honesty in their faces, and their beauty. 7.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
People Photography Photographing Families Taking pictures of a family and doing it well is challenging. There are many things you have to think about to please both you and the people you are shooting. 7.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
People Photography Wide Angle Portraits A word that is often associated with wide angle lenses is “distortion.' It is true that wide angles distort what we see, but that's not necessarily bad. 7.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
People Photography Window Light When I refer to window light, I am talking about the soft lighting that comes in through a window when it faces north or when the sky is overcast. 7.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
Volume 3 - Landscape Photography
Landscape Photography Get Close Minute details in nature are captivating. Rock textures, flowers, lichen, seashells, fungi, and leaf patterns make incredible pictures that reveal a world seldom noticed by people. 7.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
Landscape Photography Black And White While fine black and white landscape photography is quite possible with digital technology, just like with shooting film it takes significant manipulation of the original image to make a good black and white print or digital file. 7.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
Landscape Photography Silhouettes One of the most effective ways of dramatizing a landscape or a wildlife subject is to capture its silhouette. The combination of a strong form with a beautiful background is unbeatable. 7.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
Landscape Photography Sunrise/Sunset If you want to immediately improve your landscape work, start shooting at sunrise and sunset. It's that simple. Low angled sunlight is magical. 7.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
Volume 2 - Mastering Composition
Mastering Composition Unique Perspectives Compelling compositions can come in many forms, and they can also come from unique points of view. 4.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
Mastering Composition Leading Lines One of the things that makes a photograph successful is that attention is directed to the subject. This can be done with good lighting, muted backgrounds, or graphic design. 4.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
Mastering Composition Moving Into The Frame One of the traditional compositional guidelines that many artists and photographers adhere to is that a subject's movement should go toward the center of the frame. 4.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
Mastering Composition Eight Kinds Of Lines The one element that defines the success or failure of a composition is the lines that make up the image. 4.14.08 | Jim Zuckerman
Volume 1 - Exposure Techniques
Exposure Techniques Using Handheld Meters In The Digital Age A typical handheld exposure meter actually provides you with two ways to meter. 12.15.08 | Jack Neubart
Exposure Techniques Exposure Basics II Now we come to how exposure and creative photography go hand in hand. 12.15.08 | George Schaub
Exposure Techniques Exposure Diagnostics One way to help avoid overexposure is to use the Highlight Warning feature in the Playback menu of your camera. 12.15.08 | George Schaub
Exposure Techniques Hands-On Exposure Control When I began as a photographer, my biggest concern with metering was having an image that just "came out." 12.15.08 | Ibarionex R. Perello
Exposure Techniques Dynamic Range Dynamic range is the ability of the sensor to capture a certain range of light and dark, or brightness values. 12.15.08 | George Schaub