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 Third Edition

A Short Course in

Teun Hocks

Barbara London ■ Jim Stone

Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River
Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montréal Toronto
Delhi Mexico City São Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo

A01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd i 5/21/14 1:50 PM

 Editor-in-Chief: Sarah Touborg
Senior Publisher: Roth Wilkofsky
Editorial Assistant: Christopher Fegan
Marketing Manager: Wendy Albert
Assistant Marketing Manager: Paige Patunas
Senior Managing Editor: Melissa Feimer
Production Project Manager: Joe Scordato
Program Manager: Barbara Cappuccio
Senior Operations Supervisor: Mary Fischer
Operations Specialist: Diane Peirano
Cover Designer: Kathryn Foot
Cover Art: © Steve Bloom/stevebloom.com
Senior Digital Media Director: David Alick
Media Project Manager: Amanda Smith
Digital Publishing Specialist: Corin Skidds
Full-Service Project Management: SPi-Global
Printer/Binder: The Courier Companies
Cover Printer: The Courier Companies

Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission,
in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text or on page 228.

Frontispiece: Teun Hocks, Untitled 2000

Courtesy of the artist and P•P•O•W Gallery, New York

Copyright © 2015, 2012, 2010 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This
publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction,
storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or like-
wise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions
Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290.

Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designa-
tions appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial caps or all
caps.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

London, Barbara
A short course in photography : digital an introduction to photographic technique / Barbara London, Jim Stone.—Third edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-205-99825-8
1. Photography—Digital techniques—Textbooks. 2. Image processing—Digital techniques—Textbooks. I. Stone, Jim II. Title.
TR267.L647 2015
771’.4--dc23
2014007787

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Student Edition:
ISBN 10: 0-205-99825-9
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-99825-8

Instructor’s Review Copy:

ISBN 10: 0-205-99829-1
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-99829-6

A01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd ii 5/21/14 1:50 PM

 Penelope Umbrico. Sunset Portraits from
8,462,359 Flickr Sunsets on 12/21/10, 2010.
Photography can be your subject, as well as
your medium. Umbrico began searching the Web in
2006 for the most-often-photographed subject, find-
ing it to be sunsets (541,795 pictures posted on the
popular photo-sharing site Flickr at that time).
A01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd iii
Umbrico had 4 × 6-inch machine prints made
from an “appropriated” selection (this 2010 piece
includes only those sunsets with silhouetted figures),
and exhibits them in grid form, about 8 feet tall. For
a 2011 gallery show, she showed 1,058 4 × 6-inch
sunset portraits; by then the total number of sunsets
on Flickr had grown to 9,623,557.
As you make your own photographs, it is worth
asking yourself questions. What are the ways you
can improve the photographs you are now making?
If others have already photographed your subject,
how will your pictures be different? If you magnify
the meaning your images have for you, will you also
increase the impact they have on others? Read on.
iii
5/21/14 1:50 PM
 Contents
Preface vii

1 Camera 2
Getting Started Getting your camera ready 4 ■ Focusing and setting the exposure
6 ■ Exposure readout 7 ■ Exposing images 8 ■ What will you photograph? 9
■ Types of Cameras Film cameras 10 ■ Digital cameras 12 ■ Basic Camera

Controls 14 ■ More about Camera Controls 16 ■ Inside a digital single-lens

reflex camera 17 ■ Shutter Speed Affects light and motion 18 ■ Use it creatively
20 ■ Aperture Affects light and depth of field 22 ■ Use it creatively 24 ■
Shutter Speed and Aperture Blur vs. depth of field 26 ■ Getting the Most from
Your Camera and Lens 28

2 Lens 30
Lens Focal Length The basic difference between lenses 32 ■ Normal Focal
Length The most like human vision 34 ■ Long Focal Length Telephoto
lenses 36 ■ Short Focal Length Wide-angle lenses 38 ■ Zoom, Macro, and
Fisheye Lenses 40 ■ Focus and Depth of Field 42 ■ Automatic Focus 43
■ Depth of Field Controlling sharpness in a photograph 44 ■ More about

Depth of Field How to preview it 46 ■ Perspective How a photograph shows

depth 48 ■ Lens Attachments Close-ups and filters 50

3 Light and Exposure 52

Sensors and Pixels 54 ■ Pixels and Resolution 55 ■ Color in Photography
Color Systems 56 ■ Color Characteristics 57 ■ White Balance 58 ■ Using
Histograms 60 ■ Exposure Meters What different types do 62 ■ How to cal-
culate and adjust an exposure manually 64 ■ Overriding an Automatic Expo-
sure Camera 66 ■ Making an Exposure of an Average Scene 68 ■ Exposing
Scenes that are Lighter or Darker than Average 70 ■ Backlighting 72 ■
Exposing Scenes with High Contrast 73 ■ HDR High dynamic range 74

4 Digital Workplace Basics 76

Equipment and Materials You’ll Need 78 ■ Pictures Are Files 80 ■ Digital
Color Modes, gamuts, spaces, and profiles 82 ■ Channels 83 ■ Calibrating for
accuracy 84 ■ Working with Camera Raw 85 ■ Stay organized Setting up a
Workflow 86 ■ Photographer’s Workflow Programs: 87 ■ Importing an
Image 88 ■ Scanning 89

5 Image Editing 90
Getting Started Editing an Image 92 ■ Adjusting an Image Levels 94 ■
Curves 96 ■ Adjusting Part of an Image Selections 98 ■ More Techniques
Layers 100 ■ Retouching 102 ■ Sharpening 104 ■ Compositing 106 ■
Color into black and white 108 ■ Filters 109 ■ An Editing Workflow 110
■ Ethics and Digital Imaging 112

iv CO N T E N TS

A01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd iv 5/21/14 1:50 PM

 6 Printing and Display 114
Printers and Drivers 116 ■ Papers and Inks 117 ■ Soft Proofing 118 ■
Panoramic Photographs 119 ■ Presenting Your Work Framing 120 ■ Matting
a print 121 ■ Mounting a Print Equipment and materials you’ll need 122
■ Dry Mounting a Print Step by Step 124 ■ Bleed Mounting/Overmatting 126

7 Organizing and Storing 128

Image Storage 130 ■ Using Metadata 131 ■ Software for Organizing 132
■ Archiving Images and Prints 133

8 Using Light 134

Qualities of Light From direct to diffused 136 ■ Existing Light Use what’s
available 138 ■ The Main Light The strongest source of light 140
■ Fill Light To lighten shadows 142 ■ Simple Portrait Lighting 144 ■

Using Artificial Light Photolamp or flash 146 ■ More about Flash How to
position it 148 ■ Using Flash 150

9 Seeing Like a Camera 152

What’s in the Picture The edges or frame 154 ■ The background 156 ■
Focus Which parts are sharp 158 ■ Time and Motion in a Photograph 160 ■
Depth in a Picture Three dimensions become two 162 ■ Chaos into order 163
■ Photographing for Meaning 164 ■ Portraits Informal: Finding them 166 ■

Formal: Setting them up 168 ■ Photographing the Landscape 170 ■

Photographing the Cityscape 172 ■ Photographing Inside 174 ■ Assembled
to be Photographed 176 ■ Responding to Photographs 178

10 History of Photography 180

Daguerreotype “Designs on silver bright” 182 ■ Calotype Pictures on paper
184 ■ Collodion Wet-Plate Sharp and reproducible 185 ■ Gelatin Emulsion/
Roll-Film Base Photography for everyone 186 ■ Color Photography 187 ■
Early Portraits 188 ■ Early Travel Photography 190 ■ Early Images of War
191 ■ Time and Motion in Early Photographs 192 ■ The Photograph as
Document 193 ■ Photography and Social Change 194 ■ Photojournalism
196 ■ Photography as Art in the 19th Century 200 ■ Pictorial Photography
and the Photo-Secession 201 ■ The Direct Image in Art 202 ■ The Quest
for a New Vision 203 ■ Photography as Art in the 1950s and 1960s 204
■ Photography as Art in the 1970s and 1980s 206 ■ Color Photography

Arrives—Again 208 ■ Digital Photography Predecessors 210 ■ Becomes

mainstream 212

How to Learn More 214 ■ Troubleshooting 215 ■ Photographers’ Web Sites

220 ■ Glossary 222 ■ Bibliography 226 ■ Photo Credits 228 ■ Index 230

CONTENTS v

A01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd v 5/21/14 1:50 PM

 MyArtsLab
Here’s how we provide a better teaching and learning experience for teachers and students:
The new MyArtsLab delivers proven results
in helping individual students succeed. Its
automatically graded assessments, personal-
ized study plan, and interactive eText provide
engaging experiences that personalize, stimulate,
■ A Pearson eText lets students access their text-
book anytime, anywhere, and any way they want,
including downloading the text to an iPad.
■ Chapter Audio allows students to listen to spo-
ken text so they can concentrate on images and
diagrams.
■ A personalized study plan for each student pro-
motes critical-thinking skills.
■ Simulations help students understand the func-
tions of a camera.
■ MediaShare. This program—integrated into
MyArtsLab—provides a free, course-specific drop-
box for students to upload their photographs,
facilitating peer critique and allowing instructors
to grade student work with customizable grade-
books.
For instructor access, visit www.MyArtsLab.com or speak to your local Pearson representative.
vi MY A R T S LA B
A01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd vi
and measure learning for each student. And,
it comes from Pearson, a trusted partner with
educational expertise and a deep commitment
to helping students, instructors, and depart-
ments achieve their goals.
■ Assessment tied to videos, applications, and
chapters enables both instructors and students to
track progress and get immediate feedback.
■ Videos include tutorials from The Five Minute
Photographer, a series by Shelton Muller. These short
videos include lessons on how to understand arti-
ficial lighting and electronic flash, manage digital
files, and understand depth of field.
■ Closer Looks give students insight into the com-
positional choices a photographer made in creat-
ing a great picture.
■ Animated demonstrations and FAQs give stu-
dents insight into camera techniques and common
problems.
■ …and more. Check MyArtsLab regularly for
added content.
5/21/14 1:50 PM

I f you don’t know anything about photography and
would like to learn, or if you want to make better pictures than
the ones you are making now, A Short Course in Photography:
Digital will help you. This book is modeled after the widely used
film-and-darkroom edition of A Short Course in Photography, but
presents the medium in its current, electronic form.
We present here, in depth, the basic techniques of photography:
■ How to get a good exposure
■ How to adjust the focus, shutter speed, and aperture (the
size of the lens opening) to produce the results you want
■ How to transfer your pictures to a computer and make sure
they are organized and safe from loss
■ How to use computer software to make your photographs
look their best
Almost all of today’s cameras incorporate automatic features,
but that doesn’t mean that they automatically produce the re-
sults you want. This edition of A Short Course in Photography de-
votes special attention to:
■ Automatic focus and automatic exposure—what they do
and, particularly, how to override them when it is better to
adjust the camera manually
Some of the book’s highlights include:
■ Getting Started. If you are brand new to photography, this
section will walk you through the first steps of selecting and
installing a memory card, setting the camera’s menu options,
focusing sharply, adjusting the exposure, and making your
first pictures. See pages 4–9.
■ Projects. These projects are designed to help develop your
technical and expressive skills. See page 136 or 155.
■ Making Better Prints. This includes information about how
to adjust your photographs with image-editing software
(pages 92–111), select ink and paper for them (page 117),
print them (page 118), and then display them in a mat and
frame (pages 120–127).
■ Types of lenses (pages 31–41), cameras (pages 10–13),
lighting (pages 134–151), and software for organizing and
archiving (pages 131–133).
■ History of Photography. The medium has been used for
documentation, persuasion, and personal expression since
its 19th-century invention. See pages 180–213.
Photography is a subjective undertaking. A Short Course in
Photography emphasizes your choices in picture making:
■ How to look at a scene in the way a camera can record it
■ How to select the shutter speed, point of view, and other
A01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd vii
Preface
■
elements that can make the difference between an ordinary
snapshot and an exciting photograph
Chapter 9, Seeing Like a Camera, explores your choices
in selecting and adjusting the image and presents ways to
photograph subjects such as people and landscapes.
■ Chapter 10, History of Photography, shows photographs by
some of the greatest artists ever to use a camera.
New in this third edition are:
■ The latest camera technology and software, integration of
workflow applications with Photoshop at every step, and ex-
panded coverage of a Camera Raw workflow.
■ New photographs by great contemporary artists, includ-
ing Nancy Burson, Deborah Willis, Roe Ethridge, Laurisa
Galvan, Martha Rosler, Stephen Shore, Rebecca Cummins,
Javier Manzano, David Taylor, Penelope Umbrico, Carrie
Mae Weems, William Eggleston, and Gueorgui Pinkhassov.
■ The 1970s explosion of color photography is explained in the
History of Photography, Chapter 10.
■ Current product and technical information throughout,
with updated demonstration and example photographs.
This book is designed to make learning photography as easy as
possible:
■ Every two facing pages completes a single topic
■ Detailed step-by-step instructions clarify each stage of
extended procedures
■ Boldfaced headings make subtopics easy to spot
■ Numerous photographs and drawings illustrate each topic
Acknowledgments
Many people gave generously of their time and effort in the pro-
duction of this book. Feedback from instructors helped confirm
the direction of the book and determine the new elements in this
edition. Luis Peon-Casanova, University of Nebraska–Lincoln;
Michael Grillo, University of Maine; Deidre Engel, Mt. San
Antonio College; Michael Ensdorf, Roosevelt University; and Art
Hanson, Lansing Community College, reviewed the second edi-
tion and made valuable suggestions. Amber, Jade, and Skye Stone
gave their dad time to finish the book. At Pearson Eduction, Roth
Wilkofsky provided editorial support; Joe Scordato supervised
the production of the book from manuscript to printer. Steve
Martel caught our (extremely few, of course) errors. If you have
suggestions, please send them to Photography Editor, Pearson
Education, 1 Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. They will
be sincerely welcomed.
Jim Stone
Barbara London
PRE FACE vii
5/21/14 1:50 PM
 Editor-in-Chief: Sarah Touborg
Senior Publisher: Roth Wilkofsky
Editorial Assistant: Christopher Fegan
Marketing Manager: Wendy Albert
Assistant Marketing Manager: Paige Patunas
Senior Managing Editor: Melissa Feimer
Production Project Manager: Joe Scordato
Program Manager: Barbara Cappuccio
Senior Operations Supervisor: Mary Fischer
Operations Specialist: Diane Peirano
Cover Designer: Kathryn Foot
Cover Art: © Steve Bloom/stevebloom.com
Senior Digital Media Director: David Alick
Media Project Manager: Amanda Smith
Digital Publishing Specialist: Corin Skidds
Full-Service Project Management: SPi-Global
Printer/Binder: The Courier Companies
Cover Printer: The Courier Companies

Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission,
in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text or on page 228.

Frontispiece: Teun Hocks, Untitled 2000

Courtesy of the artist and P•P•O•W Gallery, New York

Copyright © 2015, 2012, 2010 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America.
This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited
reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy-
ing, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson
Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request
to 201-236-3290.

This work is protected by United States copyright laws and is provided solely for the use of
instructors in teaching their courses and assessing student learning. Dissemination or sale of
any part of this work (including on the World Wide Web) will destroy the integrity of the work
and is not permitted. The work and materials from it should never be made available to students
except by instructors using the accompanying text in their classes. All recipients of this work are
expected to abide by these restrictions and to honor the intended pedagogical purposes and the
needs of other instructors who rely on these materials.

Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed
as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a
trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial caps or all caps.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Student Edition:
ISBN 10: 0-205-99825-9
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-99825-8

Instructor’s Review Copy:

ISBN 10: 0-205-99829-1
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-99829-6

A02_LOND8258_03_IRC.indd ii 5/21/14 1:51 PM

 ANNIE LEIBOVITZ Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Yo Yo Ma, 1998. Framing is a basic control you have in Getting your camera ready . . . . . . . . . 4
making a photograph. The two photographs on this page and
opposite are about music. Would you center your subject or
Focusing and setting the exposure . . . . 6
use a corner? Do you want action or repose? Black and white Exposure readout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
or color? Horizontal, vertical, or square? Candid or posed? Exposing images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Showing the subject’s front or back? More about What will you photograph? . . . . . . . . . 9
framing on pages 154–155.
Types of Cameras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Film cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Digital cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Basic Camera Controls . . . . . . . . . 14
More about Camera Controls . . . 16
Inside a digital single-lens
reflex camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 2
Shutter Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Affects light and motion . . . . . . . . . . 18
Use it creatively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Aperture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Affects light and depth of field . . . . . . 22
Use it creatively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Shutter Speed
and Aperture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Blur vs. depth of field . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Getting the Most from Your
Camera and Lens . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5/21/14 1:32 PM
 Camera 1
In this chapter you’ll learn…
• the basic controls of your camera and what they do.
• the categories of cameras, and their characteristics,
so you can choose the right one for your purposes.
• the first steps of getting a camera ready, focusing
A ll cameras have four things in common: an image-forming lens; a
light-sensitive surface (film or a digital sensor) to record the light that
forms an image; a light-tight container (the camera’s body) to keep
other light out; and two important controls to adjust the amount of picture-
making light (the exposure) that reaches the light-sensitive surface.
an image, and adjusting the camera’s settings.
This chapter describes those light controls and how you can take charge
of them, instead of letting them control you. Almost all current cameras
Project: are equipped with automatic exposure and automatic focus, and most have
automatic flash. If you are interested in making better pictures, however, you
EXPOSE SOME PICTURES should know how your camera makes its decisions, even if the automatic fea-
YOU WILL NEED tures can’t be turned off. If they can, you will want to override your camera’s
Camera. We suggest a single-lens reflex. automatic decisions from time to time and make your own choices.
Output. To evaluate your work, it’s good to
see exactly what you did. Your digital pictures ■ You may want to blur the motion of a moving subject or freeze its
can be viewed on the camera’s small monitor motion sharply. Pages 18–19 show how.
but they are easier to evaluate on a computer ■ You may want a scene sharp from foreground to background or the
screen. Pages 8 and 88 tell you how to download
photographs from your camera to a computer. foreground sharp but the background out of focus. See pages 44–45.
Once they are on a computer, your unedited ■ You may want to override your camera’s automatic focus mechanism so
photographs can also be displayed large with a that only a certain part of a scene is sharp. Page 43 tells when and how
digital projector or on a wide-screen television so
to do so.
you can easily see small details and imagine what
they might look like printed at a large size. If you ■ You may decide to silhouette a subject against a bright background, or
shoot 35mm film you can take it to the photo lab perhaps you want to make sure that you don’t end up with a
in a drug store or supermarket chain for overnight silhouette. See page 72.
processing and printing.
Most professional photographers use cameras with automatic features,
Pencil and notepad to keep track of what but they know how their cameras operate manually as well as automatically so
you do. Optional, but highly recommended for
all the projects.
they can choose which is best for a particular situation. You will want to do
the same because the more you know about how your camera operates, the
PROCEDURE See pages 4–9 if you are just better you will be able to get the results you want.
beginning to photograph. Those pages walk you
through the first steps of setting up your camera,
focusing an image sharply, adjusting the camera
settings so your photographs won’t be too light or
too dark, and making your first pictures. See pages
10–13 for more about the kinds of cameras.
Have some variety in the scenes when you
shoot. For example, photograph subjects near and
far, indoors and outside, in the shade and in the
sun. Photograph different types of subjects, such
as a portrait, a landscape, and an action scene.
Page 9 gives some suggestions.

HOW DID YOU DO? Which pictures did you

like best? Why? Were some different from what
you expected to get? Did some of your camera’s
operations cause confusion? It helps to read your
instruction book all the way through or to ask for
help from someone familiar with your camera.

David Scheinbaum. Erykah

Badu, Sunshine Theater, Albu-
querque, New Mexico, 2003.

M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 3 5/21/14 1:32 PM

 Getting Started
G E T T I NG YOUR C AM E R A R E A D Y
Film (in a film camera)
records the image The viewfinder shows
A camera’s main functions are to help you transmitted by the lens. the picture that the
lens will focus on the
view the scene so you can select what you want to
sensor or film.
photograph, focus to get the scene sharp where
you want it to be, and expose the picture so it is
not too light or too dark.
This illustration divides a camera in half so it
shows parts for both film and digital capture. For
more about specific cameras, see pages 10–13.

The lens moves forward and back to

bring objects at different distances
into sharp focus.

The memory card (in a

The shutter opens and
closes to limit the length
The aperture adjusts from larger (letting more of time that light strikes
light pass from the lens to the light-sensitive the light-sensitive surface.
surface) to smaller (letting less light pass).
The sensor (in a digital camera)
converts the light from the lens
into electrical signals that are sent
to the memory card.
digital camera) stores
images until they can be
printed or transferred
to a computer or other
storage device.

More about camera controls on pages 14–27.

Choose a Memory Card Select an ISO

CF (Compact Flash)

SD (Secure Digital)

Memory Stick

xD-Picture
Digital cameras store pictures on memory cards
that vary in capacity and speed. Because there
are several types that are not interchangeable,
make sure you have one that fits your camera.
ISO speed (100, 200, 400, and so on)
describes a sensor’s (or film’s) sensitivity to
light. The higher the number, the less light it
needs for a correct exposure (one that is not
too light or too dark). With a digital cam-
era, you may select an ISO setting within
that camera’s range. You may choose a dif-
ferent ISO for each picture. Lower numbers
will generally result in higher-quality pictures
(see Noise, page 75).
Set an ISO of 50 to 400 for shooting out-
doors in sunny conditions. In dimmer light,
such as indoors, use an ISO of 400 or high-
er. Film is made with a fixed ISO; an entire
roll must be exposed at that speed.

4 CAMERA

M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 4 5/21/14 1:32 PM

 Check the Batteries Insert a Memory Card Display the Menu

Make sure your camera’s batteries have a Open the options menu. Turn the camera
fresh charge. No digital cameras and on and press the button to display the menu
few film cameras will operate without on the camera’s monitor.
power. A half-empty symbol will let
you know when the battery is low.
Carry a fully-charged spare if you can.

Insert the memory card only with the

camera’s power turned off. Then turn on the
camera. Make sure you are using the right
kind of card for your camera; cards intended
for another camera may not operate cor-
rectly in yours.

Review the defaults. In your camera’s

manual, read through the list of settings
that can be changed by the operator. Decide
which of them you would like to change
Many cameras use proprietary battery
from the camera’s defaults, the way the
packs that must be recharged with the
camera’s options have been set by the
manufacturer’s matching charger. Some
factory.
compact cameras have built-in batteries that
limit your shooting while they recharge.

Keep cards protected when they are not in

the camera. Memory cards are vulnerable to
dust and moisture as well as magnetic fields,
heat, and shock.

Select a menu item with the control wheel

on the camera’s back, then use the jog dial
Some cameras use standard batteries (also on the back) to reveal a list of settings
that you can buy nearly anywhere. Most or choices for that item.
conventional sizes are available in money-
saving rechargeable versions.

CHAPTER 1 5

M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 5 5/21/14 1:32 PM

 Getting Started
FOCU S ING A ND SET T I N G T HE E X P O S U R E
Set Basic Menu Options
Select the file type and resolution. The
menu item may be called “image quality,”
because visual fidelity is affected by your
choice. A lower resolution or compressed file
lets you store more pictures on your memory
card, but at some loss of quality. Saving
pictures in the camera’s raw format, at its
highest resolution, keeps the quality highest.
Choose an ISO speed. It can be different
for each picture. Higher numbers let you
shoot in lower light but produce an image
with more noise (see page 75).
Incandescent Fluorescent
Sunlight Cloudy Shade
Select the white balance (color tempera-
ture) of the dominant light source in which
you are shooting, such as incandescent
(tungsten) bulbs, sunlight, or outdoor shade.
A camera set on automatic makes these ad-
justments for you. If your camera has a raw
format option, it leaves the white balance
choice until you edit the file.
More about ISO speed on page 75.
6 CAMERA
M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 6
Focus Set the Exposure
Focus on the most important part of your
scene to make sure it will be sharp in the
photograph. Practice focusing on objects at
different distances as you look through the
viewfinder so that you become familiar with
the way the camera focuses.
Ground glass
Focus Indicator
Manual focusing. As you look through
the viewfinder, rotate the focusing ring at
the front of the lens. The viewfinder of a
single-lens reflex camera has a ground-glass
screen that shows which parts of the scene
are most sharply focused. Some cameras
also have a microprism, a small ring at the
center of the screen in which an object ap-
pears coarsely dotted until it is focused. An
advanced or system DSLR may offer a choice To get a correctly exposed picture, one
of focusing screens. that is not too light (overexposed) or too
dark (underexposed), you—or the camera—
must set the shutter speed and the aperture
Shutter release according to the selected ISO sensitivity
button and how light or dark your subject is. The
Part way down: shutter speed determines the length of time
autofocus that light strikes the sensor; the aperture size
activated
determines how bright the light is that passes
All the way
down: shutter through the lens and shutter to the light-
released sensitive surface.
Automatic focusing. Usually this is done by
centering the focusing brackets (visible in the
middle of the viewfinder) on your subject as
you depress the shutter release part way. The
camera adjusts the lens for you to bring the
bracketed object into focus. Don’t push the
shutter release all the way down until you
are ready to take a picture.
More about shutter speed and aperture on pages
More about focus and when and how to override 18–27 and about exposure and
automatic focus on page 43. metering on pages 62–73.
5/21/14 1:32 PM

Exposure Readout
A data panel appears on the body of some
cameras, displaying shutter speed and aper-
ture settings (here, 1⁄250 sec. shutter speed,
f/16 aperture), as well as other information.
1000
500
250
125
60
30
15
8
4
2
1
16
The shutter speed and aperture settings
appear in the viewfinder of some cameras
(here, 1⁄250 sec. shutter speed, f/16 aperture).
A histogram is a very accurate reading
of exposure that most cameras can
display on the monitor after you take
each photograph. If your subject is not
moving or is otherwise cooperative, make
a test exposure of the scene first. Over- or
underexposed tests can be deleted. More
about histograms on pages 60–61.
M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 7
E X P O S U R E R EA DO U T
Automatically Setting
Manually Setting the Exposure the Exposure
IS0 100: Average subjects outdoors
With automatic exposure, the camera
Shutter speed 1/250 second
sets the shutter speed or aperture, or both,
Bright or hazy sun Bright or hazy sun for you.
on sand or snow (distinct shadows)
f/16 f/11*
Shutter speed 1/125 second
Weak, hazy sun Cloudy bright Open shade
(soft shadows) (no shadows) or heavy overcast
f/8 f/5.6 f/4
With programmed (fully automatic)
exposure, each time you press the shutter
release button, the camera automatically
*f/5.6 for backlighted close-up subjects. Subject shaded from meters the light, then sets both shutter
sun but lighted by a large area of sky.
speed and aperture.
With manual exposure, you set both the
shutter speed and aperture yourself. How
do you know which settings to use? At
the simplest level you can use a chart like
the one above. Decide what kind of light
illuminates the scene, and set the aperture
(the f-number shown on the chart) and the
shutter speed accordingly.
Notice that the recommended shutter
speed on the chart is 1⁄250 sec. or 1⁄125 sec.
These relatively fast shutter speeds make it
easier for you to get a sharp picture when With shutter-priority automatic exposure,
hand holding the camera (when it is not on you set the shutter speed and the camera
a tripod). At slow shutter speeds, such as sets the aperture. To prevent blur from
1⁄30 sec. or slower, the shutter is open long camera motion if you are hand holding the
enough for the picture to be blurred if you camera, select a shutter speed of 1⁄60 sec.
move the camera slightly during the exposure. or faster.
You can use a camera’s built-in meter
for manual exposure. Point the camera at
the most important part of the scene and
activate the meter. The viewfinder will show
whether the exposure is correct. If it isn’t,
change the shutter speed and/or aperture With aperture-priority automatic expo-
until it is. Here, plus numbers signal overex- sure, you set the aperture and the camera
posure, minus means underexposure. Lining sets the shutter speed. To keep the picture
up the red arrow with the dot in the center sharp when you hand hold the camera, check
indicates the exposure is right. that the shutter speed is 1⁄60 sec. or faster. If it
To prevent blur caused by the camera is not, set the aperture to a larger opening (a
moving during the exposure (if the camera is smaller f-number).
not on a tripod), select a shutter speed of at
least 1⁄60 sec. A shutter speed of 1⁄125 sec. is safer. More about how to override automatic
exposure on page 66.
CHAPTER 1 7
5/21/14 1:32 PM
 Getting Started
E XPOS ING IMA GE S
Hold the Camera Steady Expose Some Images Download the Pictures

Make an exposure. Recheck the focus and

For horizontal photographs (sometimes
called “landscape” mode), keep your arms
against your body to steady the camera.
Use your right hand to hold the camera
and your right forefinger to press the shut-
ter release. Use your left hand to help sup-
port the camera or to focus or make other
camera adjustments.
composition just before exposure. When
you are ready to take a picture, stabilize
your camera and yourself and gently press
the shutter release all the way down. Most
cameras prefocus automatically when you
press the shutter button halfway down. If
your subject cooperates, try several different
exposures of the same scene, perhaps from
different angles.
Transfer your pictures to another storage
device, usually a computer’s hard drive, at
the end of a day’s shooting or whenever you
want to review them in detail. This transfer
is called downloading. You can remove the
memory card and plug it into a card reader,
as shown above, or connect the camera and
computer directly with a cable, below. Some
cameras can transfer images wirelessly.

An LCD monitor shows exact framing

For vertical photographs (“portrait” mode),
support the camera from below in either
your right or left hand. Keep that elbow
against your body to steady the camera.
and lets you check to see that the picture is
not too light or too dark after you take it.
Most digital cameras will also let you zoom
in the monitor display on a small part of the
picture to check precise focus.

Download your pictures directly to a

A tripod steadies the camera for you and
lets you use slow shutter speeds for night
scenes or other situations when the light
is dim. Make sure to use a cable release,
remote trigger, or self-timer with it.
You’ll learn faster if you keep a record as
you are shooting. Digital cameras automati-
cally save camera and exposure informa-
tion—like the aperture, shutter speed, and
ISO—and store it with each picture. But it
helps to note the reasons for those choices:
the way a subject was moving, for example,
or the direction and quality of light. This will
let you identify the paths to your successful
images and help you make great pictures
more often.
computer if it’s convenient. If you are
shooting on location you can transfer
them to a portable hard drive or other
device made for reading cards. Don’t
erase the memory card until you are sure
all your images are secure and—if pos-
sible—duplicated in at least two places.
You can delete unwanted images from
the card using the camera, but—unless
you are running out of room on the card
during a shoot—it is safer to save that ed-
iting step until after all your images have
been downloaded.

8 CAMERA

M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 8 5/21/14 1:32 PM


Bob Simons
Where do you start? One place to start is
by looking around through the viewfinder.
A subject often looks different isolated in
a viewfinder than it does when you see it
surrounded by other objects. What inter-
ests you about this scene? What is it that
you want to make into a photograph?
Kyle Bajakian
Try a different angle. Instead of always
shooting from normal eye-level height, try
getting up high and looking down on your
subject or kneeling and looking up.
Karl Baden
Karl Baden
Check the lighting. At first, you are more
likely to get a good exposure if you photo-
graph a more or less evenly lit scene, not
one where the subject is against a very light
background, such as a bright sky.
More about lighting on pages 134–151.
M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 9
WHAT W I L L Y O U P HO TO G R A P H ?
Get closer (usually). Often people photo- you more interested in the person cooking?
graph from too far away. What part of the Do you want the whole wall of a building,
scene attracted you? Do you want to see or was it only the graffiti on it that caught
the whole deck, the whole back yard, or are your attention?
Look at the background (and the fore- the setting? Is there a distraction (like bright
ground). How does your subject relate to sunlight or a sign directly behind someone’s
its surroundings? Do you want the subject head) that you could avoid by changing
centered or off to one side to show more of position? Take a look.
More about backgrounds and the image frame on
pages 154–157.
Ray K. Metzker
Don’t be afraid to experiment, too. resulting photograph, darker parts of the
Include a bright light source or bright sky scene may appear completely black, or the
in the picture (just don’t stare directly at subject itself may be silhouetted against a
the sun through the viewfinder). In the brighter background.
CHAPTER 1 9
5/21/14 1:32 PM
 Types of Cameras
F ILM C A ME R A S

What kind of cam-For know about because

many elements of these
tographers used larger
roll film. Recent SLRs
is not in focus. As you
rotate the focusing
era is best for you?
occasional snapshots of designs have been incor- incorporate automatic ring, the split image
family and friends, an porated into their digi- exposure, automatic comes together when
inexpensive, completely tal counterparts. focus, and automatic the object is focused
automatic, nonadjust- flash but allow manual
able camera that you Single-lens reflex cameras control. Many different
just point and shoot will (SLRs) show you a scene interchangeable lenses
probably be satisfactory. directly through the for SLRs are available.
But if you have become lens, so you can preview Digital SLRs (DSLRs)
interested enough in what will be recorded. resemble their 35mm
photography to take a You can see exactly what film ancestors. Some
class or buy a book, you the lens is focused on; SLR cameras made
will want an adjustable with some cameras, you for 2¼-inch-wide roll
camera because it will can check the depth of film (called medium-
give you greater creative field (how much of the format) may be used
control. If you buy a scene from foreground with accessory digital
camera with automatic to background will be capture backs. Digital-
features, make sure it is sharp). Through-the- only models, also called
one that allows you to lens viewing is a definite medium-format, are also
manually override them advantage with telepho- available. Rangefinder Film Camera
when you want to make to lenses, for close-ups, SLRs have long been
exposure and focus or for any work when very popular with profes- sharply. Rangefinder
choices yourself. you want a precise view sionals, such as photo- cameras let you focus
of a scene. journalists or fashion precisely, even in dim
Film camera designs Very early SLRs used photographers, or with light, but you cannot
evolved as tools for spe- large glass plates or film anyone who wants to visually assess the depth
cific tasks, and followed sheets but since the move beyond making of field because all parts
the slow evolution of 1950s almost all were snapshots. of the scene, even the
film (see Chapter 10, made to accept 35mm split image, look equally
pages 184–186). Here film. A few models Rangefinder cameras are sharp in the viewfinder.
are the major styles, aimed at (and priced viewfinder film cameras. Because the viewfind-
which are useful to for) professional pho- This means they have er is in a different posi-
a peephole, or window, tion from the lens that
separate from the lens, exposes the film, you do
through which you view not see exactly what the
the scene. Inexpensive lens sees. This difference
“point-and-shoot” view- between the viewfinder
finder cameras simply image and the lens
show the approximate image is called parallax
framing through the error, and is greater for
window. A rangefinder objects that are closer
camera is more complex, to the camera. Better
with a visual focusing rangefinder cameras cor-
system that you use as rect for parallax error
you look through the and have interchange-
viewfinder window. The able lenses, although
window shows a split usually not in as many
image when an object focal lengths as are avail-
Single-lens Reflex Camera

10 CAMERA

M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 10 5/21/14 1:32 PM

 able for SLRs. Most use
35mm film; some (called
medium format) are
for wider roll film, few
are digital. Rangefinder
cameras are fast, reliable,
quiet in operation, and
relatively small.
parallax error and a
viewfinder image that is
reversed left to right. A
few now-discontinued
TLRs had interchange-
able lenses; adjustments
on all models are com-
pletely manual.
Filipe N. Marques
Each film exposure
is made on a separate
sheet, so you can make
one shot in color and
the next in black and
white, or develop each
sheet differently. Film
size is large—4 × 5 inch-
es and larger—for crisp
and sharp detail even in
a big print.
Using a view camera
can be a more consid-
ered process because
they are slow to use
compared to smaller
hand-held cameras. They
are large and heavy and
must be mounted on a
tripod. The image on the
viewing screen is upside

down, and it is usually View Camera

Twin-lens Reflex Camera
Twin-lens reflex cam-
eras (TLRs), except for
a couple novelty “retro”
digital versions, are all
film cameras. New ones
are made by only two
companies, but second-
hand models are widely
available. They cannot
easily be adapted to digi-
tal capture. Each camera
has two lenses: one for
viewing the scene and
another just below it
that exposes the film.
A large film format
(2¼ inches square) is
the TLR’s advantage.
Its disadvantages are
View cameras have a lens
in the front, a ground-
glass viewing screen in
the back, and a flexible,
accordion-like bellows in
between. The camera’s
most valuable feature is
its adjustability: the cam-
era’s parts can be moved
freely in relation to each
other, which lets you alter
perspective and sharpness
to suit each scene. You
can change lenses and
even the camera’s back;
for example, you can
attach a back to use self-
developing film or one to
record a digital image.
so dim that you have
to put a focusing cloth
over your head and the
screen to see the image
clearly. When you want
complete control of an
image, such as for archi-
tectural or product pho-
tography or for personal
work, the view camera’s
advantages outweigh
what some might see as
inconveniences.
Some cameras are made
to fill a specialized need.
Panoramic cameras
make a long, narrow
photograph that can be
effective, for example,
with landscapes. Some
of these cameras crop
out part of the normal
image rectangle to make
a panoramic shape.
Others use a wider-than-
normal section of roll
film; some may rotate the button when moved
the lens from side to side across a scene.
during the exposure. Stereo or 3-D cameras
Digital panoramas take two pictures at the
can be made during same time through two
editing by stitching sev- side-by-side lenses. The
eral individual frames resulting pair of images,
together, either from a stereograph, gives the
digital capture or from illusion of three dimen-
scanned film, so special- sions when seen in a
purpose panoramic stereo viewer.
cameras are no longer Underwater cam-
common. Some digital eras are not only for
cameras can display a use underwater but for
segment of the previous any situation in which
frame on the side of the a camera is likely to
monitor to help align get wet. Some cam-
the next shot for more eras are water resistant,
seamless reassembly rather than usable
later. Other cameras underwater. Specially-
(and smart phones) have made underwater hous-
a “sweep” mode that can ings are available for
capture a panoramic professional use or larger
image with one press of camera models.

CHAPTER 1 11

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 Types of Cameras
D IG IT A L C A ME R A S
D igital camera designs
are continually evolving
and the array of avail-
able models can be over-
whelming. With so many
options, you can usually
choose a camera based
on the combination
of features you need,
but you may have to
compromise. To get the
most out of this book
(and your photography)
choose a camera that
offers you the option to
control focus and expo-
sure manually.
Compact Camera
Size is often the first con-
sideration in choosing
a camera. Your camera
shouldn’t be so large or
so small that it gets in
the way of your photog-
raphy.
Digital single-lens reflex
(DSLR) cameras are the
most versatile choice but
they are big enough that
you’ll probably carry one
only when you are mean-
ing to use it. Professional
models can be relatively
heavy, but taking even
the smallest and light-
12 CAMERA
M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 12
est SLR out for a walk
requires a shoulder strap
or camera bag. Using
one in public suggests to
others that you are not a
casual snapshooter, that
you are photographing
seriously.
Compact cameras are
mostly designed for
amateur photographers
but vary considerably in Subcompact Camera
quality. The smaller the
camera, the more likely anywhere, any time. onto a mirror and then
its features will be lim- But image quality and to your eye through a
ited. Some compacts are features often compare pentaprism (see page 17)
good enough to be used poorly to larger cameras. so you see what the lens
Few subcompacts allow sees. Because the view-
manual control. finder is held to your
eye, it is relatively easy
Lens. Do you need inter- to follow action. But
changeable lenses? One the mirror must swing
common characteristic out of the way for the
of a camera made for moment of exposure, so
serious photographers is you don’t actually see
that a wide assortment the exact image you have
of lenses can be attached. captured. And the mir-
An arsenal of specialized ror’s motion can cause
lenses can be expensive unwanted vibration that
to acquire and cumber- causes slight blurring.
some to carry. A fixed Mirrorless cameras
lens may be all you need, most often have a small
by professionals when especially if it is a zoom monitor or LCD screen
they don’t want to carry that covers the range on the back of the cam-
a larger camera; some you’d expect to use (see era that displays what
are made to be used a pages 32–33). the lens is seeing,
few times and then set transmitted directly
aside. Compact digital Viewing system. The from the image
cameras are a bit too purpose of a camera’s sensor. This
large and heavy for most viewing system is to let image, called
pockets, but fit well in you frame and preview, live view, is used
a small shoulder bag as accurately as possible, for framing
along with your phone the photograph you are and focusing,
and sunglasses. about to capture. and is replaced
Subcompact digital A single-lens reflex momentarily
cameras can be carried camera projects the with a view of each Medium-format Digital SLR
in a pocket so you are image-forming light captured image imme-
ready to make pictures directly from your lens diately after being taken.
5/21/14 1:32 PM
 The monitor on some lessly to a computer as
cameras is articulated, or you shoot. Some cam-
tiltable, for viewing from eras can be remotely
unusual angles, such as controlled with built-in
overhead or waist level. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or
Mirrorless cameras infrared receivers. Many
may have an electronic cameras will capture
viewfinder, or EVF. This video, some at very high
viewfinder is a smaller quality levels. They have
version of the LCD built-in microphones to
monitor that is located record sound and many
inside the camera. It allow external micro-
can be seen when hold- phones to be connected.
ing the camera to your To record an active
Mirrorless EVF Camera
eye rather than at arm’s lifestyle, there are action
length. SLR-style mirror- print. Generally, to keep Larger sensors are made sports cameras that are
less cameras have a char- the same image quality, for medium-format digi- waterproof, shock resis-
acteristic pentaprism; the larger the print, the tal cameras, priced for tant, and can be helmet
other cameras resemble higher the resolution well-paid professional or surfboard mounted.
rangefinder film cam- needed (see page 55). If photographers. Some
eras with the EVF vis- you aren’t planning to common sensor sizes Cell phone cameras now
ible through a peephole make large prints, you smaller than full frame outnumber all other
located in a corner of the probably don’t need the are (in decending order types by a wide mar-
camera’s back. highest megapixel count. of size) APS-C, Four- gin, and they capture
An EVF display can Thirds, 2/3”, 1/1.8” (see a majority of the pho-
be made lighter and Sensor size also affects the chart on page 45). tographs made daily,
darker to compensate image quality. A 12MP worldwide. Most take
for the brighness of a sensor can be physically Other features may be only low-resolution
scene or for setting dif- large or small. If it is a factor in your choice. images and allow the
ferent apertures (page small, to have the same Most cameras have a user no control other
22). Some cameras can number of individual built-in flash for use in than where it points and
show in the viewfinder light-sensing elements as dim light. A few have when it shoots, but the
an outline of the areas a large 12MP sensor, the built-in Wi-Fi that can best camera is always the
of best focus, sometimes elements must also be transfer image files wire- one you have with you.
called focus peaking. smaller and more tightly
packed. The larger and
Resolution. The maxi- less crowded these ele-
mum number of pixels ments are on the sensor,
a camera’s sensor will the higher the quality
capture is called its of the image (see noise,
resolution. A camera, page 75). Most subcom-
for example, may be pact cameras have very
12, 16, or 24 megapix- small sensors and, there-
els (MP). An image file fore, produce images of
captured by almost any somewhat lower quality.
current digital camera A sensor the same
can make a satisfac- size as a 35mm film
tory letter-size (8½ × 11) frame is called full frame.

CHAPTER 1 13

M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 13 5/21/14 1:32 PM

 Basic Camera Controls
G et the pictures you want. Cameras don’t
quite “see” the way the human eye does, so at
first the pictures you get may not be the ones you
expected. This book will help you gain control
over the picture-making process by showing you
how to see the way the camera does and how to
use the camera’s controls to make the picture
you have in mind. Digital cameras are shown
here. A film camera will have some or all of these
same controls.

Control dial

Shutter release
button

Data panel
Controls and data panels appear on both
this entry-level single-lens reflex camera Focusing ring for
(above) and the more sophisticated “system” manual focusing
camera (right) aimed at professionals. Both
can be equipped with a wide variety of special-
purpose lenses and accessories. Push-buttons
and dials let you select the shutter speed (the Interchangeable lens
length of time the shutter remains open) and
the aperture (the size of the opening inside the
lens). With either camera, you can exchange
one lens for another. Top-of-the-line cameras
often do not have built-in flash.

On these fully-automatic cameras, you

can press the shutter release and have the
camera automatically focus the lens (autofo-
cus) and set the shutter speed and aperture
(autoexposure). When you want to choose
camera settings yourself, you can manually
override the automatic functions.

14 CAMERA

M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 14 5/21/14 1:32 PM

 Focusing. Through the viewfinder window you see the scene
that will be recorded, including the sharpest part of the scene,
the part on which the camera is focused. A particular part of a
scene can be focused sharply by manually turning the focusing
ring on the lens, or you can let an autofocus camera adjust the
lens automatically. More about focusing and sharpness appears
on pages 42–45.

Keith Johnson
Shutter-speed control.
Moving objects can be shown
crisply sharp, frozen in mid-
motion, or blurred either a
little bit or a lot. The faster
the shutter speed, the sharper
the moving object will appear.
Turn to pages 18–19 for
information about shutter
speeds, motion, and blur.

Aperture control. Do you

want part of the picture sharp
and part out of focus or do
you want the whole picture
sharp from foreground to
back-ground? Changing the
size of the aperture (the lens
opening) is one way to control
sharpness. The smaller the
aperture, the more of the
picture that will be sharp.
See pages 22–25.

Lens focal length. Your

lens’s focal length controls
the size of objects in a scene
and how much of that scene
is shown. The longer the
focal length, the larger the
objects will appear. See
pages 32–39 for more about
focal length.

CHAPTER 1 15

M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 15 5/21/14 1:32 PM

 More about Camera Controls
A utomatic exposure is a basic feature in
almost all cameras. The purpose is to let in a
controlled amount of light so that the result-
ing image is neither too light nor too dark. The
camera’s built-in meter measures the brightness
of the scene and then sets shutter speed, aperture
(lens opening), or both in order to let the right
amount of light reach the camera’s recording
sensor (or the film in a film camera). As you
become more experienced, you will want to set
the exposure manually in certain cases, instead
of always relying on the camera. More about
exposure in Chapter 3, pages 60–73.
You have a choice of exposure modes with
many cameras. Read your camera’s instruction
manual to find out which exposure features your
model has and how they work. You may be able to
download a replacement manual from the manu-
facturer’s Web site, if you don’t have one.
With programmed (fully automatic) exposure,
the camera selects both the shutter speed and the
aperture based on a program built into the cam-
era by the manufacturer. This automatic opera-
Exposure information appears in the viewfinder of many cam-
eras. This viewfinder shows the shutter speed (here, 1⁄250 sec.)
and aperture (f/5.6). Displays also show you when the flash is
ready to fire and give you warnings of under- or overexposure.
16 CAMERA
M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 16
tion can be useful in rapidly changing situations
because it allows you simply to respond to the
subject, focus, and shoot.
In shutter-priority mode, you set the shut-
ter speed and the camera automatically sets the
correct aperture. This mode is useful when the
motion of subjects is important, as at sport-
ing events, because the shutter speed determines
whether moving objects will be sharp or blurred.
In aperture-priority mode, you set the lens
opening and the camera automatically sets the
shutter speed. This mode is useful when you want
to control the depth of field (the sharpness of the
image from foreground to background) because
the size of the lens opening is a major factor
affecting sharpness.
Manual exposure is also a choice with many
automatic cameras. You set both the lens open-
ing and shutter speed yourself using, if you wish,
the camera’s built-in light meter to measure the
brightness of the light.
1000
ï 250
60
15
8
1
5.6
Some cameras also have a data panel on the body of the
camera that shows the same information—shutter speed and ap-
erture—as well as exposure, autofocus, and ISO modes and the
number of exposures remaining on the memory card (here 123).
5/21/14 1:32 PM
 INS IDE A DI G I T A L S I N G L E -L E N S R E F L E X C A M ER A
All cameras have the same basic features:
■ A light-tight box to hold the camera parts and a
recording sensor or film
■ A viewing system that lets you aim the camera
accurately
■ A lens to form an image and a mechanism to
focus it sharply
■ A shutter and lens aperture to control the amount
of light that reaches the recording surface
■ A means to hold a memory card that saves its
captured information or to hold and advance film
A. Body. The light-tight box that contains the cam-
era’s mechanisms and protects the light-sensitive
surface (sensor or film) from exposure to light until
you are ready to make a photograph.
B. Lens. Focuses an image in the viewfinder and on
the light-sensitive recording surface.
C. Lens elements. The optical glass lens components
that produce the image.
D. Focusing ring. Turning the ring focuses the
image by adjusting the distance of the lens from
the recording surface. Some cameras focus
automatically.
E. Diaphragm. A circle of overlapping leaves inside
the lens that adjusts the size of the aperture (lens
opening). It opens up to increase (or closes down
to decrease) the amount of light reaching the
recording surface.
F. Aperture ring or button. Setting the ring or turn-
ing a command dial (O) determines the size of the
diaphragm during exposure.
G. Mirror. During viewing, the mirror reflects light
from the lens upward onto the viewing screen.
During an exposure, the mirror swings out of the way
so light can pass straight to the recording surface.
H. Viewing screen. A ground-glass (or similar) surface
on which the focused image appears.
I. Pentaprism. A five-sided optical device that
reflects the image from the viewing screen into the
viewfinder.
J. Metering cell. Measures the brightness of the scene
being photographed.
K. Viewfinder eyepiece. A window through which the
image from the pentaprism is visible.
L. Shutter. Keeps light from the recording surface
until you are ready to take a picture. Pressing the
shutter release opens and closes the shutter to let a
measured amount of light reach the sensor.
M. Sensor. A grid (usually called a CCD or CMOS
array or chip) comprising millions of tiny light-sen-
M01_LOND8258_03_SE.indd 17
N
P Q
J
A
O R
I
T K
F
D H
G
B L
M
S
E
C
sitive electronic devices (photosites) that record the A simplified look inside
image. The ISO (or light sensitivity) of the sensor is a digital single-lens reflex
adjustable, and is set into the camera by a dial or camera or DSLR (designs
menu setting. vary in different models).
The camera takes its name
N. Data panel. A display (most often an LCD screen)
from its single lens (another
for such information as shutter speed, aperture,
kind of reflex film camera
ISO, exposure and metering modes, and the num-
has two lenses) and from its
ber of exposures remaining on the memory card.
reflection of light upward
O. Command dial. Selects the shutter speed, the for viewing the image.
length of time the shutter remains open. On some
models, it also sets the mode of automatic expo-
sure operation. In some locations, it is called a
thumbwheel or jog dial.
P. Shutter release. A button that activates the expo-
sure sequence in which the aperture adjusts, the
mirror rises, the shutter opens, light strikes the
recording surface, and the shutter closes.
Q. Hot shoe. A bracket that attaches a flash unit to
the camera and provides an electrical linking that
synchronizes camera and flash.
R. Mode dial. Sets a manual or one of several auto-
matic exposure modes. On film cameras, a crank
to rewind an exposed roll of film may be located
here. Most new film cameras rewind automatically.
S. Cable connections. Plug in cables that, for exam-
ple, connect external power or a computer, or con-
trol the camera remotely.
T. Memory card. Stores image files. May be erased
and reused; capacity varies. Can be removed to
facilitate transferring files to a computer or other
storage device.
CHAPTER 1 17
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 CHAPTER XX.
The Ship becomes as leaky as before.—All hands in turn at the Pumps.—Means
adopted to reduce the Leaks.—I offend the late Governor, who orders me
before the Mast.—Fall in with the Thisbe a second time, in company with
several Transports.—Unhappy fate of one of them.—Arrive at Spithead.

Having resumed our voyage with a favouring breeze, and the ship
being, to all appearance, tight and sea-worthy, with a pretty ample
supply of wet and dry provisions, our prospects were now a little
more cheering; and I looked forward with innate satisfaction to the
moment when I should set my foot on English ground, free from the
horrors attending a state of bondage, and at liberty to realize the
ideas I had formed of atoning to society, and to my own conscience
for the manifold errors of my past life.
We had, however, the mortification to find that the repairs the ship
had undergone at Rio de Janeiro, had only produced a temporary
effect; for shortly after leaving that port, the ship again began to leak,
and in a few days made as much water as before. The consequence
was that all hands, except officers, were obliged to take their turn at
the pumps, and it was only by pumping her out every watch that she
could be kept free. I, of course, took my spell at this necessary but
fatiguing labour during the day, without murmuring; but I was not
disturbed in the night, which, indeed, I considered would have been
unfair, as I was on duty all day. The carpenter found, on inspection,
that the principal leak was occasioned by some part of the stem
being loose, where there was a large aperture some feet under
water. Every exertion was made, by lightening her forwards, and
applying what is termed a fothering mat to her bows, to remedy this
evil, but without effect; for the working of the ship occasioned every
particle of the stuffing used on such occasions to wash out
immediately. This expedient, indeed, at first, promised to succeed to
admiration, for it decreased the leak from sixteen to ten inches an
hour; but the experiment was made in a calm, and the first rough
weather undid all that had been done. It was now discovered that
certain parts of the stem, called the fore-hoods, were loose, which
occasioned the principal leak; and this was so far under water, that it
was impossible to repair the defect while the ship was afloat. In fact,
she was altogether in a very decayed state, being an old ship, and
having endured much severe service; so that having now a voyage
of three months before us, and reason to expect bad weather, as we
should approach the English channel in the winter season, those
who were best able to form an opinion entertained serious doubts of
the ship’s capability to perform the voyage; however, these doubts
were not suffered to transpire publicly, and every precaution, which
the experience of Captain King and his officers could dictate, was
made use of. The stem, of the vessel, being the most defective part,
was first secured, by passing very strong ropes over her bows, and
under her keel, which were then boused taut athwart the fore-castle,
and there made fast, in order to lash her bows together; for some
fears existed that by the violent working of the ship in a head sea,
her bows would absolutely part asunder! That she might be strained
as little as possible, it was also determined not to carry a press of
sail on the boltsprit when sailing on a wind. In this manner we
continued our course for several weeks, without any incident worthy
of notice; we had upon the whole pretty favourable winds, but as we
approached the equator they were interrupted by occasional calms.
On the 17th of September, we crossed the equinoctial line, with
the usual ceremonies, in which every officer and passenger cordially
joined, and not a single person (the ladies and Captain King
excepted,) escaped a complete ducking. The weather being
delightfully fine, with a light and favourable breeze, every one was in
high spirits, and the rites of Neptune having been celebrated in due
form, a plentiful allowance of grog succeeded, which, by wetting the
inside, made ample amends for the salt-water baptism, which all
hands had mutually and liberally bestowed on each other without
respect to rank or persons. This was a remarkable day with me, for
on this day my original term of transportation expired. This event
naturally produced a train of reflections in my mind. I took a
retrospect of the miseries and vicissitudes I had undergone within
the last seven years, and I returned fervent thanks to Heaven for my
deliverance from exile, and for the unlimited freedom which I
expected shortly to regain. But, alas! I was soon to experience
another reverse, which, as it was both unexpected and unmerited,
fell with the greater weight upon me: and thus it happened.
Hitherto, as I have before observed, I was not called upon in the
night to take my spell at the pumps, but a few days after our crossing
the line, by what accident I knew not, I was desired by the
boatswain’s mate of the watch, to turn out in the middle of a wet and
windy night, and pump ship. As remonstrance with such a fellow as
this would have availed nothing, I complied; but the next day took an
opportunity of acquainting Captain King, and requested he would
give directions that I should not be disturbed in future. To my great
surprise, however, he informed me, that I had been called upon by
his express orders, and that he was ignorant till that very night of my
being excused from the duty of pumping, but had taken for granted
that I always took my spell. I replied to this by submitting in the most
respectful terms, that as I was employed in writing, &c., from
morning till night, and also assisted in pumping the ship every watch,
it was but fair that I should sleep every night, as all persons under
the denomination of “Idlers” invariably do in king’s ships. Captain
King rejoined that the emergency of the case required every one to
assist; that he had given orders to have no idler or other person
excused, and that he should therefore insist on my compliance. I
observed that he grew warm towards the end of this conference,
though I had preserved the respect due to him, in all I had said;
however, as I was conscious of being in the right, I ventured to hint
that the situation in which I stood, being only a passenger not
belonging to the ship, receiving neither pay nor even the allowance
of spirits common to the meanest cabin-boy in the service, and
which was essentially necessary to support the united hardships of
labour and inclement weather; that all these considerations might, I
submitted, entitle me to some distinction from the class of persons
called idlers, who actually belonged to the ship; and I concluded with
an intimation that the emergency of the case could not be so great
as that my feeble assistance could not be dispensed with, as the
ship was always freed from water with ease in half an hour, and not
one of his (Captain King’s,) domestic servants, who were stout able
men, (five or six in number,) and all receiving pay from the ship, were
ever called upon at all in the night, and but rarely in the day. The
justice of my remonstrances appeared to have exasperated Captain
King, who was of a very irascible temper, and he at length worked
himself up into a violent rage, the consequence of which was (as
usual with him,) a torrent of abuse; and as I knew by experience that
it was in vain to attempt pacifying him, when in this mood, I quitted
the cabin, and retired to my birth between decks. About an hour
after, as I was sitting on my chest ruminating on the unpleasant
situation in which I was placed, and heartily wishing for the moment
which was to free me from a state of dependence, I was accosted by
a master’s mate, who informed me it was Captain King’s orders that I
should do my duty in the larboard watch of the after-guard, and that I
was to be mustered with the watch at eight o’clock the same night. I
now clearly saw the malevolence of Captain King’s designs, and the
illiberal advantage he was about to take of my helpless and
dependent situation. I nevertheless cheerfully obeyed his orders, and
that night kept what is termed the first watch, (from eight to twelve,)
two hours of which I was stationed at the lee-wheel. At twelve o’clock
I retired to my hammock, and was no more interrupted till eight the
next morning, soon after which I was summoned to the cabin of
Captain Houston, the acting commander of the Buffalo under
Captain King, who, on my appearing before him, inquired abruptly, “if
I chose to enter?” I was not surprised at this question, as I had
foreseen in what manner Captain King intended to act, in order to
place me more immediately in his power, and to give him an
authority over me, which as I was before situated he did not
possess. Being, therefore, prepared for such a question, and
knowing the nature of the service, I answered Captain Houston in
the affirmative. The latter then ordered me to attend the captain’s
clerk, and get myself duly entered on the ship’s books. This I
accordingly did, and now found myself suddenly placed in the
capacity of a common sailor on board a king’s ship; and it being war
time, I had before me the disheartening prospect of being drafted, on
our arrival in England, on board some other ship, (without a probable
chance of once setting my foot on shore,) and of being perhaps
immediately ordered abroad to some foreign station from which I
might not return for several years. My motive for voluntarily entering
was this: I was aware that had I refused to do so it was in the power
of Captain King to press me against my will, and I doubt not but such
was his intention. In the latter case I should have been entered as a
pressed man, which might have operated at a future day against my
obtaining leave to go ashore, and by that means effect my escape;
whereas I was now entered as a volunteer, and became entitled to a
small bounty. I am persuaded the reader will view this conduct of
Captain King’s in a very unfavourable light; as I had really been
guilty of no crime, it was taking a most cruel and illiberal advantage
of the power he had over me. Having released me from a state of
banishment, and taken me into his service on the terms he did,
without any immediate compensation, he had of course left me every
reason to expect, not only my liberty at the end of the voyage, but
also his future countenance and protection. Besides, the reader will
remember that he had declined putting me on the ship’s books when
I first joined her at Port Jackson, in which case I should have had
nine months’ pay to receive on my subsequent arrival in England,
and should have also had a daily allowance of spirits during the
passage, for want of which I had suffered much in the cold climate
and severe weather we encountered; instead of which, and after I
had actually become a free-man by servitude, he had forced me into
what may be termed a second bondage, almost equally irksome with
the first, and that too when within six weeks of the end of our
voyage. However, as I am of opinion with Shakspeare, that

“Things without remedy should be without regard.”

I bore up with fortitude against this unexpected reverse of fortune;

and, conscious of its being unmerited, made no attempt to avert the
blow by mean submission, to which I could not stoop. I therefore
cheerfully took my watch on deck, and, when not so engaged,
amused myself below with a book, or in ruminating (as usual with
me,) on the instability of human affairs, and the vicissitudes of my
own life in particular. It was not the least of my consolations in this
distress, that I received every day at noon half a pint of excellent
rum, with a dram of which I fortified myself occasionally during the
night watches, for as we approached the channel of Old England, we
once more experienced a sudden change of climate, and the
weather became intensely cold.
About a fortnight after the event I have just related, Captain King,
finding I was perfectly reconciled to my new duty, and that I offered
no apology, as he perhaps expected I would, sent for me one
morning, and ordered me to attend in the cabin every day at nine
o’clock, for the purpose of writing as usual. As I did not conceive
myself justified in refusing, I complied, and paid every attention to his
commands. The boatswain’s mates, understanding how I was again
employed, desisted from calling me up to pump ship for several
nights; when by some means Captain King hearing of this fact,
actually gave orders that I should regularly turn out as well as the
other idlers. This I considered such a proof of his determined wish to
oppress and harass me, that I ventured a second remonstrance on
the subject; when he again fell into a violent rage, and cautioned me
not to offend him by a repetition of (what he termed,) my insolence,
reminding me that it was now in his power to flog me, though it was
not before!
He concluded with saying, that he left it to my choice either to write
for him during the day, and take my turn at pumping in the night, or
to do my duty before the mast entirely, and keep my watch in
common with the rest of the crew. I made no hesitation in replying,
that, with his permission, I should prefer doing my duty on deck. To
this he assenting, I made my bow and withdrew. Here ended my
functions in the clerical capacity with Captain King. From this day I
never wrote a line for him; and thus was I rewarded for my past
services. To shew the inconsistency of this treatment, I will just quote
a line from the pardon granted me by himself, when Governor of
New South Wales. In documents of this description, it is
indispensably required to state the grounds, or motives, which
induce the Governor to exercise the power vested in him by His
Majesty’s instructions. The blank left for that purpose, was thus filled
up, “I, Philip Gidley King, Esquire, Captain general, &c. &c., taking
into consideration the good conduct of James Vaux, and to enable
him to serve as my clerk on board His Majesty’s ship Buffalo, Do
hereby absolutely remit, &c.”
Just before we entered the channel, we had the singular fortune to
fall in a second time with the Thisbe frigate, in company with three
sail of transports. On speaking, we ascertained that the latter vessels
had on board a part of the army, lately under the command of
General Whitelocke in the Rio de la Plata, and who had survived the
ill-managed and fatal attack upon Buenos Ayres. We also learnt that
the general himself had been put under arrest for his deficiency and
misconduct on that occasion, and was now on his voyage home to
answer for the same. Captain King now represented to the agent on
board one of these transports, the distressed state of the Buffalo,
and requested the aid of some soldiers to assist in pumping her, as
the leaks daily grew more alarming. Forty privates were accordingly
put on board us, and we continued our voyage in company with the
transports, the Thisbe having outsailed us. About the 5th of
November we made the land, which proved the coast of Cornwall,
near Falmouth. We proceeded along shore to the eastward, and on
the 8th came to an anchor at Spithead, (after a passage of nine
months from port Jackson,) in company with two of the transports,
but the third was missing. We had afterwards the melancholy
information that this vessel (the John and Elizabeth,) had been
wrecked during the preceding night, having struck upon some rocks
in consequence of her keeping too near the shore; and it blowing a
fresh gale, she went to pieces, when upwards of three hundred
persons unhappily perished.
 CHAPTER XXI.
Captain King leaves the Ship, which proceeds to Portsmouth Harbour.—My
melancholy Reflections on my Confinement to the Service.—Preparations for
paying off the Buffalo.—Employed by the Purser in arranging the Ship’s
Books.—Write to London, and receive an answer from my Mother. Obtain
leave to go ashore very unexpectedly, and effect my Escape through the
friendly aid of a total Stranger.

The anchor was no sooner down, than the cutter was hoisted out,
in which Captain King went ashore and immediately proceeded post
to London. The following day the Buffalo weighed, and sailed into
Portsmouth harbour, where she was lashed alongside a hulk near
the shore, and preparations instantly made for clearing and
dismantling her, preparatory to her survey and expected
condemnation. Those persons who had obtained a passage on
various accounts, and were not on the ship’s books, were now
permitted to dis-embark, and depart to their respective homes. I now
felt the full weight of the misery in which I was involved. After an
absence of nearly seven years from my native land, to enjoy once
more the sight of that much-loved spot, and when within a hundred
yards of the shore, to be debarred from a nearer approach, was
mortifying in the extreme, and my situation could only be compared
to that of Tantalus in the Heathen mythology. The purser was now
busily intent upon making up the Buffalo’s books, to be transmitted to
the Navy-office, previous to her being paid, and her crew drafted into
other ships. As these accounts were extensive, and required both
care and expedition, Mr. Sherard, the purser, requested that I would
assist the captain’s clerk of the ship in their arrangement, for which
he obtained the sanction of Captain Houston, promising to reward
me for my trouble. I was now excused from all other duty, and
immediately set about the required task with alacrity, conceiving
hopes that I might by this compliance facilitate my grand object of
escaping from the ship. By dint of unremitting assiduity we
completed the whole of the accounts in about a fortnight, to the
satisfaction of the purser, and I had no sooner acquitted myself of
this duty than Captain Houston requested I would bring up his
journal, which was many months in arrear. I gladly undertook this
service, from the same motives as before, and now wrote from
morning till night in the cabin, Captain King and his family having
totally quitted the ship, and taken lodgings in Portsmouth, as had
also Captain Houston and his lady. The latter officer came on board
daily, and was highly pleased at the progress I made in his journal.
Captain King also came on board occasionally, but did not deign to
notice me, and I preserved the same strangeness towards him.
Soon after our arrival, I had written to an aunt in London, for
information respecting my father, and other relations. About this time
I received, in consequence, a letter from my mother, informing me
that my father and grandmother had been deceased about two
years, and that my venerable grandfather was still living at S⸺ in
health and spirits; she added that herself and my two sisters were
residing in Middle-row, Holborn, and should feel inexpressibly happy
at seeing me again. My whole thoughts were now turned to the
object of getting ashore, but the quo modo was to be considered,
and of this I could form no idea. I could not swim; I had no money to
bribe a waterman to fetch me away; and of gaining my liberty I had
little or no hopes. I still continued assiduous in writing the journal for
Captain Houston and I had reason to build upon some indulgence
from the first lieutenant Mr. Oxley[46], should it rest with him to grant
leave of absence, as I had occasionally written his log, during the
voyage, and he had been pleased to shew me many marks of
kindness.
After the pay-books were completed and sent up to London, I one
day had some conversation with a respectable looking woman, who
attended the ship with a bum-boat, and supplied the sailors with
necessaries on the credit of their approaching pay, which was
considerable, the ship having been six years stationed in New South
Wales. As this woman appeared to possess some sensibility, I
ventured to represent to her the distress I was in at my confinement
to the service, and particularly my fears that I should not obtain leave
to visit my friends before I was sent to sea again. The good woman,
whose name was B⸺y, had sufficient penetration to perceive my
drift, and that I wanted to take French leave of an English man-of-
war. After expatiating on the risk she should incur in case of a
discovery, and many injunctions of secrecy, she declared her
willingness to assist me as far as lay in her power, as she had, she
said, children of her own and pitied my situation. She then advised
me to pack up a suit of clothes, (which I informed her I had by me,)
and commit them to her care, saying, that she would take them
privately to her lodgings, to which she directed me, and that I must
next contrive to get ashore on duty, or by any other means, when I
should immediately come to her, and she would assist me in my
further proceedings. Having treated this worthy creature with a glass
of grog, and overwhelmed her with thanks for her disinterested
kindness, (for such it certainly was,) I hastened to put up my clothes,
consisting of a genteel black coat, boots, &c., which I had preserved
for the purpose, and on her quitting the ship she concealed these
articles among her merchandise without observation. This took place
on a Thursday, and my only concern now, was to make good my
landing. On the following Sunday it was promulgated throughout the
ship, that a certain number of the crew were to be allowed leave to
go on shore in the afternoon. I determined, therefore, to make an
effort, and the dinner hour being over, I heard orders given to man
the cutter for the liberty-men. The latter were in the mean time busily
employed in rigging themselves for the occasion, in their best togs. I,
of course, intended to go in my working dress, consisting of a red
flannel shirt, blue jacket, and tarry trowsers, as I thought the officers
would less suspect me of a design to run away. Full of anxiety but
not without hope, I entered the gun-room, in which were Mr. Oxley,
then commanding officer of the ship, and Mr. Sherard the purser.
The former inquiring my business, I answered, that I wished, with his
permission, to go on shore for two or three hours, having a friend in
Portsmouth, who I was in hopes would supply me with some
necessaries I stood in need of. Mr. Oxley smiled and hesitated,
remarking the shabbiness of my appearance; at length on my urging
my suit, with a trembling voice, (for no one who has not been
similarly situated, can conceive what I then felt,) he inquired if he
might depend on my returning on board at sun-set in the ship’s boat?
I assured him that he might, and he then consented to my going.
Having thanked him from the bottom of my heart, I quitted the gun-
room, but had no sooner closed the door than I was recalled by Mr.
Oxley. Somewhat alarmed lest he should be about to retract, I
returned, and found I was called at the instance of Mr. Sherard, who,
drawing out his purse, presented me with half-a-guinea! saying, he
had promised me something for my late assistance. I thanked him
and again withdrew. I had scarcely shut the door a second time,
when I was again recalled, which still more surprised and alarmed
me. On re-entering, Mr. Oxley said, (but in what I thought a good-
natured way,) “Mind, Mr. Vaux, if you’re not on board by six o’clock, I
shall send the marines after you.” I again promised obedience, and
once more retired. I then hastened to inform a friend of my good
fortune, and gave him the key of my chest, desiring him, in case I did
not return in the evening, to take out such articles as he chose, as
well as my bedding, &c., before they were seized by order of the
captain. On ascending the deck I was again alarmed. The acting
master, who was on the quarter-deck, seeing me about to enter the
boat, called me aft, and inquired where I was going? I answered that
Mr. Oxley had given me leave to go ashore. He replied, “Mr. Oxley, I
am sure, would never give you leave to go ashore in that dirty
dress;” and absolutely forbad my going. It was in vain that I
remonstrated, and referred him to Mr. Oxley; and during the delay
occasioned by this conversation, the boat was on the point of
departure; when, luckily, the master turning his back to give some
orders, I hastily descended to the Waist, and leaping through one of
the midship ports, found myself happily in the cutter, at the moment
when the coxswain gave the word to shove off. I concealed myself in
the foresheets until out of danger, and in about ten minutes was
landed at Common-Hard. I need not labour to paint the joy I felt at
that moment, though it was certainly mixed with anxiety as to my
further success. I immediately left the other liberty-men, who pressed
me in vain to drink with them; and pleading urgent business, ran with
the utmost expedition along the streets, inquiring for the Point, where
having arrived, I found several ferry-boats ready to cross over to
Gosport. A fellow calling out “over, Sir?” I jumped into his boat, and
in a few minutes found myself on Gosport-beach. Thus far, I sailed
before the wind; I walked up the beach, and the first object that
presented itself was the London stage-coach, standing at the door of
the Red Lion Inn. This novel sight which I had not beheld for so
many years, was so gratifying that I admired and examined it for
some minutes, as minutely as a country man would do the King’s
state-coach. I soon found on inquiry, the lodgings of Mrs. B⸺y
which were at a public-house near the Red Lion. On asking for her of
the landlady, I had the mortification to learn that she was out on
board of some ship, and that her return was uncertain. It was now
near four o’clock, and the days being short, my term of leave would
soon expire. However, as there was no remedy but patience, I
entered the tap-room, and calling for a pint of ale and a pipe, sat
down to wait the arrival of my worthy friend. I had scarcely taken a
dozen whiffs when I heard a footstep in the passage of the house;
and my landlady putting out her head, inquired “Is that you, Mrs. B
⸺y?” I had the pleasure to hear that good woman answer, “Yes.”
On the landlady informing her there was a young man waiting for
her, she opened the door; and seeing me, said with a significant
look, and evidently much pleased, “O, is that you, William, step up
stairs with me, and I’ll give you those things.” I paid for my ale, and
followed Mrs. B⸺y, who was accompanied by her husband, and
both of them loaded with goods they had brought from their boat. On
entering their apartment, they expressed much pleasure at my good
luck in getting ashore, and gave me the most cordial welcome. The
old woman put on the tea-kettle, and while it was boiling, she looked
out my clothes, which she set about airing by the fire. Having obliged
me to take a dram, they began to consult on the measures to be
adopted in my favour. Mr. B⸺y informed me that the coach I had
seen would set out at six o’clock; that the inside fare to London was
twenty-four shillings, and the outside seventeen shillings, inquiring,
which I would prefer, and how I stood for cash. I answered that I had
about twenty-four shillings, (namely the half guinea I had brought
from New South Wales, another which I had received from the
purser, and three or four shillings I had acquired since our arrival,)
but that an outside place would answer my purpose, and I should
then have a trifle for expenses. This worthy couple assured me I
should not be lost for a few shillings, if I found myself at all deficient;
but I declined this favour, knowing I could make shift with what I had.
Mr. B⸺y then offered to go himself to the coach-office, and secure
me a place. I accordingly gave him the required sum, and he
hastened to the Red Lion. During his absence Mrs. B⸺y gave me
some warm water to wash myself, which having done, she desired
me to put on all my clothes but my coat; she then put an apron over
my shoulders, and proceeded to dress my hair as well as she could,
and, for want of powder, made use of some flour, with which she
plentifully whitened my head. Having put on my coat, she next threw
some flour over my back, and taking a view of me, declared she
never saw so great an alteration in a man. She complimented me
upon my genteel appearance, and added, that she was sure if I was
met by any of my own officers, they would not know me in this garb.
Her husband now returning, informed me that he had taken a place
for me in the name of Lowe, as I directed, and had told the
coachman to take me up at the Dolphin Inn, near the extremity of the
town. Every thing being now arranged, I anxiously wished for the
hour of six; and though I had not the least grounds for fear, yet I
could not wholly divest myself of it. It is true, as I had landed at
Portsmouth, it was not likely, in case there was any suspicion, that a
search would be set afoot in Gosport, which is on the opposite side
of the harbour; besides, no inquiry was likely to be made for me, till
after six o’clock, at which hour the coach would set off. Having taken
a dish of tea, and the time approaching, I took an affectionate leave
of the good woman, promising to write to her on my arrival in town,
and at a future day to reward her kindness. The old man insisted on
accompanying me to the Dolphin, and seeing me safe off. The
weather being intensely cold, they would have pressed me to accept
a great-coat, but I refused to trespass further on their goodness. At
length we departed, and walked without interruption to the Dolphin;
but I tremble at the approach of every officer or genteel person we
met, so great was my fear of miscarriage on this important occasion.
Having some minutes to wait for the coach, Mr. B⸺y insisted on
my drinking a parting glass at the bar of an adjacent public-house,
which having done, we heard the joyful sound of the horn, and the
rattling of the coach-wheels. In a few minutes I ascended the vehicle,
and as it drove off, I saw my worthy old friend waving his hand at the
corner of the street, apparently as much affected as myself on the
occasion. Having thus described my escape from a state of
thraldom, in which I might otherwise have suffered much vexation
and hardship, I shall here conclude the twenty-first chapter of my
Memoirs.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

Printed by W. CLOWES, Northumberland-court, Strand, London.
 FOOTNOTES
[1]

“Le bien, nous le faisons; le mal, c’est le sort;

“On a toujours raison, le destin toujours tort.”

La Fontaine.

[2] A genealogical account of race-horses.

[3] Two celebrated spots on Newmarket heath.
[4] Proprietor of the celebrated horse Eclipse.
[5] This was prior to the abolition of the Slave Trade.
[6] The small square white patches on each side the collar of a
midshipman’s coat, having an anchor button in the middle of it are
facetiously called Weekly Accompts, from their resemblance to a
flag hoisted by the port admiral, requiring from the ships in
harbour a weekly return of their state and condition. This flag is
blue, with a white field in the middle.
[7] In line-of-battle ships the midshipman’s birth, or cabin, is in
the cockpit.
[8] Candle.
[9] A dram of rum is here meant, to a bottle of which, it seems
the youth was applying for consolation.
[10] Alluding to the uniform of a lieutenant, which is faced with
white.
[11] The ship’s corporal, whose duty it is to see all lights
extinguished at eight o’clock.
[12] His daily allowance of spirits.
[13] The lieutenant of the watch walks the weather-side; the
midshipmen, the lee.
[14] Telescope and speaking-trumpet.
 [15] It appears from this that Mr. Dalton had formerly resided in
London, and been a member of that respectable corps.
[16] Receiver of stolen goods. (Cant.)
[17] The cant name for the House of Correction, in Cold-bath-
fields.
[18] A public-house near the police-office, where prisoners are
confined until their removal to prison by the officers, who seldom
hurry a gentleman, if he behaves like one, as their phrase is.
[19] Thieving.
[20] Highwaymen.
[21] Pickpockets.
[22] Housebreakers.
[23] Persons living by fraud and depredation.
[24] Pocket-books.
[25] To stand or walk in such a situation, close to the person
robbed, as to prevent passengers from noticing the depredation.
[26] Sell.
[27] To go a thieving.
[28] Thieves.
[29] Picking pockets in general.
[30] Robbing carts, or carriages, of bales, trunks, &c.
[31] Entering a house or shop, unobserved, and stealing
whatever is most come-at-able.
[32] Shop-lifting.
[33] Secreting small trinkets of value in a shop, while
pretending to select and purchase something.
[34] Uttering counterfeit money, or forged bank-notes.
[35] Getting in at the lower windows of private houses, and
robbing the apartments of plate or other portable goods.
[36] Breaking a shop-window at night, having first tied the door
to prevent a pursuit, then snatching at any articles of value within
reach.
[37] Cutting a hole in a pane of glass, without noise, in order to
rob the window of something before determined on.
 [38] Defrauding errand boys, or porters, of their load, by false
pretences of various kinds.
[39] Obtaining money from charitable persons, by some
fictitious statement of distress.
[40] Obtaining goods from a tradesman by false pretences, or
by a forged order in writing.
[41] Throwing snuff in the eyes of a shopkeeper, and then
running off with such money or valuable property as may lay
within reach.
[42] See the evidence of William Alderman.
[43] A short confinement is here meant.
[44] The settlement or camp at Hawkesbury, now called, the
town of Windsor.
[45] Governor King was a post-captain in the navy, and
principal commander of the Buffalo, having a second (acting)
captain under him. The Buffalo had been stationed in N.S.W. ever
since the year 1802, and was now relieved by the Porpoise, in
which ship Governor Bligh arrived.
[46] Now Surveyor-General of New South Wales.

MEMOIRS OF JAMES HARDY

VAUX.
IN TWO VOLUMES. VOLUME II.

MEMOIRS
OF
JAMES HARDY VAUX.
 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

LONDON:
PRINTED BY W. CLOWES, NORTHUMBERLAND-COURT, STRAND.
AND SOLD BY
ALL RESPECTABLE BOOKSELLERS.
1819.
 CONTENTS
OF

THE SECOND VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.
I arrive in London—A sudden alarm—Visit my mother and sisters—
Set out for S⸺shire—Interview with my grandfather—Return
to town—A lucky hit on the road—Obtain a situation in the
Crown-Office, page 1.
CHAP. II.
Quit the Crown-Office, and engage as reader in a printing-office—
Determine to live a strictly honest life—Meet with an old
acquaintance who laughs me out of my resolution—Give up all
thoughts of servitude, and become a professed thief, page 13.
CHAP. III.
Various modes of obtaining money—My regular course of life, when
disengaged from my vicious companions—Meet with an
amiable girl, like myself the child of misfortune—We cohabit
together—Our mutual happiness, page 20.
CHAP. IV.
Adventures in the course of my profligate career—Motives which
induce me to marry my companion—Her exemplary behaviour
—A family misfortune, page 29.
CHAP. V.
Adventure of the silver snuff-box—Its consequences.—My narrow
escape from transportation, which I have since had reason to
regret, page 35.
 CHAP. VI.
Visit Mr. Bilger, an eminent jeweller—His politeness, and the return
I made for it—Perfidy of a pawnbroker—Obliged to decamp
with precipitation, page 52.
CHAP. VII.
Take a house in St. George’s Fields—Stay at home for several
weeks—At length I venture out in quest of money—My
imprudent obstinacy in entering a house of ill repute, against
the advice and entreaties of my wife—I am taken in custody
and carried to the watch-house.—Distress of my wife on the
occasion, page 71.
CHAP. VIII.
Discover that I have been betrayed—Examined at Bow-street, and
committed for trial—Sent to Newgate—Prepare for my defence
—My trial and conviction, page 83.
CHAP. IX.
Account of my companion and fellow-sufferer in the condemned
cells—His unhappy fate—I receive sentence of death—Am
reprieved, and soon afterwards sent on board the hulks—
Some account of those receptacles of human misery, page 97.
CHAP. X.
I embark a second time for New South Wales—Indulgently treated
by the Captain—My employment during the voyage—Arrive at
Port Jackson, after an absence of four years—My reception
from Governor Macquarrie—Assigned by lot to a settler—His
brutal treatment of me—I find means to quit his service, and
return to Sydney, page 113.
CHAP. XI.
Appointed an overseer—Determine to reform my life, and become
a new man—All my good intentions rendered unavailing by an
unforeseen and unavoidable misfortune—I become a victim to
prejudice, and the depravity of a youth in years, but a veteran
in iniquity—I am banished to the coal-river, page 122.