Book Description
Use every amazing option your Nikon CLS offers
Light is the essence of photography. The Nikon Creative Lighting System lets you create the same lighting patterns with a portable, detached, wireless system that professionals achieve using cumbersome and expensive studio equipment. This practical guide is like having an expert at your elbow. It's packed with information about the CLS as well as tips, tricks, and recommendations for lighting a dozen different shooting situations. Take it on every shoot and get the most from your CLS.
* Know all about the features and functions of the SB-800 and SB-600
* Get insider tips for creating flawless portrait lighting and staging the best poses
* Set up masters and remotes, flash modes, channels, and groups
* Choose equipment for a wireless studio
* Use the ideal exposure and Speedlight system settings for shooting events, nature, sports, groups, portraits, or products
Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks
Customer Reviews:
Good resources book.......2007-08-07
Good for beginner and amature photographer. Clean and easy to understand guide book for Nikon's creative lighting system. (Flashes) This is a book for those who wants to know how to use their Nikon flash fast, without going through your boring manual. (I think it is better to read the manual first) Many good tips. Worth the money!
Best Nikon CLS book on the market.......2007-07-05
After just finishing this book I wanted to let other photographers know how great it is. The book begins with explaining the actual flash and what all of those dials and switches do. That section also covers the settings for each mode. Then once you have an understanding of how the hardware works you move into the basics of photography which consists of studio lighting and strobes. This section was particularly valuable to me because the Nikon system meshes with this kind of setup so well.
Only halfway through the book at this point and already learning a ton of very good information. The next chapter is wireless lighting which might be a little beyond the normal photographer, but something you should look in to. A basic basement or guest room can be made in to a great photo studio. You will of course quickly learn this flash isn't only for indoor because it can also be used for some pretty interesting outdoor shots. One of which is extreme sports and events.
Overall I was very pleased with this book and highly recommend you go pick up a copy of your own.
Full of Information.......2007-05-18
I felt the book gave plenty of information on CLS. Sure you have to know a bit to grasp what you are being told here, but one can assume that anyone owning a couple of SB800 already has some knowledge of lighting.
For me it filled in serious gaps in the information Nikon gave in it's manual and we are now able to coordinate four 800 units. The Lumedynes are now in the box for backup and nothing more.
As I often say the great thing in my 40 year in the art and business of photography is that as I have gotten older, the equipment has gotten lighter and faster not to mention controlable.
Nikon D200 Creative Lighting Field Guide.......2007-05-06
This a good but not top notch introduction to Nikon flash photograhy and Nikon products.
I found it a bit thin, and probably not very useful once one had become familiar with the Nikon products.
I am not convinced that once i have gone through it I would keep returning in the future.
Padded and superficial.......2007-03-29
I wish I had noticed the earlier reviews of this book before wasting my money and time reading it. The author lays out the CLS flashgun basics more clearly than do the Nikon manuals, but then passes on into generalities, dwells at length on portraiture in a very superficial way (with pretty poor examples to boot), and further pads with unneccessary side issues. There are also factual errors.
Product Description
Nikon manufactures some of the most sophisticated accessory flash equipment found in today's marketplace, and the Magic Lantern Guide shows photographers exactly how to master the complex equipment and operating modes of the company's AF Speedlight Flash System. That's why it's destined to be the most often used reference on photographic flash technique. From advice on Multi-sensor balanced fill flash, bounce flash, rear-curtain sync to high-speed sync, or multiple flash set-ups, this manual explains everything. It comes complete with a course on the basics of flash handling, specialized flash technique, and a model-by-model review of using current flash gear with Nikon cameras. 5 x 7-1/2". b/w illus. throughout
Customer Reviews:
It's a good book.......2007-01-24
I like this book. Unlike most of the book in this series that mostly written for people who lost a manual this one goes far beyond manufactures manual. Even if you a not a Nikon flash users it contains some information that could be interested for anyone in flash photography.
Finally!.......2007-01-18
I have been looking for help with the Speedlight system for over a year - since first purchasing my SB-800. There only ones I found were out-of-print and obviously too outdated to matter anyway! If you think figuring out how to access all the power of one model is difficult, just imagine trying to cover all the models Nikon has produced since it introduced TTL. Add to that the fact that Nikon bodies change the available features. (The current digital bodies like D200 are covered as well). A daunting prospect for any author. So the good news is that I found the book very helpful and it clears up a lot of my confusion. The bad news is that you must sort thru a lot of info about Speedlight models and film bodies that you are unlikely to own.
SB-800 Guide.......2007-01-10
This book was WAY over my head. It was a struggle to understand and I did not finish but about half of it. If you are not an advanced lighting technician you should look for a more simple SB-800 guide. I wish I had known this before I purchased it. Nikon has a CD that I wish I had purchased instead. This book was too technical for me.
Throwing a Little Light on the Subject.......2006-11-20
Here's a book aimed at Nikon camera owners using the speedlights that make up the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS). Perhaps the most innovative function of this system is the ability to exercise a new degree of control in the use of multiple lights.
The book starts out providing some basic flash concepts and explaining Nikon's nomenclature (which is often confusing because of the similarity of terms over the years) for its different flash modes. The author follows with a discussion of flash techniques, including direct flash, bounce flash, and repeating flash. The most practical chapters tell you how to use a single speedlight to take pictures, and how to use multiple speedlights. Finally, there are descriptions of both the early digital speedlights, i.e., the SB 28DX and the SB-80DX and then the components of the CLS. There is an addendum on the D80 which has a built-in speedlight that works with the CLS, and which probably was necessitated by Nikon bringing that camera to market as the book was going to press.
The book is aimed purely at the technical side of using these speedlights and does not touch on the artistic use of the lights. This book probably was in response to the difficulty that some people had in understanding the manuals that come with Nikon products, and integrating the manuals from several different products. But this effort at integration creates its own brand of confusion. The author tries to tell you how to use the products with both film and digital cameras, but since the automatic features of the CLS have to be handled differently for film and digital cameras, the instructions are somewhat confusing. I suggest you go through the book with a magic marker and highlight the sections applicable to your type of camera (and if you shoot both film and digital, you'd better use both a yellow and a blue marker!)
Moreover, don't think you can skip over any of the material, because important information may just have a passing reference in an unusual place. It took me several readings to understand that I could not use my SB-28DX with a digital camera for multiple speedlight use. (That's not altogether true - it's possible to shoot in manual mode, but if you are going to do that, you lose all the advantages of modern speedlights. You're better off junking your old SB-28DX and getting a new CLS speedlight).
There are several pictures included in the book but they are of a rather pedestrian nature and add nothing to one's understanding of Nikon speedlights. Additionally, except for the cover there is no color printing in the book. Finally, for a system that has been on the market for a couple of years, this book looks like it was rushed to market with many typographical errors.
The Nikon CLS system offers unprecedented opportunities for photographers to use flash for better pictures. However, if you are looking for ideas on increasing your creativity, look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you are still having a problem with the technical side of your speedlight, like how to set your SB-800 to control the lighting balance of a second flash, this book will prove useful to you.
Expected better.......2006-11-11
I have Simon Stafford's "The new Nikon compendium" and use it all the time as reference. I purchased the current book before purchasing a Nikon R1 flash kit. While Mr. Stafford mentions the compatibility problems between various camera bodies and this kit, no mention is made (in the book) of the fact that you CANNOT use the R1-kit, or the SB-R200 flash system, with a stack of Nikon LENSES - they are incompatible - and serious damage may result, esp when using AF. Nikon says "the weight of this Speedlight when attached to the front of the lens will cause excess strain on the barrel and helicoid, affecting lens performance". Whilst thankfully I have not damaged my lens (found the fine print in the manual before using the kit), I would have liked Mr. Stafford to have done his research, and I would have liked to have been warned! I have spent a lot of money on the R1-kit after reading this book. Not happy.
Then I tried to refer to the book on how to use the Nikon D200 camera in commander mode with the new Nikon CLS speedligths. And while I could find the info on how to set up the SU-800 controller, I just could not find any info on how to set up the camera itself to act as a commander, when not using the SU-800 commander. My camera does not need the SU-800 commander, so I don't own one. So I ended up refering back to the Nikon camera manual to find out which menu item to set and how. Hmmm. Shouldn't this info be in the book? Easily accessible and indexed?
Anyone want to buy a slightly used book about the Nikon AF Flash system?
Book Description
Photography is all about light. Canon Speedlites give you the next best thing to cumbersome studio lighting - wireless flash units that you can actually pack in your camera bag and take along. Tuck this full-color book in there, too. It will help you maximize the effectiveness of your Speedlites and help you create professional lighting effects in more than a dozen unique settings. With this Digital Field Guide you'll:
- Learn all your Speedlite's settings and how to use E-TTL metering.
- Experiment with bounce flash, fill flash, and using multiple flash units.
- Set up a portable wireless studio with backgrounds, umbrellas, and soft boxes.
- Use Speedlites to light professional-quality shots ranging from studio portraits to concerts to product photography.
- Explore exposure, lens choices, and lighting for outdoor portraits, still lifes, and much more.
Order your copy today!
Customer Reviews:
Not enough depth or detail..........2007-09-16
I picked this book up at a local bookstore. Unfortunately I gave the book a quick look before purchase only to find it less than I have hoped once I got it home.
The book doesn't go in depth on any specific topic which is what one expects of a book dedicated to a specific niche on a specific product. The whole book reads like a couple of chapters from a more general purpose photography book rather than a book dedicated to the Canon 580ex and 430ex Speedlite System. Please note that other models are not mentioned and while they don't have all the bells and whistles of the new versions, they can be used with some minor tweaks. Too bad he doesn't even mention that.
Well, I do know why he didn't mention that...
The author never gets beyond using the flash system outside of E-TTL II mode where the camera uses the flash in automatic mode. While I think E-TTL II is good, it always isn't the answer. I cannot imagine he never mentions manual mode other than early on when mentioning the various modes available with the camera.
The good is he does describe the Speedlites a little better than the user manual (or at least in a more interesting style) in the first chapter. Some additional good is the wireless section and ratios but it does lack real detail but it is enough to get you started with the concept.
The bad is all the custom functions of the Speedlites are ignored. The examples of flash photography are generally not great examples and the explanations are totally lacking. There are no diagrams of how the flashes are arranged or what accessories are being used. Even if not possible for every shot, some should have been shown with the additional detail.
I also don't know why the book gets into posing techniques unless it is to broaden its appeal. That truly is not the function of a Speedlite. I would rather see some more depth in the use of fill flash which is a complicated thing to do well.
Overall the book is good for someone wanting a quick read to learn the very basics and get some start on more complex flash set ups using the Canon Speedlites at a modest cost. If you are familiar with the functionality of your Speedlites already, then skip the book.
Excellent presentation.......2007-09-04
This book is for anyone interested in learning to use Canon's external flash units, either camera mounted or remote.
No point is left untouched and one can learn good technique towards achieving great pictures both indoors and outdoors. I learned a great deal about using a flash for ourdoor photography.
I would highly recommend this to anyone.
Good for people who don't read manuals.......2007-08-08
I'm sure the manual covers a lot of info provided in this book, but I don't read them because the information is often too dry and boring for me. I thought that this guide was better at explaining the features for someone like me, who is new to flash in general and is trying to understand what certain buttons do. It isn't a good reflection of theory, and I'd recommend considering web searches for certain flash techniques and also the book Light: Science and Magic - 3rd Ed.
Book needs a re-write.......2007-07-19
The book held a lot of potential and promise but barely came through to fullfill. I agree with the author's premise and have been using Speedlites in the field myself for wedding and portrait photography to stay "low impact"; dragging around lots of lights and equipment is just not practical. I fly out to Orange County for a wedding next week and won't be bringing strobes or tripods or any heavy equipment.
The errors drove me nuts. Refering to figures that just plain were not there, indication of examples that did not exist, not picturing equipment such as light modifiers, etc. is just plain inexcusable. Also there were times of great contradiction, such as on page 56 where he says to set your camera to flash setting for White Balance at the top of the page, then at the bottom says leaving your camera set to auto-white balance is more accurate. Which is it? Why not just start the options and tell the user to experiment instead?
I give this two stars since there is some value here; some nice examples and some inspiration. If this can be re-done into a more advanced edition, and be generic to speedlites (not just the 580 and 430) then it could have a wider range audience and won't appear to be out-dated information in a years time. I own the 550 and 420 and I purchased it anyway; so why not include the others and make enough elbow room for when new Speedlites are introduced (like Canon just did with the new 580 EXII).
If you want to gain some technique and inspiration with low impact speedlite lighting in the field, do consider this book. Just don't buy it new. Pick up a used copy for $5-$10 if at all possible, or borrow a friends.
Happy speedliting!!
-Jeff, Johansen Photography
Disappointed .......2007-07-14
I was looking for a book that would help me understand Canon's Speedlite system and E-TTL II. This book is not it. As others have said, it begins as a manual describing the Speedlites with the what and where each button and part. There is a short chapter on setup that basically describes the flash modes. Then there are two chapters on multi-flash, wireless setups. I guess they are good if that's what you are trying to do. The idea for chapters on Applications and Posing is good but the execution is lacking.
What's missing: I tried to find the answer to the question In what modes does the Speedlite operate as a fill flash and in what modes does it operate as the primary light source? This book does not tell you. In a short paragraph on fill flash it mentions that in Tv and Av modes the flash operates as a fill flash. How does it operate in other modes? I couldn't find the answer. Also, missing is a discussion of the custom function settings and why one would set them one way rather than another. Maybe the author consider most of the them obvious. But a short discussion should have been provided. The book discusses the different types of batteries. It doesn't discuss milli-amp Hour ratings and how one might choose rechargeable batteries based the the mAH or why its important.
I am disappointed in this book. It has not enough technical information on the Speedlight and too many pages on basic photography.
Average customer rating:
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Gary Schneider: Nudes
Gary Schneider
Manufacturer: Aperture
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photographers, A-Z
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Photo Essays
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Portraits
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1931788626
Release Date: 2005-04-14 |
Book Description
In this previously unpublished body of work, Gary Schneider presents a haunting series of nudes and faces that emerge and seem to float above a receding black ground. Each image is rendered through a long exposure and by exploring the surfaces of the skin with a small handheld light. Due to the prolonged time required and the inevitable movements and consequent distortions that occur in the process, the results both reveal and obscure the intimate physical details and personality of the individual who poses. The sensibility and the obsessions of the artist are reflected by his decisions to expose certain areas more than others. The skin-tones are lush and luminous as they emerge from the darkness, yet these portraits also disturb as a result of the exaggerations and irregularities–the blurred traces of unconscious gesture matched with a stiffness that implies the innate physicality and mortality within each body.
Book Description
The Hands-On Guide to Flash Video is a professional reference book written by industry experts that are currently helping professionals produce Web video and implement Flash Media Server. This book covers Flash Video production from soup to nuts, beginning with how to configure your camcorder and ending to advanced server techniques like bandwidth detection and FMS logging and reporting. Real word lessons from case studies of successful Flash Video deployments are also included.
Supplemental files located at: www.flashvideobook.com
By reading this book, youll learn to:
* Shoot high quality video for streaming
* Choose the best encoder and encoding techniques for producing Flash Video
* Deploy Flash Video via progressive download or via the Flash Media Server.
* Create and light a compression friendly set
* Deinterlace and preprocess your video prior to encoding
* Choose encoding parameters like data rate, resolution and frame rate
* Optimize encoding with Sorenson Squeeze, Flix Pro and the Adobe Flash Video Encoder
* Shoot and produce chromakey video for alpha channel delivery
* Customize a Flash player via skinning, and use Cue Points for navigation
* Setup, install, and maintain Flash Media Server
Key Features Include:
* Advanced Flash Media Server guidance and support
* Tecniques for shooting Web video specifically for Flash streaming
* Author tips from "in the trenches" experiences from two industry experts
* Case studies show you real-world examples of successful Flash video deployment
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding for producing and publishing Flash video for both videographers and programmers.......2007-06-22
This is an excellently mastered book. The writing style is clear. The step by step examples are appropriately illustrated. There is source video and a plentiful supply of links for needs. The illustrations are appropriate and carefully selected for the key points.
If you are a FMS (Flash Media Server) administrator or programmer, you will find answers to those user inquiries why their video looks poorly. You will have intelligent responses and tools to analyze the problems likely caused by the capture and prepartion of the video.
For videographers, this is your bible on how to capture video for Flash.
For video editors, this is your bible on how to prepare and compress the files.
For newbies to Flash video, you have the soup to nuts book that breaks it down into nice chunks with examples.
Very impressive part of the text is that many assertions are supported with research from many major video publishing entities.
Finally there is a thread throughout the book that provides the market and industry information to help you assess your choice of Flash video as a web video platform.
You will learn the specific steps in major digital video software packages such as Adobe Premier and Final Cut to fix issues.
You can learn how to set-up a recording set with the correct lighting that will be best for Flash video format.
You can learn to install the Flash Media Server (free) and use it and not be a programmer, but willing to download example files needed. Or if you are interested in programming FMS, this gets you started.
A Great Start for online Video.......2007-05-26
The Hands-On Guide to Flash Video if full of good information for anyone interested in streaming video on the Web. For those interested in using streaming video for anything from professional level videos to those who just want to get something on YouTube, this book is a gem. Ranging from those who know absolutely nothing about Web video to those, like myself who need to learn more about taking videos and some of the technical characteristics of digital video, such as interlacing, you'll find this book invaluable.
The 19 chapters are written in a friendly and accessible style covering 1) Creating video, 2) Preparing video for the Web, and 3) working with Flash, including a clear introduction to Flash Media Server. Having worked with Flash Media Server (FMS) since it's inception, I have found that one of the best tricks for saving on bandwidth is good lighting and good sound, both of which are covered in this book. Likewise, for those new to streaming video, you will find how to set up a progressive download that you can set up on your hosting server without having to use FMS if you choose.
Among the many other topics I found revealing are the following:
1. Chroma keying - removing parts of a background so that any background can be inserted. Best known for weather reports on TV.
2. Cue points - adding triggers in the video that can be used as events. Cue points are very useful for adding information,
3. Interlacing and Deinterlacing in video files
4. Decision-making in setting video parameters
5. Optimizing light and sound for streaming video
An area that is in need of serious help is provided by the introduction to Flash Media Server. This will help in developing FMS2 applications for those who are new to open socket server technology. So for newbies to FMS, this will come as a welcome addition.
One of the interesting (and I think correct) decisions the authors made was to use the Flash CS3 platform with ActionScript 2.0 instead of ActionScript 3.0. Here's why. It will be at least a year or so before a significant number of users will have the Flash 9 plug-in for their browsers. Yesterday I bought a new iMac, and the Safari browser that comes with the Flash plug-in is still using Flash 8. (I found that out when I tried to play one of my apps built with AS 3.0.) What's important is that On2's VP6 technology started in Flash 8. So, no one is missing a significant video element using ActionScript 2.0 as would be the case with Flash 7 or earlier. [...]
Book Description
Your digital camera is more than new incarnation of your old film camera. Yes, it still produces photos, but it also offers new outlets for creativity, including instant gratification of seeing your photos now, the ability to experiment without worrying about expense, the technology to fine-tune your photos with advanced professional techniques, and the means to share your work instantaneously with anyone, anyplace in the world. It's no wonder that digital cameras are outselling traditional cameras for the first time ever. But the question most digital camera users ask is this, "How do I get from taking 'decent' photos to doing the things I'd really like to do? How do I tap into that potential?" Digital Photography Hacks is your passport to taking the kind of digital photos you've always aspired to. Written by Derrick Story, photographer and author of Digital Photography Pocket Guide and other books, it goes beyond the standard fare of most digital photography books--such as camera basics, understanding memory cards, and when to use a flash--to the things that professional photographers have learned through thousands of shots' worth of experience, years of experimentation, and fiddling and hacking. The book includes a foreword by photographer Rick Smolan, author of America 24/7. With exquisite, full-color photos throughout, the book presents a collection of tips, tricks, and techniques for photographers ready to move beyond the basics. And if you don't have the latest in digital camera photography, this book will show you how to extend the life and functionality of your existing camera. All the hacks in the book are platform-agnostic, designed for use on both Mac on Windows-based computers. You'll find 100 proven techniques in the areas of:
- Daytime and nighttime photo secrets
- Flash magic
- Digital camera attachments
- The computer connection
- Photoshop magic
- Fun photo projects
- Camera phone tricks
This book is for the photographer you are now, and the one you want to be. Digital Photography Hacks is for the creative adventurer who resides in each of us.
Customer Reviews:
Be prepared to spend money to take advantage of hacks.......2007-08-19
Weaknesses: A surprisingly large percentage of the hacks require you to spend money on devices or software. To take best advantage of this book you should own an SLR camera, Photoshop, and a camera phone. Some of the advice, such as fill flash, is drawn from standard photographic techniques that you could get from any book.
Strengths: Here and there one can find useful techniques. For example, he has good ideas on eliminating red eye. Some of the recommended items are inexpensive and worth looking into. The book also does a good job of telling the advantages and disadvantages of the devices and software he recommends.
Excellent Book, Very Clever Ideas.......2007-03-26
I was very pleasantly surprised to finally get a book on digital photography that was page after page, completely full of all new ideas! The title says it all. In this book you will find various work arounds, short cuts and generally smarter way of doing things. Lots of insiders tips that the pros know, but the rest of us plebs don't.
This is one book you will come back to again and again. Extremely useful!
Enjoy
Useful Hacks for you digital camera.......2006-01-14
Digital Photography Hacks is a part of O'reilly's hacks series, which provide tricks and solutions for different fields. This book gives you tips and tricks when dealing with your digital camera.
I read this book after reading Digital Photography Guide for the same writer, Direck. So, I found myself comparing between the two books and found the Digital Photography Hacks is an extension for the Digital Photography Guide. These tips and tricks complete your knowledge with some useful methods to create professional photos using tools and things around you.
If you know your camera well, you will find this book very useful and open your mind for new tricks to produce professional photos. However, if you were a beginner in digital photography I would prefer to start with Direck's Digital Photography Guide.
Useful Tips, But Lots of Tips are Neither Hacks nor Industrial-Strength.......2006-01-14
I am an amateur photographer and I did learn a number of useful things from this book. However, I am rating it a 3, primarily because it contains few information on what I really bought this book for: to take better photos using my digital camera. I got the Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition by the same author at the same time as this book, and that one taught me more about how to take better digital photos.
There are really cool and useful stuff written in this book like eliminating bars from animal cages and using pantyhose to get some special effects; good suggestions on using tripods and flashes. These are what makes this book worthwhile.
But then, this book also contains lots of "tips" that I do not find very useful. Perhaps it is because it lacks focus and it doesn't consider what most readers already have. Whether this book is geared towards the novice photographer or someone who has a point-and-shoot or an SLR is unclear. Most "hacks" suggested by computer books will assume you only have the main software and may suggest you download few additional ones that are mostly free. This book has a number of tips that need additional equipment costing more than $100. I wanted to try out taking portraits using two external flashes as this book suggested, only to find out that the two external flashes can cost me $500!
Furthermore, there are a few suggestions that although useful, I find to be inappropriately labeled as an industrial-strength hack. Yes, an iPod can be used to store your photos. Even if there may be iPod owners who may have missed that, I don't own an iPod and I surely know it can store photos already even before this book told me so. It is cool that you can take photos and use your camera phone to communicate in a foreign country, but again, this info did nothing to make me a better photographer
Neat Little Photo Book.......2005-11-08
Be prepared, this book has no real theme. It is a hodgepodge of interesting stuff. The photoshop section is very good, which is surprising, as that is not the focus of the book. However, I learned a good deal from that section. Some of this stuff most people will never use, but it definately gets you thinking. My favorite was using the camera as a scanner, when you don't have one handy.
Product Description
Whether you are a beginning photographer or a working pro, you will benefit from this solid instructional guide. It begins with in-camera flash basics, then moves to intermediate topics such as automatic and manual exposure flash readings, detachable units, flash guide numbers, bounce flash and fill flash. It then covers advanced methods for using off-camera flash, flash brackets, power packs, remote triggering and many other valuable techniques.
Customer Reviews:
Average flash information.......2006-11-07
While the author provided a few flash pointers, most of the information in the book is common sense. No information on digital photography either. Definitely only for very novice beginners.
This one's no good. Where's the flash book we all need?.......2005-08-20
I have to add my vote to the reviewers who consider the book pretty awful. The pictures are indeed uniformly terrible, and the content is a disorganized hodge-podge, barely succeeding in sticking to the subject of flash photography. It also seems true that there aren't many books on the subject. Attention photography writers! Here's a big opportunity for an imaginative and authoritative writer on this subject. Where are you? This is such an important and confusing topic, and of course amateur photography is burgeoning now. Surely you can outdo Ms. McCartney and rake in the dough.
Very disappointing, probably not the book you're looking for.......2003-11-26
As a photographer working with available light only, I bought this book hoping to learn to ins and out of flash photography.
A few pages into it realized that this book wasn't the one. The first chapter covers the fundamentals of flash operation -
how does flash work and the basic concepts to remember, and that was VERY helpful. But it was written sluggishly, which
made the reading tiresome, confusing, and un-exciting.
It's down-hill after that. I found later chapters to be off the subject, or irrelevant, or too general. For example, I didn't need to read about the difference between portrait photography and photojournalism photography, or the different style of people photography - I just wanted to know how to apply flash in both - and this information was missing, or too shallow. I had to fish for the relevant information among lots information that repeated itself but wasn't interesting, like the different types of camera that use flashes. The information I was looking for, like specific techniques and ideas, was scattered throughout the book in an unorganized matter, if at all.
The sample pictures were mediocre, at best, stuff that I wouldn't even consider showing my friends... Seriously, I was surprised to find pictures like this in a photography book. I didn't learn how to take good flash pictures in different situations, I didn't learn how to apply different techniques of flash photography to take special or interesting pictures, and I didn't learn anything that my flash or camera manual wouldn't teach me.
I wish I could return it to the book store, but I threw away the receipt. Very, very disappointing, not the book for anybody who has been using a camera for more than a few weeks. If this is the first time you've seen a camera, maybe. For everyone else - waste of time and money.
As good as it gets.......2003-04-30
This book "Mastering Flash Photography" by a professional photojournalist and travel photographer
(but not a wedding photographer) will teach you just about anything you want to know about how to use flash in a sophisticated way indoors and out.
It starts at the begining and ends by showing how to set up portable flashes to give results that look as though studio strobes were used. The professional tips can easily be transferred to simpler lighting techniques for your own camera. It doesn't get any better than this when you can learn in good, clear English what you need to know. It takes the mystery out of flash and makes it as accessible as day light. A real discovery for anyone needing help on flash lighting.
Straight to the Point.......2003-03-07
This book stands out from most photography how-to books because it doesn't talk down to the reader. It doesn't waste the first few chapters rehashing exposure, aperture, shutter speed basics. Instead it goes straight to the subject at hand - flash photography. The ratio of text to number of pictures is high, which is what I like. I find most photography books are written as if the reader has a short attention span and can't handle advanced details. I don't agree with readers who want more pictures or details on using flash in specific situations. It's better to understand the basic principles than to be spoonfed. The reader can figure out for himself what to do through experimentation, observation and experience. This book has so much in it that it will take me a long time to absorb it and implement what I've learned. My thanks to the author for getting me through my first wedding shoot successfully.
Average customer rating:
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Electronic Flash (Kodak Workshop Series)
Jack Neubart
Manufacturer: Silver Pixel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Lighting
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Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers
ASIN: 0879857722 |
Customer Reviews:
Fine Book.......2001-01-10
I've been a photographer for 25 years, and this book helped me out considerably when I took the leap from news photojournalism to wedding photography. It is full of example scenarios, and the author has a firm grasp of both the theory and how to apply it in practice. If you are using a 283 or 285 Vivitar, this book features that. If you are using Sunpak 544 or Metz 60 CT-1, this book will be a huge help. If you are using the latest overly fancy TTL rig, this book will explain the theory well enough that you will be able to apply this theory to your specific TTL rig, which is probably not detailed here. Excellent photo illustrations of the results and the operation of the flash. This book is best for someone that realizes that there is more to a good photographic result than pointing the camera roughly in the direction of the subject, pushing a button, and hoping for the best.
Book Reviw.......2000-06-14
This book is very useful. I picked up some good hints on flash photography.
Book Description
Electronic flash not only brings light to a photograph, it can be an important artistic tool—if you’ve acquired the knowledge to use it creatively. To master those skills, digital photographers need only turn to this complete reference. Packed with inspirational photos, it takes the mystery out of flash, covering every type of equipment and explaining such essentials as guide numbers, sync speeds, white balance, and more. Photographers will see how fill flash can decrease contrast and shadows in outdoor portrait photography, understand how to control the light using bounce and multiple flash techniques, and expertly employ high-speed and rear curtain synchronization to create impressive motion-blur images. Everything you need to know is here—including a section on studio flash and computer processing.
Book Description
This second edition of the popular guide to operating the world’s most sophisticated flash systems includes even more than before! The thorough update encompasses every Creative Lighting System (CLS) flash device—flash units, remote controls, wireless commanders—and all CLS-system cameras, plus the two newest Nikon models: the D40 and D80. In addition, it fully covers the new SB-400 flash unit, complete with details on how to use it with every camera in the book and as a component in the CLS. Plus, there’s a comprehensive course on the basics of flash handling and specialized flash technique, and a model-by-model review of using current flash gear with Nikon cameras.
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