Books on flash photography

icnoble

icnoble

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Any recomendations on a good easy to understand book on flash photography and lighting?
 
If its hotshoe flash your looking to learn then the strobist site 101 and 102 manuals are pretty damn good.
 
icnoble said:
Any recomendations on a good easy to understand book on flash photography and lighting?
Click to expand...

What kind of photography are you interested in? And are you talking speedlights or studio lights? That might help people point you in right direction.

For portraits etc using speedlights the strobist site has a lot of great information and is free.

People are inevitably going to recommend McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries, but if I was you I'd work through the strobist 101 and 102 if small flashes are what you're looking at.
 
Light: Science & Magic is THE bible of lighting, for people who really want to understand what light is and how it can be used.
But it isn't easy reading and it isn't suitable for people who just want a quick fix - it deals with principles, rather than showing you which way you need to point a light to get an average result.

Sites such as Strobist do provide the quick fixes, it's really a question of whether you want quick info to get up and running or whether you really want to learn the magic.

My Photolearn site also has tutorials and videos, these are on studio lighting, not hotshoe flashes
 
Prophotolife has a series of great short tutorials on many digital photography subjects; including lighting. The information is valuable and the price is FREE!

http://www.prophotolife.com/video-library/

One very neat tutorial which can greatly assist a photographer new to studio lighting is the tutorial on shooting while tethered to a computer. Being able to immediately view your image on a full-size notebook monitor is extremely helpful.

I own a flash meter and use it but, could easily determine correct exposure and light balance quickly by trial and error - just by viewing the image on the computer monitor.
 
Lighting and Portrait Tips
Afga Portrait Tutorials
http://www.palmettobayinc.com/PhotoTutorials/port_light_basic.html

Alan Lavender – Good Lighting is an Art
http://www.paguk.com/artoflighting2.htm

Background Questions
http://www.lightingmagic.com/bkgndqa.htm

Basic Portrait Lighting Types
http://www.palmettobayinc.com/PhotoTutorials/port_light_basic.html

Beginner’s Guide to Studio Lighting by Chris Burfoot
http://www.theflashcentre.com/guidetobetterpics.htm

Black, Dave – Workshop at the Ranch
http://www.daveblackphotography.com/workshop/index.htm

Camera Town
http://www.cameratown.com/guides/tutorial_listing.cfm/hurl/id|270

Chris Burfoot – Lighting Guides to Digital and Film
http://www.geocities.com/glowluzid/portrait/portrait.html

Chuck Gardner's tutorials:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1025&message=14317618

Continuous Portrait Shoot
http://sell-it-on-the-net.com/photo_guide/portrait_usage.htm

DG28.com Photo Techniques
http://www.dg28.com/technique.html

Digital Pixels
http://www.digitalpixels.net/

Ephotozine – UK based photo site – budget lighting
http://www.ephotozine.com/techniques/viewtechnique.cfm?recid=195

Exposure and Lighting Techniques by Steven Lott
Has some very simple one and two light set ups with illustrations
http://www.lottsphoto.com/PortraitLightingTechnique.htm

Garage Glamour Lighting:
http://www.garageglamour.com/tips/lightf.php

Glowluzid's Portrait Photography Tips
http://www.geocities.com/glowluzid/portrait/portrait.html

Headshot Photography – Kevyn Major Howard
http://www.headshot-photography.com/portfolio.htm

Light Box – Light Tent
http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent

Lighting Essentials
http://www.lighting-essentials.com/setups/index.html

Make Light Real
http://makelightreal.com/

Make-up For Portraits
http://www.theallineed.com/women/06032501.htm

Monte Zucker
http://www.montezucker.com/
No BS Photo Success
http://www.nobsphotosuccess.com/

Olympus Digital School – How to Create a Perfect Portrait Every Timehttp://olympusdigitalschool.com/photo_lessons/EVOLT_E-300_Creating_a_Perfect_Portrait__Every_Time_/

Photo School Lessons
http://www.webphotoschool.com/Lesson_Library/Free_Lessons/index.html

Photo Workshop
http://www.photoworkshop.com/cgi-bin/short_free_registration.cgi

Photoflex Lessons
http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/Lighting_Lessons/index.html

Photonet Guides
http://www.photo.net/learn/

Portrait Photography Tips.com
http://photographytips.com/page.cfm/368

Portrait Tips – Sean B. Noonan, Photography
http://www.stnphotography.com/tips.html

Pro’s Secrets To Money Making Photography
http://www.photorog.com/mycustompage0009.htm

The Stobist
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting

Studio Lighting
http://www.studiolighting.net/

Studio Lighting (Broad, Short, Butterfly, & Rembrandt):
http://www.vividlight.com/articles/1615.htm

Studio Lighting Techniques – Chuck McKern
http://www.vividlight.com/articles/1615.htm

Studio Photography – Photonet
http://www.photo.net/studio/primer

Studio Lighting
http://www.studiolighting.net/
The Zeltsman Approach to Traditional Classic Portraiture
http://groups.msn.com/Asktheoleproaboutphotography/joezeltsman.msnw

Video Photo Lessons – Zuga
http://www.imaging-resource.com/ARTS/ZUGA/ZUGA.HTM

Web Photo School
http://www.webphotoschool.com/newschool/Default.asp
 
rpcrowe said:
I own a flash meter and use it but, could easily determine correct exposure and light balance quickly by trial and error - just by viewing the image on the computer monitor.
Click to expand...

If the monitor is calibrated correctly.
 
Another recommendation for Light Science and Magic. Cracking read!
 
:agree::thankyou:
 
Thanks for the links :)
 
Bought McNally's 'Hotshoe Diaries' the other day and although I'm surprised at the actual lack of teachnical gear-related advice, it's refreshing to read a book that's motivational, funny and enlightening. For £13 from amazon it's a bargain
 
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