Lighting for Digital Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots (Using Flash and Natural Light for Portrait, Still Life, Action, and Product Photography) [Paperback]

Syl Arena (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2012 | ISBN-10: 0321832752 | ISBN-13: 978-0321832757 | Edition: 1

Now that you’ve had your DSLR for a while, are you ready to take a much closer look at what creating a great image is all about? It’s all about light! The ability to see, influence, modify, control, and create light will take your images from snapshots to great shots!

In Lighting for Digital Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots, photographer and bestselling author Syl Arena begins with a primer on light itself—how to see its direction, intensity, color, contrast, and hardness—and quickly moves on to discussions of shooting both indoors and outdoors in the many different conditions of natural or man-made light. Then the book digs in to begin creating light with photographic lights, whether that’s small flash or big strobe, the pop-up flash on your DSLR or continuous lights.

Follow along with Syl and you will:

• Learn the basics (and beyond) of light modifiers that make light bigger and softer, such as umbrellas, softboxes, beauty dishes, and diffusion panels
• Understand how to control and shape the light itself with flags, grids, snoots, and the zoom function on your flash
• Appreciate the color temperature of light (whether that’s the sun, a light bulb, or a flash), and how to influence it with white balance settings on your camera and colored gels on your flash
• Learn how to take great pictures across many different genres, from product and still life images, to simple (and not so simple) portraits and group shots

With Lighting for Digital Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots, you’ll learn not only how light behaves—you’ll learn all you need to know to get started on the journey of creating and controlling light in order to make great shots. And once you’ve got the shot, show it off! Join the book’s Flickr group, share your photos, and discuss how you get great shots at flickr.com/groups/lightingfromsnapshotstogreatshots.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Syl Arena studied commercial photography at Brooks Institute and fine art photography at the University of Arizona. Over the years, Syl has shot for newspapers, magazines, and catalogs. He has been recognized for his expertise on color-critical workflow and his ability to turn noon to night by firing off a dozen Speedlites simultaneously. He is the author of the bestselling Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites. Syl covers the world of photography on his blog Speedliting.com, and he serves as the Director of the Paso Robles Workshops.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 1 edition (October 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321832752
• ISBN-13: 978-0321832757
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 0.5 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Equipment, Techniques & Reference > Lighting

More About the Author

SYL | 'sill'
1. short for 'Sylvester'
2. rhymes with 'Bill', 'Phil' and 'Will'
3. not pronounced 'Sile' or 'Sly'

Shortly after Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon, Syl Arena "borrowed" his father's newfangled Polaroid camera, climbed a tree, and made his first photograph. Syl was in the third grade. He has wandered the world of photography ever since.

In college, Syl studied commercial photography at Brooks Institute and fine art photography at the University of Arizona (BFA, 1984). Among his more noteworthy accomplishments in school was the construction of a pinhole camera that used 20" x 24" litho film. True to his eclectic style, Syl then printed these giant negatives as cyanotypes, carbon prints, and screen prints--a early indication of Syl's willingness to explore the boundaries of photography.

Over the years, Syl has shot for newspapers, magazines, and catalogs. He has been recognized for his expertise on color critical workflow and his ability to turn noon to night by firing off a dozen Speedlites simultaneously.

Widely known for his teaching ability, Syl is the author of the bestselling Speedliter's Handbook, and he has taught lighting and photography at Maine Media Workshops, Santa Fe Photo Workshops, and Dubai's Gulf Photo Plus. Syl covers the world of photography on his blog, PixSylated.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Lighting Tutorial & Reference October 20, 2012

By Michael Hajek

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

There are countless books written on the subject of photographic lighting providing varying degrees of useful and practical advice. What makes this book stand out is that it is a true tutorial, by which I mean it provides a complete learning journey from foundational concepts to detailed step by step instruction and explanations of how each image was accomplished. It is apparent that the author has a mastery of the subject matter (which many others possess as well).

What differentiates Syl is his ability to transfer that knowledge to his readers. He goes to great length and in great detail to provide specific examples and explanations on each topic that he covers in this book in a manner that will be clear to any reader regardless of their skill/knowledge level at the time of reading. Those readers who are newer to lighting will appreciate that Syl leaves no detail unexplained. If he is talking about using specific lighting modifiers or accessories, he takes the time to explain the use and often includes photos and even alternatives.

In addition to being a great tutorial, it also serves the function of being a great reference resource for photographers as they progress along the learning curve with their lighting skills. If you purchase the paperback, I have no doubt that it become dog eared over time as it is one of those books that you will come back to time and again. If you buy the Kindle edition, you will have a large number of notations and bookmarks.

If you are looking to learn lighting or to build on your existing skills, this is a book that you will never regret owning.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for beginners but a bit redundant for "Handbook" readers December 2, 2012

By S. Jhagroo

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a big fan of Syl Arena and his teaching style, his first book has helped to teach me almost every basic there is to know about shooting with off camera flash and lighting in general.

For the price that Amazon has this book for you really can't go wrong - however if you're a fan and you've read Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites then you're probably going to be disappointed since a lot of the information is repeated. It's GOOD information that bears repeating - but still, it falls short in teaching the existing fans new things.

The book shares all the good traits of Handbook however - down to earth teaching style, very specific call outs to equipment and settings that make it so much easier to get context.

Overall - an excellent addition to your learning arsenal - but consider it a refresher with slight tweaks. If you're new to the lighting game - then by all means grab this and enjoy.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginners November 23, 2012

By scott wu

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great for beginners. Nothing new if you read Syl's first book. Get his first book if you are choosing between the 2.