Customer Reviews

Lighting Photo Workshop

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just thumbing through this book and viewing all the creative photographs will make you want to jump off the sofa and get your camera out. Personally, I have had issues with creating drama in my photographs, for example how do you get the sky so blue, when exactly is there too much contrast or just not enough?
While most photography books I have read just touch on white balance and the various metering methods, this author places great importance on clearly understanding white balance and how it can really create mood and enhance the exposure you desire.
As for metering methods, the author doesn't just give a definition of what each mode is for, he explains why the in-camera meter cannot always be trusted and how different metering modes work better in specific circumstances. He gives clear examples and images to support his explanations. Not to mention the chapter assignments which allow you to create something from what you just learned! There is even a website specific for this book to upload your finished assignments and to see what others have learned from the book.
Highly recommended by me!

Chris Bucher's Lighting-Photoworkshop book is a great guide for any photographer looking to learn understanding and controlling lighting in photography. It starts you off with the very basics of lighting and works you in to more advanced techniques. Anyone can take a picture, but understanding where your light is coming from and how to use it separates the good from the bad.
This book starts you off with the technical side of lighting so you can fully understand what you are doing. It then explains almost every lighting situation (a bright sunny day, an overcast day or even artificial lighting) you can encounter and how to use certain things to your advantage. It also explains specific examples from anything to nature to people photography. I found myself excited to try the assignments and apply them towards my photography.
As a graduate from the Brooks Institute of Photography, this book was a great refresher course in a lot of the lighting techniques I have learned. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to take their photography to the next level.

Nowadays, a person with a modern camera can expect that most of the time, with a minimum of knowledge, he or she can point the camera at a subject and get an acceptable image. To get something more than acceptable it helps to have a little knowledge of how a camera works, and to apply that knowledge.

Ansel Adams, one of the great photographers of history advised photographers that controlling the light in a photograph was a key to success and wrote three books to teach folks how to do just that. Anyone interested in getting more than just acceptable pictures would do well to follow Adams' advice and learn about lighting and exposure. "Lighting Photo Workshop" is aimed at filling that need for the beginning photographer. The book starts out by explaining the basic elements of lighting, including exposure; by then discussing the role of photography equipment in lighting; and then by considering outdoor and interior light. It finishes up with discussion of specific situations, including portraits, action, landscape, travel, close-up and low light photography.

The workshop portion of the book consists of an assignment at the end of each chapter with instructions to post the digital image to a dedicated web site where other photographers may or may not offer comments on one's photograph.

How-to books can vary in the amount of detail and explanation they give to technical subjects. This book is clearly aimed at the most fundamental level, and if all the reader wants is a rudimentary introduction to lighting concepts, this book will do the job. On the other hand, if one wants a thorough explanation, even if it means reading about technical details that will require concentration to comprehend, and techniques that it will take a while to get used to applying, this book may prove too simple.

Consider for example the discussion of exposure. There is a precise relationship between shutter speed, aperture and media sensitivity that can be measured by a mathematical formula. How one applies that formula depends on the effect that one wants (e.g., do you want to stop motion, or have everything in sharp focus from near to far). This precise relationship is not explained sufficiently. Or consider photography equipment. In his discussion of studio lights, the author discusses strobes but not continuous lighting. One of the most valuable tools that many digital cameras provide to control exposure is a histogram, which is a graph of the distribution of light values. The book devotes a few short paragraphs to this subject.

For the individual who wants a simple introduction to photographic lighting this book will prove adequate. Photographers desiring to use light more creatively would do well to read a more advanced book, like "Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers" by Michael Meadhra and Charlotte K. Lowrie.

Great book! Can't say enough about it! As a relatively new photographer, this book provided me with mounds of useful information to make my pictures better. I really enjoyed the chapter on action, sports, motion, and blur, as I am an athlete and love to take sports photos. I initially found and bought "Lighting" because I am and always will be a student of photography. I loved how every caption for every picture included details such as shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, as well as the reasons why each was picked for the particular photo. I had been having trouble with certain backlit situations in my photographs - particularly with fast moving objects as the focal point of the picture. This book has given me some great ideas that will surely improve my future work. Bravo.

If you're thinking of enrolling in a photography course, just wait!
You can save that money by learning the professional techniques in this book.
From the very start, I couldn't put the "Lighting Photo Workshop" book down. The author demystifies lighting and so much more.
Of special appeal to me, he explains the various types of photo gear without being too "tech-y".
Not only is the book well-designed with many excellent illustrations, but I find it relevant in my own pursuit of making excellent pictures.

Chris Bucher's LIGHTING PHOTO WORKSHOP tells how to use the camera to capture atmosphere and images through a better understanding of light's properties and how the camera works to incorporate it into special effects. From working with natural light to creating mood with artificial light, chapters use plenty of color photo examples - packing nearly every page - as they explain how light can be mastered. The author's commercial photography work lends a business approach to a guide recommended for any general photography collection.

I own this book and "Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson". Both books are outstanding with regards to emphasis on Basic Exposure Techniques. Chris Bucher has provided plenty of illustrations, and wherever applicable he has commented on camera technique and ability of post processing to fix incorrect exposures. Plenty of systematic exercises to practice technique. Book is well-priced, and every enthusiast will benefit from a few tips. Very well priced. Must have for an amatuer...

I do some teaching of basic digital photography where my emphasis is on analyzing the scene before the picture is taken. Nothing is more fundamental to this than analyzing the condition of light--its availability and quality.

This Wiley book Lighting is one of their `Photo Workshop' series that has a proven formula. The author, Chris Bucher starts with a discussion of how cameras see and measure light, and how that affects photos. The remainder of the book considers real-world lighting situations such as indoor/outdoor lighting, night and low light photography and creating dramatic photos with light. In my experience, the only way to become proficient in this kind of subject is through practice and training one's eye, so the workshop nature of the book is appreciated.

I have found a number of teaching points in Lighting which I'm including in my own course, so I'm happy to recommend this book to others.

I highly recommend this book and feel it would be a rewarding experience for anyone who owns a camera. I can't imagine that there is a photographer (beginner or expert or someone it between) that would not benefit from this book. Everything a photographer needs to know about lighting can be found in this book---everything.

Whether you're an average point and shoot picture taker or a professional, you need to know how light and proper lighting work to take and make great photographs. This book taught me everything I need to know about lighting, and it provided practical guidance with a slight twist of theory. There are numerous examples of photos with detailed explanations and lighting diagrams, and each of them are very informative---but not to the point that it's overwhelming. The photographs in the book are just wonderful. The author does a great job of demonstrating the effects of various elements. The text has a smooth flow, and I felt like the author was showing me how to work with light rather than telling me. The entire book was very well prepared and objective. The author describes in great detail how lighting works, and how to use what light you do (or don't) have to obtain the best pictures possible.

What I really really really really loved about this book is that a novice photographer, like me, can easily understand and benefit from this book. I've read other photography/lighting books that are full of jargon, and I lost interest right away because I don't have a background in photography---I just like to take pictures. Some of the areas do get technical, but the author does it without being dry and patronizing. Anyone intimidated or confused by the subject of lighting should read this book because it's concise, informational and it all made sense. Practicing and experimenting with my camera and the lighting techniques was fun, and I looked forward to each assignment at the end of the chapters to try my newly acquired skills.

A must have book for any photographer!

Whether you're an average hobbyist or a professional photographer, knowing how to take advantage of lighting conditions is the key to creating great photographs. This book gives a thorough understanding of everything you'll need to know about lighting, providing practical tips and techniques. The book is filled with numerous photos alongside detailed explanations and lighting scenarios. The photographs in the book are also well varied. Chris Bucher describes in great detail how lighting works, and how to use what light you have (or need to compensate for) in order to achieve the best results possible.

Throughout the book's 10 chapters, major topics covered are well organized and written in a way that even a novice can appreciate. At the end of each chapter, Bucher sends you on assignment to gain practical experience from the material just covered. You can also upload your work to a dedicated website where others can comment and vice-versa.

I liked the fact that the book's techniques and explanations aren't limited to DSLR cameras only. Several examples of point and shoot work are included. I own both and because of this book have gotten motivated to move out of my point and shoot's auto settings for better lighting control.

There's a full range of lighting techniques covered and I'm happy to add this book to my growing collection of photography lighting reads. Every style and range of photographer will benefit from its usefulness.