Mastering Digital Flash Photography: The Complete Reference Guide (A Lark Photography Book) [Paperback]

Chris George (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2008 | Series: A Lark Photography Book

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600592090
• ISBN-13: 978-1600592096
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #858,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Primer, July 1, 2008

By 

Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mastering Digital Flash Photography: The Complete Reference Guide (A Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)

It seems strange that the best book around for a long time about flash photography was published in 1997, before the full scale invasion of digital cameras and super-smart flash units. That's the need that "Mastering Digital Flash Photography" is aimed at filling.

The first chapter deals with basic issues like the nature of the lighting systems available, and the second with the nature of light itself. The author then considers fill flash (the use of flash to supplement ambient light), low light flash and studio flash. The author finishes by discussing computer techniques that can be used to improve pictures captured with flash.

This book serves as an excellent introduction to the subject of flash photography, and will prove extremely useful to the individual with little or no experience with flash. (On the other hand, George does assume that the reader understands basic photography skills like exposure and digital post processing.) However, I sometimes felt that the author generalized a bit too much for an instruction manual and could have placed more emphasis on certain subjects. For example, he quite properly points out that a picture taken with fill flash is the combination of a picture at a slower speed with ambient light and a picture at higher speed with flash. I would have liked him to give more emphasis to the fact that this can sometimes create problems (as well as opportunities) by giving a moving subject blurred edges. I would also have liked to see more emphasis on the use of multiple portable flashes, given the facility for wireless control, like that of Nikon's CLS system, which modern flashes provide.

I also felt that drawing a sharp distinction between portable flash units and studio strobe lights was not necessary. Many of today's portable flash units can easily be used with umbrellas and softboxes specifically designed for them, in a manner similar to the larger, usually more powerful, studio lights, while many of the techniques for using multiple studio lights can also be applied to portable units, even outside of the studio. Yet these connections were not made.

When it came to digital post processing I was pleased to find the author made no attempt to deal with fundamentals. Instead he pointed out how the use of certain tools, with which an experienced Photoshop user would be familiar, could extend the capabilities of flash photography. Some beginning Photoshop users might wish that there was a little more detail on subjects like selective adjustments, but slightly experienced users will get just enough of an indication as to what is necessary.

Nature photographers also use flash, and have special problems and tools like flash extenders that were not dealt with here.

The use of flash is not something one learns from a single book. The more one uses flash, the more one thinks of other useful applications. This book will provide users with a good start. And it's not ten years old.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for the intermediates, December 16, 2009

By 

jonnymano (detroit, mi) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mastering Digital Flash Photography: The Complete Reference Guide (A Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)

I'd have to disagree a bit with the previous reviewers. I borrowed this book from the local library and must say that I've learned a lot. I've been a photographer for a few years, mostly self-taught, and get along pretty well. As I try to add more tools to my skill set, I'm trying to use flash better, and this book has cleared up some confusing points for me... like high-speed sync, rear-curtain sync, and other similar concepts. If you're already a pro, then this book probably won't be as useful, as it's aimed at the intermediate photographer. It adds some interesting side-bars and technical notes too, which are good for any serious photographer to understand (like how a flash works, and how far your flash should be away from your lens depending on the distance from your subject to avoid red-eye). Yeah, the pictures aren't ground breaking, but this book is a good reference for anyone who wants a better understanding of flash photography.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Glossary of the Book I Wish it Was, August 26, 2009

By 

A. Griswold (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mastering Digital Flash Photography: The Complete Reference Guide (A Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)

This book is little more than an illustrated glossary to the terms and equipment of flash photography. I kept waiting for the author to start talking technique and for some good "how-tos." Never happened. I also have to say that the photos in the book used as examples are mediocre at best which is an odd choice. Save yourself some money and skip this one. or buy mine used.