Enjoy fast, FREE delivery, exclusive deals and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery

List Price: $25.99 Details

Save: $5.91 (23%)

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Friday, November 3 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery Tuesday, October 31. Order within 22 hrs 6 mins

Select delivery location

Only 18 left in stock (more on the way).

$$20.08 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Monday, November 6 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery Tuesday, October 31. Order within 22 hrs 6 mins

Select delivery location

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Martistore

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

Added

Not added

$16.00
+ $4.99 shipping

Sold by: Gama1521

Added

Not added

$21.63
FREE Shipping on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon.

Sold by: CTX Distribution

Added

Not added

$21.64
FREE Shipping on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon.

Sold by: CE_BOOKHOUSE

Follow the Author

Bryan Peterson

Understanding Flash Photography: How to Shoot Great Photographs Using Electronic Flash Paperback – August 30, 2011

by Bryan Peterson (Author)

4.6 475 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$6.99

—

Paperback

"Please retry"

$20.08

$16.00

$2.25

Kindle
$6.99 Read with our free app
Paperback
$20.08

49 Used from $2.25 20 New from $16.00

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$20.08","priceAmount":20.08,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"20","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"08","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"6WNl8WQhLin3HrZ1udg8T3zfGDcvi9CKcUoJvu7gxUCFuabK%2BRrSl8wzi5QHFcjCeTidd4pLoePHlzIsfXBq4IOsDzTjp3cabo%2FXVgiiKx6%2BGE6f43iWAHbb3wICz9FFh%2FpdfteKy9U%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$11.05","priceAmount":11.05,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"05","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"6WNl8WQhLin3HrZ1udg8T3zfGDcvi9CKa2TeSOITB%2FyNt1O77%2BMetfWEgBUrnypO3veHKCShukbxuiejmEn8w8rKhgJrynJmSpcf%2B43SRE5j48ZRE%2FWFMSO0Bf6LX%2FaOdLbr4z9lND%2BtcGVFIs9C1QU8u05LAbPU7dUBsESA%2FYcDn1zmW6EwNmA4qiSugkIv","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

From a master of professional photography, a book that explores the exciting possibilities of artificial light.

This guide to on- and off-camera flash picks up where Peterson's previous title, Understanding Exposure, left off--helping free photographers from the limitations of auto to get the images they want when natural light isn't enough. For the many amateur photographers afraid to venture past natural lighting, here is the book that will finally help them master artificial light. In his trademark easy-to-understand style, Bryan Peterson explains not only how flash works, but how to go beyond TTL automatic flash exposure to master manual flash, allowing readers to control the quality, shape and direction of light for a perfect exposure, every time.

Print length

160 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Amphoto Books
Publication date

August 30, 2011
Dimensions

8.55 x 0.42 x 10.98 inches
ISBN-10

0817439560
ISBN-13

978-0817439569
See all details

Frequently bought together

Understanding Flash Photography: How to Shoot Great Photographs Using Electronic Flash

$20.08

Get it as soon as Friday, Nov 3

Only 18 left in stock (more on the way).

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

Understanding Exposure, Fourth Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera

$19.87

Get it as soon as Thursday, Nov 2

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

Bryan Peterson Photography School: A Master Class in Creating Outstanding Images

$14.01

Get it as soon as Friday, Nov 3

Only 18 left in stock (more on the way).

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

Some of these items ship sooner than the others.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

Scott Kelby
662
Paperback
67 offers from $4.32
Bryan Peterson
2,304
Paperback
97 offers from $6.40
Bryan Peterson
237
Paperback
72 offers from $1.98
David Taylor
5,927
Hardcover
in Photography Equipment
94 offers from $5.16
Bryan Peterson
353
Paperback
82 offers from $1.35
Bryan Peterson
74
Paperback
36 offers from $8.59

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bryan Peterson, a professional photographer, is the author of "Understanding Exposure, Beyond Portraiture, Learning to See Creatively," and "Understanding Digital Photography." A well-known instructor, he is the founder of the online school The Perfect Picture School of Photography (www.ppsop.com). He lives in Chicago.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amphoto Books; NO-VALUE edition (August 30, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0817439560
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0817439569
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.55 x 0.42 x 10.98 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #550,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #15 in Flash Photography
- #36 in Photography Lighting (Books)
- #374 in Photography Reference (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 475 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

Important information

To report an issue with this product, click here.

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Bryan Peterson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

BRYAN PETERSON is a professional photographer, internationally known instructor, and founder of www.ppsop.com, The Perfect Picture School of Photography. He is the best-selling author of Understanding Exposure, Understanding Shutter Speed, Understanding Close-Up Photography, Learning to See Creatively Understanding Digital Photography, Beyond Portraiture and, most recently, Bryan Peterson's Understanding Photography Field Guide. His easy-to-understand writing and teaching style breaks down the complex and often confusing aspects of photography, translating them into what his students routinely describe as "aha" moments. His trademark use of colour and strong, graphic composition have garnered him many photographic awards and a strong following. He lives in Chicago.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

475 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Robert

Refers to portable flash not studio lights

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2023

Verified Purchase

This book is a gem if you want to know how to use portable flash units or speedlights with your camera. Bryan Peterson is a fantastic photographer and instructor. I started with his book Understanding Exposure and I was so impressed I bought most of his other books which are excellent

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Erik J. Malvick

Great Intro on Flash, But...

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2012

Verified Purchase

While apparently geared towards digital technology, it really feels like a book about film photography with digital as an afterthought.

Fortunately, that is a small flaw in an otherwise educating book on flash. First, the concepts here don't pertain a whole lot to the camera anyway and the concepts of exposure and flash settings are the same no matter what camera you use. The bigger problem comes with regard to manual flash and the behaviors observed on today's cameras. Today's flashes don't necessarily have all the manual behaviors this book talks about. In today's automated world, the manual modes on a flash still assume the user is dumb and don't give you nearly the flexibility that the author assumes you'll have here.

This really isn't a flaw with the book as it is a flaw with the companies building our flashes and cameras. Unfortunately, I feel that the author should account for that to some extent.

I do love that the book at least goes over the concepts very clearly. The focus is on using your flash in manual mode, and that is useful even if it is difficult to implement with your own flash. It took me three days of reading my flash's manual and internet forums to get to a point where I could make the book work for me (again a flaw of my flash and its manual). Once I got to that point, I find that everything in this book is spot on. The concepts are useful. I especially like the discussion on essentially removing the ambient light from your photos.

I do question a little bit of the books organization. The discussion on power and guide numbers would have simplified the challenges I faced at the beginning if they would have been placed at the beginning of the book. The author calls the concepts advanced, but I think that Guide Numbers are essential to understand flash from the start.

Last, going back to digital vs. film. In the limited discussion on automatic flash settings, the author discusses TTL, which really doesn't exist anymore as the author describes. I don't think it is a big deal as the current iteration on TTL tends to work well enough as described in digital, but it does have its limits. The author does acknowledge that todays dSLRs have better capability in low light and gives examples of when flash shouldn't be used. As a user who tended to be scared of flash, I was aware of these abilities, but it can be just as easy for many users to use a flash for everything. I can't believe how often I see flashes at baseball games. The author does a good job of also showing how a flash can be used in situations where it may not be technically necessary but can hugely improve a photo.

The other item I question is the emphasis on items such as gels to color flash. My intuition is that there is value in the discussions, but the use isn't as necessary as it was during the film era. For one, digital editing allows us to shift the color of our images. Unchanged flash in combination with photo editing seems like it offers the most flexibility.

Ultimately, I give this book 4 stars because it feels like it could use just a bit more updating for its time (a book in 2011 needs a bit more digital emphasis). Never-the-less as a reference on Flash photography, it is a great starting point. As in any book on photography and in any learning of techniques, I suggest supplementing it with internet forums, blogs, etc. I also suggest reading up on your own camera's flash as well as possible.

Last, I wouldn't hesitate in buying an old flash (with care to ensure compatibility with your camera and its electric circuits). I picked up an old Pentax flash for my Pentax camera and found the concepts and use a lot easier to follow. It doesn't have to be the most powerful flash, but it will help to understand the concepts so that the use of your primary flash is much easier.

Have fun... This book has made flash photography a joy for me. Before I always felt it was a chore. That is worth the price alone.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Julian Velasco

Finally, I understand how flash works!

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2011

Verified Purchase

I have read many of Bryan Peterson's books, mostly because I like his style. Of course, they are all helpful as well, with Understanding Exposure probably being his best book. Well, this book is right up there in terms of helpfulness!

I'm an amateur photographer: I really love photography; but I have a day job, so photography is only a hobby. I've read dozens of books, and I like to think I understand quite a bit about photography. But somehow, flash was always a bit mystifying. I understood some of the basics: flash is basically instantaneous, so flash exposure is entirely controlled by aperture and not shutter speed; however, beyond a certain speed, the sensor is never fully exposed, so you need a special mode (High-Speed Sync) to be able to use flash. But I never really understood what was going on with my flash: it gives me distances, and zooms, and power levels ... how was I supposed to use that information? Sure, I could use the automatic TTL mode and not worry about it. But if you're a true amateur, you want to know whats going on in order to experiment creatively. And I never quite got it. This book explains it well and painlessly! In fact, it's so easy, I'm amazed none of the other books I've read have explained it.

After explaining the basics, he goes on to explore some advanced topics. Not as many as some might like, and probably not in enough detail to make you an expert. But I don't care, and you shouldn't either. This is a book about UNDERSTANDING flash photography, not about mastering techniques. I went in confused and I came out feeling that I now understand flash. I can now read more advanced books, or just experiment and learn through experience. Either way, I'm much better off than I was before. And all thanks to Peterson.

I highly recommend this book!

56 people found this helpful

Helpful

M. Shaiken

Great book - with the customary Peterson clarity

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2011

Verified Purchase

I read the latest Bryan Peterson book from cover to cover within moments of its arrival at my mailbox. I have now also read the reviews and I agree wholeheartedly with the favorable ones and must respectfully disagree with the negative reviews. First, Bryan Peterson is the most understandable, approachable photography author in circulation today. His new book on flash is no different - completely understandable, completely approachable for novice and enthusiast alike. I am a Nikon shooter; if you own a Nikon SB900, the book is a masterpiece. If you don't however, I disagree with the critics who suggest that the book has no application. The thesis of the book is straightforward: compose the shot in full manual mode in your camera, and add light back manually (not in TTL mode) to light the subject. How much light, Bryan suggests, is based on the distance of your flash to your subject. In an SB900, once you determine the distance (you can eyeball it most of the time), the SB900 allows you to input that distance (as well as your ISO and f-stop based on your creative juices when you composed the shot) and as a result, the SB900 will then adjust the flash output for you. The SB800 will also do so for you, as well will newer manual flashes such as the Lumopro. I assume the various Canon speed lite flashes will also do so. If so, great. If not, then the thesis of the book is simply to use full manual mode, and by playing around a bit, the Canon user can determine what level of power matches the distance and subject. I do not read the book as limited to SB900's anymore than I read Syl Arena's book as only for Canon users. I recommend this book as the latest in the string of Peterson books for the everyman photographer.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Mr. Petersen

Really great book. Absolutely recommendable.

Reviewed in Germany on August 2, 2022

Verified Purchase

Really great book. Absolutely recommendable.

Alan

An excellent book @ an even better price

Reviewed in Canada on July 4, 2023

Verified Purchase

I always look at the prices for the used version of the books I need, and in all cases (so far!) the book looks better than the description indicated. Since this is a reference book, I didn't care if there were minor marks inside...but this book was 100% clean. Always consider the used products, but ensure you factor in the shipping costs and taxes at check out. Sometimes the 'new' version is the better deal. Good shopping !

Txiki63

Muy bien

Reviewed in Spain on May 5, 2022

Verified Purchase

Llego antes de tiempo y tal como describe el proveedor, muy bien y bien empaquetado

Translate review to English

John Bent

Does What it Claims

Reviewed in Canada on December 13, 2013

Verified Purchase

A very good book for understanding flash photography. It should be noted that this book is not about how to use speed lights or cameras but understanding flash photography. The author largely assumes the reader understands how to use his/her camera and speed light. I realized I needed to brush up on how my speed light worked before I could get the full benefit from this book. The author references, in a largely generic fashion, the Nikon SB900 speed light, which is the one he uses, but this is quite incidental to the book and its purpose.
The book covers the basic concepts like aperture, shutter speed, ISO and their interrelationship in the context of flash photography. One thing I found particularly useful is better appreciating the different roles of aperture and shutter speed in flash photography: what they individually contribute to a properly exposed photograph using flash. The manual mode of the speed light was strongly emphasized by the author. I came to better appreciate the use of this mode in effectively exposing flash photographs both for pop up and off camera speed lights. I now use this mode to a greater degree and a lot more effectively than I formerly did.
Finally I ought to say that after reading this book I came away with a clearer understanding of flash photography and the factors that determine its success.

2 people found this helpful

Felix

Für mich genau das Richtige!

Reviewed in Germany on December 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

Anscheinend musste ich über 50 Jahre fotographieren bis mich Bryan Peterson erfolgreich darauf aufmerksam machte, dass es beim Blitzen nur um die Blende geht!!

Translate review to English

See more reviews