Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Photography

EAN:9781584282303 Label:Amherst Media, Inc. Author:Kirk Tuck Binding:Paperback

This author is very specific in his descriptions of how he executes particular location lighting challenges Very good nuts and bolts book. His approach in this sense reminds me of Scott Kelby, who writes Photoshop books and always gives you every step in the process2009-02-28 Rating 4. As other reviewers have said, the author uses Nikon flashes, as I do, and most detailed advice relates to them, so it would be less helpful to a reader who uses other equipment. However there's a good deal of advice on other equipment- light stands, filters, clamps, umbrellas- that anyone could use. Lastly, the book is specifically about location portrait photography with multiple flashes and lightstands. It is therefore not targeted for wedding or event photography that requires mobility and generally on-camera flash. This is not a criticism, just a comment on the content. I would definitely recommend the book for users who want to use multiple flashes on location, while still retaining an "environmental portrait" look. Since you are reading the reviews of this book, you are probably aware of the Strobist "movement"? Well, this book is using 88 out of 124 pages to explain what gear you need, how do you setup, snoots, receivers, gels, what are the pros and cons of using the minimalist-strobist way of lighting, etc Good as a starter/reference guide. The author included just 36 pages (actually even less) for the "case studies" - how to light the particular subjects, what are the problems, etc2009-02-24 Rating 3. together with (useful) lighting diagrams. I expected a lot more. I mean, you have the first 88 pages for free on a Strobist site or elsewhere. The author acknowledged the Strobist and surely knows for David Hobby's work, he could at least try to add something new or to use 44 pages for introduction instead of 88. The other thing that I didn't quite like were the models/subjects he used for this book. Some were Dell/AMD CEOs, vice-presidents, employees, etc. Okay, no problem with that. But majority of portraits in this book are ordinary, cheesy, plain, nothing really stands out (with few exceptions though!). Actually the portraits on the cover are the most interesting (and no, you won't find the lady in the red dress inside). On the other hand, this can be a good thing: if you pursue a career of minimalist / on-location photographer, most of the time you'll meet with plain, dull and bored people that you have to photograph. I just expected a book to have more interesting people/portraits inside and ideas of how to use your flash in a creative way. All in all, this book is good as a starter guide, when you don't have [. . ] with you or when you simply want to hold the real thing and not to stare at your monitor. There are some good tips and how-to's, but don't expect anything ground-breaking. It is very useful book if you are thinking to use camera flash units for portable studio lighting, weddings or location shooting Very useful book. Very experienced author and there plenty of tips and experienced advice towards using the minimalist system and I found them very useful when choosing accessories and when shooting on location2009-02-23 Rating 5. Far and away the most practical and helpful book on Stobist-style lighting I've read, and probably one of the best how-to books on photography period Helpful, practical, well-written. Well illustrated, thoughtful, readable2009-02-07 Rating 5. . superb. I'm pro-photograph Great!. If you need to know very simple techniques for professional pictures, you need to read this book2009-01-31 Rating 5. Thanks Kirck. Raul G (Austin TX). Packed with incredible images and step-by-step techniques, this book is a must have for commercial, wedding, and portrait photographers working on location who want to maximize their time behind the camera and minimize their time spent hauling cumbersome lighting equipment The tips show how to select easily portable and versatile equipment for location shoots, cutting down on the packing and porting of expensive equipment. With techniques and information on the latest technology—including battery-powered flashes and accessories—this reference shows photographers how to work with smaller and lighter-weight lighting equipment without sacrificing quality