Lighting - Books - Magic Bean Dip

Page 1 of 25 - Go to page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 12

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)

Scott Kelby

Amazon Price: $29.69
List Price: ~~$44.99~~
Not yet published
By: New Riders Press

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Lighting
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography

Editorial Review:

Written in concert with Adobe's development of the Photoshop Lightroom 2 Beta, The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers - by #1 bestselling computer and technology author, Scott Kelby - is the most complete and concise Lightroom "how-to" book for digital photographers of all skill levels.

In The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers, Scott walks readers through the basics of Lightroom use, leading them to a brilliantly devised and super efficient digital photography workflow that dramatically improves productivity and allows photographers to spend less time processing photos and more time shooting them.

Throughout the book Scott shares his personal camera and Lightroom settings, as well as the studio-tested techniques he's developed for his own photography workflow. The book is written in his trademark step-by-step, plain English style, and because he knows what really works and what doesn't, he isn't shy to tell you flat out which tools to use, which to avoid, and why. This allows digital photographers of any skill level to jump right in using Lightroom like a pro from the very start, sidestepping a lot of the frustrations that typically haunt those unfamiliar with new applicationsâ¦especially those as powerful as Lightroom.

What really sets The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers apart from other Lightroom books on the market are the last two bonus chapters where Scott answers the questions, "In exactly what order am I supposed to do things in Lightoom," and "Where does Photoshop fit in to the mix?" Both chapters start with an on-location photo shoot, including full details on the equipment, camera settings, and lighting techniques. Readers then witness as he takes the photos from each shoot through the entire workflow process, to the final output of the 16"x20" prints. And, because he incorporates Photoshop seamlessly right into this workflow, you'll learn some of the latest Photoshop techniques for portrait and landscape photography as well.

If you're one of those people who learns best by actually doing the projects yourself; who learns best without all the complicated technical explanations and confusing jargon, and if you really want to start using Lightroom today to unlock the productivity secrets of "The new digital photography workflow,"---there is no faster, more "straight-to-the-point" or more fun way to learn than this groundbreaking new book, and you are absolutely going to love it!

The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters (Voices That Matter)

Joe McNally

Amazon Price: $32.99
List Price: ~~$54.99~~
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: New Riders Press
Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $29.43

Buy at Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 119 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

THE FIRST BOOK WITH ONE FOOT ON THE COFFEE TABLE, AND ONE FOOT IN THE
CLASSROOM
Joe McNally, one of the world’s top pro digital photographers, whose celebrated work has graced the pages of Sports Illustrated, Time, and National Geographic (to name a few), breaks new ground by doing something no photography book has ever doneâblending the rich, stunning images and elegant layout of a coffee-table book with the invaluable training, no-nonsense insights, and photography secrets usually found only in those rare, best-of-breed educational books.

When Joe’s not on assignment for the biggest-name magazines and Fortune 500 clients, he’s in the classroom teaching location lighting, environmental portraiture, and how to “get the shot” at workshops around the world. These on-location workshops are usually reserved for a handful of photographers each year, but now you can learn the same techniques that Joe shares in his seminars and lectures in a book that brings Joe’s sessions to life.

What makes the book so unique is the “triangle of learning” where (1) Joe distills the concept down to one brief sentence. It usually starts with something like, “An editor at National Geographic once told meâ¦” and then he shares one of those hard-earned tricks of the trade that you only get from spending a lifetime behind the lens. Then, (2) on the facing page is one of Joe’s brilliant images that perfectly illustrates the technique (you’ll recognize many of his photos from magazine covers). And (3) you get the inside story of how that shot was taken, including which equipment he used (lens, f/stop, lighting, accessories, etc.), along with the challenges that type of project brings, and how to set up a shot like that of your own.

This book also gives you something more. It inspires. It challenges. It informs. But perhaps most importantly, it will help you understand photography and the art of making great photos at a level you never thought possible. This book is packed with those “Ah ha!” momentsâthose clever insights that make it all come together for you. It brings you that wonderful moment when it suddenly all makes senseâthat “moment it clicks.”

Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

Fil Hunter, Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua

Amazon Price: $30.44
List Price: ~~$39.95~~
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Focal Press
Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $30.44

Buy at Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 89 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

An amazing (and some would say magical) resource on photographic lighting that has been talked about in the community and recommended for years. This highly respected guide has been thoroughly updated and revised for content and design - it is now produced in full color! It introduces a logical theory of photographic lighting so if you are starting out in photography you will learn how to predict results before setting up lights. This is not primarily a how-to book with only set examples for you to copy. Rather, Light: Science and Magic provides you with a comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light to allow you to use lighting to express your own creativity.

Numerous photographs and illustrations provide clear examples of the theories, while sidebars highlight special lighting questions. Expanded chapters on available light in portraiture, as well as new information on digital equipment and terminology make this a must have update!

*New four color art package with contemporary lighting examples
*Based on the behaviour of light
*Theory book for serious photographers

Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers

Christopher Grey

Amazon Price: $19.77
List Price: ~~$29.95~~
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Amherst Media, Inc.
Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $18.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 66 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Visual learner 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

To those with learning disabilities as myself, having suffered a stroke, that use visuals for their input, this book was excellent in all it's methodologies of teaching lighting techniques!

First were the photos themselves, each was shown along with the lighting ratios, and the effect of the various lighting implements used for that particular mood or style of photo being expressed.

Next was a series of photos taken with the same lighting ratio, but with different equipment, showing just how illuminating light can be, and how a Softbox, Umbrella, and what have you can change and influence just how mood and intensity are controlled.

I highly recommend this book for it's excellence in handling the subject at hand...namely Portrait Lighting!

Editorial Review:

Time-tested lighting strategies that will improve the quality of a portrait are detailed in this book for beginning photographers. Terminology used by industry pros is explained, the equipment needed to create professional results is outlined, and the unique role that each element of the lighting setup plays in the studio is explored. Photographers learn how color, direction, form, and contrast affect the final portrait. The concise text, photo examples, and lighting diagrams enable photographers to easily achieve traditional lighting styles that have been the basis of good portraiture since the advent of the art.

The HDRI Handbook: High Dynamic Range Imaging for Photographers and CG Artists +DVD

Christian Bloch

Amazon Price: $29.97
List Price: ~~$49.95~~
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Rocky Nook
Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $28.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Lighting
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Computer Science

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The HDRI Handbook reveals the secrets behind High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI). This cutting-edge imaging technology is a method to digitally capture and edit all light in a scene. It represents a quantum leap in imaging technology, as revolutionary as the leap from Black & White to Color imaging. If you are serious about photography, you will find that HDRI is the final step that places digital ahead of analog. The old problem of over- and underexposure in analog photography, which was never fully solved, is elegantly bypassed here. A huge variety of subjects can now be photographed for the first time ever.
HDRI emerged from the movie industry, and was once Hollywood's best kept secret. It is now a mature technology available to everyone. The only problem was that it was poorly documented until now. The HDRI Handbook is the manual that was missing.
Many questions remain open even for the computer graphics gurus that have been using HDRI for years. This is where The HDRI Handbook comes in. Included here is everything you need to build a comprehensive knowledge base that will enable you to become really creative with HDRI. This book is packed with practical hints and tips, software evaluations, workshops, and hands-on tutorials. Whether you are a photographer, 3D artist, compositor, or cinematographer, this book is sure to enlighten you.
Topics include:

Understanding the foundation of HDRI
Tools for a High Dynamic Range Workflow
How to capture HDR images: now and tomorrow
Tone mapping for creating superior prints
Image processing and compositing
All 4 ways to shoot panoramic HDRIs
Image based lighting and CG rendering
World premiere of the Smart Dynamic Range toolkit
Creative uses and unconventional applications

Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Photography

Kirk Tuck

Amazon Price: $23.07
List Price: ~~$34.95~~
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Amherst Media, Inc.
Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $21.59

Buy at Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Minimalist Lighting 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Finally a book that not tells you but shows you with diagrams to match the photos. Real unbias info on portable strobes and gear. Kirk really embraces the portable approach with real people on real locations.Shot on location, not in a pro studio. If you want to bring the photograher to the subject this is how you do it.
Info on what you need and don't need and a section on color correction filters that is worth the price of the book alone. I had a friend who is just starting with stobes and he saw it on the coffe table and ask to borrow it, after reading it he said "now that make sense" Thanks Kirk you saved me hours of helping him. Looking forward to the next one.
Jim Mucklin

Editorial Review:

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. Whether shooting portraits, landscapes, or interiors, whether indoors or out, photographers will embrace the portable approach offered in this valuable resource.

Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers Only (For Only)

Michael Meadhra, Charlotte K. Lowrie

Amazon Price: $20.99
List Price: ~~$34.99~~
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Wiley
Amazon Marketplace: 50 new & used starting at $19.28

Buy at Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Nothing really new, but... 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

First I should say the title is not totally accurate as I was not familiar with the Zone System by Ansel Adams and the book has an interesting section on it. As for the rest, no truly new information is provided that could not either be provided by an experience with slide films, or inferred from digital cameras manuals. Still the text is quite fluent and provides a good refresh about known notions; moreover the pictures are stunning. I would encourage people in two groups to buy the book: big budget beginners with an interest in improving the quality of their pictures (the book in fact talks about _many_ expensive equipments), or experienced photographers wanting to have some new inspirations.

Editorial Review:

Even with digital cameras and automatic exposure, lighting and exposure remain the most difficult element to master in the quest for quality photography. This book, written by a professional photographer for photographers, provides real-world advice to help you achieve true creative control over lighting and exposure. Discover how to take your digital photos to the next level with the scores of lighting diagrams, techniques, and stunning full-color photographs. Order your copy today!

Nikon Creative Lighting System Digital Field Guide

J. Dennis Thomas

Amazon Price: $13.59
List Price: ~~$19.99~~
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Wiley
Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $9.95

Buy at Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Use every amazing option your Nikon CLS offers

Light is the essence of photography. The Nikon Creative Lighting System lets you create the same lighting patterns with a portable, detached, wireless system that professionals achieve using cumbersome and expensive studio equipment. This practical guide is like having an expert at your elbow. It's packed with information about the CLS as well as tips, tricks, and recommendations for lighting a dozen different shooting situations. Take it on every shoot and get the most from your CLS.
* Know all about the features and functions of the SB-800 and SB-600
* Get insider tips for creating flawless portrait lighting and staging the best poses
* Set up masters and remotes, flash modes, channels, and groups
* Choose equipment for a wireless studio
* Use the ideal exposure and Speedlight system settings for shooting events, nature, sports, groups, portraits, or products

Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks

Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Celebrity and Editorial Photography

Michael Grecco

Amazon Price: $19.77
List Price: ~~$29.95~~
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Amphoto Books
Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $14.41

Buy at Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Priceless--yet practical--ideas and insights from the master of portrait photography
* Ready-to-use insider tips for photographers at every level
* Author teaches across the country and is renowned for sharing his secrets

Michael Grecco is one of the best-known celebrity photographers in the world. His beautiful, insightful work is all around us--on movie posters, in advertising, on magazine covers, everywhere. "I delight in inspiring people," he writes. "I want them to stop, think, and feel." Now Grecco shares the secrets of great portraits with photographers at every level, in Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait. Sections on cameras, illumination, film and digital, creativity and conceptualization, connecting with the subject, and having a point of view, plus intriguing case studies that show "how I got that picture," make this book a resource photographers will use again and again through the years. Whether the subject is a star or a soccer mom, Grecco shows how to add artistry, drama, wit, humor, and personality to their portrait.

Practical Artistry: Light & Exposure for Digital Photographers (Practical Artistry)

Harold Davis

Amazon Price: $19.79
List Price: ~~$29.99~~
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $15.85

Buy at Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

I was recently asked to compile ten of my favorite tips and techniques from Light & Exposure for Digital Photographers. Here's a look at what I selected, along with the photos from the book that are used to illustrate each technique or tip and page references to text that explains the technique more thoroughly.

Briefly noted: these are not hardware tips (like what memory card to buy), these are photographic ideas that will help you stretch your technique and help you create the photos you can see in your mind's eye.
Top Ten Tips on Light and Exposure

1. Choose a wide-open aperture for low depth of field.

Sometimes a photo that is completely sharp is neither possible nor desirable. To create a partial blur effect in windy conditions, place your camera on a tripod.

Using aperture-preferred metering or manual exposure control, choose a wide-open aperture such as f/4.0. The resulting low depth of field, possibly combined with motion blur, will create a pleasing effect. (Pages 50-55.)

2. Use a slow shutter speed to blur the motion of water.

Moving water is rendered differently depending upon the shutter speed you use in your exposure. Setting the shutter actually sets how long the shutter will be open, not a speed.

Fast shutter speeds capture moving water crisply, and slow shutter speeds show water in motion as a blur. To create a very pleasing diffuse blur effect with quickly moving water, try a very long exposure time, for example, about three minutes. (Pages 92-94.)

3. Boost the IS0 to use noise creatively.

Photographers usually think of noise as something bad that should be avoided using proper exposure settings and post-processing remove it. But noise can actually be used creatively. For example, one way to create a "pointillist" effect in your photos is to boost your ISO and then shoot straight into a strong light source. (Pages 112-113)

4. Don't worry about white balance.

Many photographers spend much too much time worrying about their in-camera white balance settings. If you are shooting in RAW, the only thing this setting really does is control the way your photo is displayed in the camera LCD. So leave your camera set to auto white balance, concentrate on the photography not the white balance setting, and correct your white balance when you post-process your photo. (Pages 126-132)

5. Use a light box and overexposure to create a transparent effect.

To create the effect of transparency, try an inexpensive light box as your light source. Use the kind of light box that is used for viewing slides or other transparencies. Place the lightbox either under or behind the object you are photographing. This is an excellent technique for flowers and other semi-transparent objects. If you overexpose photos like this, you can bring out luminous and transparent details. (Pages 136-137)

6. To get your exposure right at night, try a test exposure at a high ISO.

If you want to capture star trails at night, you need to make a long exposure, which means using a low ISO. Before investing the time it takes to create this effect, test your exposure at a higher ISO and a faster shutter speed, then do the math to make sure your longer exposure is correct. (Pages 28-29 and 140-143)

7. Create a studio of your own.

You can create a home studio of your own using surprisingly inexpensive materials. Desktop lamps can be used for flood lighting, and LED headlamps can be used for spot lighting. Venetian blinds can control the direction of light, and sheets can be rigged to work as diffusers. A good art supply store is also a great source of inexpensive supplies that can be used to make a creative home studio. (Pages 146-149)

8. Use the RAW data in a photo to extend the dynamic range of your images.

You may not be aware just how much exposure latitude there is within a single digital RAW capture. By combining multiple conversions from the same RAW capture using the Adobe RAW converter, you can create a final photo that has brighter light areas and darker dark areas than you would ever have thought possible. (Pages 164-165)

9. Transform your photos to black and white using color information in the photo.

It's easy to convert a color image in Photoshop to grayscale by simply dropping the color information in the photo. But this doesn't get you great black and white images with exposure and contrast subtleties. To create rich black and white transformations, you need to work with the color information in the color photo before you drop the color information. (Pages 172-175)

10. Get your camera off automatic.
When you use auto exposure, you are letting your camera make the important decisions about the exposure of your photos. Take back control! Getting your camera off automatic means learning to really understand exposures. Furthermore, once you know how to set manual exposures you may find that your exposure settings are better and more creative than those the camera would have picked. By using manual exposure, you'll also find out when it is appropriate to use an automatic or semi-automatic exposure mode.