Mastering Light

* The complete guide to mastering the technical challenges of lighting and flash * Explores locations, subjects and styles, and all the technical skills, tools and tips needed to master them * Written by multi award-winning photographer Richard Bradbury Aimed at the serious amateur, this is a practical guide to achieving professional results in digital photography. Light is at the very heart of photography and plays a fundamental role in creating successful images. Not only does light affect brightness, it also determines tone, mood, atmosphere, texture, colour and luminosity. Mastering Lighting & Flash Photography contains everything you need to know about controlling and manipulating light to capture the beauty of the world around you in your own signature style. Written and photographed by a multi award-winning photographer, the book describes and demonstrates all the key topics: from understanding light and how to use it; through choosing the best kit and mastering the essential techniques; to different forms of flash photography and studio lighting, tips from leading professionals, and elevating your prints in post-production. .

Capture the Beauty of Light in Gorgeous Watercolor Scenes From a lonely mountain highway bathed in midday sun and glittering city lights reflecting off a calm ocean, to a haunted house peeking out of early morning mist and a winter sunset illuminating a snowy forest, this brilliant collection of watercolor masterpieces is an essential primer on representing light in all its varied forms. Artist and author Kolbie Blume breaks complex concepts into easily grasped steps, so that anyone—even beginners—can paint vibrant scenes full of light and luminance. Paintings like Ancient Glow, Twilight Seas and Magic in the Fields allow you to master everything from bright afternoon sunlight and glowing golden hour beams to shimmering starlight and magical misty dawn. Each gorgeous painting teaches you new tricks and techniques to beautifully represent outdoor scenes during any time of the day. Kolbie’s thoughtful, easy-to-follow instructions make it simple to harness color and light in watercolor paintings transforming everyday scenes into something extraordinary.

Portrait lighting is part art, part science. There are so many tools at the photographers’ disposal—and myriad settings and setups that can be used. So, how do you master the light for consistent, predictable results, indoors and out? In this guide, award-winning photographer Curley Marshall teaches you the nuts and bolts of portrait lighting. You’ll learn to work with natural light and studio lighting sources, both as they exist and in modified forms. You’ll discover posing and lighting combinations that will help you to ensure that your subject’s face—the focal point of every portrait—appears dimensional and, where need be, slimmer. You’ll learn how to give the eyes sparkle through proper catchlight placement and how to bring out the color of the eyes. You’ll also learn the basic lighting setups heralded by portrait artists throughout time—including loop lighting, Rembrandt lighting, butterfly lighting, and more.

This guide opens with in-camera flash basics, then moves to topics such asxposure flash readings, detachable units, flash guide numbers, bounce flash,nd fill flash, then covers advanced methods for using off-camera flash,lash brackets, power packs, remote triggering, and other techniques.

Brand-new series! Elevate your art skills with definitive advice, tutorials, and inspiration from the world's most talented art masters.

Light, vibrant and malleable, is the greatest tool at the disposal of portrait photographers. In this acclaimed book—with over 50,000 copies in print—Christopher Grey walks you through studio portrait lighting from start to finish. Dozens of image sequences and before/after pairings show you precisely how each change of light position and modifier affects the look of the lighting on the subject. From classic portrait lighting patterns to unexpected but powerful looks, Grey teaches you everything you need to know to control light effectively. Armed with these powerful skills, you’ll be able to create portraits that are more flattering, more marketable, and more creative.

Photographic portraits should not be the formal, corporate-style poses of yesteryear, which reveal nothing of the subject's emotion, personality or mood - so believe Sarah Plater and Paul Wilkindon. Theirs is a modern, fresh and vibrant approach that aims to capture a moment in the lifestyle of the person or persons in the picture. This authoritative guide contains clear, concise and jargon-busting text that discusses the essential technical aspects of photography from choosing a camera and equipment to an appreciation of exposure, aperture, metering, shutter speed, depth of field and white balance settings, in addition to how natural light, colour and movement affect a photograph. A guide to posing helps to ensure dynamic and arresting images

Create Better Compositions by Design The path to better painting begins with Mastering Composition. This effective guide blends clear, visual instruction with 5 step-by-step demonstrations to show you how to plan and paint your best work yet. Composition is the key, and here you'll learn to design paintings with new skill and confidence. It all begins with the armature or structure of the picture plane. Every great painting has one, and you'll see through several famous examples exactly how the Old Masters used armatures to create movement, narrative, harmony and fluidity. Based on these examples, you'll practice what you've learned following a series of hands-on demonstrations. Once you understand the basic principles of design, you'll be amazed at how quickly and effectively your compositions come together. Soon you will be painting more boldly and confidently than ever before with less reworking and overworking. Whether you're a beginner looking for basic instruction or a more advanced painter troubleshooting a specific problem, the proven methods in this book will work for you. Ideal for all mediums, Mastering Composition gives you the knowledge you need to create powerful paintings out of every subject.

Mastering Nikon Speedlights is the most comprehensive guide available for anyone using or wanting to learn more about the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS). Starting with an exploration of how to work with light, the book teaches you everything you need to know about understanding the direction and intensity of light, using light meters and metering modes, controlling exposure, and much more. You’ll learn the specifics of how to use the full range of Nikon Speedlights and accessories, including past and current models of cameras and CLS compatible flashes—and in the process you’ll find out how to get the best shots with your gear, whether you have a whole box of equipment or just the basics. The book includes practical, real-world photo shoots—portraits, action shots, and product photography—starting with one light and gradually working up to multiple lights so you can observe the progression of the light from one flash to many. No matter what your subject or shooting scenario, Mastering Nikon Speedlights is an essential resource that teaches you how to produce the light you need to achieve great results. Offers a thorough discussion of the qualities of light, how the camera measures light, and the settings needed to record an image with proper exposure Provides a complete overview of all the components that make up the Nikon Creative Lighting System, outlining how to use the different Speedlights and accessories to correspond with each camera’s unique capabilities Covers how to use the Nikon Speedlights off the camera using the Advanced Wireless Lighting (AWL) features built into the Creative Lighting System Features several examples of real photo shoots, showing you how to take great photos in a variety of situations, building from one flash up to multiple flashes

The author of Create presents “an all-in-one, easily accessible handbook . . . [that] will show you how the pros do it. Study this and take your best shot” (Chase Jarvis, award-winning photographer). In Advancing Your Photography, Marc Silber provides the definitive handbook that will take you through the entire process of becoming an accomplished photographer. From teaching you the basics to exploring the stages of the full “cycle of photography,” Silber makes it easy for you to master the art form and create stunning pictures. From thousands of hours of interviews with professional photography masters, you will learn valuable insights and tips on beginner, amateur, landscape, wedding, lifestyle, sports, animal, portrait, still life, and iPhone photography. Advancing Your Photography features: · Top tips for making outstanding photographs from iconic photographers and many other leading professional photography masters of today · Numerous step-by-step examples · Guidance on training your eye to see composition with emotional impact · Tips on mastering the key points of operating your camera like a pro · Secrets to processing your images to professional standards Photography and the technology associated with it are constantly evolving, but the fundamentals remain the same. Advancing Your Photography will help to bring you the joy and satisfaction of a lifetime of pursuing the art of photography.