Lighting for Digital Photography

Now that you've had your DSLR for a while, are you ready to take a much closer look at what creating a great image is all about? It's all about light! The ability to see, influence, modify, control, and create light will take your images from snapshots to great shots! In Lighting for Digital Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots, photographer and bestselling author Syl Arena begins with a primer on light itself-how to see its direction, intensity, color, contrast, and hardness-and quickly moves on to discussions of shooting both indoors and outdoors in the many different conditions of natural or man-made light. Then the book digs in to begin creating light with photographic lights, whether that's small flash or big strobe, the pop-up flash on your DSLR or continuous lights. Follow along with Syl and you will: - Learn the basics (and beyond) of light modifiers that make light bigger and softer, such as umbrellas, softboxes, beauty dishes, and diffusion panels - Understand how to control and shape the light itself with flags, grids, snoots, and the zoom function on your flash - Appreciate the color temperature of light (whether that's the sun, a light bulb, or a flash), and how to influence it with white balance settings on your camera and colored gels on your flash - Learn how to take great pictures across many different genres, from product and still life images, to simple (and not so simple) portraits and group shots With Lighting for Digital Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots, you'll learn not only how light behaves-you'll learn all you need to know to get started on the journey of creating and controlling light in order to make great shots. And once you've got the shot, show it off! Join the book's Flickr group, share your photos, and discuss how you get great shots at flickr.com/groups/lightingfromsnapshotstogreatshots.

Syl Arena studied commercial photography at Brooks Institute and fine art photography at the University of Arizona. Over the years, Syl has shot for newspapers, magazines, and catalogs. He has been recognized for his expertise on color-critical workflow and his ability to turn noon to night by firing off a dozen Speedlites simultaneously. He is the author of the bestselling Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites. Syl covers the world of photography on his blog Speedliting.com, and he serves as the Director of the Paso Robles Workshops.

CHAPTER 1: THE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHT Photography Begins with Looking at Light CHAPTER 2: YOUR LIGHT-CAPTURING MACHINE Using Camera Settings Smartly and Creatively CHAPTER 3: USING THE LIGHT AROUND YOU Getting Started with Natural Light CHAPTER 4: CREATING YOUR OWN LIGHT Getting Started with Artificial Light CHAPTER 5: LIGHTING FOR TABLETOP AND MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY Learn To Light By Starting With Objects CHAPTER 6: LIGHTING FUNDAMENTALS FOR PORTRAITS Getting Started with Portraits CHAPTER 7: ADVANCED LIGHTING FOR PORTRAITS Adding Depth And Drama To Your Portraits APPENDIX: THE GEAR I USE INDEX