This lighting manual shows that successful studio photography does not require a warehouse-sized space brimming with expensive lights, Hollywood-style facades, and a half-dozen assistants making the client lattes. Rather, this guide shows photographers how to create studio lighting effects that range from clean and classic to highly complex and use a garage, spare bedroom, or even a backyard as their “studio.” The simple setups show that one to three small, inexpensive electronic flash units—along with budget-friendly stands, communication systems, and some do-it-yourself light modifiers—can be combined to create brilliant studio-quality images without the studio. Numerous sample shoots and plans provide clear instructions for taking control of any environment to create spectacular images.

Covering every aspect of creating portraits in available light, acclaimed professional photographer Doug Box provides tips for finding great natural light, practical approaches for optimizing exposure, and techniques for posing subjects for the most flattering effects. For those situations when “perfect” available light can’t be found, readers are shown how to modify ambient light to suit their purposes—or give it a bump in intensity with a little pop of flash. Additional topics touched upon include proper lens selection, calculating exposure, managing ambient light both indoors and out, shooting at night, and more. A discussion of applying the many techniques to nature and wildlife, travel, and sports photography rounds out this all-encompassing guide to working with available light.

While light is required to make a photograph, light alone is not enough. More often, it is the way the light has been modified and shaped that brings an image to life. In this book, Glenn Rand and Tim Meyer offer a comprehensive approach to the tools and techniques photographers can use to shape the light—creating the style, energy, emotion, and feeling that make a photograph exceptional. Clear text is paired with ample before-and-after images and diagrams to make learning easy. Beginning with the physics of light, the authors show you how to predict light’s interaction with the surface of the subject/object you are photographing. Based on this, you can begin to make informed decisions about what kinds of modifiers will help you achieve the look you want. Using softboxes, umbrellas, masks, gels, reflectors, and more, you’ll learn to precisely control the light’s diffused edge and ratio for precise, flawless results.

This cookbook-style guide to portrait lighting contains all the ingredients necessary for a successful photo shoot. With 60 two-page spreads highlighting the techniques used to create stunning portraits alongside the portraits themselves, aspiring photographers will have a clear sense of both the "how" and the "why" of good lighting. Difficult questions such as How can I downplay a double chin and dark shadows under the eyes? and How can I produce a soft, romantic feel in a woman's portrait? Are addressed and resolved in this no-nonsense guide to good lighting.

In portrait photography, posing must make the client look amazing, and this book takes photographers through that process from start to finish. With short, one- or two-page lessons that are amply illustrated with before and after images, the book guides the reader through each phase, from the positioning of arms and hands to the degree of the head tilt and shifting the weight. Image sequences showing variations and posing alternatives are also presented to customize a pose for an individual subject, accentuating the assets and minimizing the flaws. Readers are encouraged to take this book with them on shoots and work on replicating or refining the provided examples, creating a self-study course in the art of posing for portrait photography. This thorough guide shows how to get the pose to work within the photo’s composition—sure to give portraits a finished, professional look.

The iPhone is revolutionizing photography. Never before has a camera been so portable yet powerful, so versatile and ubiquitous. Yet, as this book shows, this amazing device has untapped potential for taking jaw-droppingly detailed, sharp, professional-quality images. In this book, commercial photographer Robert Morrissey investigates the photographic capabilities of the iPhone, right out of the box, then moves to advanced uses that will surprise even seasoned photographers. Starting with the basics, Morrissey teaches readers critical strategies for taking great pictures—from how to properly hold your phone, to how and why to use the flash. You’ll learn simple ideas for improving your photos—from crafting a strong composition to posing subjects for flattering results. Next, you’ll learn to use the iPhone’s panoramic and HDR features to take your imaging to the next level. You’ll also get some great insights into how to photograph action, scenes with non-average tones, landscapes, and much more—with natural light and flash.

In photography, every decision, creative and technical, rides on achieving a good exposure. When shooting portraits or products, landscapes or architecture, we must control our camera’s settings to ensure that just the right amount of light is allowed into the camera. When we strike the right balance in our exposure, we have a full range of tones, from pure white to deep blacks. We have rich visual detail. We have a sense of dimension. The colors and tones and contrast in our images weave the visual story of our subject and scene in a way that visually computes. As a result, we see just the image we strove to create, rendered perfectly in a way that satisfies our creative vision. In this book, Mark Chen shows you how to take full control over the science of exposure, providing you with the foundational skill-set you need to maximize your artistic vision.