Reviews (6)

Good for creative ideas
I own just about all the books from the Pro-Lighting series, and this review covers not only this New Glamour book, but all of them. They are great books for getting new ideas and showing examples of accomplished photographers. They are not heavy on technique and therefore are probably not well suited for beginners. Other than a simple diagram, it does not do a good job of telling the whys and hows of the photographs. All in all, they make good coffe table books.

Excellent resource
A very comprehensive illustrations. Great diagrams. And excellent examples does this book a great resource if you're even a novice or an expert photographer

Photographer in Alaska
This book is wonderful. It provides some very creative examples along with enough info for your imagination to take over. You will need a basic understanding of exposure and lighting but New Glamour can help you take the next step.

The book's for person who wants to study glamour photography
I'm a glamour photographer and I find the book is very very useful for me to study more. I already have another pro-lighting series like NUDES, GLAMOUR SHOTS, PROVOCATIVE SHOTS, PORTRAIT and LINGERIE. You can study about the lighting set up or just to look at the final photos in this book, all the photos are amazing, they're sharp, beautiful and very arty.

The book is very nice and usefull
I liked this book very much.I have already NEW GLAMOUR one and BEAUTY SHOTS one. I would like to buy another books from this series, but they are relatively expensive ( the average month wage in our country is 200 US dolars) for me as a student, but however this book is really very helpfull even for profesionals. And its like a learning book for amateur photographers, like me.Now i am trying to save money for another one. ... Read more

Book Description

Better Available Light Photography is a practical guide to understanding the different kinds of lighting challenges that exist and how to overcome them in order to create great photographs.This includes photographing indoor sports, night sporting events, and special activities such as plays, holiday lights, and fireworks.User-friendly and full of practical advice, this book will help both amateur and professional photographers create quality images under less than perfect available light situations.



Often the most difficult, yet most rewarding, images are created when photographers are working under difficult lighting conditions.First, there is the challenge of meeting and overcoming technical obstacles that normally might prevent you from producing a well-exposed photograph.Second, photographs made under lighting conditions different from the "F16 and the sun over your right shoulder" instruction-sheet standard are more interesting.

Better Available Light Photography is written for the amateur or aspiring professional photographer who has been frustrated in trying to create useful images under less than optimum lighting conditions. This includes photographing sports indoors, night sporting events, special activities such as plays, holiday lights and even fireworks.User friendly and full of real world advice, this book will help readers discover the joys of creating images when photographic conditions are at their most difficult.

ú Experience-based solutions to lighting problems
ú Offers a broad sampling of different lighting conditions
-8 page color insert ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A good book for beginners
This was my first "real" book on photography, and I must say it helped me a lot.
I changed my point of view when I was behind my own camera,
because of the stories Joe and Barry described.

It is easy and fun to read.

No follow through.
I expected a lesson in advanced photography. The text was informative, the photographs were not. Many example photographs that were supposed to instruct me in the use of colored gels on flashes or lights were printed in black and white! What a disappointment!

nice book, but...
i would have appreciated more than what basically amounts to a beautifully written and presented Nikon sales pitch.

This book seems geared more toward people with extradisposable incomes or professionally funded camera setups, not an avid amateur enthusiasts.

great ideas about available light photography
The book does an excellent job of taking the photographer behind the camera. It does this by explaining how the photographs are made.

It is a defenite buy for anyone wanting to improve their skills in low light photography. ... Read more

Book Description

This thoroughly updated edition of the lighting 'bible' guides readers through technical foundations, equipment, and techniques of lighting for film and video productions.

The Professional Lighting Handbook details all major lighting topics, including: characteristics of light; fixture structures and components; light source types, operating principles, and use; unit power requirements; light controllers, modifiers, and filters, and how to select them; the aesthetics of lighting the set.

Details everything you need to know about lighting.
Perfect for anyone in film or video production.
This is the "bible" of professional lighting. ... Read more

Book Description

Robert Simpson's comprehensive volume covers all aspects of lighting control systems. It starts with two foundation chapters outlining the basics of electricity, light and electronics as they apply to lighting control. It then reviews all current artificial lightsources, and comments on their suitability for control. A section on lighting control components covers electronic and electromagnetic dimmers, ballasts and transformers. The next section reviews lighting control systems, including those for stage and entertainment, architectural applications, energy management and building control; and includes a chapter on control signals protocols. The final part is an extensive applications review, fully illustrated, covering everything from hotels and cruise ships to homes and churches; and taking in offices, factories, simulators, trains and planes on the way.

Lighting Control: technology and applicationsbrings together information not otherwise available from a single source. It is intended as a training resource within the lighting industry, both for those completely new to the subject, and for those coming to it from another technical field. It will also be useful for lighting designers, consulting engineers and electrical contractors as a reference book covering current and emerging lighting control techniques - with special emphasis on new light sources and new digital control standards. Information, case histories and illustrations for the book have been provided by many leading lighting companies and organizations in North America and Europe.

*Offers comprehensive coverage of all aspects of lighting control from live performance to architectural lighting
*Understand the background to various applications and disciplines in the lighting industry
*Discover the latest thinking and technology; illustrated in full colour ... Read more

Book Description

The fully automatic Nikon offers hundreds of options and incredible flexibility--and this "improved instruction guide" explains how to take full advantage of every one. Get all the facts about the camera's user-friendly technology, special features, and much-admired flash system. Sample shots show just how to adjust to a variety of shooting situations. Great photography will become easier than ever before!160 pages, 24 color illus., 60 b/w illus., 5 x 7 1/2.
... Read more

Reviews (15)

A confusing book at best
I read the instructions that came with the SB-28. I wanted more info. I bought the book. I became more and more confused. I re-read the instructions. I still don't understand the book, but I take good flash pictures.

Terrible!
I purchased the SB-28 flash in Switzerland and wanted a guide in the English language. I already had a fair understanding of the flash and the various modes, but I still had a few outstanding questions that I hoped this book could answer. The book just confused me and raised even more questions. The author's run-on sentences and poor grammar made for difficult reading and comprehension. The examples did a poor job of demonstrating the author's point and often had nothing to do with the text.

Save your money and get your questions answered at the many online resources available. If you must have this book, I will sell you mine.

A Waste of Time & Money
Do not believe the promises made in the opening pages of this book. They are unfulfilled. Despite early protestations that this book will be better than, and different from, the instruction manual -- it is barely more than a bad rehash of the instruction manual with confusing additional information thrown in.

When the author asks that "due to constraints of time and cost" we should excuse the "artistic and aesthetic aspects" of his illustrations, we should sense that this was a 'quick and dirty' effort. Forget the "time and cost" for photography! How about investing some conceptual and organizational thought -- and concern for the reader? (Isn't that what we are paying for?) In fact, this looks so 'quick and dirty' that it seems like different people actually wrote different parts, with little communication, and with no visible editorial control. Furthermore, the illustrations are often unrelated to the text. When related, I have seen many illustrations elsewhere that illustrate the point in the text much better.

The book contradicts itself in places. For example, on page 30 it is claimed that "the SB-28 uses a combined CONTROL OF flash energy via flash duration and FLASH OUTPUT ..." [emphasis, mine] and then on pg. 140 we read "To my knowledge, complex electronic CONTROL OF the actual FLASH OUTPUT is presently not used by any camera/autoflash mode ...". Since the context of these two sentences make it explicitly clear that the points being made are completely contradictory, one begins to lose faith in the veracity of other claims in the book.

I read this book from cover-to-cover, twice, thinking it was my fault. What a waste of time! Even with my Ph.D. degree, I could make little sense of the author's intent. A bunch of facts thrown together and often repeated several times throughout the book, with little useful organization or explanation, poor illustrations, and no index. I found myself trying to re-write the book as I fought for understanding.

You should not have to buy a book like this and then have to re-write it in order to understand it.
Save your time and money.

It gets one star, because I can't give zero stars!
Do not be tempted by this bad apple from the (usually good) 'Magic Lantern' barrel.

Minus Five Star!
Advice: Don't buy it! Cons: Confusing, less useful than the instruction manual

Poor Exposure of the SB-28 Speedlight
...I decided to buy this book. After all, the other Magic Lantern books were so well written and informative, I reasoned.

I reasoned wrong! The writer clearly understands the many technical details of the SB-28, but utterly fails to communicate his knowledge in any remotely understandable way.

A fine effort wasted, I'm afraid. ... Read more

Book Description

Anyone working with lighting in the entertainment industries will find this an immensely readable source of information. The authors, themselves experienced lighting practitioners, have collected a wealth of essential lighting technology and data into one comprehensive reference volume in an accessible, jargon-free style.


The new edition of this popular text covers the very latest technology, including advances in lamps, motorised lights, dimmers and control systems and current safety regulations.

A comprehensive 'on-the-job' tool, for easy reference
Presents technical information in a readable, jargon-free style, for ease of understanding
Provides thorough coverage of the subject, to keep you up to date with the latest technology ... Read more

Book Description

"Clearly explained solutions to problem lighting situations from rock concerts to sunsets. Desirable for all public libraries. Highly recommended."--LJ.192 pages (45 in color), 43 b/w photos, 7 1/2 x 9 3/4.
... Read more

Reviews (7)

A shot in the dark
With high expectations, I purchased this book after reading a great sell-in on the back cover promising a wide range of info from film, filter and processing, to special effects and techniques. With promises of two, "top-notch" photographer's insights into this mytical realm, I took the bait-hook, line and sinker. Pouring over the first few chapters I thought that there was sure o be some major revelation waiting for me, just around the next corner. Unfortunately, it never came.

Targeted to those with extremely little or no photography experience, this book is a treatise in the art of saying nearly nothing with many words. Furthermore, after reading through this book, I can honestly say that I found very little to do with its subject matter. A smattering of dated information, the logistics about where (not how!) to take low-light photos and, quite honestly, an awful lot of rather mediocre examples describes this book that you should remove from your list of "things to read" lest you end up with it in your wood pile.

For Beginners Only!
Really, I can't say this book was good or bad, just that it was made for people who have almost no photography experience. Although things like composition are very important, when it comes to night photography, exposure becomes paramount. But this book gives only the most general of advice in that area! It would have been nice if the author would have at least put exposure information next to each picture (exposure, lens, film speed, and other info would have been even better). The book would be better served concentrating less on talking about ideas for nice compositions...let us, the buyers of the book, find our own compositions...let the book tell us how to get the right exposure for the myraid of different night time conditions. The bottom line: This book is a nice "chat" about night photography: don't expect to find any seriously useful tips about the art.

Tired, boring photo and stories
I don't want to spend more time to write about this book. It's not there's nothing to write to, but I don't want to disappoint the authors of this book. The photo are not only boring, but the stories behind are worse. Not good at all. Do they have "zero" star?

Good Book
I was looking for a low light photography book. Saw the review of this book in Amazon and bought it. The way authors start with some of the fundamentals of low light photography is amazing. The authors give a lot of ideas for different composing techniques for low light photography. But the book seems to be stretching on a bit with details about composing techniques and others as opposed to techniques in capturing the exposures. Given the fact that this is my first low light photography study material I consider this as a good eye opener in that subject.

great book
Reading this book expanded the range of my photography significantly. The author includes many excellently exposed night shots, text describing how they were done, and an exposure chart. As is typical for books of this type, the one page that is the exposure chart is the highlight of the book.

The moonlit shots of a bay on the Atlantic Coast of Ireland that I shot on my honeymoon are very fun to own. In my wedding photography, I think this book has had a good influence on learning the technique of balancing the exposure of a night scene with a foreground subject lit by flash.

Of course long exposures can not be attempted without a decent tripod. If you are planning some travel photography, I advise you to refrain from leaving your best gear at home in favor of recently purchased compact gear which may be inferior. Take your full camera bag, and stow a tripod/lighting bag, too.

While I think this is a motivating, interesting book, my only suggestion is for the author to record exposures and publish them alongside the photographs. My recollection is that the treatment of exposure is chart and running text based, and not associated with specific photos. This treatment, while unusual, was, none the less, effective.

Peter ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Basic Techniques for bland and sterile portraits
Okay, this guy makes his living, according to the book, from doing head shots and studio portraits for actors and models who need samples for their portfolios.

I won't say there's nothing to be learned from this book, as he does show, and carefully explain the techniques he is using, and shows examples of the pictures he wouldn't use and explains why, as well as the ones he would.

However, the portraits are, for the most part, brightly lit, flat, hard edged and soulless. They look to me exactly like the kind of pictures I **don't** want to take of people in front of my camera. Sort of a primer for the Sears Studio Photography technique of portraiture. Yuck.

Definately a classic ....
Personally, I found this book very interesting and well worth the money. While the book is a little dated, it deals concisely with how to achieve a wide range of lighting techniques, both indoor and out, old and modern. The book is definitely biased towards commercial headshot photography but many of the techniques and ideas described are applicable to photographers in all fields, whether professional or amateur. Several areas I particularly liked were the hints and tips spread among the pages and the FAQ sections dealing with setting up in business, legal aspects, working with clients, retouching, etc.

5 not 50
There are some useful examples in this book, however there are certainly not 50! Many of the lighting setups shown are so similar it's hard to see any difference from one to the next. Most of the older b & w examples seem dangerously overexposed, again making each 'technique' undistinguishable. Some of the newer colour examples are quite out-of-focus which really doesn't help matters. I see this book more of a 'what not to do' guide. He manages to make one of the models look great in one shot, but gross in the next, and so forth. There are definately more useful, more up-to-date books that give better examples than this title.

Lights camera...
This is a great book, not only does it show you how to set up your lights it gives you explanation to it to help you figure out lighting set ups on your own. A must have for anyone trying to set up a studio.

A Timeless Book of Lighting Techniques and More
I have just discovered this revealing book by successful photographer, Master of Arts John Hart, in which he explains more than just lighting the client whose portrait he is taking. He discusses every aspect of the entire business from greeting the client, creating client rapport, coaching the client through the session, the positioning of the client, applying facial makeup, indoor and outdoor portraiture and direct and indirect lighting, to record keeping, legal releases, equipment and everything else necessary for operating a successful business. As for lighting, he explains the why, how and what light should be used. This is an invaluable aide for even those going digital. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I could have come up with something better
This best is great if you want to see other photographers photographs and how they lit there pictures (but not in detial). It does not talk about lighting. It just gives examples. You can learn more doing tests yourself. This is a good book for the price.

Great Tutorials
Great book. You won't find explanations on how the camera works or how different lenses behave in here. This is a book for those who already know how to use their equipment but are looking for new and different idea. Lots of different styles and techniques are illustrated by top and side diagrams that I found to be quiet helpful. This book is a great learning source for studio photography techniques.

GOOD BUT NO CIGAR
This was a good book if you already know alot about lighting. The problem is this that it doesn`t talk about lighting it just shows you examples. Doesn`t say why you put this light here and what effect it has on the film. I do say though it is worth it to add it to your libary if the price is right.

Really good but could have been much better
An excellent reference for the studio photographer. However I feel that the info on each lighting lacks crucial information, such as light ratios. If you have five different light sources it's crucial to know which is the main one and what its intensity is in relation to the others. Since these books are about the lighting and nothing but the lighting, I feel that such details should be in there. It would also be nice to know something more about the darkroom and/or the digital post production of the shots, because the effects in the shots are only partially created by the lighting. ... Read more

Book Description

This pocket-sized A-Z guide will be of use to all those in the industry, particularly students, who have heard expressions or terms and wondered what they meant.Although most technical books have glossaries, The A-Z of Lighting Terms has expanded on many of these terms using illustrations to clarify some of the more complicated principles, formulae and laws.

Ideal for quick reference
A comprehensive listing supplemented with illustrations ... Read more

Book Description

Night photography is an exciting challenge. All the normal rules of daylight photography are broken, and the extreme contrasts in light levels allow photographers to create dramatic and evocative images.Photography at Night is more than just a standard photography manual. It is also a valuable teaching tool, filled with exercises that put theory into practice. Covering technical aspects of both conventional and digital cameras, readers will find hands-on lessons on the practical and aesthetic aspects of low-light photography. They'll also discover expert guidance on how to critique their results as well as improve their work in the future. This is the definitive sourcebook for photographers who want to improve their low-light skills. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Somewhat useful book of pictures and ideas...

As a primer on the technical aspects of night photography, this book is short on details and rather disorganized.

The chapter on equipment and the properties of different B&W developers is useful. There are detailed sequences of pictures demonstrating the effects of different levels of exposure and development on various kinds of film. Sometimes, pictures are worth a thousand words.

The book falls short when connecting the pictures and instructions. Metering is described as being important, but no information on how to meter properly is provided. Furthermore, there is no information on reciprocity failure for different films, other than a vague suggestion about doubling exposure time. This leaves the reader wondering exactly how long exposure time should be. The digital camera section is also disappointingly short, mostly containing information on how digital cameras work.

This book's strength is in its photos. The first 40 pages consists of portfolios from different photographers. Detailed captions describe the circumstances of each photo shoot and how the photo was exposed. Finally, some information that could really help amateurs!

The last section is a list of assignments. At last, the author provides detailed information on how to meter a scene, how to determine exposure, and how to pick a camera angle for shooting. Why wasn't this information provided earlier in the book?

In conclusion, buy this book for the great photos, not for the instructions included. ... Read more

Book Description

Jon Tarrant offers practical guidance on equipment, guidance on technique and information about some of the underlying theories that apply to photographic lighting. Starting from general principles and progressing through ever more specific details, he leads the reader towards a series of example images that show the application of photographic lighting in a wide variety of different situations. Anyone working with film or digital imaging will find this an essential reference source that is packed with both information and ideas.





'The Practical Guide to Photographic Lighting' is a comprehensive source that is fully illustrated with colour and black and white images which comprise not just final photographs but also intermediate and proof pictures that contributed towards the finished result. Jon Tarrant explains how different effects can be produced, and how to work with light to achieve polished pictures and a stunning range of creative images.

Benefit from a professional's experience with the full colour, inspirational film and digital photographic lighting examples
Full details of basic and advanced lighting methods to help stretch your skills
Wide coverage of many different kinds of lighting, from working with daylight to dedicated studio arrangements ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not for Digital Photography as Advertised
I bought this book because as the title suggests is also for Digital Photography...but well...that is just pure marketing...It just have ONE page (pg.83) in reference to digital cameras.
I am very disappointed...wish I can return this book...

Everyone needs light
This book helped me to understand how to do the lighting for my photos. I have started using my digital camera recently and this book has helped me to understand how to work with the light in a...a practical way. My photography has improved after reading this book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent beginner's guide to the use of films & filters
I thought excellent comparisons of the various types of color reversal films available and which work best given the seasonal subjects and what you're trying to capture. Also good suggestions on the effect of various filters. Very good, instructional photos throughout. ... Read more

Book Description

8 5/8x 7 1/2 120 color and 30 black-and-white illustrations US Distribution only photography With its focus on the built-in obstacles of lowlight photography and how to overcome them, this book shows readers ways to maintain consistently accurate exposures, work with slow shutter speeds, and achieve color accuracy with exposures that are measured in minutes. Images from many parts of the world show stunning examples of both indoor and outdoor mixed-lighting conditions. Technically complex but creatively rewarding, the art of lowlight photography is explained lucidly and simply in this problem-solving manual. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

dissapointed reader
This book is a waste of your money, the pictures are average, you can find the same quality in any scuba magazine at a lower cost. There are better books on the subject out there. The writing is amateur in nature and the instructional content very weak, Instead, I would recommend books by Jim Church or Howard Hall, they are of a more professional style and overall finish.

Only Average
Stephen Frink's book Wonders of the Reef: Diving with a Camera struggles with what kind of book it should be: coffee table photo book or UW instructional book. As a result it is not particularly great at either one. There are great photos in here. But it's not really a coffee table book. The photo instruction is very basic almost as if he's afraid to give too much away.

An incredibly versatile photographer
Good photography isn't easy under the best of cirucmstances. Stephen Frink's work is great despite the myriad problems of underwater photography. Frink is a master of technique with an artist's eye for capturing the moment where the truth of the subject is revealed. Often dramatic, sometimes humorous, but most of all the reader is left with a sense of wonder at the alternately beautiful, haunting and sometimes terrifying world of the reef. Here's a sincere wish that Mr. Frink will give us more books in the days to come.

A Sweet Book
This book has great pictures and wondeful information. I highly recomend this boook to anyone who loves fish and underwater photography. ... Read more

Book Description

Throughout the twentieth century, live theatre has been challenged by a range of new media based on increasingly sophisticated technologies. In Stages for Tomorrow, Francis Reid, one of the world's best known and best loved lighting designers, gives a unique insight into some of the key developments of live performance technology this century and offers a view of where the future lies - a must for any theatre professional who takes their job seriously.

Throughout the twentieth century, live theatre has been challenged by a range of new media based on increasingly sophisticated technologies - audio recording, film, radio, television, video recording - and it has survived them all. Now live performance faces an information technology explosion where the reality is claimed to be virtual.

In Stages for Tomorrow, Francis Reid, one of the world's best known and best loved lighting designers, gives a unique insight into some of the key developments of live performance technology this century and offers a view of where the future lies - a must for any theatre professional who takes their job seriously. The book covers every aspect of staging a live performance: from its relationship with photographic and digital media, old and new, to factors affecting the architectural design of buildings which house performances of ephemeral arts. The technology of staging styles is covered, with ongoing engineering solutions for scenery, light and sound. The book also examines developments in costume design, marketing and training. Whether student or seasoned professional - this is a guide to the technical theatre that you won't want to be without - now, or in the future!

Francis Reid is a world renowned freelance theatre lighting designer. He lectures, writes and advises on the subject of theatre design and technology.

a unique insight into the technical theatre industry
puts the theatre professional's knowledge in context
written in an approachable style ... Read more

Book Description

For a generation the Basic Essentials series has been as much a part of the outdoors experience as backpacks and hiking boots. Information-packed tools for the novice or handy references for the veteran, these volumes distill years of knowledge into affordable and portable books. Whether you're planning a trip or thumbing for facts in the field, Basic Essentials books tell you what you need to know.Discover how to use filters for special effects, understand your camera better to use it more efficiently, develop techniques for using lenses, protect your camera and film from environmental damage, eliminate common beginners' mistakes and adjust your camera to compensate for drastic differences in available light. ... Read more

Book Description

This guide to the fundamentals of stage lighting includes a series of projects to allow experimentation, discussion and analysis. The necessary equipment is described in relation to its purpose, along with checklists and hints for practical use.

The practical handling of light, with observation of the relationship of cause to effect, is central to the study of stage lighting. Rehearsal pressures usually restrict the time available for experimenting with lighting for a performance, but laboratory-style projects can be used to enable specific lighting problems to be solved.
The core of this book is a series of 'discovery' projects using minimal resources, to explore the use of light in the theatre, with particular emphasis on the interaction of conflicting visual aims. The projects cover all the major scenarios likely to be encountered by lighting students and have been tried and tested by the author, who has taught lighting students all over the world for over 30 years.

The book has been updated to include more on safety and the latest technology including:
- fixed instruments using the new lower wattage high efficiency lamps in combination with dichronic reflectors
- an increase in the availability, reliability, range and usage of 'moving light' technologybased on remotely controlled instruments.

New lighting projects have also been added.

If you are studying the art and craft of stage lighting this book is an excellent working manual that will provide you with the technical knowledge and skill to cope with a range of lighting situations.

*Includes a series of projects to allow experimentation, discussion and analysis
*Provides checklists and hints for practical use
*Now fully updated to include the latest technology ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lighting Design Activity Workbook
I can't for the life of me figure out why this book is so expensive. It is a workbook for students and other lighting designers who are looking for a refresher about different lighting techniques and their effectiveness. I pull it out whenever I am at a creative impasse because it helps me to consider the basics, which helps me pull out a better design.

It starts with a brief overview of all the basics of design ideas and equipment. But this certainly should not be your main source of this information. Then it gets on to the real meat of the book - the activities.

I wouldn't suggest buying this book unless you have a space and equipment to actually do the activities. Learning with this book is achievable only by doing the exercises, working through the problems, and observing, as the book offers no "right answers" and espouses no "right way".

Examples of activities covered in this book are achieving an even stage wash and "to explore the problems of providing enough visibility for the audience to understand the action, while maintaining the atmospheric credibility of a moonlit garden which is sufficiently dark and shadowy for mistaken identities to be feasible" to minimalistic lighting to lighting through gauze.

Excellent for a teacher to buy to teach a class. Don't make your students buy their own copy though, it is overpriced. ... Read more