lighting

As a photographer working with available light only, I bought this book hoping to learn to ins and out of flash photography.
A few pages into it realized that this book wasn't the one. The first chapter covers the fundamentals of flash operation -
how does flash work and the basic concepts to remember, and that was VERY helpful. But it was written sluggishly, which
made the reading tiresome, confusing, and un-exciting.

It's down-hill after that. I found later chapters to be off the subject, or irrelevant, or too general. For example, I didn't need to read about the difference between portrait photography and photojournalism photography, or the different style of people photography - I just wanted to know how to apply flash in both - and this information was missing, or too shallow. I had to fish for the relevant information among lots information that repeated itself but wasn't interesting, like the different types of camera that use flashes. The information I was looking for, like specific techniques and ideas, was scattered throughout the book in an unorganized matter, if at all.

The sample pictures were mediocre, at best, stuff that I wouldn't even consider showing my friends... Seriously, I was surprised to find pictures like this in a photography book. I didn't learn how to take good flash pictures in different situations, I didn't learn how to apply different techniques of flash photography to take special or interesting pictures, and I didn't learn anything that my flash or camera manual wouldn't teach me.

I wish I could return it to the book store, but I threw away the receipt. Very, very disappointing, not the book for anybody who has been using a camera for more than a few weeks. If this is the first time you've seen a camera, maybe. For everyone else - waste of time and money.

I bought this book, because it was refreshingly free of techno-babble. I found the pictures inspriring and, in some cases, amusing. Perhaps you shouldn't buy this book if you want to make photographs of weddings, babies and bar mitzvahs, but if you are striving to improve your flash photography on an artistic level, you should find this book a terrific help. I haven't reached the advanced level yet, but the book will take me there when I'm ready.

Signed, Serious Amateur Photographer Long Island New York

This book "Mastering Flash Photography" by a professional photojournalist and travel photographer
(but not a wedding photographer) will teach you just about anything you want to know about how to use flash in a sophisticated way indoors and out.

It starts at the begining and ends by showing how to set up portable flashes to give results that look as though studio strobes were used. The professional tips can easily be transferred to simpler lighting techniques for your own camera. It doesn't get any better than this when you can learn in good, clear English what you need to know. It takes the mystery out of flash and makes it as accessible as day light. A real discovery for anyone needing help on flash lighting.