The Flash Book: How to fall hopelessly in love with your flash, and finally start taking the type of images you bought it for in the first place (The Photography Book, 6)

I am very familiar with Scott Kelby's style of writing having read his other books on photoshop and lightroom. He converses with you in his books. It keeps you engaged and not bored. I have read Syl Arena's book "Speedlites Handbook". It was the first book I read on flash photography and my go to reference book, whenever I have questions on how to tackle some specific lightening situation. While I was browsing on Amazon, I came across this book by Scott Kelby. I was immediately intrigued to see how he will explain the roles of the camera shutter speed and aperture on flash photography. So, I bought this book. I was not disappointed. Scott likened the shutter speed to that dimmer switch in your room. It is specifically to brighten or darken the room. The aperture to the power button " brightness" of the flash . The aperture controls specifically how bright or dark you want your subject to be and not the room, that is the job of the dimmer switch (the shutter speed) and iso making everything ( i.e, both the room, everything in the room and the subject) darker or lighter. How easy can that be. It can't be any easier. During this trip on Amazon, I also bought Scott's other books written on portrait and landscape photography. I can not wait to jump on to read those books after finishing with this book, to learn simplified concepts in Scott Kelby's perculiar style of thinking. This book I highly recommend to the beginner and enthusiasts. It also has a role for the experienced photographer who will learn a simple natural way of thinking and working with his flashes ( pun intended) instead of committing to memory the traditional buttons of a flash and their functions. This is a brilliant and well written book. Well done Scott Kelby!Edited: Mis-spelt Scott as Scot.Corrections made in edit.

The Flash Book is Scott Kelby at his best! In the past couple of years I have become more interested in portraiture and using multiple off-camera flashes. There is no shortage of equipment for this purpose, or recommendations on how to use it. Reading more advanced texts have led to confusion rather than clarity, but Scott Kelby's latest book has helped to put it all in perspective for me.It is written in layman's language, and includes lots of practical advice without overloading the non-technical reader. I will use the information provided in this book to make more informed choices about how to use the equipment I already own, as well as what to get next to achieve my flash photography ambitions.It is also a good foundation that enables you to easy into more technical tomes such as Syl Arena's excellent books on flash.I enjoyed the book tremendously. A friend of mine, a retired photographer, also bought the book on my recommendation but was driven to distraction by Scott Kelby's off-beat and humorous writing style. I enjoy the lighthearted style, but my friend clearly did not.Thoroughly recommended for photographers of any skill level who are still a little intimidated by their flashes.

This book sprinkles wry humor amidst consistent advice on how to apply the author’s basic formula for manual flash settings across a variety of scenarios. I have not applied the technique yet and I’m looking forward to seeing if I can master the method. If it works for me it will simplify most of my intended use for my pair of Canon Speedlite flashes. The recommended settings are universal no matter what brand camera you use or what brand flash equipment you have on hand. Equally important is the author’s advice to apply some type of diffuser, move your flash off camera, and consider the advantages of a radio frequency trigger (compared to a wireless IR optical trigger) if you can afford the required accessories. Options and choices are always well explained with justification.

I am a self-taught photographer, but I have not mastered basic techniques that would make me a better photographer. Get this book. It explains it very simply. It's an excellent manual. This book will save you a lot of time from making mistakes on your journey to becoming a professional photographer.

If you want to learn flash photography today, buy this book!! Scott Kelby is phenomenal at explaining the concepts without bogging you down with all of the confusing aspects of flash photography.I’ve been shooting for years and I use his methods when I’m teaching new photographers the basics. I remember sitting in a college class learning flash, feeling like I might never understand. Scott’s method is KISS… Keep It Simple Stupid at its best.Is it everything there is to know about flash photography… no. But it will get you up and running and really help you wrap your mind around how to properly expose your image and add in light.Seriously… this is probably the best book on the market for beginners learning flash photography. Just buy it.

I'm a fan of Scott Kelby's books, have several of them. What interested me the most about this book is his instruction on using a flash in manual mode rather than TTL. I admit that's not something I did, but already I've learned some tips and have experimented with his suggestions. Scott's writing style is clear and fun, instructions are very straightforward. His suggestions and instruction take what can be a complicated device and makes it easier (and more effective!) to use.

Thank you Scott Kelby! Thanks to Scott there is now a book that puts good flash photography within easy reach of all photographers. I love Scott's down-to-earth style that enables photographers to capture great shots on a budget. It's like having your best, most patient and knowledgeable friend sitting with you as you learn flash photography. An added bonus is the three workflows (outdoor portraits, indoor portraits and weddings) contained in the last chapter summarizing what was presented earlier but tailored to the specific type of photography. And last, I always enjoy his off-the-wall introductions to each chapter.

Scott Kelby always writes very easy to understand books. That's why he is number one in photography training. This book is no exception. Basics of flash are hammered in very clearly and to the point. That being said, this is what I don't like about this book:1. Title is misleading: this is not an all-inclusive flash book. Except for one page on group shot, several pages with terrible photos of wedding receptions, one page of photographing a bottle of wine, it's all about using flash to photograph one person, a model, a bride or an athlete. Nothing wrong with that, but it should be clearly stated in the title. The book has zero information about flash macro or telephoto photography and associated accessories.2. The author does not like TTL, so the book basically trains you to shoot all manual with several presets and adjust some of them as part of the process by taking picture after picture till you get it just right. This is a valid approach in the studio or in an environment where these several shots can be made. Are there cases where TTL with flash compensation prove beneficial? There is no answer to this question here.3. This book seems to have been written very fast. After reading each page, I find questions not answered. For instance, the author states that the flash should be very close to the person. How far should the photographer be? At what angle? What lenses are we to use when we photograph with flash? Maybe the answer should be - what you normally use when you photograph a person, maybe not.4. Advanced camera settings for the flash are not explained, except for grouping flashes and setting the frequency different from other photographers. Advanced flash settings are not explained.5. Almost nothing is said about multiple flashes, except for the ones that light the background in the studio shots.To summarize, this is a good beginners book for model photography. I wish it was more than that.

Scott Kelby,da grande educatore della cultura fotografica,ha pensato questo testo per chi muove i primi passi nel mondo dei lampeggiatori e delle luci da studio. Come è suo stile usa un'approccio colloquiale per rendere il contenuto facilmente assimiliabile alla vastità del pubblico senza far ricorso a formule matematiche che renderebbero pedante e noiosa la trattazione. Il testo tratta principalmente sull'uso della luce artificiale e come addomesticarla per la fotografia di ritratto e altri generi(in modo minore) su un set fotografico o in studio.Nel complesso è un ottimo testo per imparare le basi dell'illuminazione artificiale e passare al livello superiore.

Immediately useful. Easy to read. Entertaining too!

This book contains lots of clear explanations ( including pictures) explaining how to set up flashguns, following up with advice and equipment recommendations for mounting the flash off-camera. He describes how to use flashguns on location and in the studio, briefly covering scenarios including room interiors as well as portraits and events.It even has tips on how to make your portrait subject look their best and "how to get this shot" recipes. Even if you don't like Scott Kelby's chatty informal writing style, there is much useful practical information here. It's designed for readers with all levels of camera experience, but who are less confident with flash. If you're unsure about flash in any way or need to branch out a little, this is a tremendously useful book.

Libro muy útil y sencillo de comprender. Un buen compañero para introducirte en el mundo del flash

Forget over complicated books - this helps novices like me to get the best from their Flash - basically using Manual Flash and tweaking the power. TIP: Check out Strobist online for every situation using flash.