Outdoor Flash Photography

Outdoor Flash Photography

by John Gerlach, Barbara Eddy
Released June 2017
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781317516545

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Book description

Maximizing the power of your camera’s flash is difficult enough in a studio set-up, but outdoors literally presents a whole new world of challenges. John Gerlach and Barbara Eddy have taken the most asked about subject from their renowned photography workshops and turned it into this guidebook that is sure to inspire your next outdoor shoot, while also saving you time and frustration.

Outdoor Flash Photography covers a range of practices from portrait to landscape, including unique strategies that the authors have pioneered through 40 years in the field. Mastering the use of multiple flashes to freeze action is shown through one of most challenging subjects in nature, hummingbirds in flight. This book will benefit photographers of all experience levels who are eager to evolve their outdoor photography and get the most out of their equipment.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Acknowledgements
  7. Introduction
    1. The focus of this book
  8. Chapter 1 Getting started with flash
    1. Commander or Master
    2. A controllable light source
    3. Use flash effectively
    4. Flash metering and ambient light metering are different systems
  9. Chapter 2 Flash features and controls
    1. Power to the flash!
    2. Flash choices
    3. PC cords
    4. Electronic slaves
    5. Third-party controllers
    6. Customizing the flash
  10. Chapter 3 Becoming in sync with flash sync
    1. The camera’s shutter
    2. The shutter and the flash
    3. Two sync modes: first-curtain sync and second-curtain sync
    4. High-speed sync
    5. Review, answers, and more questions
  11. Chapter 4 Flash and ambient light exposure
    1. Guide numbers (GN)
    2. Flash metering
    3. Exposure factors of different file types
    4. The Inverse Square Law
    5. Auxiliary flash meters
  12. Chapter 5 Combining flash with ambient light
    1. Effects of camera controls on mixed ambient light and flash
    2. Notes on ways to mix flash and ambient light
    3. Review
  13. Chapter 6 The crucial role of light
    1. Characteristics of light
    2. Contrast
    3. Light is the key
  14. Chapter 7 Fill flash techniques
    1. Fill flash procedure
    2. Options for fill flash
  15. Chapter 8 Main flash
    1. Separating the subject from the background
    2. Manual ambient exposure with TTL flash
    3. Aperture Priority and TTL flash
    4. Our preferred main flash technique
    5. Master and use main flash techniques
  16. Chapter 9 Balanced flash
    1. The ubiquitous butterfly
    2. The northern flicker
    3. Reviewing the flash modes
    4. A tree in the sunrise
  17. Chapter 10 Flash in the landscape
    1. The misery of meager flash
    2. Tactics for lighting the landscape with flash
    3. Multiple exposure allows greatly increased flash output
    4. Use combinations to get the light you need!
  18. Chapter 11 Multiple flash
    1. Methods for firing multiple flash setups
    2. Annoying optical system nuisances
    3. Flash stands
    4. Flash groups and lighting ratios
    5. Working with lighting ratios
    6. Lighting schemes
    7. Light modification
  19. Chapter 12 Close-up flash
    1. A little history
    2. Single flash bracket
    3. Equipment ideas
    4. Using macro flash setups and black backgrounds
  20. Chapter 13 Hummingbirds with high-speed flash
    1. What shutter speed freezes hummingbird wings?
    2. Attracting hummingbirds
    3. Equipment
    4. Focusing
    5. Poses
    6. Cameras
    7. Does one need a blind?
    8. Setting up the flashes
    9. Do flashes harm the hummingbirds?
    10. The beauty of wing motion
    11. How quickly can you shoot?
  21. Chapter 14 Important flash-related websites
  22. Index

Product information

  • Title: Outdoor Flash Photography
  • Author(s): John Gerlach, Barbara Eddy
  • Release date: June 2017
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781317516545