Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers only

Reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher

Authors: Michael Meadhra and Charlotte K. Lowrie Wiley http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470038691.html Released: November 2006 Pages: 368 ISBN-10: 0470038691 ISBN-13: 978-0470038697
Strengths: Brilliant photographs highlight the tutorials and techniques. Nicely written and easy to understand. Good helpful Q&A tips (questions and answers) at end of each chapter. Easy to read and understand.   Weaknesses: I would prefer to see the chapter numbers at the top of the page as are the titles for section/ parts.   Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Introduction

 

When most people used film cameras, it was essential to use the basics to attain good photographs. Since automation has arrived, this has become less a factor if you want just take photographs. But to produce better photos, one needs to use the elements of the camera in ways that will produce better results. Working with the lighting, exposure and more are part of the process to upgrade your skills. A great book that helps you improve your skills in a variety of ways is Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers only.

 

The focus of the book starts with the authors and have written a book that has breadth and depth to the main topic. Michael Meadhra is commercial artist focusing on creative light effects. Charlotte K. Lowrie is a professional photographer, publisher of camera and photography books and former manager for MSN Photos. They have melded their efforts into producing a very readable and authoritative book dealing with two essential variables for photography: exposure and lighting.

 

Wiley stuff in some books

 

The book is divided into four parts and 15 chapters. A multitude of nice photographs help illustrate points outlined by the authors. The authors also employ a series of highlighted noted which are highlighted throughout the chapters. These are entitled: Pro Tip (learning about photography); Note (terms, vocabulary and related insights); X-ref (points to other areas of the book to find further information). Q & A (questions and answers), at the end of each chapter, target specific techniques that can be utilized. Finding information within the chapters is aided by numbers (in green) on the outside of the left page, in the very nice index and the glossary.

 

The “normal eye” naturally looks at the top of the pages, first, and then works their way down. With the chapter in the middle takes extra time and is a little bit of distraction. I would prefer to see these numbers at the top as are the titles for section/ parts of the book which are outside top of the right hand page ( would have liked to see the number of the section there too). A little idea for the next version of the book perhaps?

 

Part 1, "Painting With Light" addresses nature of light. Learning about color of light and humans perceptions helps the understanding of the science of light. White balance is also covered.

 

"What's Your Exposure", Part 2, main focus is the other part of the title, exposure. The intricacies of balancing exposure are noted along with how to obtain the best photo. Measuring light with your camera and other exposure devices are explained. The authors explain about the Zone System and how to use it integrate with digital photography. I really like the photo examples in this chapter. The note (p.50) entitled “The Digital Image Sensor is like a Sponge” is well done.

 

Part 3, "Put A Little Light On The Subject" keys on tool and utility use. Light systems and controlling the light intensity influence the tutorials here.

 

Part 4, "Lighting and Exposure for Specific Subjects", has information about the different types of lighting and how to deal with them. Portraits, natural-light and also less known lighting terms (loop, butterfly, rembrant) are nicely introduced and explained.

 

Conclusion

 

There is a lot to “chew on” in this book. Novices new to digital photography, may also find this book useful, but they will have to learn about their camera first. This is a guide and tutorial for exposure and lighting and does not explain how to use your camera. Not only do you gain an understanding about light and exposure's intricacies, but the authors nicely communicate and assist you along the way. This book is best for the intermediate photographer but the advanced user may also enjoy it by learning some new tricks. Since I am in these categories, this book will be used in my photography library now and in the future.