Customer Rating: 
Summary: great book
Comment: This book gave me a lot of ideals to work with on my canon camera. I even coped some of the iformation down and put it in my camera case.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great book for someone wanting to make the jump from novice to advance
Comment: I am a professional photographer and bought this book thinking it was more technical.
In my opinion this book is geared to the amateur enthusiast who wants to take their photography to the next level.
The main difference between and average photo and a photo that just pops is lighting. So many photographers make the mistake in thinking they need the latest and greatest dSLR or a new lens or whatever.
This book shows the importance of lighting and how to achieve certain styles. For someone that has never dealt with lighting, this book is perfect for them.
This book does deal with mostly digital photography. For the person that said it doesnt...All I can say is where is the chapter on light meters? There is none. Instead the author focuses on using the histogram found in most digital cameras to determine if your exposure is correct.
Overall, I didnt learn anything new but I think its a great book for someone wanting jump up to intermediate status.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Easy to read and understand ; good in depth information/ techniques/ideas
Comment: Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers only
reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher, Olathe, KS: (dreric1kansas@aol.com)
Authors: Michael Meadhra and Charlotte K. Lowrie
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
Rating: 5/5
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 books 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 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 ideas 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.
Conclusions
There is a lot to "chew on" in this book. Novice,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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A fantastic reference book
Comment: I am trying to advance my photography skills (from novice) and I found this book to be very helpful. It covers everything I was looking for.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Easy read but simply not practical
Comment: This book was an easy read, and the 368 pages flew by. The writing style is good, smooth, and the book is well edited for grammar and spelling. The sections on lighting were well executed, and seemed complete enough. The authors' description of the various types of lights, meters, reflectors, etc was good and included when and how to use them throughout the book. The construction quality of the book is very good. Nice color photographs throughout.
The exposure sections, which make up the bulk of the book, were simply not practical. First, this book wouldn't work for a beginner because the authors failed to start on square one. They assumed prior knowledge of subjects, rules, and referred to them without any additional explanation.
Conversely, if you are well read on the topic of photography, I don't feel like the authors brought anything new to the table. What sets this book apart from the others?
Next, the authors pointed out roughly 10-12 "rules of thumb" throughout the book, like increasing exposure compensation +1 or +2 stops for snow photos.
While the rules of thumb are valuable, it truly becomes "rule by exception", instead of taking one or two applicable rules that always hold true, they give you 12 rules that apply to 12 different situations. Good luck remembering those!
The book has an obvious reoccurring cliche that gets boring after awhile. This central repeated theme is:
1. Shoot RAW.
2. Use exposure bracketing.
3. Default camera metering modes don't always work, spot meter in that case.
4. Use exposure compensation when necessary.
5. Supplement available light, if possible.
Better books are available on the subject.
I'd highly recommend "Complete Digital Photography" by Ben Long, especially the chapters on Exposure and Metering. They are both really strong chapters.
Complete Digital Photography, Fourth Edition (Graphics Series)
Another good book, although mostly for beginners, is "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.
Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)
Summary: great book
Comment: This book gave me a lot of ideals to work with on my canon camera. I even coped some of the iformation down and put it in my camera case.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great book for someone wanting to make the jump from novice to advance
Comment: I am a professional photographer and bought this book thinking it was more technical.
In my opinion this book is geared to the amateur enthusiast who wants to take their photography to the next level.
The main difference between and average photo and a photo that just pops is lighting. So many photographers make the mistake in thinking they need the latest and greatest dSLR or a new lens or whatever.
This book shows the importance of lighting and how to achieve certain styles. For someone that has never dealt with lighting, this book is perfect for them.
This book does deal with mostly digital photography. For the person that said it doesnt...All I can say is where is the chapter on light meters? There is none. Instead the author focuses on using the histogram found in most digital cameras to determine if your exposure is correct.
Overall, I didnt learn anything new but I think its a great book for someone wanting jump up to intermediate status.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Easy to read and understand ; good in depth information/ techniques/ideas
Comment: Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers only
reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher, Olathe, KS: (dreric1kansas@aol.com)
Authors: Michael Meadhra and Charlotte K. Lowrie
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
Rating: 5/5
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 books 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 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 ideas 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.
Conclusions
There is a lot to "chew on" in this book. Novice,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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A fantastic reference book
Comment: I am trying to advance my photography skills (from novice) and I found this book to be very helpful. It covers everything I was looking for.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Easy read but simply not practical
Comment: This book was an easy read, and the 368 pages flew by. The writing style is good, smooth, and the book is well edited for grammar and spelling. The sections on lighting were well executed, and seemed complete enough. The authors' description of the various types of lights, meters, reflectors, etc was good and included when and how to use them throughout the book. The construction quality of the book is very good. Nice color photographs throughout.
The exposure sections, which make up the bulk of the book, were simply not practical. First, this book wouldn't work for a beginner because the authors failed to start on square one. They assumed prior knowledge of subjects, rules, and referred to them without any additional explanation.
Conversely, if you are well read on the topic of photography, I don't feel like the authors brought anything new to the table. What sets this book apart from the others?
Next, the authors pointed out roughly 10-12 "rules of thumb" throughout the book, like increasing exposure compensation +1 or +2 stops for snow photos.
While the rules of thumb are valuable, it truly becomes "rule by exception", instead of taking one or two applicable rules that always hold true, they give you 12 rules that apply to 12 different situations. Good luck remembering those!
The book has an obvious reoccurring cliche that gets boring after awhile. This central repeated theme is:
1. Shoot RAW.
2. Use exposure bracketing.
3. Default camera metering modes don't always work, spot meter in that case.
4. Use exposure compensation when necessary.
5. Supplement available light, if possible.
Better books are available on the subject.
I'd highly recommend "Complete Digital Photography" by Ben Long, especially the chapters on Exposure and Metering. They are both really strong chapters.
Complete Digital Photography, Fourth Edition (Graphics Series)
Another good book, although mostly for beginners, is "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.
Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)