Lights, Camera, Capture: Creative Lighting Techniques for Digital Photographers

237 Pages·2005·8.73 MB·English

by  Bob Davis

DAVIS
LIGHTS, CAMERA,
BECOME A SEEKER OF LIGHT
Photography is all about light: fi nding it, creating it, combining different
types of light, working with its various colors. Bob Davis has achieved a unique CAPTURE
relationship with light. In this beautifully illustrated volume and DVD,
he shares secrets and techniques that will advance your Creative Lighting Techniques for Digital Photographers
photographic skills. Master the basics, then step outside
your comfort zone and harness the full creative power of light.
• U nderstand the relationship between aperture,
shutter speed, ISO, and the effects of different lenses
• Learn how to deal with direct sunlight and how
to take advantage of the “golden hour”
• Combine various types of light for different effects
• Know what external lighting equipment you need
and how to use it
• Explore various fl ash modifi ers and the effects you
can create with them
• Achieve studio-quality lighting outside the studio
• Discover what to take when you travel and how to take
full advantage of available light sources
Bonus DVD includes 60 minutes of video from Bob Davis’s
exclusive three-day lighting and photography workshop
Visual storyteller and celebrity photojournalist, Bob Davis has over 25 years of experience as a professional
photographer. As a Canon Explorer of Light, Bob has been chosen as one of an elite group of 60 photographers
representing Canon and united by a passion for photographic excellence. Bob’s work has been featured in
publications such as O Magazine, Time, People, OK, Rangefi nder, and a variety of other digital photography
resources. His clients include Oprah Winfrey, Selma Hayek, and Eva Longoria Parker. More information
on Bob’s distinguished career as well as extensive examples of Bob’s photography can be found at
www.bobanddawndavis.com.
PHOTOGRAPHY/Techniques/Lighting BOB DAVIS
$44.99 US/$53.99 CAN Includes Workshop DVD Visual Storyteller
LIGHTS, CAMERA, CAPTURE
LIGHTS, CAMERA,
CAPTURE
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LIGHTS, CAMERA,
CAPTURE
Creative Lighting Techniques for Digital Photographers
BOB DAVIS
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Lights, C a mer a , C a pt ur e
Lights, Camera, Capture: Creative Lighting Techniques for Digital Photographers
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Indianapolis, IN 46256
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
ISBN: 978-0-470-54953-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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About the Author
Bob Davis isn’t a newcomer to the photography industry. In fact,
he’s been a professional photographer for over 25 years. Bob has
always been intrigued by photography and felt from an early age
that being a photographer was what he wanted to do with his life.
Bob’s passion for photography began back in high school when
he became the editor of the school newspaper. As he proceeded
on to Columbia College, he was honored with the title of College
Photographer of the Year. With this honor came a full time job at a
daily newspaper in Chicago. This experience launched Bob on to
a career at the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper for 14 years.
Bob states, “My cameras have always been like a passport allowing
me a front seat to history.” He feels continually honored when doors
open and people invite him in to document their life. While at the
paper, he covered countless amazing events, such as presidential
elections, Michael Jordan’s entire career with the Chicago Bulls,
many faiths celebrations and rituals. He’s traveled around the
world to places such as El Salvador, Taiwan, Lithuania, Romania,
Moldova, Kenya, Italy, Tanzania for human interest stories.
Bob has since moved on from the newspaper industry. Today, he has the privilege of
photographing the most important events in his client’s lives and he couldn’t be happier
to have this honor. Additionally, he has the pleasure of traveling the world photographing
weddings. Bob feels fortunate to have photographed the weddings of Eva Longoria and
Tony Parker, Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds, and many others. He also photographs
events for Oprah Winfrey.
Bob is a member of Canon’s Explorers of Light, a recognized Pro by W estcott and a part of
Apple’s Aperture Advisory Board.
Photography... It’s what he’s passionate about.
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Credits
Acquisitions Editor
Courtney Allen
Project Editor
Heather Harris
Technical Editor
Brian McLernon
Copy Editor
Heather Harris
Editorial Director
Robyn Siesky
Business Manager
Amy Knies
Senior Marketing Manager
Sandy Smith
Vice President and Executive Group Publisher
Richard Swadley
Vice President and Executive Publisher
Barry Pruett
Media Development Project Manager
Laura Moss
Media Development Assistant Project Manager
Jenny Swisher
Media Development Associate Producer
Shawn Patrick
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Acknowledgments
First, I want to thank my wife Dawn Davis for supporting me and encouraging me to follow
my dreams and to share in my passion for life. She has blessed my life with 18 wonderful
years of marriage and now I have the good fortune to be able to sleep with my business
partner. We now share a passion for wedding photography, design, teaching and sharing.
Dawn says, “We are all blessed with certain gifts and once we know what those gifts are;
they are no longer ours to keep, but pay it forward and share those gifts others.” Thank you
to our two beautiful children Bobby and Alli, you are the light in my heart. I love my family
always and forever, Amen.
I would like to dedicate this book to my father, Robert C. Davis, for fostering my love of
photography at an early age. He always had some type of camera, movie 8mm or Super8,
still cameras such as, Polaroid’s, Kodak Instamatics, Pocket 110 and Disc cameras. It
wasn’t until later, in my sophomore year of high school when I got my fi rst 35mm SLR
fi lm camera and took my fi rst photography darkroom class, that I realized the love affair
I would have with photography. I quickly became hooked on the magic of watching an
image appear in the developer. Once I learned I could make a living in photography, I knew
photography would be my life’s work. I want to thank John H. White, Pulitzer Prize winning
photojournalist of the Chicago Sun-Times who I had the great pleasure to learn from at
Columbia College Chicago and later work alongside covering the daily news together as
colleagues at the Chicago Sun-Times. John H. White always encouraged me to soar on the
wings of eagles.
Thank you to all of my friends, family and photo heroes who have helped my reach my
goals and fulfi lling my dreams of becoming a professional photographer. Thank you to
God for blessing me indeed!
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To my father, Robert C. Davis, for fostering my love
of photography at an early age.
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Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................3
Become a seeker of light .........................................................................................................6
Reading l ighting diagrams .....................................................................................................8
Quality over Quantity ............................................................................................................ 10
Chapter 2: Understanding Light ...................................................................... 15
Seeing and Knowing Light .................................................................................................... 16
Quality over Quantity ............................................................................................................ 19
C olor temperature ..................................................................................................................22
White balance .........................................................................................................................24
Mixed l ight sources ...............................................................................................................28
Working with n atural light ..................................................................................................29
Manipulating n atural light ....................................................................................................29
The g olden hour ......................................................................................................................34
Chapter 3: Getting the basics right ................................................................39
Exposure and how it works ..................................................................................................40
Shutter speed ...................................................................................................................42
Aperture ...........................................................................................................................43
I SO .....................................................................................................................................45
How to measure light ............................................................................................................ 47
Using histograms to perfect your w hite balance .............................................................50
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Lights, C a mer a , C a pt ur e
Aperture and d epth of fi eld ................................................................................................... 51
Shutter Speed and m otion capture ...................................................................................... 51
I SO and digital n oise .............................................................................................................55
File formats ............................................................................................................................56
Chapter 4: Lighting Equipment ....................................................................... 61
On-camera fl ashes .................................................................................................................63
Controlling on-camera fl ashes off the camera ..................................................................63
W ireless radio fl ash triggers .................................................................................................66
R adioPopper ....................................................................................................................66
Quantum Free X-Wire .................................................................................................... 67
P ocket Wizards Mini & Flex .......................................................................................... 67
B atteries, batteries, batteries...............................................................................................69
Studio l ighting ........................................................................................................................ 70
Light modifi ers ....................................................................................................................... 71
Flash D iffusers ................................................................................................................ 71
Other D iffusers ............................................................................................................... 71
Soft boxes ........................................................................................................................72
Snoots, Barn Doors and Honeycombs .........................................................................72
Gels and fi lters ........................................................................................................................73
Basic l ighting starter kit .......................................................................................................73
My kit-bag ................................................................................................................................77
List of gear .......................................................................................................................77
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