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Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites
- By Syl Arena
- Published Dec 19, 2010 by Peachpit Press.
- Copyright 2011
- Dimensions: 7-1/2" x 9-1/8"
- Pages: 432
- Edition: 1st
- Book
- ISBN-10: 0-321-71105-X
- ISBN-13: 978-0-321-71105-2
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Product Author Bios
Back in the dark ages of view cameras and enlargers, Syl Arena studied commercial photography at Brooks Institute and fine art photography at the University of Arizona. An early indication of Syl's willingness to explore the boundaries of photography was his construction of a pinhole camera into which he loaded 20 x 24 litho film. Over the years, Syl has shot commercially for newspapers, magazines and catalogs. He has been recognized for his expertise on color-critical workflow and his ability to turn noon to night by firing off a dozen Speedlites simultaneously. Today, Syl covers the world of photography on his blog PixSylated.com and serves as the Director of the Paso Robles Workshops.
Getting your Canon Speedlite to produce the light you need can be a real challenge. For those new to flash photography—or for anyone who has previously given up out of frustration—Speedliter’s Handbook is a revelation. Photographer Syl Arena takes you on a journey that begins with an exploration of light and color, moves through a comprehensive discussion of the Canon Speedlite family and all of the accessories and equipment available to the Speedliter, then settles down to crafting great light in one photo shoot after another. Whether you want to create a classical portrait, shoot an event, or simply add a little fill light to a product shot, Speedliter’s Handbook shows you how.
A fantastic in-depth resource illustrated with over 500 images, Speedliter’s Handbook covers:
- how to see the various characteristics and properties of light itself, as well as the differences between how your camera sees versus how you see
- all the buttons and dials of the entire Canon Speedlite family
- the basics of on-camera flash…and the necessity of getting your flash off the camera
- how to beautifully balance flash with the existing ambient light
- all the equipment necessary for great Speedlite shots
- how to get amazing shots with just one Speedlite
- how and when to use E-TTL versus manual flash
- the use of color gels to balance color, as well as create dramatic effects
- how to tame the sun—or any really bright light—with hi-speed sync
- and much, much more
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101 of 101 people found the following review helpful
The Canon flash bible, By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites (Paperback)
I was fortunate to participate in a 2 day workshop with Syl in the lead up to this book, and now I have the book in my grubby little hands, I can heartily recommend it for anyone who is trying to get something more from their speedlites than Canon seems to think they are capable of.If you've just bought your first speedlite, then this book will walk you through everything you need to know to get it off the camera *and* keep the wonderful ETTL functionality that so many people misunderstand or seem to dismiss as gimmicky. If, like me, you've got a couple of speedlites and had already got them off the camera, then there is *still* material in here that will help you up your game and expand what you are able to make these wonderful little lighting gadgets do. My biggest revelation in off camera ETTL speedliting? Buy a long ETTL cable :) Syl turned me onto what can be achieved if I get my master speedlite off the camera, on a cable so I can trigger my slave... Read more
35 of 35 people found the following review helpful
The Definitive Reference on Canon Speedliting (& much more),
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites (Paperback)
Simply put, the best book/reference tool that I have seen to date on speedliting (regardless of brand). So much great information, presented in an easy to understand manner, and with terrific explanations as to the why behind Syl's methods and choices. Canon shooters in particular will absolutely love this volume. The author clearly spent a great deal of time and effort creating this book which is evident in the amount and quality of examples, both the photos and the fabulous "syllustrations". Great reference books only come from a combination of knowledge and passion for the subject, and it is clear after reading this book over the last two days that Syl has both in abundance. Worth every penny.Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Speedliter's Handbook is great!, By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Speedliter's Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites (Paperback)
I'm digging into Syl Arena's book on Canon Speedlite's and it is great. If you are a Canonista you want this book!It's specific to Canon flashes and cameras, but also covers lighting in general. It starts by covering how light interacts with the thing you are taking a picture of, and how it effects the image you end up with. A big takeaway is that the shadow parts of your picture are just as important as the light parts. The book really explains how lighting equipment works, including the specifics of Canon Speedlites along with studio equipment along with specific recommendations. It answers questions like "What's flag?" or "When should I use a CTO?" For me this is great stuff, it's really taking the mystery out of lighting techniques for me. Then the book has a ton of example images, each with a description of how the lighting was setup for the image and why the lighting was setup that way. It also shows what happens to the image when you setup the... Read more |
Online Sample Chapter
Speedliter's Handbook: Light of the World
Sample Pages
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Table of Contents
Welcome Speedliter!
chapter Zero
Quick Start Guide To Speedliting
Why Pop-Up And Hot Shoe Flash Do Not Create Interesting Light
Deal With The Ambient Light First
Who Is In Charge—You Or Your Speedlite?
More Essential Truths About Speedliting
PART 1
Before Speedlites, There Was Light
chapter one
Learn To See Light
The Poetry Of Light
Character Of Light
How You See vs. How Your Camera Sees
chapter TWO
Exposure Exposed
The Trinity: ISO, Shutter Speed And Aperture
Depth Of Field
Equivalent Exposures
Exposure Modes
Metering, Metering Zones, And Metering Modes
White Balance
Exposure Evaluation For Flash Photography
Determining Proper Exposure
chapter THREE
Mechanics Of Light
Color...Primarily
Taking Color’s Temperature
Incidence Incidentally
Soft Light Proves That Size Is Relative
Falling Off, Or How To Love The Inverse Square Law
Thinking About Flash-To-Subject Distance As Stops
chapter FOUR
Light Of The World
The Role Of Ambient Light
Controlling Ambient In Flash Exposures
Options For Blending Ambient And Flash
chapter FIVE
Think Globally, Light Locally
The Lighting Compass
On-Axis And Off-Axis Light
Light From Above... And Below
PART 2
Speedlites Fundamentally
chapter six
Meet The Speedlites
Dissecting A Burst Of Flash
Speedlite 580EX II
Speedlite 430EX II
Speedlite 270EX
Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX
Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX
Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2
chapter seven
Control Your Speedlite
Mode—Deciding How The Power Level Is Set
Sync—Deciding When To Fire The Flash
Zoom—Deciding Where To Fire, Part 1
Pan and Tilt—Deciding Where To Fire, Part 2
chapter eight
Flashing Manually
Manual Flash—A Way To Get Started
When To Use Manual Flash
Setting Power Manually On Canon Speedlites
My Workflow: Using One Speedlite In Manual Mode
chapter Nine
E Is For Evaluative
E Is For Evaluative
Mechanics Of E-TTL
Limitations Of E-TTL
E-TTL And Camera Modes
Flash Exposure Compensation
Flash Exposure Lock
chapter TEN
Move Your Speedlite Off-Camera
Your Camera Is A Lousy Place To Put A Speedlite
Options For Controlling Off-Camera Speedlites
E-TTL Cords
Canon Built-In Wireless
E-TTL Radio Triggers
Sync Cords And Hotshoe Adapters
Optical Slaves And Infrared Triggers
Manual Radio Triggers
chapter Eleven
Wireless Speedliting, The Canon Way
Canon’s Built-In Wireless System
The Master: One Speedlite Has To Be In Charge
To Fire Or Not To Fire: The Master Wants To Know
The Slave: The Worker Bee Of Wireless Flash
Channels: Everyone Has To Be The Same
Groups: Assigning Specific Jobs To Specific Speedlites
Getting Rational About Ratios
A:B Ratios: Splitting Up The Load Between Two Groups
A:B C Ratios: Three-Group E-TTL
Wireless Speedliting In Manual Only
Free-Agent Wireless: Firing Speedlites In E-TTL & Manual Together
Moving Your Master Off-Camera—Way Off Camera
Radio Options For Wireless E-TTL
Chapter Twelve
Mixing Canon Speedlites With Other Lights
Third-Party Speedlights
Getting Speedlites To Play With Other Small Flash
Speedlites, Monolights, And Studio Packs
Not Getting Burned—Speedlites With Hot Lights
Managing The Glow—Speedlites With Fluorescent
PART 3
Gear For Speedliting
chapter Thirteen
Go Ahead, Mod Your Speedlite
Why Mod?
Built-In Modifiers
Options For Mounting Mods
Dome Diffusers
Bounce Reflectors
Softboxes That Attach To Speedlites
Ring Light Adapters
Snoots
Grids
Gobos And Flags
Random Essentials
Deciding Which Mods Are Right For You
chapter Fourteen
Those Big Modifiers Always Get In The Way
Why Mod In A Big Way
Umbrellas
Softboxes Made For Speedlites
Converting A Studio Softbox For Speedlite Use
Beauty Dishes
Scrims And Diffusion Panels
Reflectors
Flags And Solids
chapter Fifteen
Get A Grip
Mounting A Speedlite Anywhere
Sometimes You Have To Take A Stand
Reaching Out: Poles, Booms, And Boom Stands
Rails And Other Multi-Lite Mounts
Staying Flexible: Bungies, Straps, And Gaff
chapter sixteen
Keeping The Energy Up
Batteries Basically
Single-Use Batteries
Rechargeable Batteries
Best AA Batteries
Battery Strategies
CP-E4 Compact Battery Pack
Charging Batteries
Carrying Batteries
PART 4
Speedliting In Action
chapter Seventeen
Lighting Portraits Classically
One More Time Around The Lighting Compass
Broad Lighting
DMV Lighting
On The Nose Lighting
Butterfly/Paramount Lighting
Copy Lighting
Short Lighting
Loop Lighting
Rembrandt Lighting
Split & Hatchet Lighting
Horror Lighting
chapter Eighteen
Portraits With One Speedlite
Back To Basics, Quickly
Shoot: One Speedlite With Fill Reflector
Shoot: Reflecting On The World Of Umbrellas
Shoot: Think Of The Shutter As A Light Modifier
Shoot: Speedliting A Silhouette
Shoot: Sun As Rimlight, Gelled Speedlite As Fill
Shoot: Trying All The Ezyboxes On For Size
Shoot: Through An Umbrella Softly
Shoot: Candlelight Through A Disk Diffuser
Shoot: Gridding A Speedlite For Drama
chapter Nineteen
Portraits With Two And Three Speedlites
Opening Horizons With Multiple Speedlites
Shoot: Classic Three-Light Setup
Shoot: Clamshell Lighting, Top To Bottom
Shoot: Ring That Light With Small Hatchets
Shoot: Color Creates Mood
Shoot: Trio Of Speedlites Into A Big Silver Umbrella
Shoot: Dance With The Softbox
Shoot: Shade That Speedlite
Shoot: Mixing Speedlites With Water
Shoot: Multi-Lite, Second-Curtain Sync
Shoot: Two Heads Can Be Better Than One
chapter Twenty
Gelling For Effect
Gels Quickly
If Color Correction Is Needed, Did Something Go Wrong?
Getting Dramatic With Color
My Favorite Gels
Mounting Gels
Mixing White Balance And Gels Creatively
Shoot: Golden Hour Anytime
Shoot: The Blue World
Shoot: Coloring The Night
chapter Twenty-one
Slicing Time With High-Speed Sync
How High-Speed Sync Changed My Career
Activating High-Speed Sync
Syncing Flash Normally
High-Speed Sync Changes The Way Your Speedlite Fires
Workflow For Creating Dramatic Light With HSS
Alternatives To High-Speed Sync
Shoot: Defying Gravity In Broad Daylight
Shoot: Freezing Water On A Hot Day
Shoot: Flashing Wide Open In Full Sun
Shoot: Stray Dog And Stray Light
chapter Twenty-two
Dimming The Sun
Options For Dimming The Sun
How To Dim The Sun With A Fast Shutter
Using Zoom As A Light Modifier
Shoot: Secret Agent Tony
chapter Twenty-three
Smashing Pumpkins With Gang Light
Gang Lighting—A New Way To Light
Shoot: Smashing Pumpkins
Shoot: Lady Of The Opera
Shoot: Backyard Soccer Champion
Shoot: Flying High After Sunset
Shoot: Pushing Back Against The Desert Sun
chapter twenty-four
Speedliting Events
The Dual Roles Of Event Photography
Strategies For Lighting Events With Off-Camera Flash
Shoot: Vineyard Wedding
Shoot: Paderewski Festival
Shoot: Wheels Of Wellness
Shoot: Festival Of The Arts
chapter twenty-Five
Strobo, Strobo, Strobo
Flashing Again And Again
Single Speedlite Stroboscopic
Multi Speedlite Stroboscopic
Other Considerations For Stroboscopic
Shoot: Birdman
Shoot: Leaps Of Faith
Shoot: It’s Outta Here
PART 5
Appendices
Appendix One
Gang Slang For Speedliters
Appendix Two
Web Resources For Speedliters
Appendix Three
Custom Functions
Appendix Four
Six-Point Checklist For Speedliting
Index
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