eBook Review: 100% Reliable Flash Photography

Here's another great eBook from author/photographer Edward Verosky (also the author of 10 Ways to Improve Your Boudoir Photography Now). This time around, it's all about the black magic of flash photography… something that a few of us could use some help with (certainly myself included).

This eBook covers the topic of flash photography and artificial lighting from both a technical and practical standpoint — simple setups with outstanding and reliable results. It dives into all the technical aspects of flash photography, but then pulls back to reality with examples of easy to understand setups for almost any situation. This book is a great resource and tool for anybody wanting to learn more about artificial lighting.

“100% Reliable Flash Photography” can be purchased through Edward Verosky’s website for $9.95. (affiliate links)

ABOUT THE BOOK

100% Reliable Flash Photography is a 75 page downloadable PDF eBook available for instant download. The book contains a large amount of content coupled with sample photos and lighting diagrams.

After a short introduction, we start with a good deal of terminology and definition (this lighting stuff has a language of its own). Then we go through some of the theory of working with light — how it behaves and how we can control its effect on a subject. A lesson in camera control follows, with a focus on technical skills needed when working with artificial light.

The following chapter gets into the main concept of this book: standardization. This applies to your gear, settings, and the way you work. The goal here is to give you a method for dealing with the technical side of things so you can focus on the artistic side. Another big chapter covers working with manual settings, both in-camera and on-flash. It's really not so scary, and it turns out that manual settings are easier to use than auto or semi-auto settings when working with flash photography.

The entire last chunk of the book looks at specific settings and setups for both indoor and outdoor shooting. We're talking bounce, ambient, single/multiple light sources, and more. The very end is a little bonus section that talks about some of the photos and models used in the book (of course, with more awesome sample shots).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edward Verosky is a creative boudoir, portrait, and editorial photographer working out of Austin, Texas. His distinctive photography is emotionally engaging, and often stylistically cinematic. Ed has many years of experience making women look beautiful in pictures.

Ed comes off as being extremely professional and knowledgeable based on the writing in the eBook and on his blog.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

This book is highly recommended for anybody wanting to learn flash photography. It does require a basic understanding of photography and camera control, but I would assume that most people getting serious about flash are covered in this area. There's quite a bit of technical stuff in this book, but that's the nature of artificial lighting. Though it may be overwhelming at first, a little study and practice can clear up any anxieties.

For the people who already know external/artificial lighting, I'm sure there are a few points in there worth checking out. In addition to covering the basics, the book gets into simplifying the process and becoming more productive with limited time and equipment. In general, it's a great resource to have on-hand if you're into the lighting stuff.

“100% Reliable Flash Photography” can be purchased through Edward Verosky’s website for $9.95.