Spine: .6996’’ Photography/Techniques/General In ™ Color Improve your digital photography Making Everything Easier! lighting technique for picture perfect results Open the book and find: Looking for expert advice on the tools, concepts, and steps you Digital Photography Digital • Why effective lighting is important Photography Digital need to give your photography subjects a high-quality look and feel? Whether you’re a beginner or an aspiring professional • The qualities of light that are important to photographers Digital Photography photographer, this hands-on, friendly guide will improve your • Popular lighting tools and understanding of how to use lighting to bring greater polish, Lig Lighting life, and creativity to your photographs. equipment • How to use the sun to your hting Lighting • Lights, camera, action — get an overview of light, how it’s used in a advantage photographic capacity, and the camera settings that control it • Make light work for you — discover how to measure and manipulate • Guidance for capturing the night light to make the most of every photograph you take sky, fireworks, and more • Here comes the sun (and shade) — find out the best times of day and • Ways to light special moments the right techniques to use to make the most of natural light, and for event photography how you can take fantastic photographs in low light and at night • Pointers for lighting portraits • Let there be light — get expert tips and tricks to turn ordinary • Tips for adjusting light in photographs into beautiful pieces of art postproduction Learn to: • Take your knowledge of lighting and Go to Dummies.com® photography to the next level for videos, step-by-step examples, how-to articles, or to shop! • Apply methods and skills used by the pros • Practice new techniques as you learn them $29.99 US / $35.99 CN / £21.99 UK ISBN 978-0-470-64763-9 Dirk Fletcher is the Chairman of the Photography Programs at IN FULL COLOR! Harrington College of Design in Chicago. He started the first completely digital photography curriculum in the Chicago area. Dirk Fletcher Chairman of the Photography Programs, Fletcher Harrington College of Design Spine: .6996’’ Get More and Do More at Dummies.com® Start with FREE Cheat Sheets Cheat Sheets include • Checklists • Charts • Common Instructions • And Other Good Stuff! To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/digitalphotographylighting Mobile Apps Get Smart at Dummies.com Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s of answers on everything from removing wallpaper to using the latest version of Windows. 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Find out “HOW” at Dummies.com *Sweepstakes not currently available in all countries; visit Dummies.com for official rules. Digital Photography Lighting FOR DUMmIES‰ by Dirk Fletcher 01_647639-ffirs.indd i01_647639-ffirs.indd i 10/14/10 1:34 PM10/14/10 1:34 PM Digital Photography Lighting For Dummies® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2011 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana All photos Copyright © 2011 by Dirk Fletcher, unless otherwise indicated. 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For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: 2010937815 ISBN: 978-0-470-64763-9 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_647639-ffirs.indd ii01_647639-ffirs.indd ii 10/14/10 1:34 PM10/14/10 1:34 PM About the Author St. Louis native and son of a professional photographer, Dirk Fletcher began his career as a public relations photographer and a stringer for a small newspaper as soon as he could drive. After several years, he and his high school sweetheart moved to Santa Barbara where he attended Brooks Institute of Photography and earned a degree in Advertising and Illustration Photography. After graduation, Dirk moved to Chicago where he worked with advertising photographers before taking a full-time job at a full-service photo and design studio shooting advertising, packaging, and catalogs. After several years, he departed for a fi ve-year stint as the sole photographer at the world-famous Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. He had a variety of subjects, from exhibit interiors to advertising, events, annual reports, and documenta- tion of priceless artifacts. In 2004, he was chosen to create and develop a digital photography program for Harrington College of Design. The program serves 200 students today and grows each year. As chairman of the photography programs, he teaches regularly and manages the daily and long-term operations of the depart- ment. In addition, he has researched and written degree programs in Digital Filmmaking, Digital Photography, and Commercial Photography. Dirk has guest-lectured at colleges, institutions, and professional organizations as well as the fl agship Apple Store on Michigan Avenue in 2009. His 2007 portfolio from the Chinese city of Rizhao in the Shandong province achieved top honors in the 2008 International Photo Imaging Education Association (PIEA) competition. The portfolio crossed the globe for two years in internationally traveling exhibitions. Believing in a convergence in still and motion disciplines, Dirk completed an MFA in Digital Imaging/Independent Filmmaking in 2009 at Governors State University in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago. His thesis fi lm, The Digital Dilemma, a documentary about the pitfalls of using small digital cameras and cellphones to record your family history, was an offi cial selec- tion and was publically premiered at the Washington, D.C., Independent Film Festival in March 2010. He served for eight years as a board member for the Chicago chapter of American Society of Media Professionals (ASMP) and served on the Alumni Board of Brooks Institute of Photography. He lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife and two aspiring photographers and fi lmmakers, ages 7 and 10. His work can be seen at www.dirkfletcher.com and his blog at www.dirk fletcher.blogspot.com. 01_647639-ffirs.indd iii01_647639-ffirs.indd iii 10/14/10 1:34 PM10/14/10 1:34 PM Dedication This book is dedicated not only to aspiring photographers and visual artists but to anybody who has ever looked at an image and wondered, “How did they do that?” Let this book serve as a springboard for that curiosity; may it take you far and reward you well.