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The Lighting Cookbook for Fashion and Beauty Photography: Foolproof Recipes for Taking Perfect Portraits

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Authors: Jennifer Bidner, Eric Bean
Publisher: Amphoto Books
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$24.95~~
Buy New: $16.47
You Save: $8.48 (34%)

New (31) Used (11) from $12.31

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

13 reviews
Sales Rank: 28999

Media: Paperback
Pages: 144
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 10.4 x 8.4 x 0.5

ISBN: 0817442316
Dewey Decimal Number: 778.72
EAN: 9780817442316
ASIN: 0817442316

Publication Date: October 1, 2005
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Learning to set up, use, and control lighting is the biggest challenge for photographers in the field of fashion and beauty. Never fear! This book shows exactly how to become a lighting master. Dozens of stunning examples - some taken in the studio, others on location - are analyzed with setup details, lens choices, composition decisions, and lighting diagrams, plus step-by-step directions on re-creating the look. From an inventory of every essential piece of equipment, with a full explanation of how, when, and why to use each one, to an in-depth discussion of film versus digital formats, the "Lighting Cookbook for Fashion and Beauty Photography" is the complete guide to mastering this popular and lucrative genre.

Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

The Definitive Guide To A Career In Fashion Photography... December 30, 2005
O. Shakir (New York, NY)
25 out of 29 found this review helpful

I happened to come across this book in a recent trip to Barnes & Nobles. Why was I there? Well, I've been curious for some time about fashion photography and the world it encompasses. I deal, for the most part, in cinematography. However, any great technician becomes aware that lighting has many facets. I was interested in understanding its role as far as "beauty" lighting is concerned. I figure what better place to start than Fashion Photography! I purchased this book because of its in-depth look at lighting set-ups complete with diagrams and pic-by-pic comparisons. I have to say, this books strongest feature is its accessibility. Rarely does a book/manual such as this go so far in-depth while still maintaining that you are learning as you read on and any dogmatic terminology would only confuse you. Furthermore, it doesn't bog itself down with glimpses of its own superiority. There are no egos here. This book can easily be used by a working professional or picked up by an amateur photographer and have them well on their way to a successful career in fashion photography. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars

Great Tips.. and Great photos... December 26, 2005
Derick (L.A. United States)
24 out of 27 found this review helpful

I always wanted to know how the big NYC fashion photographers capture such great images, and this book explained some of it to me. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of how these photographs were done. It showed what light, and where to put it for dramatic images. And the photos were not all one style, like some books. This photog has soft images, and dramatic colorful images too. I learned alot.

3 out of 5 stars

Good for beginning photographers.... July 4, 2006
D. Paris (NYC)
15 out of 24 found this review helpful

I am A practicing photographer with time behind the lense. Alway's looking for a good book with diagrams of lighting setups and new ways to light. This was not the book for me and I would only
recommend it to starting photographers. It has diagrams and great photographs, but for simple setups. I wanted it to explorer great fashion photographs and show how the were done. Good for the self starter, but not someone in the know.

4 out of 5 stars

Good book, could have been much better January 5, 2007
Joel The Sailor (Los Angeles, CA USA)
11 out of 17 found this review helpful

The diagrams are good, but could have been much better. They should have included EXACT exposure readings, EXACT size of lightsources such as softboxes, EXACT distances of light(s) from subject, EXACT exposure used (as opposed to metered incident exposure).

Many of the photos are, sadly, so "over the top" in styling that they are useless as models or guidelines. Most readers trying to do pro-quality stuff would not want such bizarre styling.

If a new edition comes out, it should have more complete data, it should concentrate on straightforward shots/lighting of the type most readers are interested in, it should cut way down on the bizarre over-the-top shots ... and would then be pretty much perfect.

5 out of 5 stars

Very good introduction to fashion photography July 30, 2007
I. Seligman
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is a very good book that accompishes it's specific topic, and does deliver simple "cookbook" recipes for portraits.

I got my money's worth, as I can "read between the lines" on many of the photos and the diagrams, however there are other authors more articulate in describing what that do, and more helpful in terms of having more thorough diagrams. This is a relative critism, as a novice may wince at some lights being 2 EV more than another, and not be comfortable with the lack of precise f stops or ratios of main to fill lights.

Yes, I could take off a point for there not being a "behind the scenes" photo of the actual set as some books have supplied. I also know that that such photos of actual studio sets could intimidate those with home studios from even trying to duplicate these images, lacking $10,000's of equipment that is at the beck and call of pro fashion photographers.

While a few model's makeup is clearly on the garish and gaudy side (Halloweenish comes to mind), that's fine with me, as I'm just interested in learning the lighting, and not bothered by the funky models- some look as if they are outer space vampires, with others made up as if from the 1930's.

One thing I've realized is the value of a good makeup artist. They really make a pleasant face into a stunning image suitable for a full page ad in Vogue, and know how to apply suitable makeup to handle the contrasty light that abounds in some magazines, making the model's face "pop out" at you, and justify the hefty advertising dollar$$ and similar model fees for the few lucky models who made it to the top. Same goes for hair stylists. It can often take 2-3 hours of work by these artists before a model is ready for the photographer.

For photographers using more everyday models and friends and families, and interested in picking up a few good hints on recreating some Vogue/fashion images with "real people" subjects, this 144 page book is well worth the price. It is worth trying out the different techniques that are not in the usual bookstore publications, as you try your hand at "fashion" style images.

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