Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Photography

The first 60% or so of the book gives you an overview about modern, portable, speedlight based lighting systems. The author also touches on larger studio lights and big softboxes. This excellent overview can save you many hours of online research to understand what options are out there and to get an idea what they cost. If you read it before you put your first step into the lighting field, it may also save you hundreds of bucks. This first part of the book is really outstanding and it alone makes the book worth reading for anyone new to the field.The rest of the book is a lighting guide in form of selected case studies. First of all, this part is badly edited. The text of the case studies is accompanied by lighting diagrams and the actual photos with legends. In about half of the cases the information in picture legends, diagrams, and text is incongruent. The text might say a Fuji camera and umbrella from the right was used while the diagram says a Nikon with softbox from the left. Most of the time you can extract the relevant information - still, mistakes in this quantity are unprofessional, and a publisher should get this under control before he prints a book and asks money for it.This said, the photos are all very well lit. The pictures were mostly taken for corporate clients, and as a result the lighting style is rather "safe" with lots of 45° soft light, and very similar in most pictures. I think it would have been nice to see a little bit what else can be done with all that equipment. On the other hand the author probably focussed on what he does best and he's really good at it.The title has been considered misleading by other reviews and people have argued against that, but I have to agree. If a minimalist is somebody who uses "the bare minimum of what is necessary", large softboxes and up to five or six flashes aimed at selected background details just don't qualify, no matter how good the final image looks. The book's philosphoy is "smaller than heavy duty" which does not necessarily mean minimalism to me. It contains a couple of good one light shots, but if you are looking for something like "the range of possibilities with one or two flashes, an umbrella, and a cereal snoot" you are wrong here.Overall, I expected something different and was a bit disappointed with the spectrum of artistic techniques offered. Instead I got a lesson about equipment options that was way better then what I would have expected. If you are new to off-camera speedlights and trying to figure out were to go in terms of equipment, this book is a valuable resource.

I am a hobbyist photographer who started out using a darkroom in high school shooting black and white film. I have never felt comfortable using strobes. Over the years I have convinced myself that I am a "natural light" shooter who didn't need a flash. I actually used to push 3200 film a couple stops to avoid using a flash at night!Unfortunately my D200 just doesn't cut it in low light, so I bought an SB600 and reluctantly started using it for indoor shots. My pictures have been awful... I simply did not know what I was doing.Recently, during a family wedding, I took another stab at using the flash and the results were complete crap. I decided to buy this book on a lark before throwing in the towel. I am glad I did!This book is concise, full of information, and it all makes sense. The pace and progression of information is right on. Everything you need to know about using a modern flash is here. It is technical without being boring or patronizing. I want to thank the author for producing such an intelligent and usable guide to using my camera as it was meant to be used.I now have the confidence to set up a small studio to help out with a local fashion business. Instead of fearing my flash, I am now empowered to really embrace artificial light.

This author is very specific in his descriptions of how he executes particular location lighting challenges. His approach in this sense reminds me of Scott Kelby, who writes Photoshop books and always gives you every step in the process.As other reviewers have said, the author uses Nikon flashes, as I do, and most detailed advice relates to them, so it would be less helpful to a reader who uses other equipment. However there's a good deal of advice on other equipment- light stands, filters, clamps, umbrellas- that anyone could use.Lastly, the book is specifically about location portrait photography with multiple flashes and lightstands. It is therefore not targeted for wedding or event photography that requires mobility and generally on-camera flash.This is not a criticism, just a comment on the content.I would definitely recommend the book for users who want to use multiple flashes on location, while still retaining an "environmental portrait" look.

The best way to learn how to become an accomplished photographer is to get hired as an assistant to a pro. The second best way is to read the best photo books and practice, practice. Here's the best photo book I've come across in a very long time. Kirk Tuck is a pro who has been there and done that, and he not only shows why location photography needs to change, but, more importantly, how to change it. This clearly written book tells you what equipment you need, how to use it, and gives numerous case histories of how actual assignments were shot. If you are new to portrait photography, or serious flash photography, or if you want to dip your feet into the pro world, you need to read this book. This is the breakthrough book, the one that is starting a lighting revolution. Others are under way (Bill Hurter's book, "Simple Lighting Techniques" just released, and Joe McNally's book due late this year). You also need to check Kirk's website. Kirk's next book will focus on minimalist studio lighting.

OK so a nonsense title and a poor reference to Scotty from Star Trek, given that the authors' name is Kirk - yeah sorry!Anyway, I'm a reader that likes fact rather than fiction; detail rather than overviews therefore I like this book immensely. Yes there's much written about equipment, how to shape light, how to use light, how to change light but this is what we do. Photographers need to maximise light to make beautiful images and Kirk describes what he needs and how he uses small flash guns, strobes in the US, to achieve the images he's visualised.No matter whether you're up to your eyes in studio flashes or small flash guns, you'll learn much from this book evn if it's to only get out there and play.

It fits my own thinking, just didn't have the information, but I do now!Increase your creativity with less lighting.