Tips & Technique Books / S

The best professional advice Henry Horenstein ever received was to "shoot what you love." He's been doing that for more than four decades, capturing photographs that often richly evoke older cultures and places, especially ones that are disappearing: country musicians in Branson, horse racing at Saratoga Springs, nightlife in Buenos Aires, fais do-dos in Cajun Louisiana, old highways everywhere.

In Studio Anywhere 2: Hard Light, photographer and author Nick Fancher builds on the success of his previous book (Studio Anywhere: A Photographer's Guide to Shooting in Unconventional Locations) as he continues to offer candid, practical, and valuable lessons on how to create successful and fresh photographs armed with only minimal gear, a resourceful mind, and a creative spirit. The heart and soul of Studio Anywhere 2: Hard Light resemble its predecessor, but this time Nick focuses his approach on hard light, demonstrating how to use it in innovative and flattering ways, working with subjects ranging from products to people.

What's your definition of a photo studio? Is it a room with a white seamless backdrop or a cyc wall? Maybe it's simply anywhere you’re in control of the lighting. In a perfect world, where every day is a breezy 72 degrees with partial cloud coverage, we would all have a 5,000-square-foot studio–and the entire catalog of B&H™ in our equipment lockups.

Following up on the great success of The Moment It Clicks and The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes, legendary magazine photographer Joe McNally takes us on another memorable ride with Sketching Light, another trip into the land of light--but this time running the gamut from small flash to big flash, and everywhere in between. Of course, Joe includes coverage of Nikon Speedlights, but he also covers big flash, as well as "in-between" lights as the Elinchrom Quadra. The exploration of new technology, as well as the explanation of older technology. No matter what equipment Joe uses and discusses, the most important element of Joe's instruction is that it is straightforward, complete, and honest. No secrets are held back, and the principles he talks about apply generally to the shaping and quality of light, not just to an individual model or brand of flash. He tells readers what works and what doesn't via his let's-see-what-happens approach, he shows how he sets up his shots with plentiful sketches and behind-the-scenes production shots, and he does it all with the intelligence, clarity, and wisdom that can only come from shooting in the field for 30 years for the likes of National Geographic, Time, Life, and Sports Illustrated--not to mention the wit and humor of a clearly warped (if gifted) mind.

On this thrilling worldwide tour, the author shows traveling nonprofessional photographers how to bring home memorable pictures of people, festivals, wildlife, architecture—even aerial and underwater shots. Directions are detailed for composing landscapes with a variety of lenses, working in both natural and artificial lilght. Valuable tips tell how to pack and carry photo equipment, deal with airport and hotel security, and prepare for various locations and weather conditions.

n Sports Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots, author and sports photographer Bill Frakes shows you how to capture the key elements of sports photographs–motion and emotion, style and scene, place and purpose–whether you’re at a baseball tournament, a track meet, or a professional football game. Starting with the basics of equipment, camera settings, and exposure, Bill covers the fundamental techniques of sports photography–understanding lighting, handling composition and focus, and timing peak action. He explains how to choose a shooting position on the field of play, identify the defining moments away from the action, and learn the etiquette of covering live sporting events. He then breaks down the shooting processes of specific sports, outlining the challenges and demands of each and showing how to isolate individual athletes in action.