For those new to flash photography—or for anyone who has previously given up out of frustration—Speedliter’s Handbook, Second Edition, is a revelation. Follow along as photographer Syl Arena takes you on a journey that begins with an exploration of light and color, moves through a comprehensive discussion of the Canon Speedlite family and all of the accessories and equipment available to the Speedliter, and finally, explores crafting great light in one photo shoot after another. Whether you want to make a classic portrait, photograph a group, capture an important event, or create dramatic color effects in your images, Speedliter’s Handbook shows you how.
In this fully updated second edition, Syl includes all of the newest Canon gear—including the radio-enabled 600EX-RT Speedlite and ST-E3 Transmitter—to ensure that you are completely up to date on all of the components in the Speedlite system. He also includes a downloadable online supplement on the brand-new 430EX III-RT Speedlite. Plus, he covers his newest best practices and workflows so you can make the most of your Canon gear.
In this new edition, you’ll learn how to:
- see the various properties of light itself, as well as the differences between how your camera sees versus how you see
- use all the buttons and dials of the entire Canon Speedlite family—from the flagship 600EX-RT and the new 430EX III-RT to vintage models like the 550EX
- understand the basics of on-camera flash . . . and the benefits of getting your Speedlite off the camera
- beautifully balance flash with the existing ambient light
- get amazing shots with just one Speedlite, all the way up to a dozen Speedlites
- use the right Speedlite mode for the job: E-TTL, Manual, Multi, and more
- use color gels to balance color, as well as create dramatic effects
- tame the sun—or any really bright light—with high-speed sync
- use Speedlites when photographing groups and events
- choose your camera’s exposure settings to capture the shot that you truly want
- and much, much more
Back in the dark ages of view cameras and enlargers, Syl Arena studied commercial photography at Brooks Institute and fine art photography at the University of Arizona. An early indication of Syl's willingness to explore the boundaries of photography was his construction of a pinhole camera into which he loaded 20 x 24 litho film. Over the years, Syl has shot commercially for newspapers, magazines and catalogs. He has been recognized for his expertise on color-critical workflow and his ability to turn noon to night by firing off a dozen Speedlites simultaneously. Today, Syl covers the world of photography on his blog PixSylated.com, is a full-time art teacher, and leads workshops around the world including at the popular Maine Media Workshops. He is the author of the best-selling first edition of Speedliter’s Handbook, as well as Lighting for Digital Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots. He lives in San Luis Obispo, CA, and can be found at pixsylated.com and sylarena.com.
