Outdoor lighting is more variable than studio lighting, and while it presents unique challenges, the payoffs of mastering the light in such situations are many. In this comprehensive book, you'll learn how to control the effects of natural light to create top-quality portraits of any subject—from kids, to models, to families.

Dantzig provides a comprehensive look at lighting, giving you all of the tools you need to poduce the very best portrait results. He presents dozens of images (including several before-and-after shots and image sequences) and shows how each portrait was created. Step-by-step text makes it easy to learn how to use natural light, to understand when and how to supplement that light with flash fill, barebulb, and strobes, and how to select and use light modifiers for the most flattering portrait lighting effects.

Numerous detailed lighting diagrams are also included, showing you how to re-create the lighting styles that top-notch professionals use to produce their perfectly rendered images.

FEATURES •The laws that govern outdoor lighting: how to use some simple calculations to predict the effects of the light •Modifying light for the best effect •Lighting ratios: how to sculpt your clients' faces for flattering images •Adding flash fill, barebulb, and strobes to enhance existing light •Lighting diagrams show you how to quickly and precisely duplicate the lighting styles shown in the book •Photoshop tips for perfecting the most common image flaws

Stephen Dantzig, PsyD is an award winning photographer who is a former Vice President of the Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County and former editor of PPLAC's monthly publication Reflector. Stephen is the author of numerous articles and lessons on photographic lighting and ethics. His work has appeared in Rangefinder, Studio Photography and Design, Professional Photographer, ProPhoto West, This Week Magazine (Hawaii), Pleasant Hawaii Magazine, Doll Reader, Metropolitan Home, Studio City Lifestyles Magazine, Santa Clarita Valley Living, the Portrait Photographer's Handbook, and the Los Angeles Times. He is a frequent contributor to the Photoflex Web Photo School. Stephen holds a Doctor of Psychology degree from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and also works with school children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities.