BOOK REVIEW: Now I can photograph products the RIGHT way!

By
Lawrence
Published: June 13, 2010Posted in: Book ReviewsTags:

BOOK: Still Life and Special Effects Photography: A Guide to Professional Lighting Techniques, Second Edition

RATING: 5 stars

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: One weekend, I was hungry for a new photography book. So i trekked to Borders in search for a new photography lighting book. During my search, I came across many books but only one stood out at this particular Borders location. The book was about Still Life photography. Like many RotoVision published books, I was hooked due to the lighting diagrams and easy to read explanations. Before quickly browsing this book at the bookstore, I thought i knew how to shoot products. Boy was i wrong. I was quickly amazed on the product shots showcased in this book and instructions on how to achieve these images. My favorite images of the book are on page 18-19 (Gas Grip and Wrench) page 28-29 (Poison) page 30-31 (The Elegance of Music) page 38-39 (Fuller) page 63-65 (Mysterious Ball) page 128-129 (Photocopier) page 148-149 (Lost Property) page 164-165 (Nostalgia) page 210-212 (RAF Radar Operator) page 264=265 (Dog on the wall)

PROS:
- Clearly written lighting instructions
Easy to read lighting diagrams
Good range of images to learn from easy to complex lighting diagrams.

CONS: None!

CONCLUSION: As i’ve stated earlier, I thought my present knowledge of product photography before reading this book was sufficient. I was wrong. After reading this book and plans to use Still Life and Special Effects Photography as a reference book for my product photography shoots, I am sure my stock image sales of products will skyrocket. I will also apply the techniques i’ve learned in this book for my commercial photography with models interacting with products.


About the Author

I am a Southern California based photographer concentrating on Advertising/Commercial Photography and Wedding Photography. MISSION: Produce highly conceptual and relevant images that translates to high message recall for my clients. PHILOSOPHY: An image captured is a memory recorded so make sure it's done right. STYLE: EDGY Point of View. MeTHod To mY MaDNEss: Plan, plan, and plan. Basicaly, I am a HIGHLY CONCEPTUAL photographer that produces EDGY POV images with high message recall because of the intense planning/research involved to create each image. You may follow me on twitter http://www.twitter.com/lawrenceatienza and facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lawrenceatienza and really get to know me.