This Is Strobist Info: Your Setup Guide to Flash Photography

by Dustin Diaz

In 2009, photographer Dustin Diaz began a “365 project,” the goal of which is to shoot and share one picture per day for a year. Not only did Diaz actually complete the project–an achievement in and of itself–he consistently shared both the final image and the behind-the-scenes setup shot for that image, allowing the viewer to see how the shot was arranged. He also included information about exposure, flash power, distance, and light modifiers. The project was a huge hit that attracted thousands of followers. This Is Strobist® Info recreates and expands upon this approach by featuring an image alongside a setup shot that helpfully explains how that image was created. By showing the finished pictures as well as the setup shots for 50 of Diaz’s images, you’ll gain tons of knowledge about the basics–and beyond–of flash photography, including everything from simple one-light shots to images created with five lights and numerous gels, clamps, umbrellas, softboxes, and grids. Additionally, This Is Strobist® Info includes two chapters that guide you through the basics of starting your own lighting kit and explain the important but often-misunderstood inverse square law.

Genres: Photography

123 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2011

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to see the list of gear Dustin recommends and his quick introduction to lighting physics, but the real value for an advanced strobist is the beautifully stylized photos and setup diagrams -- there's a lot of inspiration to be found there, and I'll probably flip through that section before every shoot.

It could have used more discussion (but maybe I glossed over it) of what each light brought to image -- I knew it was a fill light or a rim light, etc, but beginners might not realize why 4 lights were used (or what it would have looked like with 2 lights.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice little read. It give a basic run down on equipment and inverse square rule. Unfortunately, he does not explain inverse square rule well enough for many beginner photographers to follow. The majority of the book is lighting set ups that are on location and in studio. I feel like this would be a great book for inspiring younger photographers to use different lighting setups and give them a starting place to try new things.