Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It: Learn Step by Step How to Go from Empty Studio to Finished Image (Voices That Matter)

When I noticed that i could buy the full kindle version now, before it's hit stores i jumped right on this, i've been reading Kelby's Blog + watching "The Grid" video podcast that he does and been looking forward to this book, i couldn't make it to the tour he just did so the book is a nice substitute.

I've always enjoyed his writing style, and he answers alot of questions I've had as a semi-pro newbie is a way that i can understand; and i must say that on my PC Monitor it's formatted perfectly, i can scroll from shot to shoot and see how it evolves step by step; i think i may prefer this over having a hardcopy.

I'd strongly recommend this to someone like me trying to figure out the best way to use your lights to create stunning images; also the procedure to really make them "pop" in your photoshop post production.

I like the detail about each shoot so you can really see what is going on; and the contact sheets were a great idea.

EDIT: the kindle version is slightly annoying b/c of the size of the images, you can't really zoom in and see them in great detail , as the other reviewer pointed out this is a bit disappointing.. particularly since the kindle edition is more expensive than the book, the content it still excellent but i did find i wanted to zoom in close than I could.

I have most of Scott Kelby's books and I am a graphic designer specializing in Commercial Advertising Design and Photography. I also teach Photoshop and Photography and I think this book is great for those people just getting more into Lightroom (Lr) yet have some working knowledge of Photoshop (Ps). If you have little to no experience (new to Photography, Ps, Lr) you are going to be reading the same chapters over and over and googling Ps videos to understand what is going and why. If you are an advanced user you are, pretty good at photography maybe an intermediate user than you might get a few new tips to help you. If you are advanced level photographer or Ps user then the lighting tips will not help you at all nor will the Ps and Lr tips. Overall, given my background, I was not impressed with this book and maybe the video is worth checking out but do not buy this book if you have a clue of what you are doing. If you are new to the whole world of digital photography and editing then I wish you the best of luck because you will be dumfounded for a while.

As others have said, this book is more Photoshop than lighting technique. I bought it because I thought there might be some new insights that I could use but it did not give me much.

That said, i have several lighting books (and should go back and re-read some of them before I buy new ones) and finding something new is more difficult. People with different experience and perspective may find this more valuable than I did. It is well written, just not really anything new.

Keep your money.

Good book in general. Definately for the serious photographer...which I am but, regarding unbiased reviews I would say that much of the info would go over the head of the novice or "point and shoot" photographer. Although Mr. Kelby stresses several times that the equipment that he uses is expensive but insists that it is not necessary for the reader to spend a ton of cash...in actuality...it is. As a serious, semi-professional photographer (I haven't quit my day job) I will tell you that photography is an expensive hobby and to get the type of quality that Scott Kelby gets...it will cost you some dough. However, to reiterate, good book...if you're ready to take, or at least get info on, the plunge.

The thing I like best about this book is that for each example, there is a photo, shot from above, showing the lighting setup. There are also plenty of photos showing the entire setup from the side, from behind, etc.

I also like that there is a detailed description of the gear used in each shot. The settings are also shown, so you know the power setting of each strobe, the camera settings, and so on.

Most readers will not have exactly the same gear as Kelby, or as much, but the detailed descriptions make it possible to do similar setups with whatever equipment is available. Kelby does describe the full power levels of strobes in the introduction, his strobes go from 2.3 to 6.3 (500W), so you can figure out the power ratios, and translate to whatever you use. Of course, some experimentation will be necessary.

The chapters have names like "1-Light Home Interior Setup", "1-light Ring Flash Setup", and "3-Light Sports Setup". This makes it easy to find a lighting setup you can emulate with your own equipment.

Kelby shows the whole process, including post processing. He uses Photoshop, and the descriptions are clear and straightforward. I use other software for post processing, but translating the instructions are, for the most part, easy to do.

I bought the Kindle version, and it works well. Some Kindle books suffer from extremely sloppy layout, but this one works as expected: Good picture quality, and everything is presented in the correct order.

You should know that this book focuses on studio photography. The lighting principles are the same everywhere, but in a studio you do not have to deal with harsh sunlight, changing lighting conditions, desperately trying to find an electrical socket, or choosing which gear to bring with you. This is probably a good thing: It keeps the book more focused.

In all, I am very happy with this book. The thing to remember is that to actually learn from it, reading it is not enough. You have to practice, and practice a lot.

I can't say that I learned much more than I already know about lighting and retouching, but having been sick the past 4 1/2 years and not shooting nearly as much as I used to, I have to say that Kelby once again has provided me motivation to get back to shooting as much as possible. I forgot just how much I LOVED photographing portraits, and this book reminded me of it. I felt invigorated reading it and look forward to start shooting full steam ahead once again! One thing I DID learn is that you can shoot tethered with Lightroom 3. Hmmmm... to think I wasted approximately $150 for Nikon's Camera Control Pro 2 software (which I still haven't figured out how to use)...

I bought this for kindle and love it - but will have to buy hard copy as can't really see diagrams on my little kindle very well. It will be worth it though. A treasure trove of info as usual from Scott

I have always been a huge fan of the Scott Kelby book series. Very informative and a great read for anyone looking to sharpen their skills.

This book is a fantastic step by step guide to get you started. With this as your jumping off point your creativity will be able to expand upon the use of these techniques.