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Neil van Niekerk
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On-Camera Flash: Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography Paperback – November 10, 2015

by Neil van Niekerk (Photographer)
4.5 out of 5 stars 136 ratings
Photographers are always looking for perfect light. Unfortunately, the quality of available light, and the situations in which photos are created, are rarely perfect. This is especially true when photographing weddings or portraits on location. So while finding beautiful existing light is every photographer’s ideal, it isn’t always possible.
This is the point at which photographers tend to reach for a portable, on-camera flash. Indeed, these intense light sources can prove invaluable, but only if you know how to use them effectively. In the hands of an inexperienced photographer, on-camera flash will produce images that look flat and lifeless—images with harsh shadows, washed-out skin tones, cavernous black backgrounds, and other unappealing visual characteristics.
In this book, acclaimed wedding and portrait photographer Neil van Niekerk shows you how to avoid the pitfalls photographers new to speedlights often encounter so that you can produce professional images using on-camera flash. You’l learn to use simple accessories to manipulate the quality of light from your flash and how to improve a lighting scenario by enhancing rather than overwhelming the existing light. When the available light is too low and too uneven to be combined with flash, he shows you how to override it completely.
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  1. Print length
    128 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Amherst Media
  4. Publication date
    November 10, 2015
  5. Dimensions
    8.4 x 0.3 x 10.9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781608959532
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1608959532
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Neil van Niekerk is a photographer based in New Jersey, with a diverse range, but specializing in weddings and portraits.

Neil has presented workshops on lighting in the USA, the UK and Ireland, as well as The Netherlands. He has written 3 books with Amherst Media on flash photography and lighting techniques, with more in the works.

He also maintains a website for photographers, Tangents (neilvn.com/tangents/), which is loaded with numerous tutorials on photography and photographic lighting.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1608959538
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amherst Media
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 10, 2015
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Second
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781608959532
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1608959532
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.08 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.4 x 0.3 x 10.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 136 ratings

About the author

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Neil van Niekerk

Neil van Niekerk

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

I'm a wedding and portrait photographer based in northern New Jersey, and I also maintain a website for photographers which contains numerous articles on flash photography and various aspects of digital photography.

http://neilvn.com/tangents/

My interest in this wonderful medium started when I was still in high school. That would be in the late 70's, if you're trying to gauge the longevity of my interest in photography.

I am originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, but I emigrated to the USA in 2000. I am now a resident of New Jersey, USA, where I live with my wife and daughter.

I love photography for a variety of reasons. The stimulation and excitement of responding to new situations satisfies both my analytical and creative sides, and I also truly love working with people. I get real pleasure from sharing the happiness with the people that I photograph, and knowing that I'm creating images that will evoke wonderful memories for a lifetime.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
136 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to understand, with clear explanations and step-by-step learning progression. Moreover, they appreciate its content on flash photography, providing many tips and tricks for professionals. Additionally, the book receives positive feedback for its photo quality, with one customer noting that every concept is reinforced with a set of photos.

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Ease of understandingFlash photographyPhoto quality
23 customers mention "Ease of understanding"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to understand and well-explained, with step-by-step guidance and tips and tricks for professionals.

"...But the best part of this book are the examples! These are real world examples where he gives you the run down on how he took the picture and the..." Read more

"The techniques are good and the writing is easy to understand...." Read more

"...Straight forward info, great pictures and a pleasure to read!!" Read more

"...I found the first edition to be the most helpful book on single, on-camera flash photography to date...." Read more

15 customers mention "Flash photography"15 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's comprehensive coverage of flash photography techniques, with one customer highlighting its effective use of single flash photography.

"...It has seriously upped my photography game...." Read more

"...Off-camera flash produces great results, but its takes a lot of fiddling to get everything just right...." Read more

"The author is well known for no nonsense flash photography and this book proofs his point, it does not take an rocket science Ingeneur to produce..." Read more

"...edition with examples that extol the benefits of the effective use of single flash photography before heading back to the basics of exposure, flash..." Read more

9 customers mention "Photo quality"7 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the photos in the book, with one mentioning that every concept is reinforced with a set of photos, and another noting that all images are new.

"...It provides pictures so you can easily see cause and effect. This is huge if you can’t absorb technical information easily...." Read more

"...Straight forward info, great pictures and a pleasure to read!!" Read more

"...With a few exceptions, all of the images are new...." Read more

"Missing diagrams or scenario pictures showing the relative position and distances of the flash and diagrams showing the required paths of the light..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Rick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, easy to grasp concepts, real world examples….
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Where similar books fall flat on examples, this book is chock full of information to get your photographs close to the examples. It contains technical information related to shutter speed/flash/etc but you’re never overwhelmed. It provides pictures so you can easily see cause and effect. This is huge if you can’t absorb technical information easily. But the best part of this book are the examples! These are real world examples where he gives you the run down on how he took the picture and the things he did to solve the problems he encountered. Excellent!

    This book also compliments his “off camera flash” book nicely. It shares some of the same concepts so you can consistently apply what you learned from these books to cover situations both indoors and out. It has seriously upped my photography game. His books have given me the confidence to take better, more creative photos where the results speak for themselves. I recently did my daughters graduation photos and they are easily the best portraits and casuals I’ve ever created. No more boring shots for me.

    These books are a game changer for me. His concepts stick. Great author! Great series of books. Get them all.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Bill P
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for how to use on-camera flash
    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2018
    Format: eTextbookVerified Purchase
    This book is more nuts and bolts (more technical) than Scott Kelby's "The Flash Book" and it, as you might expect, has some different ideas than Scott's book. The title of the book is "On Camera Flash" so the author endeavors to help us understand how to use a flash mounted on a camera to get good results. It succeeds. There are many circumstances in which using off-camera flash is simply not practical. Off-camera flash produces great results, but its takes a lot of fiddling to get everything just right.

    If you're shooting a portrait and have time to spare, off-camera flash with reflectors, light stands, soft boxes, umbrellas, flash modifiers, etc., is a good way to go. (I note that the same author has a book on off-camera flash. I haven't read that one.) If you're trying to get shots at an event and you need to travel light and move fast on-camera flash may be the only good option. If you have an assistant you can do off-camera quickly, but assistants are not always available.

    The other thing that stand out as a difference between "The Flash Book" and this book is the use of TTL (through the lens) flash control. This book is more kind to TTL flash control and describes how to use the feature to good effect. It seems to me that TTL is useful if you need to shoot quickly and move on. Experience will tell.

    I recommend this book to photographers who find themselves in situations where on-camera flash is the best they can do and want to learn techniques for optimizing the results from on-camera flash.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Justin J. Rebbert
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of great tips and advice
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    The techniques are good and the writing is easy to understand. Sometimes I wished there were more details regarding the example situations, especially including how far away the bounce surface was. My biggest complaint is actually about the physical size of the book. It’s tall. I wish it were shorter like most photography books.
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  • james
    5.0 out of 5 stars As expected....awesome Info!!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    The author is well known for no nonsense flash photography and this book proofs his point, it does not take an rocket science Ingeneur to produce great flash pictures!! Straight forward info, great pictures and a pleasure to read!!
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  • C. P. Schober
    5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone wanting to take control of single, on-camera flash
    Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I have the first edition of this book which I have thoroughly worn out; I referred to it frequently, sometimes rereading it cover to cover. I found the first edition to be the most helpful book on single, on-camera flash photography to date. Nothing else comes close; I know this, having spent a considerable amount of money on single, on-camera flash photography books. Although I'm sure there are some books out there that are as good as Niel's, for my money, Niel's instruction is as good as it gets. The second edition is a thorough reworking of the first. With a few exceptions, all of the images are new. Niel starts this edition with examples that extol the benefits of the effective use of single flash photography before heading back to the basics of exposure, flash sync, etc. He did a very thorough job in reworking the first edition, as good as that was. If you are looking to really take control of your single, on camera flash--especially for portraits--this book is the ticket. I look forward to enrolling in at least one of Niel's workshops.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • AKS
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not a great 2nd edition.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2015
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book is great for someone who is trying to learn how to use speedlights on-camera. This book also has tips and tricks for professionals.

    Now when it comes to Neil, he is very knowledgeable and I own all the books written by him. The cool thing I learnt from his OFF-CAMERA FLASH book was BFT (Black Foamie Thing)... and this ON-CAMERA FLASH book is a lot about BFT.

    For this being a second edition, there is not much that you cannot find in his previous books (both On/Off Camera Flash). I was expecting him to show some creative use of speedlight accessories like Flash-Disc and Ring-Flash etc.. but nothing is there. Its old wine in new bottle... fresh photos but no new tricks or new use cases. You might get a better value out of his OFF-CAMERA FLASH book in trying to advance your skill.

    For first time buyer it might be a 4-5 star product and 1st edition is no longer available, for me its a 3 star value.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • 2014 Pony
    5.0 out of 5 stars Simple & Effective Techniques to Improve On-Camera Flash.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Excellent book covering simple techniques to improve your on-camera flash photography. Topics covered include flagging the flash to soften light, balance flash with ambient light, basic portrait lighting, metering using the in-camera histogram, and other related subjects.

    The books includes easy-to-understand examples and concise explanations. To get the most out of this book, a basic understanding of exposure is very helpful. A few online tutorials or videos on exposure should be enough for anyone who does not quite understand the exposure.

    Overall the book is an easy read and well-organized. It can also serve as a reference source. If you own a DSLR with a tiltable flash, a few hours with this book and about $3.00 in material will improve your on-camera flash photography.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Massimiliano DG
    5.0 out of 5 stars Chiaro e utilissimo
    Reviewed in Italy on August 18, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Ottimo libro sull'uso del flash on camera,ha dei consigli veramente utili che non si trovano altrove a meno che non si va a cercare specificatamente, scritto in modo chiaro e comprensibile anche se è in inglese,con molte immagini illustrative.
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  • J. E. Oliver
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow-now I understand flash!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2017
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Wow! I understand flash photography! The author promises in the introduction just a few “Aha-now I get it moments” and there certainly are. The book is beautifully written and illustrated and the author explains how each shot was taken but a few diagrams of the set ups would make things clearer. It is not an easy book to read but the explanations are excellent and it rewards the time taken to read it.I have read many other books and articles on this topic that have left me bemused and somewhat confused but that does not apply to this.It will transform my photography.
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  • BRUEGEL
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un "must have" pour la photographie au flash
    Reviewed in France on August 22, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Certes, ce livre est en anglais, mais il est très facile à comprendre.
    Surtout, il m'a permis de mieux me servir d'un flash cobra.
    Si je l'avais acheté quelques semaines plus tôt, j'aurais évité des dépenses inutiles en accessoires pour rediriger ou atténuer le flux lumineux du flash.
    Pour le "Black Foamie Thing", achetez de la mousse EVA noire sur Amazon et le tour est joué.
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  • buffercache
    5.0 out of 5 stars An effective and amazing technique on-camera flash
    Reviewed in Spain on May 3, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book is a must for photographers and amateurs when they need to work fast and light with no gear but a single on-shoe flash. Neil proves to be a master in bouncing the flash, flagging int so that no direct light reaches the subject, avoiding weird (usually as cumbersome as expensive) modifiers. The technique actually works, the only thing is that you must practice, needles to say. A companion website provides a whole lot of interesting material
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  • james
    5.0 out of 5 stars Intrigue
    Reviewed in Canada on February 14, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This book has inspired me a great deal. I am coming from a background of weddings with film long ago. Trying to get back with digital. Great book I’m really intrigued
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