Recommended books about flash

Scott Kelby, author of the groundbreaking bestseller �gThe Digital Photography Book, Vol. 1�h is back with an entirely new book that picks up right where Vol. 1 left off. It�fs more of that �gAh ha�|so that�fs how they do it,�h straight-to-the-point, skip the techno jargon; packed with stuff you can really use today, that made Vol. 1 the world�fs bestselling book on digital photography.

In Volume 2, Scott adds entirely new chapters packed with Plain English tips on using flash, shooting close up photography, travel photography, shooting people, and even how to build a studio from scratch, where he demystifies the process so anyone can start taking pro-quality portraits today! Plus, he's got full chapters on his most requested topics, including loads of tips for landscape photographers, wedding photographers, and there's an�|entire�|chapter devoted to sharing some of the pro's secrets for making your photos look more professional, no matter what you're shooting.

This book truly has a brilliant premise, and here�fs how Scott describes it: �gIf you and I were out on a shoot, and you asked me, �eWhen I use my flash, the background behind the person I�fm shooting turns black. How do I fix that?�f I wouldn�ft give you a lecture on flash ratios, or start a discussion on flash synchronization and rear curtain sync. I�fd just say �gLower your shutter speed to 1/60 of a second. That should do it�h Well, that�fs what this book is all about: you and I out shooting where I answer questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I�fve learned just like I would with a friend�|without all the technical explanations and techie photo speak.�h

Each page covers a single concept on how to make your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you�fll learn another pro setting, tool, or trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. If you�fre tired of taking shots that look �gokay,�h and if you�fre tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, �gWhy don�ft my shots look like that?�h then this is the book for you.

This isn�ft a book of theory�|full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts. This is a book on which button to push, which setting to use, and when to use it. With nearly another 200 of the most closely guarded photographic �gtricks of the trade,�h this book gets you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos every time.

If you are interested in Digital Photography, this is the book for you. Scott Kelby did not go into technical details for the photography tips, instead he would just tell you what f-stop or shutter speed for taking certain types of shots. Wonderful book. Highly recommended.

As a beginner photographer, I found volume 1 incredibly helpful. I felt that after reading it, I'd saved myself about 6 months of annoying "why didn't I think of that ages ago?" realizations. Tips like using a UV filter (using one has saved a lens already for me), or taking an indicator shot before and after a series of panoramic images, are just useful. Unfortunately, volume 2 starts scraping the barrel. The tips here are useful, but you'll likely figure them out on your own if you've read book 1 and/or are a thoughtful photographer. Good, but not great.

I received this book quickly,and in good condition. The book is well laid out to use for a quick reference guide and very easy to understand. I also purchased the second edition and I am happy with it as well. Scott has some wacky humor to go along with learning, easy to overlook if that's not your reading type. I will add this book to my growing library, it's a keeper.

This book only for beginer. If you have read other books about photography you do not need this one.
-Page 13 "Drag the Shutter" to see more background. I could not understand what he meant.
-He wrote: " First, set your camera to shoot in program mode. Then, aim at your subject and hold the shutter button halfway so your camera takes a meter reading of the scene. Look in your viewfinder and see the f stop and shutter speed your camera chose to properly expose your subject, and remember those two numbers. Now switch to manual mode and dial those same two numbers. If the camera showed speed of 1/60 of a second, to drag the shutter you'd need to use a slower shutter speed, right? So try lowering the shutter speed to 1/15 of a cecond and take the shot". The problem is: If I lowered the speed two stop the photo would be overexposure, if I also lowered the speed and closed the aperture two stop the photo still got right exposure without the flash.
-Page 21 "Rear sync Rock(& why you should use it)
As matter of fact if I change from leading curtain to rear curtain sync the amount of light fall on the sensor remain the same. I think that in this topic he want to talk about slow-speed-sync.

This is a must have for amateur photographers trying to learn the tricks of the trade. I highly recommend it.

Flash CS4 Professional Digital Classroom is like having a personal instructor guiding readers through each lesson, while they work at their own pace. This book includes 13 self-paced lessons that let readers discover essential skills and explore new features and capabilities of Adobe Flash Professional. Every lesson is presented in full color with step-by-step instructions. Learning is reinforced with video tutorials and lesson files on a companion DVD that were developed by the same team of Adobe Certified Instructors and Flash experts who have created many of the official training titles for Adobe Systems. Each video tutorial is approximately five minutes long and demonstrates and explains the concepts and features covered in the lesson. This training package shows the basics of using the program, such as using layers and instances to build animation sequences, as well as advance features, such as using ActionScript to create interactive Web page components. Jam-packed with information, this book and DVD takes users from the basics through intermediate level topics and helps readers find the information they need in a clear, approachable manner.

This Flash CS4 Professional tutorial helped me bridge the gap between my traditional print-world experience, and taking advantage of the interactive world of Flash CS4. The lessons are self-paced, and the DVD helped me reinforce my new Flash skills, or take a few minutes to review areas where I still needed some work.

This is the fourth book I've used in the Digital Classroom series. The pace is always perfect. And Flash CS4 helped explain everything from animation sequences to the opportunities of ActionScript.

Digital Classroom Flash CS4 showed me the Light!

Welcome to Dreamweaver CS3. This new version of the popular web design software offers a rich environment for building professional sites, with drag-and-drop simplicity, clean HTML code, and dynamic database-driven web site creation tools. Moreover, it's now integrated more tightly with Adobe's other products: Photoshop, InDesign, Flash, and their siblings. But with such sophisticated features, the software isn't simple. So say hello to Dreamweaver CS3: The Missing Manual, the fifth edition of this bestselling book by experienced web site trainer and author David McFarland. This book helps both first-time and experienced web designers bring stunning, interactive web sites to life. With jargon-free language and clear descriptions, this new edition addresses both beginners who need step-by-step guidance as well as long-time Dreamweaver users who need a handy reference to address the inner-workings of the program. Dreamweaver CS3: The Missing Manual teaches designers how to construct and manage web sites by examining web-page components and Dreamweaver's capabilities through "live examples." With a complete A-Z guide to designing, organizing, building and deploying a web site for those with no web design experience, this book: Takes you through the basics to advanced techniques to control the appearance of your web pages with CSS Shows you how to design dynamic database-driven web sites, from blogs to product catalogs, and from shopping carts to newsletter signup forms Teaches you how to master your web site, and manage thousands of pages effortlessly Witty and objective, Dreamweaver CS3: The Missing Manual is a must for anyone who uses this highly popular program, from beginners toprofessionals. Altogether, it's the ultimate atlas for Dreamweaver CS3.

looked in several book stores for a good ref book on Dreamweaver. have several o'reilly ref books already and was glad to find this one at a reasonable price... and received it in 3 days with standard shipping! nice...

This is a great book and helpful in quickly finding information that you need to assist you with building your website/pages using the Dreamweaver CS3 software program. Was able to find the information I needed in a minimum of time. Felt that the price was reasonable for the manual and know that I will be using this for quite sometime.

I can't believe how much I have learned in the past few days just by reading this book. I am already doing some websites and as continue reading I discover more each day. It is a fantastic book. By the way, i went to NYU and the professor was using in class all the excercises from this book. I couldn't belive I paid 500 dollars to school when I could have done it on my own. So, get this book now!

Yes, this is a huge volume - as are most software "how-to" and other reference books - but this is one you'll definitely want to tackle if you're interested in building your skills with Dreamweaver CS3. To say there's a ton of good information goes without saying. Any good manual of this type can dish out the factoids, charts and examples in mass quantities, and "The Missing Manual" for Dreamweaver is no exception. To their credit, the authors still manage to present all that information with a good amount of humor and enough real-world examples to make it easy to digest and understand.

Especially useful are the "hands-on" projects and lessons contained in each chapter. You get a taste of topics such as text formatting, page layout, creating / modifying CSS rules and lots, lots more. Each lesson is simple and direct - click here, type this, etc. Step by step. Many of the lessons build on each other, so you can see a complete web page come together with more and more features and complexity. All of the lesson and example files are downloadable from the book's online companion site, so there's no need to find (and store and protect) a CD that might have been included in the book. The site also gives updated information and provides links to more help... very useful.

You probably won't read this book all at once - not unless you're an absolute newcomer to web design and Dreamweaver. If that's the case, you can work through all of the lessons, and come away with a very good understanding of the program's main functions and features. The discussion (and lessons) on CSS alone are well worth the read. Even though the authors say this book is not intended to provide a complete reference for CSS, the material presented greatly increased my knowledge and confidence in using this particularly useful bit of web-design magic.

In short: a very useful, very reader-friendly book that can help any new- to moderately-skilled Dreamweaver user. Advanced users probably know all this stuff already, but for the rest of us, "The Missing Manual" is a great addition to a personal software reference library. Highly recommended.

Bill Sklodowski
Author of the forthcoming book: "PC Smarts for Small Business"
Personal & Small Business Coaching
Digital Marketing / Creative Services
www.PcTechandTraining.com

This book provides a clear index, which makes it the go to place for any Dreamweaver questions.

ActionScript 3.0 is a huge upgrade to Flash's programming language. The enhancements to ActionScript's performance, feature set, ease of use, cleanliness, and sophistication are considerable. Essential ActionScript 3.0 focuses on the core language and object-oriented programming, along with the Flash Player API. Essential ActionScript has become the #1 resource for the Flash and ActionScript development community, and the reason is the author, Colin Moock. Many people even refer to it simply as "The Colin Moock book." And for good reason: No one is better at turning ActionScript inside out, learning its nuances and capabilities, and then explaining everything in such an accessible way. Colin Moock is not just a talented programmer and technologist; he's also a gifted teacher. Essential ActionScript 3.0 is a radically overhauled update to Essential ActionScript 2.0. True to its roots, the book once again focuses on the core language and object-oriented programming, but also adds a deep look at the centerpiece of Flash Player's new API: display programming. Enjoy hundreds of brand new pages covering exciting new language features, such as the DOM-based event architecture, E4X, and namespaces--all brimming with real-world sample code. The ActionScript 3.0 revolution is here, and Essential ActionScript 3.0's steady hand is waiting to guide you through it.

I really liked Mr.Moock's book, as it goes from the fundamentals to crystal clear object oriented programming. As an AS2 programmer I filled gaps to make a succesfull switch to ActionScript3.0, and got a good grip in Flex also. Recommended!

I don't really like this book. Its way too descriptive and the result is that the subject matter is made to seem over-complicated. If you have some familiarity with OOP programming, you'll have to sort through lots of reading to get a few needed bits of information. If you're new to programming, the first 137 pages have no working code and so you'll have to understand deep and detailed programming basics without putting any theory into practice or having any working experience with the content. 'Not what I would want if I were a beginner.

I'm a huge fan of O'Reilly books, but this book should be avoided.

Good book as a code reference but in my opinion we need more real exercises for a better understand.

This book is brilliant. It's encyclopedic. It is a must-have to better understand AS 3 and to hopefully lower your frustration when coding. I am a designer fairly new to AS 3 and found this book gave clear, detailed explanations on every aspect of AS 3. Like an encyclopedia, each chapter breaks down specific core concepts, from Arrays and XML, into their basics. Information is laid out well and can be found quickly simply by looking at the book's table of contents. As a reference book, it fills in the "why" that other books on Flash or on-line tutorials don't have time or space to cover in easy to understand detail. Colin Moock avoids confusing jargon and de-mystifies ActionScipt.

I learned a good bit from this book; however I came into this with over 6 years for programming experience.

Part 1:

I found that this moved to slow for me. Much of it I already knew. So from an experienced perspective it was it was way to much info.

From a "I never programmed" it could be a good reference, but ultimately it would leave such a person with a shallow understanding of what is going on. I think he should have broke this book down into pieces. A good beginner would have been the first part of this book with some expansion on callback and closure theory combined with another book; Object Oriented ActionScript 3.0.

Part II:

The second part of the book was decent but had quite a few errors. For example in Screen Updates; his code for an optimized ellipse. In removedFromStageListener he adds the listener instead of removing it. He also never clears the redraw variable so it will always redraw when Event.RENDER is called.

This was so obvious to me that it was none issue. But for the intended audience I could see as being completely confusing and frustrating.

The good news is he does address both these issues in the Errata (but in two separate updates).

Part III:

They are there to support some concepts discussed in the book; they should have been before Part II and they are like a scholastic version of the content covered (not a bad thing; it is just what it is).

Extra Content:
His source download is one of the most horribly organized "extra" content downloads I've ever ran into. He lists everything by name not chapter. Some code is included some is not. Both combined I find my self spending extra time trying to find content never knowing if is just labeled funny or just not documented at all. Over all your best bet it to purchase this as a pdf book so you can just copy and paste the examples.

Bottom line:
These writers need to stop trying to create these "everything covered" books. Ultimately they are rushed, shallow and alienate their intended audience.

I would still recommend this book as really I've found no other resource except for the language reference that goes over the material that is discussed in this book. Just be sure that you have the Errata handy!

Product Description
In this book, authors Rich Shupe and Zevan Rosser share the knowledge they've gained from their years as multimedia developers/designers and teachers. Learning ActionScript 3.0 gives you a solid foundation in the language of Flash and demonstrates how you can use it for practical, everyday projects. The authors do more than just give you a collection of sample scripts. Written for those of you new to ActionScript 3.0, the book describes how ActionScript and Flash work, giving you a clear look into essential topics such as logic, event handling, displaying content, migrating legacy projects to ActionScript 3.0, classes, and much more. You will learn important techniques through hands-on exercises, and then build on those skills as chapters progress. ActionScript 3.0 represents a significant change for many Flash users, and a steeper learning curve for the uninitiated. This book will help guide you through a variety of scripting scenarios. Rather than relying heavily on prior knowledge of object-oriented programming (OOP), topics are explained in focused examples that originate in the timeline, with optional companion classes for those already comfortable with their use. As chapters progress, the book introduces more and more OOP techniques, allowing you to choose which scripting approach you prefer. Learning ActionScript 3.0 reveals: New ways to harness the power and performance of AS3 Common mistakes that people make with the language Essential coverage of text, sound, video, XML, drawing with code, and more Migration issues from AS1 and AS2 to AS3 Simultaneous development of procedural and object-oriented techniques Tips that go beyond simple script collections, including how toapproach a project and which resources can help you along the way The companion web site contains material for all the exercises in the book, as well as short quizzes to make sure you're up to speed with key concepts. ActionScript 3.0 is a different animal from previous versions, and Learning ActionScript 3.0 teaches everything that web designers, GUI-based Flash developers, and those new to ActionScript need to start using the language.

Praise
"The best ActionScript book ever written."
-Lee Brimelow, Creator of The Flash Blog

I think the book does a great job explaining all of the intricate details of OOP for experienced Actionscript users. I have used AS2 for a long time and I was very frustrated how so much had changed in AS3 and I never seemed to find a good book to explain each change. This book does that and more.

In addition to spelling out the advantages of using AS3 and OOP in general, it even takes things a step further by actually DEFINING programming design methodologies that are using in most development based work environments (i.e. Agile, XP, Waterfall, etc.). You know, all of those acronyms and other garbage that people through into job descriptions to intimidate newbies.

I'm inclined to agree that this book may not be suited for beginners to Actionscript, I would strongly recommend that anyone who is learning AS for the first time should grab a beginner's book (maybe a cheap one) and then use this as your professional reference guide. Everything is categorized and color coded for you: Need to attach a sound? Chpt. 13. Need to read XML? Chpt. 14

john

This book is great. I am starting off with AS 3.0 and its a great reference. I feel though sometimes it gets too complicated. Also it does not have many pictures, but the good thing is that the code is color coded. According to my professor who is very into finding books, its the best one out there for AS. I haven;t had a ton of time to look through the book yet, but so far what I see is helpful, just a really boring read.

I'm starting from scratch to learn Flash AS 3 and this book seems to be a very good starting point. I haven't read it through yet, but it's yet been very understandable and there's not too much technical jargon (I have 5+ years of PHP-coding to start with).

I have worked with Action Script in the past on many projects but I never took advantage of the real programming capabilities that Action Script 3 has to offers, so I wanted to find a book to help me take the next step and this is the one. I got this book and I was immediately hooked because it was written in a way that makes you feel comfortable and relaxed instead of intimidated.

This book offers simple easy to understand tutorials accompanied with the basic start files already designed so that you can focus on the programming.

If your looking for a great book for beginning or intermediate Action Script 3 porgramming then this is the one for you.

EXCELLENT BOOK.

If your new to actionscript 3 or just new to actionscript period , this book will help you catch up with it. You will feel confident as you go through the book and practice examples.

What I really liked is that while the book is showing you how to code with actionscript 3, the examples will even apply to actionscript 2 or 1 ( with different coding of course, but the principle idea is great)

I would really recommend you pick up this book.

How soon can you learn Adobe Flex 3? With this book's unique hands-on approach, you will be able to tinker with examples right away, and create your own Rich Internet Applications with Flex within the first few chapters. As you progress, you learn how to build a layout, add interactivity, work with data, and deploy your applications to either the Web or the desktop.

Learning Flex 3 offers step-by-step instructions that are clear and concise, along with tips and tricks that author Alaric Cole has gathered after years of using Flex and teaching it to fellow developers at Yahoo! You'll understand how Flex works, how to use the MXML markup language and work with ActionScript, how to deploy RIAs to the desktop using Adobe AIR, and much more.

Whether you're a beginner, or an experienced web developer coming to Flex from another platform, Learning Flex 3 is the ideal way to learn how to:

• Set up your environment with FlexBuilder and Eclipse
• Create a new Flex project
• Use the different design views in Flex
• Write code with MXML
• Lay out your Flex application
• Embed images and graphics
• Build a user interface
• Add interactivity with ActionScript
• Handle user input
• Move, display, and collect data
• Add custom components with MXML
• Add sound effects, filters, and transitions
• Style your applications with CSS, skins, and themes
• Deploy applications to the Web, or to the desktop using Adobe AIR

Also included are brief explanations of objects, classes, components, properties, methods, types, and other Flex attributes. You will find that Learning Flex 3 is not only the most complete tutorial for Flex, it's also the quickest way to get going with the latest version of this powerful framework.

This is a great book for anyone wanting to experiment with the basics of contemporary web design as supported by the Flex environment.

Those new to RIA and Web 2.0 development will find Mr. Cole's sample applications relevant, covering the tenets of the interactive web portal as well as their implementation into site construction.

More weathered coder-types will probably want to supplement Learning Flex 3 with a cookbook or a text expanding upon the logic language behind Flex: ActionScript.

I was disappointed with the lack of depth this book contained. I had read reviews prior to purchasing this book that claimed it was a great book to start with. But the problem is that there is no depth in the topics covered. This book requires a companion book that provides the detail that LF3 does not contain. LF3 is too soft even for beginners.

While I kept my eyes on Flex for quite a while, I never used it before I started reading "Learning Flex 3". I have solid programming background, but no previous experience with Flash and/or ActionScript. This book was exactly what I needed, aimed at beginners but not dummies. The topic's choice was well balanced, and the colors and nice typography made the whole reading experience even more pleasant. Of course, as soon as you get more familiar with Flex, you will outgrow this book pretty soon, but that's expected.

'Learning Flex 3: Getting up to Speed with Rich Internet Applications' is a great guide for anyone looking to learn or improve their Flex 3 skills. A collaborative book between O'Reilly and Adobe, this text is a perfect buy for anyone that wants to get their feet wet with this new and exciting technology or just needs a refresher in the basics of how to build Web 2.0 applications.

The Flex platform is perfect for building self-contained apps which are netcentric, modern and efficient. If you are looking to build a new web app you owe it to yourself to take a look at this technology and this is the perfect first step to take!

**** RECOMMENDED

Learning Flex 3 is an excellent resource for beginners who know nothing about Flex. Please read a detailed review of the book I posted online at RIA Revolution -- [...]

Frustrated by the overwhelming nature of Flash?

Want to get up to speed with the program fast so you can concentrate on your animation?

Need to solve problems quickly to get work done to time and to budget?

Then 'How to Cheat in Flash' is for you!

This book is different from the rest because it shows you, step by step, how to work from the problem to the solution when creating Flash animations, from the viewpoint of an animator who has been commissioned to create a job and is working to a deadline.

It is task orientated; every example shows real life commercial work. So, it's not so much a case of 'what does this filter/tool/option do?', as 'this is the task I've been set - how do I achieve it?' The solution may involve a variety of tools and techniques; it may take many steps to complete, or only a few. The free CD-Rom includes all the files you need to put your skills into practice as you read, and much more!

It's an accessible (conversational in style), practical book and CD package which also provides artistic inspiration, a goldmine of timesaving practical tips, tricks and step-by-step workthroughs. You will wonder how you survived without it.

* Successful, bestselling How to Cheat coverage now available for Flash
* Learn a myriad of tips and tricks based on real life working methods to help you work faster and more efficiently with Flash
* Work from the problem to the solution, gaining the best possible results from Flash

I enjoyed reading this book it was colorful and pleasant but not very technically helpful XD I don't regret buying and reading it but it wasn't very necessary... I've now read about 7 other flash/flash game programming books and this one I'll probably reference the least but I still don't regret buying it =)

I recommend this book to any Flash professional or novice out there. He delivers great tutorials and sound advice that makes sense!

This book is good all around, but has several of those aha nuggets that make it a very happy purchase.

I had been looking for a book on cartoon animation with flash to help fill in the small knowledge gaps that I had to complete my animation. This book covered all of those gaps and more. There are tricks I didn't even know I needed, and now I know them. Thanks for such a great book.

The title of this book isn't misleading at all; author Chris Georgenes gives out an arsenal of tips/technics on how to make the most use of tools that are in front of us all the time while we author with Flash.
I got this book because I wanted to improve my animation skills. I've been doing flash websites and ocationally some advertising in Flash. This book is very easy to read, as it is very visual. With 270 pages this book contains a huge amount of graphics that will guide you through the precise steps on topics such as:

- Design Styles
- Masking
- Motion tips and tricks
- Character animation
- Working with sound & video
- Interactivty

And if that isn't enough for you, the bundled CD-ROM includes all the animations covered in the book in .fla format, so you can see for your self how a good animation is really done.
This is one of the few books I would recomend to all Flash users at all levels. And if you're into animation, this is certainly a must have.

The fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Flash CS4 Professional.

Adobe Flash CS4 Professional Classroom in a Book contains 10 lessons. The book covers the basics of learning Adobe Flash CS4 Professional and provides countless tips and techniques to help you become more productive with the program. You can follow the book from start to finish or choose only those lessons that interest you.

Learn how to design Flash projects with sophisticated animation, import video and sound files, and integrate buttons with compelling interactivity using ActionScript 3.0. Powerful features such as the new Motion Editor, inverse kinematics, and support for 3D will make developing your Flash sites fast, easy, and fun.

�gThe Classroom in a Book series is by far the best training material on the market. Everything you need to master the software is included: clear explanations of each lesson, step-by-step instructions, and the project files for the students.�h �|Barbara Binder, Adobe Certified Instructor, Rocky Mountain Training

Classroom in a Book��, the best-selling series of hands-on software training workbooks, helps you learn the features of Adobe software quickly and easily. Classroom in a Book offers what no other book or training program does�|an official training series from Adobe Systems Incorporated, developed with the support of Adobe product experts.

When Joe's not on assignment for the biggest-name magazines and Fortune 500 clients, he's in the classroom teaching location lighting, environmental portraiture, and how to get the shot at workshops around the world. These on-location workshops are usually reserved for a handful of photographers each year, but now you can learn the same techniques that Joe shares in his seminars and lectures in a book that brings Joe's sessions to life. In this book, Joe delivers the definitive guide to flash. He starts with the basics and how to get started and then moves on to techniques for using really simple approaches (one light, two light). The book contains a discussion of what's in the camera bag lighting wise, gadgets, field survival, light shaping tools, approaches, and more. All along the way he imparts his photography wisdom and gets the reader to move on past their fears, showing them examples of disasters and how to recover. Each section contains straight talk and a run-down of what can happen on location.

Use every amazing option your Nikon CLS offers

Light is the essence of photography. The Nikon Creative Lighting System lets you create the same lighting patterns with a portable, detached, wireless system that professionals achieve using cumbersome and expensive studio equipment. This practical guide is like having an expert at your elbow. It's packed with information about the CLS as well as tips, tricks, and recommendations for lighting a dozen different shooting situations. Take it on every shoot and get the most from your CLS.
* Know all about the features and functions of the SB-800 and SB-600
* Get insider tips for creating flawless portrait lighting and staging the best poses
* Set up masters and remotes, flash modes, channels, and groups
* Choose equipment for a wireless studio
* Use the ideal exposure and Speedlight system settings for shooting events, nature, sports, groups, portraits, or products

Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks

This is a must have book for all people, including pro's.
Am I a pro? Okay, I am shooting pictures for living for more than 30 years...
The new and even further developed Nikon Lighting System is a very complex matter. It provides incredible possibilities which flash photography never knew before, but it is became also very complex.
I own Nikon flashes for many years and purchased recantly a new SB-800.
I certainly just flew over the manual and started using the flash - easy without any prior knowledge. Soon I found out about the great and new possibilities this flash can provide but the standard manual is rather complicated to comprehend. I therefore purchased this guide.
The book is easy understandable even for newbees and provides a good step by step system to grow on knowledge. Light is the quintessence of photography and this book together with the Nikon Lighting System will open new doors for you. Even as a pro, it gives you an edge and makes things easier. Sure I was using my Nikon flashes before and without reading this book but I have much more possibilities now to get the most out of it.
The book has also a large section with tips and general knowledge of flash photography which surely comes handy for many newcomers and advanced amateurs, but it also reminds us pro-ohotographers on tricks we have long forgoten. The new Nikon Lighting System enhances these old tricks if used properly.
The book explains things better and much easier to understand than the manual. While the manual (Nikon) probably thinks that someone who buys a SB-800 flash knows everything, this guide gives also the lesser involved people the edge to make use of this great technology.
The book must be in print for a while because Nikon D80 and D90 are not mentioned. Not a problem. I use the SB-800 on my Nikon D200 but own also own a Nikon D80 for back up and special usages.
Flash photography was always a bit of a step child for me - not anymore now!
Little money for a lot of knowledge!
Highly recommendable!

I was looking to trade my sb800 for a metz, but after reading the book, which provided my super tips on the creative side i decided to buy a couple of SB800 as my portable flash system.
(excuse my english but is not my native language)

Good help for a very complex unit, It will help you get the most out of ypur flash. Explains how the controls work how the TTL system works. all good stuff to know.

I bought this book hoping it could help me with controlling nikon SB speedlights SB800 and SB600 which I own with my new SU800 remote. This book deals mainly with using SB800 as the master to control other flashguns. It would have been better if it included the usefullness of the CLS with the use of SU800 as well because this is what it is all about! It is not as comprehensive as I thought it would!

I found the book too verbose. The marrow of if could have been condensed in a book half its size. As a practical amateur photographer, I ws looking for detailed advice on using one or several flashes, since I own a Nikon D200 and a Speedlight SB 600. When not extolling the system "the Nikon creative Lightning system is a very complex tool but alll of the complexities are taken care of whitin the camera itself", and similar phrases ocupying a good amount of text, the author talks mostly on generalities. I felt I did not get advise specific enough to actually put it to work in obtaining better flash photography.