Gerd Ludwig
Description Gerd Ludwig, a National Geographic veteran known for his many photo essays, is one of the leading documentary photographers of our time. As a photographer focusing on diverse cultural and environmental stories, Ludwig is often confronted with a wide range of low-light situations—from classic street photography to portraiture, from scenes in bustling night clubs to intimate moments in churches— many of which require additional lighting that must be created quickly and effectively.
In the past, Ludwig has shared his tricks of the trade in lectures and workshops. Now, for the first time, Ludwig makes his approach available in a book so that all photographers—amateurs, enthusiasts, and professionals alike—can understand and learn his unique lighting method. In Minus 2/3—The Invisible Flash: Crafting Light for Photographers in the Field, Ludwig takes us behind the scenes of many of his most iconic images to reveal his lighting techniques in easy-to-understand terms.
Over 20 years ago, Ludwig began incorporating small handheld flashes into his photography with the aim of creating an evenly balanced look in the final photograph. At the same time, he wanted to avoid burdening himself with heavy equipment so he could be flexible and inconspicuous when moving around in the field. Over the years, he has refined his use of small flash by adding a few simple, handmade devices to his lighting kit that hone his technique even further. His use of flash appears so subtle in the final image that it is easily mistaken for natural light—an invisible flash. Recently, in his fine-art and documentary work in interior or night settings, Ludwig began making long exposures by combining a flash on a camera with a series of flashes fired from a single hand-held unit.
In Minus 2/3—The Invisible Flash, you’ll learn Ludwig’s shooting method, including how to:
Ludwig is recognized as a master of combining available light with handheld flash, perfecting a technique where the flash is an essential, yet nearly invisible, element in the photograph. For both amateurs and professionals, this subtle but powerful use of flash can be a challenge to master. Indeed, even some of Ludwig’s esteemed National Geographic colleagues have turned to him for advice.
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Determine exposure in a low-light situation
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Introduce flash into the scene in a subtle way that more powerfully draws the viewer’s eye to the subject
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Seamlessly balance the color of flash with the color of the natural light in the scene
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Incorporate light into a scene when working alone or with an assistant
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Create long exposures with multiple firings of the flash
Author Biography Gerd Ludwig was born in Alsfeld, Germany, and studied photography at Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany. He has been photographing for National Geographic magazine since the early 1990s. His ongoing coverage of post-Soviet Russia has garnered him the distinction of being the world’s foremost color photographer documenting the region. Ludwig is the author of Broken Empire: After the Fall of the USSR (National Geographic Society) and The Long Shadow of Chernobyl (Edition Lammerhuber).
Based in Los Angeles, Ludwig continues to photograph primarily for National Geographic while exhibiting, lecturing, and teaching workshops internationally. He is the recipient of the 2006 Lucie Award for International Photographer of the Year, the prestigious Dr. Erich Salomon Award from the German Society for Photography (DGPh) in 2014, and the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism in 2015. His works are exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide.
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