Closeup Shooting is filled with excellent advice for beginning photographers wanting to do close-up photography. Harnischmacher clearly explains the various types of close-up photography, ranging from 1:2 to about 6:1 image magnification. Unlike many photography writers, he seems to be aware that most of his readers are amateurs and do not have unlimited equipment budgets, so he takes care to show what can be done with limited or inexpensive equipment.
The text and illustrating photos are consistently on the same page or on facing pages. The graphic layout of the book is quite appealing. Each chapter opens with a full-page 3x3 grid on which there are about 9 close-up photos, typically of camera equipment. Each facing page within the chapter typically has a couple photos to accompany the descriptive text, and a larger photo whose technical aspects are clearly explained.
The section I found most useful was near the end. In it, Harnischmacher describes and diagrams the lighting used on a series of subjects. Each diagram shows the placement of the camera, the subject, each of the lights and their coverage, and any screens or reflectors that were used. Most books, even those whose main topic is lighting, don't use this simple but highly effective way of visualizing the lighting setup.
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