Purchasing lighting book- need advise

[silverdae]

*I have posted this in the casual conversations forum, but it was recommended that I take specific questions to

the more appropriate forum.*

 

I'm looking to make a book purchase-

 

Light: Science and Magic- I'm a portrait photographer. I have a pretty solid understanding of lights, ratios, and

camera operation, but I'm looking for something that will include more detailed lighting setups and more complex

lighting techniques than what I use now. My basic lights include a main softbox, hairlight and/or background

light, fill light or reflector. Do you thing this book will be beneficial and add to my basic setup? Our style of

portraits and examples of this lighting can be seen at www.geneboaz.net.

 

How professionally oriented is this book? Given my needs, would this book be beneficial to me, or is it directed

in a different way?

 

Thanks for any recommendations.

 

Jen

[jlharris]

This book generally doesn't give you a laundry list of lighting setups (I believe they specifically state that in the introduction, in fact), but rather gives you the tools and knowledge to do whatever you might want to with the light.

 

That being said, this is the definitive book on photographic lighting.

[silverdae]

Joseph,

 

That is more of what I am looking for though I'm sure my post did not clearly reflect that. Thank you.

[chuck_sackman]

Jen,

 

Check out the following:

 

"Still Life and Special Effects Photography" by Roger Hicks and Frances Schultz.

 

"Studio Lighting Solutions" by Jack Neubart.

 

and "Location Lighing Solutions" by Jack Neubart.

[bob_bill]

I found Bill Hurter's Photographic Lighting to be a beneficial recipe book especially because he addresses the 5 basic portrait setups in sequence showing differences and similarities. Science and Magic apparently is used as a text book in some courses and is not a formula book. However, Ross Lowell's Matters of Light and Depth is outstanding- He discusses how to decide where to place highlight/shadow and why. He discusses selecting the emphasized/deemphasized planes, be it of the face, scene- he comes from lighting movies & being a lighting mfgr- or still lifes and to light accordingly. Your subject and message set your lighting. I think I would start with Hurter to give you patterns you can use as a basis, then Lowell to understand why they work, when to use them and to expand your creativity and personal style, then if you want more scientific depth, Science and Magic. This way you can go as deeply into the subject as you wish, rather than starting with the esoteric, get bored and get stalled. It I had to buy just one, it would be Lowell. As for more lights, make sure you have mastered what you have first, starting with exploring just one light, then one plus reflector, 2, 3 then consider more. Those books will help the mastery and determining what you want to purchase, ie umbrellas, snoots, grids, barndoors, cookies, flags etc etc. based on you vision.

[robert_shunk]

"Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers" by Christopher Grey. It can be found on Amazon.com and it has some great reviews.

 

 

Bob S.

[tim_ludwig2]

The finest teacher of lighting technique and the finest instructional materials came from the late Dean Collins. You can still find his tapes and DVD's as well as printed pieces on ebay. I can't recommend them highly enough. Although he was a brilliant commercial photographer, much of his work also included head shots and models, so he had to know his stuff on lighting faces as well. Believe me, he did. On top of the great learning, the guy had a killer sense of humor, so the instruction is also fun and funny.

 

Enjoy.