Studio lighting book

joel222

joel222

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I read a thread on here a few weeks ago and someone reccomended a book about studio lighting. I did plan on ordering it but then forgot the name and can't find the thread. I believe it was Garry Edwards that reccomended it. If anyone knows which one I'm talking about could you let me know.
 
joel222 said:
I read a thread on here a few weeks ago and someone reccomended a book about studio lighting. I did plan on ordering it but then forgot the name and can't find the thread. I believe it was Garry Edwards that reccomended it. If anyone knows which one I'm talking about could you let me know.
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Light, Science & Magic 4th Edition. I bought it myself from the same recommendation and it is a really good, comprehensive book and dead easy to understand (even for a complete lighting novice like me!)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Science-Magic-Introduction-Photographic/dp/0240812255/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365270404&sr=8-1&keywords=light%2C+science
 
You could also try "light it, shoot it, retouch it" by Scott Kelby. Lots of good ideas with diagrams and set-up shots.
 
I have light it, shoot it, retouch it and LSM and they are both good recommendations but for completely different reasons.

LISIRI is not a book about learning light. It is a book about studio setups and retouching with more emphasis on the retouching. It is more focussed towards fashion and beauty photography. It will give you lighting set ups that you can replicate but will give you little understanding why these lighting set ups have been chosen or how they work. It focusses heavily on equipment and if you are looking for a list of common studio set ups to replicate then this is a good book.

LSM is a book about lighting. It covers all different types of lighting from lighting metallic objects, glass, reflective, non reflective, white in white, dark on dark etc etc. It does have a chapter on portraits however. It's remit is not to teach you how to setup lighting (although there are diagrams in there) but more about allowing you to understand light so that you can apply the principles to form your own lighting styles. It goes into the science of light and principles that determine its behaviour.

It may be that both are suitable but they will not give you the same thing.
 
I already have the scott kelby book, and to be honest I was a little dissapointed with as I don't think it's as good as some of the others that I've read from him. I recieved Light, science, magic yesterday and read some last night. My advice would be to anyone else considering this book, If you are not 100% commited to learning why light acts how it does, or you don't want to feel like you're back in a physics class at school, don't buy it. Having said that, I'm pleased I did because I thing it will benefit me a great deal.
 
joel222 said:
I already have the scott kelby book, and to be honest I was a little dissapointed with as I don't think it's as good as some of the others that I've read from him. I recieved Light, science, magic yesterday and read some last night. My advice would be to anyone else considering this book, If you are not 100% commited to learning why light acts how it does, or you don't want to feel like you're back in a physics class at school, don't buy it. Having said that, I'm pleased I did because I thing it will benefit me a great deal.
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A fair and accurate assessment I would say.

Another two that always seem to come highly recommended are Hot Shoe Diaries and the Speed Lighters Handbook. Which I believe approach the subject from another angle completely. I don't own either personally but I read the first sample chapter of SLH via kindle and I think that will be my next book to purchase. Ill prob go on to HSD as well after that.
 
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