Suggestions for books on lighting?

"Exploring the Light" by Rick Sammons.

TMR Design wrote in post #7192460
Every time this question is asked I see the recommendation for Light, Science and Magic.

I'll go against the grain (wouldn't be the first time, lol) and say that if you're completely new to lighting and want to dig in and get some basics to get you going then this is not the book. There are no recipes, it can be very tedious and boring and there is far too much math and science for a beginner to take in and really make use of the information.

That being said, the book is excellent but I don't see it as the primer for entry level 'strobists' or those just learning about portraiture and lighting. I think there are much better places to start.

Once book that is very helpful, breaks things down and doesn't get caught up in terminology, math and physics is Scott Smith's 'Studio Lighting Made Simple'. Scott is a devoted educator and has helped many people get past the technical obstacles of lighting, making it simple to create images with pleasing lighting right away.

Scott's web site is also very good to get some basic information and to get a feel for his writing style.

You make a good point there Rob....First time reading the book, some things sank in. I started to experiment with the 2 strobes I have and learning as I went ( also reading numerous posts and threads here which you are involved in many ) and I find the book makes more sense now.

Still a good book and as one pointed out earlier it's more about light behaviour.

Thanks for all the recommendations everyone! I'll be sure to look into some as well.

TMR Design wrote in post #7192460
Every time this question is asked I see the recommendation for Light, Science and Magic. ...

... it can be very tedious and boring and there is far too much math and science for a beginner

I agree fully that LSM may not be a beginners book for everyone, but it possibly depends on your previous training and approach to learning.

I personally didn't find the book boring at all.

In fact, I had difficulties letting the book down once I started reading it, since it exactly addressed all the issues I had been thinking about, and it kind of opened up a new world for me in a quite structured and well laid out manner.

Being an engineer, I find that some other books fall short on the real analysis of the problems, and default to list a number of "recipes" that may serve as inspiration. But they don't always help you decide when to apply one recipe or the other. The LSM book gives you the background to analyze the situation and make your own judgment and maybe come up with your own recipes. But you obviously need to know the basics of "how to cook" before you can start making your own recipes.

I'm sure others find it challenging and some may find it boring -- just goes to show that we all learn in different ways

Just my 0.02 cents,


-- Per.

Chris Grey's book on Studio Lighting is well worth a read.

Coming soon for those that fancy a Strobist Style book is Joe McNally's, "The Hot Shoe Diaries." This is the one i'll be getting next.

Kelby Training also has some good online tutorial videos with Joe McNally and David Ziser. There is also a studio photography one.

And not a traditional how-to book, but "The Moment it Clicks" by Joe McNally really helped me get an idea of what lighting can do - how it makes or breaks a photo. Great stuff in there.