Hunter, Biver, Fuqua, Light--Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting...
This is an excellent recommendation. Start with this one if you can. You may well not need anything else.
BradS said:Hunter, Biver, Fuqua, Light--Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting is comprehensive and a classic.
au contraire mon frere
that would be akin to a med student reading ONLY Gray's Anatomy.![]()
I'd agree with Brad, and compare it to basic courses in biology and chemistry for a pre-med student.
Lee
Whatever it is, it's now on hold for me at my local library. Many thanks to all of you who are so freely willing to educate the ignorant.
Can anyone here comment about the relative value of the various editions of "Light, Science and Magic"?
I've considered buying a less expensive but older used version (1997 vs. 2007).
I don't really care about any specific equipment references that may be contained in the book, so any information of that type that has become doesn't concern me.
I have both the 2nd and 3rd editions. The 3rd edition has color illustrations rather than B&W, and a third author is added. The preface says that was designed to give it a fresher look. The chapter on Extremes has specifics on lighting to make sure the shadows and highlights fall within the response of digital sensors, but that's really the same information just adapted to the sensor's response curve.
The book is really all about principles, and how light works, taking into account different kinds of objects, reflections, angles, revealing shapes, surfaces, contours, etc. There are whole sections on lighting transparent objects, metals and reflective surfaces, portraits, etc. It's not a cookbook, but if you learn what's in the book, you shouldn't need cookbook "place your lights here, here, and here" to get what you want instructions, your results will be more predictable, and you'll be able to work with whatever you have at hand.
Any edition should be good, as light still behaves the same way as before digital photography, and there's little to nothing about specific lighting equipment.
Here are some good used prices for all three editions:
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=hunter&sts=t&tn=light+science+and+magic&x=0&y=0
Lee
I've read a lot of lighting books over the years. What I've found most rewarding is to study photographs that I really liked and to figure out how they were lit. looking at shadows and the quality of the light will get you going. I spend a lot of time studying Penn's work - both portrait and comercial.
I take my info and try to reproduce the lighting. Trial and error has taught me a lot.
Hope this helps.
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