Free Lighting Handbook

[samcomet]

I've been a gaffer/chief lighting technician in films for most of my working life and have read extensively on the mechanics and aesthetics of lighting in book form. I have come across this link, and I am in no way trying to promote Arriflex as a company; but they have produced an excellent e-book on the subject of lighting with extensive visual references for the placement of light fixtures for various effects. Obviously they use their own instruments in the text but by in large the handbook would be of great use for anyone with any lighting fixtures:

https://www.arri.com/lighting/skypanel/tools/

The Lighting Handbook is the 3rd at the top right hand side of the page. Again I am not trying to promote the company (although their lamps are superb) but simply offering this useful tool to those interested in the aesthetics and mechanics of illumination.

Cheers!
Sam

 

[HiHoSilver]

Sam, Thank you!

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

Cool, thanks for the link.

 

[BrianShaw]

At initial glance it looks like a great tutorial. I'm looking forward to reading it. Thanks for letting us know about it.

 

[CMoore]

If you ever want to post a "short" biography...maybe with a few photos, i would be happy to Read/Look at it.
I have always been interested in cinema and still lighting.
I just got through watching all the Youtube stuff i could find on George Hurrell, and his contemporaries.
Also watched a history of the Hollywood studios and MGM.
I would imagine Yours Was A Job that was (most days) worth going to.

 

[samcomet]

If you ever want to post a "short" biography...maybe with a few photos, i would be happy to Read/Look at it.
I have always been interested in cinema and still lighting.
I just got through watching all the Youtube stuff i could find on George Hurrell, and his contemporaries.
Also watched a history of the Hollywood studios and MGM.
I would imagine Yours Was A Job that was (most days) worth going to.

CMoore,

Yes it usually was a great day to go to work. Not only did they pay us good money, send us to really interesting and beautiful places, but also fed us great meals!!! But I must admit that the collaboration was the best part of my day; the the problem solving from a creative photographic point of view and an engineering point of view. Most Directors of Photography wanted to have an edge on their competitors and so always strove to find that interesting "look" that would define them and make them stand out from the crowd. As a gaffer I was constantly on my toes to try to achieve that for my various DOP's. I guess that I was lucky enough to have a photographic and science background when I entered the film industry and so had an innate understanding of how light worked - as opposed to simply carrying around heavy things as directed, by my superiors.

I'll have a think about that "short bio" bit, but I feel that it might be more rewarding for you to try and get a hold of some bio's like James Wong Howe's or Freddie Young's; folks a bit higher up the food chain than I. There are enumerable treasures out there - check out this link to the American Society of Cinematographers, ASC. I am fairly sure that the BSC would also be a good place to read up on the fine art of cinematography. But thanks for the vote of confidence .... if I ever get out of my darkroom I might just jot down a few interesting notes about some of the films I've been lucky enough to work on .........
cheers!
Sam

 

[CMoore]

Thanks for the link...I will definitely do some reading.
Would love to have been in Hollywood for its Heyday of the studio system. Being a carpenter, painter, electrician, etc etc must have been a blast back then.
Seeing all of those "Stars" and working in all of those fabulous sound stages and backlots would have been a dream come true for me.
Imagine the conversations between Gregg Toland and Orson Welles.
Thanks Agian

 

[StephenT]

Great info. Thanks for the link.

 

[Michael W]

I'll have a think about that "short bio" bit, but I feel that it might be more rewarding for you to try and get a hold of some bio's like James Wong Howe's or Freddie Young's; folks a bit higher up the food chain than I. There are enumerable treasures out there - check out this link to the American Society of Cinematographers, ASC. I am fairly sure that the BSC would also be a good place to read up on the fine art of cinematography.

I read the Freddie Young book years ago, very good. There is also the amazing "Visions of Light" documentary about cinematography.

 

[TSSPro]

This is a great little e-book. I like it and will be using it to help students have a nice and easy guide for a few lighting set ups for stills and video. Thanks again!

 

[samcomet]

Glad to read that this has been useful.
cheers!
Sam

 

[resummerfield]

Very nice download. Thanks for posting this!

 

[LAG]

Interesting, it is worth checking it out. Thanks for the link!

 

[fdonadio]

Thanks, Sam! Just glanced over the PDF and think I have already learned something new.