Learning to Light: Easy and Affordable Techniques for the Photographer

Although geared towards film cameras and processing it's an excellent source for studio lighting. I loved the diagrams and product set ups. This gives me a bunch of great ideas for still life shots and lighting effects. I definitely enjoyed this book!

this book has sections on everything you can imagine-- I won't get into them all here, but I will say it has an excellent, excelent first section on just equipment: what the different types of lights are, how they're used, sample photos that show the unique characteristics of that light, etc. it also goes into scrims, gobos, snoots, light meters, and allllll that other weird stuff you will need to know about as you get better at lightign. tons of sample photos make this a great reference AND learning guide.

This book helped to improve my understanding of lighting and is particularly useful to those on a restricted budget. It covers a wide range of styles and subjects both clearly and concisely. The writing manages to avoid the dryness and sterility I've so often encountered elsewhere, and I can personally vouch for the fact that suprisingly good results can be obtained by working with the simple diagrams and recommendations. There are also many handy hints, from buying gear to setting up a studio. This book encourages the reader to improvise and experiment whilst informing and educating, and I wish I had discovered it sooner!