Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

If you are tired of the average "artsy & wondering" lighting book then this one may be for you. The writers do a better job of covering the placement of lights and how that effects the creation of direct or diffuse lighting than any other book I've seen and I've easily read 6 lighting books from cover to cover over the years. Hunter and Fuqua (love that name) cover product photography and the problems of achieving good edge contrast and handling glare. They don't wimp out when you want to know how to handle black-on-black or white-on-white contrast problems. They tell how to light glass and metal also. Their explanations of light physics are given at a layman's understanding level though this does not hurt the book much. Just remember, light angle in = light angle out, and you can probably follow their examples. The portrait chapter falsely called "An Arsenal of Lights" is better than most portrait books that I've read. Other writings on portraits I've seen just put their head in the sand and maybe give a couple of their pet peeves of bad lighting then tell you that their are no rules. This book is much better as it covers the basic lights for portraits, short and broad lighting technique, and more. They give you the tools to work with, telling you which lights go where and why so you at least have a starting point when trying to make a person look beautiful in 2d. This is not really an aesthetics book but a tools and techniques of the trade kind of book that is greatly needed. Very Highly recommended.

Fil Hunter and Paul Fuqua have written a truly essential reference for product photographers and an outstanding educational text for all photographers. Light, Science and Magic teaches its readers the principals of lighting. It describes in detail how to light surfaces, metal, glass, liquids, extremes (black-on-black and white-on-white), and people for different effects. These subjects were chosen because they are reputed to be the most difficult subjects to light. But because the book emphasizes the principals of lighting, those lessons can be applied to all lighting situations. The examples in Light,Science and Magic are in-studio, but the principals apply out-of-doors and anywhere that there is light. You don't need to have a background in studio photography or a knowledge of lighting equipment to understand and benefit from this book. You need to have only a good understanding of exposure and camera operation. Information on basic lighting equipment is found in the appendices for those who are unfamiliar with studio equipment. Because the principals of lighting apply equally to film photography and digital image capture, most of this book's content will not go out of date. No photographer should be without the knowledge in this book. If you can absorb all of the book's content, there is nothing that you will encounter in all your photographic adventures that you won't know how to light to get the effect you want. It is well worth its price!

Whether you're a beginner with a point-and-shoot or a professional with a huge investment in equipment, you need to know how light works. This book can teach you everything you need to know. It has both theory and practical guidance. The authors don't tell you which lights to use in a given situation -- they teach you how to determine what lighting to use to achieve the effect _you_ want. And they help you select lighting equipment. To be fair, it's not always an easy read (there's a lot of theory and some math/physics to wade through), but it's worth the effort. I saw the difference in the next roll I shot. I only wish I had found this book a few years ago...

Light Science & Magic is an excellent introduction to photograpic lighting. The book covers the use of light, shadow, and exposure to aid the photographer in developing images that convey his or her vision of the subject. It also provides a good discription of lighting equipment.

Anyone intimidated or confused by the subject of artificial/studio lighting must read this book. Very well prepared and very objective. The author describes how lighting WORKS, not how HE does it. Text is filled with numerous example photos and lighting diagrams. No experience with lighting is necessary to appreciate this book, but a solid photography background and a little understanding of physics helps. Top Notch.