# Best Book About Lighting?



## smackitsakic (Dec 30, 2010)

What is the best, comprehensive book out there to help a person understand lighting in all situations?  Outdoors, indoors with no flash, indoors with flash/multiple flashes, etc?

I need to better understand light.  Please help me do so


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## Josh66 (Dec 30, 2010)

I have The Complete Guide to Light & Lighting, by Michael Freeman - I thought it was pretty good.
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guid...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293772332&sr=8-1

It covers all the bases pretty good.  Even how latitude can affect your use of daylight, lol.

It's not really the 'use these settings' kind of book, but it will help you to be able to figure that out on your own.  It does have some PP tutorials though - HDR, and examples on what to do in mixed lighting situations, for example...

Probably the best I have seen for light in all of it's forms.

I recommend it.


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## Josh66 (Dec 30, 2010)

Some of the reviews of it on amazon mention a lot of editing errors...

My copy doesn't have those (and it's the first edition, so I don't really know what they're talking about...).

This review in particular:


> The book does have an undue amount of typos.  If you can look past them  then you can enjoy this book.  In some cases the typos are extreme:   there are four consecutive pages that show different lighting positions  on a still life object; 80 images in all.  However, the caption key for  each picture describing the setup is exactly the same for each image!   Somebody forgot to change the captions, so those pages are completely  useless.


That is referring to pages 188-193.  My copy does not have the discrepancy he's talking about...


I've read it cover to cover, and I don't recall any editing errors...
I should read it again though - it's been a while.


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## smackitsakic (Dec 31, 2010)

Ok, thank you for the suggestion.

I found a post on here once where there were a handful of people that recommended the same book and I can't, for the life of me, remember what it was.  It was only 3 or 4 words in length and they seemed like somewhat random words.  Any thoughts anyone?


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## bruce282 (Dec 31, 2010)

Hot Shoe Diaries perhaps?

I have it, but it's mostly about the Nikon CLS system.

Bruce


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## bazooka (Dec 31, 2010)

If you haven't, go through the strobist.com Lighting 102 course.  It'll teach you more, faster, than most books will in my opinion.  Plus it's free.


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## kundalini (Dec 31, 2010)

Amazon.com: light science and magic: Books


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## KmH (Dec 31, 2010)

I don't know of any one book that covers all you listed.

The basic lighting bible is the book kundalini referred you to, *Light: Science and Magic* _*An Introduction To Photographic Lighting*_ by Fil Hunter

There are many other books that cover specifics of lighting for different genres like weddings, high school seniors, traditional portraiture, etc.

As far as using speedlights indoors the book I would recommend is, *Minimalist Lighting*, _*Professional Techniques For Location Lighting*_ by Kirk Tuck. It's like the Strobist web site in book form.

The Strobist.com site is worth noting as is PlanetNeil.com.


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## smackitsakic (Dec 31, 2010)

Light, Science, and Magic is the one!  Thanks a pile


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## Big Mike (Dec 31, 2010)

> Hot Shoe Diaries perhaps?


Entertaining, but not really fully of technical knowledge.


> Light: Science and Magic An Introduction To Photographic Lighting


:thumbsup:


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## smackitsakic (Dec 31, 2010)

I am trying to place an order online but am confused about which Light: Science and Magic book to purchase.  There seem to be a few, one has a red cover and one has a green cover.

Green cover has a release date of 1997 and is 60 bucks.

Red cover has a release date of 2007 and is 40 bucks.

What gives?


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## Josh66 (Dec 31, 2010)

I would generally say go with the newer one, but I haven't read either - so I don't know...
(Amazon only has the 2007 red cover one.)


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## KmH (Dec 31, 2010)

smackitsakic said:


> I am trying to place an order online but am confused about which Light: Science and Magic book to purchase. There seem to be a few, one has a red cover and one has a green cover.
> 
> Green cover has a release date of 1997 and is 60 bucks.
> 
> ...


You want the 3rd edition (under $30):

Amazon.com: Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting (9780240808192): Fil Hunter, Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua: Books


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## pgriz (Dec 31, 2010)

Thanks, Keith.  Looks like another item to order and read thoroughly...  

It's interesting how, when one is self-taught, there is pattern of good, solid knowledge separated by gaps of pure ignorance.  Ah, well my ambition for this coming year is to have fewer gaps, or at least more narrow ones...


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