5 Comments Already

1. 

   mirasreviews - July 29th, 2010 at 5:40 pm

   Review by mirasreviews for Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
   Rating:
   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of lighting apply equally to film photography and digital image capture, most of this book’s content will not go out of date.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!

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2. 

   Gary Wise - July 29th, 2010 at 5:55 pm

   Review by Gary Wise for Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
   Rating:
   I love the approach in this easy to read book. The authors’ philosophy is to be as creative in as many ways as possible, even down to improvising equipment and overcoming lack thereof. If, say, candles will suffice, then why use strobes? I feared a huge shopping list for my foray into the world of studio lighting. This very helpful alternative to months of expensive experimentation has shown me a more structured approach, the focus being on Return on Investment while maximising results.

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3. 

   Lisa A. Leone - July 29th, 2010 at 6:12 pm

   Review by Lisa A. Leone for Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
   Rating:
   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…

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4. 

   B.T. - July 29th, 2010 at 6:34 pm

   Review by B.T. for Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
   Rating:
   I am a professional photographer, and I was looking for a book on lighting technique – which this book supplied excellently.

   Their step by step approach is easy to follow and understand, and all explainations have images attached so you can see what they are talking about.

   They slowly build your general knowledge on how light works rather than supplying specific lighting diagrams, allowing (and suggesting that you do) you to adapt the knowledge to your own use. They then go into more detail with difficult lighting subjects such as metal, glass, and more, and how to deal with them.

   My only complaint is that the book is starting to feel a little old, especially when they talk about colour. It is almost exclusively film based with virtually no reference to digital technology. If they were to do an updated version with more emphasis on lighting for digital, I would provide 5 stars.

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5. 

   topher71@hotmail.com - July 29th, 2010 at 7:29 pm

   Review by topher71@hotmail.com for Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
   Rating:
   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.

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