Photographic Lighting Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers

5 Comments

1. 

   P. Street / September 28, 2010

   Review by P. Street for Photographic Lighting Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers
   Rating:
   When I first started photography professionally twenty years ago one of the first books I found was Adventures in Location Lighting by Jon Falk. This book introduced me to scissor clamps, inverters, putty knifes, and a plethora of other lighting devices. Along with that were diagrams of basic lighting situations. It introduced me to Dynalites which I still use. It was an invaluable book to help a starting photographer. Since then I had not found a single book as useful as that one until now. Kirk’s book is a worthy descendant of that book. If I had one book to suggest to young photographers starting out and looking for advice on lighting equipment it would be this one. Stop getting endless conflicting opinions on internet forums from mostly anonymous people and get this book. I found not one suggestion I disagreed with. Kirk scores again!! Every one of his books are worthy of buying!

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2. 

   Bill / September 28, 2010

   Review by Bill for Photographic Lighting Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers
   Rating:
   Kirk Tuck’s newest book, Photographic Lighting Equipment, takes the reader through a smorgasbord of solutions for the photographer’s age-old challenge of “what I see in front of me is not the light I need to make this picture happen.”

   Tuck was first a writer, then a photographer; this shows through in his elegant writing. Instead of squarely marching from point A to B to C, he instead weaves a gentle path, urging the reader along.

   What I found best in this book was that he did not present the lighting equipment as just ingredients to a recipe. Instead, the end-goal of the actual photograph is considered – where are you, who/what are you photographing, and how do you want it to look?

   The book covers all of the various types of lighting equipment, and outlines the pros and cons of each, along with modifiers, reflectors, and more.

   I especially enjoyed the “war stories” that were in the book. They serve as both lessons of guidance, and as a way for the reader to get to know Tuck. With knowledge, comes trust. Instead of the “sage on the stage” feeling of a professor lecturing to his students, the tone of the book is more of a (slightly) older friend, sharing tips and stories over a light lunch at a streetside cafe. You look forward to the next meeting!

   When the book was completed, I found myself disappointed – not in the content itself, but that there was no more to the story. And therein lies the true skill of the writer – enough to tell the story, but don’t bore the reader.

   I highly recommend this book, and ALL of his others – they hold a place of honor on my bookshelf. They are in the category of “I show these to my photographer friends, but I do NOT loan them.” (Less critical and less-liked books get loaned and lost.)

   For those that love the stories behind the wisdowm, and want more of Kirk’s photographic and personal musings, you can get your fix over at: [...]

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3. 

   Dawn Johns / September 28, 2010

   Review by Dawn Johns for Photographic Lighting Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers
   Rating:
   I found this book to be very resourceful and would be beneficial to any photographer from amateur to professional. Not only does it cover a vast array of lighting equipment but it also asserts practical uses for each. It is this quality that differentiates this book from others on the same subject. Its nice to know all about equipment and specifications but even nicer when their use is explained in real life situations.

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4. 

   Donald E. Giannatti / September 29, 2010

   Review by Donald E. Giannatti for Photographic Lighting Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers
   Rating:
   There are many reasons why you should consider this book as a basic for your bookshelf. It is a full compilation of the tools that you will need to create a workable studio and location business. It could take many trips to the camera stores, and lots of bad or personally biased information to get to the point where you start to buy your gear. Kirk’s book takes a look at the items you will NEED, and the ones you WANT and discusses the ways that they will work. And how that tool will work for you.

   Kirk takes a casual, friendly approach with the tone of the book, and there are lots of real life examples, suggestions and photographs. The images reinforce the text and the usefulness of the gear as it applies to the jobs you do. That saves time. And it saves money. We all have boxes of gear that didn’t meet our expectations… and it is a waste.

   At the Amazon price above, this book is a steal. It will save you more than the cover price ten times over in your first serious gear purchase. If you are starting out, or have been getting started and need to make some professional gear choices, this is the book to get.

   BTW, if you are a serious amateur, there is more than enough information here for you to consider the book. Sure there are forums, but this book comes without bias and trendy fads. It is a real look at the tools we all use.

   Don Giannatti, [...].

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5. 

   Steven C. Korn / September 29, 2010

   Review by Steven C. Korn for Photographic Lighting Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers
   Rating:
   If you’re like me, you’ve had the experience of wandering into your local pro lighting shop to find a few things for which you have no idea of their purpose. At risk of exposing your lack of understanding to the “pros” behind the counter, you just keep moving along, wondering if you’ve just passed on an option that might be worth knowing about. This book does a great job of introducing the reader to world of lighting equipment being used throughout the industry. From small strobes to HMI lighting, Tuck covers the bases with well thought opinions as to the pluses and minuses of each tool. And, as seen in his previous books, he provides details like the historical development of lighting tools, how each option is differentiated technically and a slew of photographic examples. With his characteristic wit, Tuck manages to make the text quite readable and enjoyable.

   If you’re weighing your options before plunking down a bunch of cash for a new system or just like to know what tools are available, this book is a great resource to have on your shelf.

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