Product Description

An amazing (and some would say magical) resource on photographic lighting that has been talked about in the community and recommended for years. This highly respected guide has been thoroughly updated and revised for content and design - it is now produced in full color! It introduces a logical theory of photographic lighting so if you are starting out in photography you will learn how to predict results before setting up lights. This is not primarily a how-to book with only set examples for you to copy. Rather, Light: Science and Magic provides you with a comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light to allow you to use lighting to express your own creativity.

Numerous photographs and illustrations provide clear examples of the theories, while sidebars highlight special lighting questions. Expanded chapters on available light in portraiture, as well as new information on digital equipment and terminology make this a must have update!

*New four color art package with contemporary lighting examples
*Based on the behaviour of light
*Theory book for serious photographers

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1650 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
"The first book on photographic lighting that is worth using as a text. Light - Science and Magic is about principles, not cheap tricks or the authors' portfolio."
-Pete Christman, Savannah College of Art and Design.

"This revision is really an extraordinary accomplishment in offering a thorough understanding and application of lighting. The authors new approach, with updated illustrations and lessons makes for both a good read and great textbook. I would recommend this book for any lighting class, from basic to the most advanced course."

-Dennis Keeley
Chair of Photography and Imaging
Art Center College of Design


"Any time you have a book that makes it to the third edition, you have a winner."

"If you are a photographer of any type, especially on who does studio work, this is a must have reference."

"The added bonus is that the topics learned from this book will never go out of date."

-BC Books (May 2007)

Review
'This is the first book I have seen on photographic lighting that is worth using as a text. Light-Science and Magic is about principles, not cheap tricks or the authors' portfolio. Thanks.'---Pete Christman, Savannah College of Art and Design.

'An excellent guide to high-quality studio-style lighting, even on location.'---John Alderson, Booklist.

From the Publisher
Although styles of photographic lighting continue to change, Light: Science and Magic does not go out of fashion because it is not based on style; rather it is based on the behavior of light. These principles will not change unless the fundamentals of physics do.

Customer Reviews

Excellent book for lighting (and kindle)
This was a very thought provoking book on photographic lighting. Instead of giving you steps to follow, this book teaches you how to think for yourself about lighting. Armed with the basics and fundamentals, you can encounter a new situation and think critically yourself about how to properly light the subject.

The kindle version has the images scanned in, and they are about as good as you can expect the first generation kindle to display. The images are good enough that you can usually see the effects due to different lighting.

Great book
haven't finished the book yet but it's very intresting and full of useful information,some of the stuff that i alresdy knew but didn't how to apply to photography, so it was great to have such a book to put it words, learned alot from it.

What does this have to do with "strobists"?
I bought this book on Strobist (aka David Hobby) recommendation (featured in his thousand-users-per-day site).
Ok, it's about lighting reflective, translucent and other difficult subjects. But everything is supposed to be done in a STUDIO setting. What does this have to do with the "strobist ideology" (using small remote flashes for photography)?
You do need an expensive array of studio gear to make the best out of the examples and diagrams presented (even a view camera is proposed in photographing reflective objects!). And I'm serious. How can you judge the reflection of a black label over a reflective cd case without modeling lights? With "chimping"? How can you light appropriately a varnished wooden box to show texture as demostrated in the book without flags, gobos and large softboxes? With straw grids?
But, let's be real here! Much of this book's publicity is owned to David Hobby and the "strobist" crowd. But if you consider yourself a "strobist" you can learn much more by reading the articles in the strobist site. Or buy a different book. Maybe the one DH is writing right now ;)