Beginner's Guide to Photographic Lighting: Techniques for Success in the Studio or on Location (Paperback)

by Don Marr (Author) "I'm not talking about boiled eggs here..." (more)
Key Phrases: open reflector, small softbox, strobe head (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Teaching beginner photographers how to create good, flattering light, this book discusses topics such as proper equipment, developing an eye for form, and positioning equipment to maximize the appeal of a subject. As studio photographers face a host of lighting challenges not often encountered outdoors-from lighting reflective objects to photographing food-this guide provides unexpected tips and surprising solutions for adding a jolt of creativity to images. Step-by-step guidance on using the ordinary to create the extraordinary is provided. With its dual focus on creating lighting styles that are both technically correct and creative, this book shows photographers how to effectively light everything from portraits to product shots with confidence.

About the Author
Don Marr is an advertising and editorial photographer whose photographs have appeared in magazines such as Individual Investor, Men's Health, Mothering, and Texas Monthly. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Amherst Media, Inc. (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584281332
• ISBN-13: 978-1584281337
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #222,634 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars NOT for Beginners (unless you have studio level equipment), June 11, 2005

By	Jana Bouc (El Cerrito, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

On page 7 of the introduction he says "As far as lighting equipment is concerned, you will need at least one strobe head and a light meter in order to practice what is presented in this book. Two strobe heads would be better. If you are just starting with lighting and can't afford strobe equipment, read the book anyway."

I assumed the definition of beginner is someone who doesn't have expensive studio quality equipment. I have lighting stands, 2 quartz/halogen and 1 tungsten hot lights and umbrellas, and that set up cost over $300. The book really wasn't helpful for me and not well-written.

I also purchased Photographic Lighting Simplified by Susan McCartney and that was exactly what I needed. Truly for beginners and much better written and more understandable.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Depends on your definition of "beginner", December 25, 2004

By	caphoto "digent" (California) - See all my reviews

I bought this book hoping to get insights on getting into product photography. The author definitely knows his stuff, unfortunately, he doesn't describe some stuff in enough detail for someone getting started. I saw the word beginner and assumed it was a good book for someone who knew nothing on the subject. It isn't. He describes techniques very well; however, you need to know what grids, cookies, flags, etc are before you can really follow his techniques. He describes a lot of the equipment with words and not pictures. This book really is for someone who've actually already have some familiarity with equipment and the studio and just looking for techniques. I think this book would be great after reading a true beginner's book.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to studio lighting, September 6, 2004

By	Daniel Sroka "dansroka" (Morris Township, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent introduction to studio lighting, written by someone with years of experience in teaching the subject. Many of the lighting books I have read try to convince you that lighting is a mysterious art that is hard to master. Instead, Don demonstrates that the foundations of effective lighting are relatively straighforward and easy to learn. While applying those skills effectively may take years of experience, with Don you learn that the basic skills are not that mysterious.

I had the good fortune to take a lighting class with Don Marr at the Santa Fe Workshops. By the end of the 6 day course, we all went from rank amatueurs to being able to recreate many of the images we found in magazines and advertisements. Don was a patient and careful teachers, explaining the subjects in a way that both made sense and was easy to remember. Reading this books now (a year and a half after I took the class), I find that it mimics the style of his class very effectively -- reading it was like taking the class over again. Don Marr breaks the subject down into easily understood chunks, and clearly explains each. I now use this book a reference guide for lighting, turning to it whenever I need a refresher on my core techniques.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in starting out in studio lighting, and anyone who has some experience but could use a helping hand in the studio.