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Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting 4th Edition

by
Fil Hunter (Author)
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Fil Hunter (Author), Steven Biver (Author), Paul Fuqua (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 153 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0240812250
ISBN-10: 0240812255
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Light Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
Light Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 328 pages
  • Publisher: Focal Press; 4th edition (September 8, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0240812255
  • ISBN-13: 978-0240812250
  • Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 7.5 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (153 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #232,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsA book you will actually use
By Andy in Washington TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on March 15, 2012
Format: Paperback Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What's this? )
I consider myself a professional photographer. I don't make my living at it, but I do earn enough from it to pay for all the equipment I own. I am a lover of flash photography, and regularly use about a dozen different strobes, lights, flashes, and controllers.

I also own well over 100 books on photography. They are divided into two groups. The first is a small shelf in my office that holds maybe 15 books, the other is a large shelf in the attic that holds the remainder. This book has earned a place on the small shelf-it is that useful.

The Good Points

* The title is somewhat misleading. When I bought the book I was expecting a collection of lighting tricks designed to produce nifty special effects. That is not what the book is at all. Rather it is a review of many standard lighting techniques useful in everyday situations. There are tips on portraits, still life, product photography, and even some basic theory of light.

* Everything is kept simple. The authors don't go out of their way to impress you with how brilliant they are, they avoid the use of jargon, arcane terms and other vocabulary designed to show off rather than inform.

* The book shows real examples, and shows the lighting setup used and the results obtained. The lighting drawings are somewhat inexact, but certainly detailed enough to understand and duplicate the setup. They also do not go out of their way to specify exact exposure details, and instead direct the reader to "experiment". I have watched several photographers who I could consider first-tier professionals use the same technique-set up the light, take a shot, fix the lights....repeat until you get what you want.

* The examples they use are generic enough to be useful on a wide variety of subjects.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent Third or Fourth edition
By zphage VINE VOICE on October 22, 2012
Format: Paperback Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What's this? )
I have both the third and fourth editions.

I don't think there is enough new stuff to bother buying this edition if you already the third edition.
They update stuff to meet the modern digital age and go a little more into lighting when outside and extreme white, black, and mirrored backgrounds.

If you don't have this book than get this newest edition, if you have the third
you are fine.
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5.0 out of 5 starsAn Exceptional Book on Studio Lighting, Wonderful
By Jeff Wignall VINE VOICE on November 17, 2011
Format: Paperback Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What's this? )
First, I want to be clear that while I am also a photo book writer, I don't personally know any of the authors of this book and I am not affiliated with the publisher in any way. I say that because I have to rave a bit about the quality and content of this book: it's one of the best books on studio lighting that I've ever come across and if you are a professional photographer (or have a desire to become one) and if you work with product photography (particularly glassware) then you should own this book. And while I single out glassware (because the book does such a stellar job of discussing and teaching it) the book deals with a lot of subjects (various reflective products, shiny wooden products, portraits, etc.) and it covers each of them in a very thorough and practical way.

The book starts out with a short but good (very good) lesson on the basic concepts of both natural and studio lighting. The second chapter goes further into light and discusses the topics of brightness, contrast, color, reflection, etc. A very nice chapter. (And some good tips on photographing flat art--very useful basic techniques that will save you a ton of time and wasted energy.)

The bulk of the book, however, consists of photographs of various subjects with diagrams on how they were lit. For years I wrote the "Lighting Masters" column for PDN (Photo District News), a magazine for professionals, and this is exactly what my column was: an examination of how a particular photo (or series of photos) was made and I gave specific diagrams of what the lighting plan looked like.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsEssential introductory guide to photographic lighting
By Alan Shi on May 23, 2012
Format: Paperback
There's a good reason this book is on the strobist 'bookshelf' list of recommended books: it's excellent.

I was initially sceptical of this book when I flipped through it and saw that the first chapter looked more like a high school physics text on the properties of light than a photography book. Quickly, however, I was thrilled to learn how well this initially dry material was subsequently built upon to show real applications to lighting technique used in photography. In fact, by a large margin, the best parts of this book are the first 7 chapters that deal with technical aspects of lighting, particularly with respect to how they apply to photographing different kinds of materials, and how to control the different kinds of reflections to obtain the best results.

After a basic primer on the properties of light and reflections, this book goes into details about how to use light to reveal surface details and contours, and deal with tricky subjects like photographic metal and glass. The coverage of these topics is top-notch. There's great detail, with easy-to-understand explanations and examples. If there's one thing that might be improved, it's probably the lighting diagrams that accompany the examples. These diagrams are all drawn in two dimensions even though it can be clear that the height of the lights matter to the descriptions in the text. In some cases, obviously 3D concepts are not well communicated in a 2D diagram at all. Nevertheless, the content is still very clear, and the writing is excellent.

The book gets a bit more random towards the end.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsEssential reading.

Essential reading for anyone who wishes to boost their technical knowledge of how light behaves and how to control it effectively for photography.

Published 12 days ago by NDT
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat for what I needed

Used for class. Great for what I needed.

Published 1 month ago by Hannah
4.0 out of 5 starsMore like a physics book than a photography book

Extremely detailed. More like a physics book than a photography book. A great study on the science and characteristics of light.

Published 2 months ago by Joseph A. Pizzimenti
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Everything was great

Published 2 months ago by ppowell9
3.0 out of 5 starsThree Stars

Had to buy for a photography class. Otherwise I would not have purchased.

Published 4 months ago by Jodie
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

A very good book.... Even for an old pro.....

Published 5 months ago by Michael Long
5.0 out of 5 starsLighting at its best

Probably the best lighting book I have ever purchased.

The book gives scores of lighting scenarios and how to light them. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Philip Peterson
5.0 out of 5 starsPhotography 101

The must have for any photographer wanting to know how to manipulate and master light.

Published 6 months ago by Omegatron13
5.0 out of 5 starsThe best book on lighting EVER !

The best book on lighting EVER ! One of the few that really can teach you something.
Excellent!

Published 8 months ago by Gary R.
5.0 out of 5 starsMost informative book about lighting.

This book is astounding. Gives you such a thorough understanding of light theory and how it works. Gives you solutions for your most common and most challenging lighting... Read more

Published 8 months ago by Anthony P.

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