Basic Studio Lighting: The Photographer's Complete Guide to Professional Techniques (Paperback)

by Tony Corbell (Author) "THE PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO-what a scary place for those who haven't worked there before, but what a fantastic place for those who have mastered the craft,..." (more)
Key Phrases: true tonality, light modifiers, reflective meters, Dean Collins (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
As every photographer quickly learns, there’s more to studio lighting than simply learning the equipment. In Basic Studio Lighting, an expert photographer and renowned photography teacher provides nuts-and-bolts guidance for mastering the complexities of one of the most important aspects of making a photograph: proper lighting.

Readers will discover surefire tactics for using equipment properly and innovative ways of utilizing color and light to create fabulous effects, as well as getting hands-on practice with exposures, accent lighting, backgrounds, set-ups, and dozens of other studio techniques. Plus, dozens of outstanding color photographs illustrate each technique step by step.

Perfect for aspiring photographers and students as well as veterans, Basic Studio Lighting provides all the theory and practical techniques needed to create professional photos that make an impact.

About the Author
Tony L. Corbell is currently director of photographic education and senior photographer for Hasselblad U.S.A. and is known as the “dean” of Hasselblad’s educational efforts, Hasselblad University. Mr. Corbell lives in San Diego, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Amphoto Books; Subsequent edition (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817435506
• ISBN-13: 978-0817435509
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #171,299 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Such a Missed Opportunity, December 1, 2005

By	Rebel POW (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

There is no question that Tony Corbell takes wonderful photographs. Go to his website at [...] to see for yourself. But, as we've often seen, raw photographic talent more often than not does not translate into teachable talent or competent writing skills.

In `Basic Studio Lighting' Corbell tackles a needed subject, writes in an agreeable fashion and delivers with beautiful examples. Yet one finishes this book, while thankful for the nuggets of valuable information, ultimately disappointed.

Disappointed at the missed opportunity. Corbell might very well have delivered a photographic knockout punch. He could have written the definitive textbook on studio lighting. Instead his book falls into the "out of 144 pages, I picked up three new ideas" category that too often describes photographic instruction books.

How do you possibly write a book on basic studio lighting without a single lighting diagram connected to an individual photograph? Tony Corbell did.

He even knows the importance of conveying that information. Consider, on page 128, Corbell writes "Placement of the separation light is of key importance..." yet no diagrams. As in none.

Didn't early on somebody, anybody (maybe an editor who should have known better) say, `Uh Tony? You might want to diagram those lighting setups, just in case someone might actually want to use your information"? This omission alone takes this book from the keeper category and lands it into the `read once and discard' category.

This book reads like Tony's lectures might sound if they were written down with a slideshow of images behind him, not like a book written from scratch.

Such a missed opportunity.

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do you want to follow recipes by rote, or learn to cook?, April 26, 2003

By	Paul Schliesser (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of the most inspiring photography books I've read. There are a hundred books about studio lighting that are little more than collections of photos followed by diagrams of the lighting setups. If you're looking for simple ways to duplicate somebody else's photos, this book is not for you. Instead, the author's intent is to make you understand the underlying principles of controlling light. He takes pains not to dictate rules or give formulas, but tries to help you make your own decisions based on your personal taste and the demands of a particular photo.

This book, although it appears superficially simple, puts demands on the reader that many other lighting books do not. Some people would prefer to follow diagrams by rote; I'd much rather develop the mental tools to design my own lighting setups for my own needs, rather than look at the exact placement of lights that somebody else used.

Corbell's explanation of the Chromazone system (for controlling the effects of gelled light on backgrounds) was more than worth the price of the book.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best studio lighting book, June 14, 2002

By	Laura Cielo (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This is the best studio lighting book I've read... and I've read a few! It explains theories of light, color and photography techniques in detail, which are essential to the understanding of lighting. This book complemented perfectly the lighting class I was taking, and helped me tremendously.
The explanations are simple enough for all to understand and although it doesn't tell you what to do, it teaches you how to light your subjects, according to the result you are looking for. Obviously, you need to practice using the tools and techniques to truly learn studio lighting. But this book will definitely help you and it's worth every single penny.