Lighting Book Reviews

Lighting for Product Photography is a step by step guide into the world of sculpting with light for product shots. Images of products can make all the difference between whether a potential buyer will choose them or not, so the book explains how to take stunning images of products that fit what the client asks for. Author Allison Earnest explains that a lot of the techniques used are similar to those of shooting portraits, however that certain materials will have characteristics that need...

Photographic Lighting is a compact and informative guide to lighting in photography. The first chapter looks at the basics of flash, bringing your attention to the different temperatures of light and how different flash strengths will affect the look of the overall shot. It also looks at flash gels, which will affect the temperature and colour of the light given out. The second chapter looks at on camera flash equipment. It covers diffusion panels for your flash, and how tilting and rota...

Photographing Shadow And Light is an insight into the dramatic lighting techniques of portrait photographer Joey Lawrence. At just 23 years old, Joey is one of the best young talents out there today. He has photographed a lot of top names in the music business, ranging from rockers Panic! At The Disco to gangster rappers G Unit. In this book, he explains all about how he sets up the lighting in his shots for a whole range of different portfolios and projects. Joey tells us how he first s...

Flash Photography is a detailed book that covers studio and location techniques for digital photographers. Covered in detail is using various different flash methods, and making sure that you have all the avenues for flash covered. The book begins by talking us through the importance of lighting in our photos. How you use flash can greatly effect the outcome of your photo, and author Barry Staver talks us through clearly how different types of lighting and flash can affect your image. ...

The Flash Stick is a book all about how to best utilise the effects of the flask stick in your photography. The flash stick is a long pole with a flash unit on the end, which allows you to light the shot from a different angle without investing in free standing lighting. It can be retracted, so is easy to store in a large bag. The book first begins by taking us through the essentials of shooting with a flash stick, including what camera modes to use and how different apertures and shutter...

Available Light Glamour Photography is a book more about how to light the shots than the models themselves. The book begins with author Joe Farace talking us through why you should use available light. He comes up with three main answers; it’s cheap, less stressful for the models and fast to ‘set up’. It will save you buying loads of expensive studio equipment, which can only be a good thing. Farace explains the different temperatures of light, and the effects they have on a photo, befor...

Painting With Light is an innovative and unique book about using light images to create stunning photos of landscapes, objects and people. Using a combination of natural and studio lighting, and sometimes photoshop effects, creating images by painting with the light is a rewarding, although sometimes time consuming technique. Author Eric Curry has been a professional photographer for over 30 years, and specialises in photographing still life objects. He gets a fulfillment out of photogra...

Off Camera Flash: Techniques for Digital Photographers is an easy to follow book that teaches you the best ways to use off camera flash to get great results. The book begins by answering that all important question: Why should I use off camera flash? We soon learn that off camera flash can be key in lighting a subject properly. The next chapter then goes through the equipment needed for off camera flash before chapter three then goes through key concepts in off camera flash. Neil van Niek...

The Nikon Speedlight Handbook is a very specific and detailed book that covers everything you could possibly want to know about flash techniques. Stephanie Zettl is a very experienced wedding photographer who has experienced first hand many of the techniques explained here, making her a great guide for the subject. The book enables photographers to choose the correct flash settings for different light situations, and explains how camera settings can effect the look of the flash in the fi...

50 Lighting Setups For Photographers covers just about every lighting setup imaginable. The book is basically full of different photographic situations and explains how each was taken. Each setup has a handy, easy to follow diagram to enable you to reproduce the lighting setup at home. Stephen Begleiter explains how each assignment came about, what his visual objective, or look was, and how he eventually settled on the pose in the photo and that specific lighting setup. He also looks at p...