Despres Photography

Best photography lighting book?

I need to find a great, easy to follow lighting book for photography.. I'm an amateur and need something that won't confuse me too much. Maybe with a dvd?
I have a DSLR, Nikon D7000

Emily,

You didn't mention whether you're using a dSLR or a point & shoot. Or, whether what you're looking for is indeed a book on understanding light & its effect on your images (artificial light, photographic light, studio light approaches, modifying light in post-processing, etc.) or exposure and how to set it under different conditions. There are also different books and techniques depending on the time of day you'd like to shoot (night lighting would require a whole different set of techniques than daytime and golden hour shooting).

That said, here are a few book options for you to check out (some you can scan portions of online at Amazon & some may be in your local library or bookstore so you can see if they suit your desires before purchasing):

1- Lighting: Digital Field Guide by Brian McLernon. A clearly written guide that covers lighting principles as well as practical techniques. It very nicely defines terms too - doesn't assume the reader knows it all, but doesn't talk down to us as readers either.

2- Speedliter's Handbook by Syl Arena. The sub-title is "learning to craft light with Canon Speedlites". I'm a Canon user, but many of the points covered in this book relate to the use of hotshoe-based (or off-camera) flash units and some of the accessories that complement them. This one I'd say to scan the contents online or at a library before you decide whether to purchase...

3- Lighting by David Prakel. Almost an academic course on photographic lighting in book form. Definitely not a how-to, step x step, cookbook type of book. More theory oriented.

4- David Busch's Quick Snap Guide to Lighting -or- Stoppees' Guide to Photography & Light. I'd say these two are tradeoffs of essentially the same approach; that is, descriptions in an almost encyclopedic style of key terms, techniques, tools you should know about if you're really into lighting. Again, not a step x step how to.

5- Light: Science & Magic is for intermediate level photogs - rather advanced. But excellent book.

If you can clarify the following we might be able to narrow down options for you. Do you have a P&S or dSLR? Do you plan to use your on-camera pop up flash or an external flash? Do you mostly care about field or studio lighting? What type of photography do you want to perfect lighting techniques in (portrait, landscape, macro, etc.)?

Good luck! Hope you find what you're looking for. There's a lot of options out there. Some video training online - like that offered by Lynda.com - might be of interest to you too. But I haven't looked to see if they have training on lighting. YouTube may have some free tutorials if you search by term. Lynda.com you'd have to pay for in various subscription options.

Studio Lighting Essentials for Portrait Photography

Mark Daughn Glamour Lighting 201: Ultimate Single Light Setup DVD $39.25 By the end of the lesson, you will master the single light setup. Included are topics such as: Psychology of a single light Learn the different light modifiers Learn the correct use of scrim, umbrella & honeycomb grid Learn the secrets of maximizing their effects Mark will light and demonstrate shooting on three different sets...

Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell Legends in LIght traces the remarkable career of Hollywood master photographer, George Hurrell. Hurrell's glamorous black and white style, perfected in the early 1990's, influenced generations of photographers around the world....

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Nigel Holmes - Naked Shadows $20.00 Showing you the skills of using just one light and the control of shadows. If you think that great pictures come from masses of light and huge studio, then this will prove that it's not true.The first section shows you how to use a single light to photograph a full length nude with great creativity. How to take control of this light and the shadows to make it work for you. You learn what can be do...

Understanding the Canon Speedlite 580EX II/430EX II $19.98 This DVD uses the same material as our original 580 EX/430 EX DVD. Demonstrations of Speedlite operations have been updated to show the 580 EX II/430 EX II models. Your new EX II Speedlite from Canon can be the most powerful accessory in your camera bag! Understanding how the Speedlite's controls work is important, and this DVD takes you through its operations, step by step. Your host, Tim Mantoa...

ASUS UL20A-A1 Thin and Light 12.1-Inch Silver Laptop - 7.5 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) $599.00 Style and Performance in Perfect Harmony The energy-efficient, slim and stylish ASUS UL20A-A1 notebook redefines ultraportable notebooks. Free yourself from power cords and start exploring with up to an amazing 7.5 hours* of all-day battery life. Powered by the ultra-low-voltage Intel® Core™2 Duo processor SU7300 and optimized with 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM, the UL20A-A1 takes you further than most ot...

X-Rite Eye-One Display LT, Accurate Monitor Calibration for the Cost Conscious Pro $176.00 Accurate Monitor Calibration for the Cost-Conscious Professional... Tired of struggling to get your color just right? Frustrated that even after you thought you had the color just right on your monitor, it looks different when you send it to your client or friend? The fact is all monitors (yes, both new and old) interpret color differently. The good news is that there is a solution! With Eye-One...

Carson MM-200 Carson Micromax LED 60X-100X LED Lighted Pocket Microscope $12.99 Carson MicroMax LED 60x - 100x LED LIGHTED Pocket Microscope (Batteries Included) MM-200...

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 [OLD VERSION] $96.99 Simplify photography fromshoot to finishProductInformationAdobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 lets you focus on what you love aboutphotography an intuitive digital darkroom and efficient assistantdesigned for serious amateur and professional photographers. Easily organize and manage your growing photo collection. Experiment fearlessly with nondestructive editing tools thathelp you create incredi...

Sony HVL-HL1 Video Light (3-Watt) for Compatible Sony Camcorders $39.99 Works with DCR-HC42, DCR-HC90, DCR-PC55, DVD102/202/402 Three-watt video designed exclusively for compatible Handycam camcorders Provides a bright light for shooting in dark places or where there is a strong backlight The auto function feature turns the light on automatically in dimly lit situations...

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