The Complete Guide to Light & Lighting in Digital Photography

by Michael Freeman

Michael Freeman, the author of more than 20 books on various aspects of photography, now helps digital photographers see (and understand) the light! Because good lighting is key to a picture’s success, it’s a topic of interest to anyone who picks up a digital camera…and Freeman’s comprehensive manual gives readers an essential toolbox of techniques and creative ideas. Find out how to create and manipulate lighting scenarios for professional-looking photos. Examine the many varieties of natural light, from blazing sunlight to gentle twilight, as well as incandescent and fluorescent lights. Make the most of your camera’s flash and lighting equipment, including diffusers, shades, and reflectors.


From shooting techniques to imaging tricks, this provides photographers with a solid groundwork for producing top-quality pictures.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Reference

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2006

About the author

Librarian note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Michael Freeman is a professional photographer and author. He wrote more than 100 book titles. He was born in England in 1945, took a Masters in geography at Brasenose College, Oxford University, and then worked in advertising in London for six years. He made the break from there in 1971 to travel up the Amazon with two secondhand cameras, and when Time-Life used many of the pictures extensively in the Amazon volume of their World's Wild Places series, including the cover, they encouraged him to begin a full-time photographic career.

Since then, working for editorial clients that include all the world's major magazines, and notably the Smithsonian Magazine (with which he has had a 30-year association, shooting more than 40 stories), Freeman's reputation has resulted in more than 100 books published. Of these, he is author as well as photographer, and they include more than 40 books on the practice of photography - for this photographic educational work he was awarded the Prix Louis Philippe Clerc by the French Ministry of Culture. He is also responsible for the distance-learning courses on photography at the UK's Open College of the Arts.

Reviews

[Shawn Bird]

VERY thorough guide. As a beginning photographer, it was well over my head after the first few chapters. It was leant to me by a professional photographer, who was probably a better audience for it.

[Tori · Rating 1 out of 5]

Haven't finished the book yet so can't comment on how helpful it is. My rating is based mostly on the ass-poor production quality. Typos abound on every other page; sentences are not just dangling, they're not even finished, captions refer to non-existent photographs, and illustrations are applied to the wrong subject. That's just annoying and insulting to the reader (what, we're not supposed to notice?). Come on dudes, pay attention and proof your work, please.

And to be honest, the writing's not that great, either.

[reading is my hustle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is one of the better ones I have read on this subject. However (and in the end) I am just not a technical photographer. I either get the shot or I do not. Understanding the lighting of it all (the technical aspects of it) BORES me to tears. It's like I need an IEP for this subject because I cannot focus or sit still long enough to learn and apply the techniques. I know. I am disappointed in myself, too. Sigh.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

While for the most part, seasoned photographers will not find much new in the book; it remains a very good addition to your library, for some important technical details specific to digital photography.

If you are just starting in photography, or would like to graduate to "very good", then go ahead and get the book... otherwise, a single read through would suffice.

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit too technical for me. I think it would be a powerful resource for more experienced photographers, or maybe just more patient ones. It went in a bit too much detail for me. At first it was helpful, then I was just overwhelmed. I need a more basic, less technical version of this book.

[Hayfaa]

am trying to improve my skills in photography sense am planing to buy a new lens.

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelllent book on lighting. Should have read it a few years ago as it is describes in great detail what one needs to know about lighting for digital cameras

[Nathan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the best books/instruction manuals I've found on the topic.

[Bambi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly detailed and informative book about manmade and natural lighting. Great instruction!