Looking for the best Photography Lighting books? Browse our list to find excellent book recommendations on the subject.
1. The Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Crafting Light and Shadow (2017)
Without light, there is no photograph. As almost every photographer knows, the word “photograph” has its roots in two Greek words that, together, mean “drawing with light.” But what is less commonly acknowledged and understood is the role that shadow plays in creating striking, expressive imagery, especially in portraiture. It is through deft, nuanced use of both light and shadow that you can move beyond shooting simply ordinary, competent headshots into the realm of creating dramatic portraiture that can so powerfully convey a subject’s inner essence, communicate a personal…
2. Chroma: A Photographer’s Guide to Lighting with Color (2018)
Learning to work with light is an important milestone in every photographer’s career, and the ability to craft light to fit your vision for an image is a skill that cannot be overrated. Most often, that crafting of light is spoken of in terms of the quality and quantity of light. But there is an important, third component of light that heavily influences the final look of the image: the color of light. In Chroma: A Photographer’s Guide to Lighting with Color, photographer Nick Fancher helps you elevate your game when it comes to introducing the bold, creative, and…
3. A Shot in the Dark: A Creative DIY Guide to Digital Video Lighting on (Almost) No Budget (2011)
The most significant contribution to film imagery is lighting. Lighting is the key to turning amateur footage into professional stories and presentation. A SHOT IN THE DARK: A CREATIVE DIY GUIDE TO DIGITAL VIDEO LIGHTING ON (ALMOST) NO BUDGET shows that good lighting doesn’t always require expensive or extensive Hollywood hardware. With a little creativity, ingenuity, and some elbow grease, you can create your own lighting arsenal to handle a multitude of situations. This book will show do-it-yourselfers how to create their own equipment and how best to use it….
4. The New Lighting for Product Photography: The Digital Photographer’s Step-by-Step Guide to Sculpting with Light (2019)
In the Internet age, shoppers often don’t have the advantage of touching or feeling an item in order to make a logical buying decision regarding. The same is true on menus; we have to decide whether or not to order that fancy drink or dessert based on a photograph of it. This makes the job of photographers more important than ever―without the right photos, even the best product won’t sell in today’s marketplace! In this book, photographer Allison Earnest shows you how to design images to contain all the information about color, depth, shape, and texture that potential buyers will…
5. Lighting People (2016)
This book utilizes award winning photographer Rossella Vanon’s contemporary style and up-to-the-minute knowledge to teach how each kind of light works. This approach provides a key grounding for photographers, followed by creative techniques that go beyond traditional approaches. Unique to this book is a reference section that clearly presents a series of photographs of the same four models, representing different gender and ethnic groups, shot from different lighting positions and against different backgrounds. This versatile segment is organized in such a way that photographers can study it for hours when time permits or flip through…
6. Picture Perfect Lighting: An Innovative Lighting System for Photographing People (2016)
Roberto Valenzuela is a photographer and educator who has a talent for identifying areas where photographers regularly hit roadblocks and a passion for developing clear and concise systems that allow photographers to break through those barriers and become better, more confident practitioners of their craft. His two previous books, Picture Perfect Practice and Picture Perfect Posing, shattered the mold of instructional photography books as they empowered readers to advance their composition and posing skills. Picture Perfect Lighting, the third book in the Picture Perfect series,…
7. Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers (2004)
Time-tested lighting strategies that will improve the quality of a portrait are detailed in this book for beginning photographers. Terminology used by industry pros is explained, the equipment needed to create professional results is outlined, and the unique role that each element of the lighting setup plays in the studio is explored. Photographers learn how color, direction, form, and contrast affect the final portrait. The concise text, photo examples, and lighting diagrams enable photographers to easily achieve traditional lighting styles that have been the basis of…
8. From Dawn to Dusk: Mastering the Light in Landscape Photography (2018)
This photography guide has a unique structure that leads the reader on an hour-by-hour, picture-by-picture journey from dawn to dusk, and then on into the night. Each chapter focuses on the benefits and challenges of shooting in the available light at a particular time of the day, highlighting suitable landscape types, styles of photography and processing techniques of that moment. There are regular "technique" panels to help readers hone their camera skills, and each chapter concludes with an awe-inspiring double-page image that demonstrates the results that are possible—accompanied by an…
9. Lighting for Photographers: An Introductory Guide to Professional Photography (2019)
Lighting is one of the most important aspects of any photograph. The best images create dimension and drama, which goes beyond formulas and lighting recipes. In Lighting for Photographers: An Introductory Guide to Professional Photography, commercial photographers and instructors Joe Lavine and Brad Bartholomew offer a unique philosophy of lighting, starting with an understanding of the characteristics of lighting to build great shots.Including interviews from professional photographers and illustrated with over 200 images, this book introduces basic photographic concepts and equipment needs, and takes…
10. Light Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting (2015)
Photographic lighting is a topic that will never go out of style, no matter how sophisticated cameras and other technology get. Even with the most high-tech gear, photographers still need to put a lot of thought and vision into lighting their photographs in order to get great results. This key skill has the power to dramatically and quickly improve photographs. Light Science and Magic provides you with a comprehensive theory of the nature and principles of light, with examples and instructions for practical application. Featuring photographs, diagrams, and step-by-step instructions, this book speaks…
11. Fine Art Nudes: Lighting and Posing for Black & White Photography (2015)
In this book, veteran photographer Stan Trampe shows you how to produce outstanding black & white nude portraits using basic equipment and a simple lighting approach—both in the studio and on location. You’ll get great insight into what it takes to develop a trusting relationship with models that will facilitate an eagerness for them to embrace—and even improve upon—your creative concepts.With more than 25 years’ experience photographing nudes, Trampe has developed an eye for what makes a portrait resonate with viewers. In the pages of this book, you’ll…
12. Artificial Lighting for Photography (2009)
ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING FOR PHOTOGRAPHY clearly explains the use of artificial lighting of all types through a rich combination of detailed diagrams, visual examples, and practical instruction. Written for beginning photographers, the book introduces and explains the basic concepts of lighting techniques and the relevant equipment and hardware before going on to cover the latest advances in lighting equipment and digital capture devices. This fundamental knowledge is then used to teach key techniques that will help readers utilize the equipment effectively in their work. Equally emphasizing both studio and location environments,…
Best Photography Lighting Books: The Ultimate Collection
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Genesis and download some photography lighting books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Photographing Women: Posing, Lighting, and Shooting Techniques for Portrait and Fashion Photography
Author(s): Jeff Rojas
Publisher: Rocky Nook, Year: 2016, Size: 13 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 1591980
Digital Photography for Beginners: How To Improve At Digital Photography In 60 Minutes. Learn Digital Photography Secrets, Lighting for Digital Photography, Digital Food Photography and much more
Author(s): Art, Victoria
Publisher: , Year: 2016, Size: 294 Kb, Download: mobi
ID: 2070683
Mastering Nikon Speedlights: A Complete Guide to Small Flash Photography and the Creative Lighting System
Author(s): Alan Hess
Publisher: Peachpit Press, Year: 2015, Size: 30 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 1592105
Essential elements of portrait photography : lighting and posing techniques to make everyone look their best
Author(s): Israelson, Bill
Publisher: Amherst Media, Year: 2015, Size: 11 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 2082920
How to Set Up Photography Lighting for a Home Studio
Author(s): Amber Richards
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Year: 2014, Size: 468 Kb, Download: epub
ID: 1322298
Lighting & Design for Portrait Photography: Direction & Quality of Light
Author(s): Neil van Niekerk
Publisher: Amherst Media, Year: 2014, Size: 26 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 1367971
Boudoir Lighting Simple Techniques for Dramatic Photography
Author(s): Robin Owen
Publisher: Amherst Media, Inc., Year: 2014, Size: 11 Mb, Download: pdf
ID: 1370154
Creative Flash Photography: Great Lighting with Small Flashes: 40 Flash Workshops
Author(s): Tilo Gockel
Publisher: Rocky Nook, Year: 2014, Size: 81 Mb, Download: epub
ID: 1394771
Please note that this booklist is not definite. Some books are really best-sellers according to Los Angeles Times, others are composed by unknown writers. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant resources you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.