Photo Lighting Book
writer: russell j.t. dyer; posted: aug 2008; revised: apr 2018; readers past month: 829
Review of Beginners Guide to Lighting
author: Don Marr
edition: 1
published: 2004
publisher: Amherst Media
isbn: 978-1584281337
pages: 128
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In order to learn more about studio lighting, I bought a copy of Don Marr’s book Beginners Guide to Photographic Lighting. In general, I like the book and it’s just what I wanted. However, I do have a few minor problems with it that can be solved easily by the editor — or by the reader making adjustments while reading. One problem in particular gets in the way of reading the book, so I’d like to mention it in this review to help the reader resolve it.
Good Features
To begin, let me say that there are many good features about Don Marr’s book. He’s very good at studio photography and all of the photographs in the book were taken by him. After reading through the book, you can keep it as a reference: you can flip through the book to search for a lighting layout that you want and then read how he set his lights to achieve it. For a few of the photos he provides many diagrams to show where the lights are placed. I wish he had done this for every photograph — maybe he will if there’s a second edition. Still, for each photograph he does give detailed instructions as to how it was made, where various light sources were placed. He also explains how to use light meters and other lighting equipment: umbrellas, softboxes, grid spots, and flags.
For each concept — several concepts are described in each chapter — a list of exercises are provided for experimenting and learning the concepts. While photography has scientific aspects to it, in essence it’s a trade, a skill. It’s something that’s learned from training and experience. To that end, Marr provides some clear cut instructions for experimenting with lighting. This includes photographing with one light, as well as with two or more lights. Some chapters and exercises teach how to work with reflectors, grids, and gels. While the book primarily focuses on studio lighting, it includes explanations related to working outdoors with the sun in combination with a strobe light for fill and flags to limit natural lighting if desired. On that note, while the main focus of the book is portraits, it does provide tips on still life photography — in fact there’s a chapter specifically on it.
A Minor Misunderstanding
Admittedly, I’m still a beginner in photography — actually, I’m probably at the end of the beginner stage. I am especially new to studio lighting with photography, though. I’ve had almost no experience in this area and have only recently purchased any lighting equipment. Whereas the author of this book has had over fifteen years of experience in this area and is quite good at it. Nevertheless, there are some aspects of lighting in which he seems to have misconceptions. That’s a very rude and presumptuous thing for me to say — and I could be the one who is wrong, but I doubt it. However, the author has arrived at erroneous conclusions about some basic light concepts. Since his misconeptions are repeated several times early in the book, they can get in the way of the reader appreciating the book. They weaken the author’s credibility and make it difficult to read past them. I don’t mention this to insult him or to belittle the book. Instead, I include this in my review so that the book may be redeemed. By adjusting these minor and moderately irrelevant mistakes, the book will flow smoothly for the reader.
The most disconcerting error Mr. Marr makes in his writing is related to hard light and soft light. Put simply, hard light is light which is more focused or directed and causes crisper shadows off of the subjected being photographed. Whereas, soft light is light which is disbursed and less directed. The result is light that is scattered and defracted around the subject being photographed. The shadows aren’t as dark and more gradual along the edges. From this basic concept, Mr. Marr states the following:
Now that we know the qualities of a soft or hard light, we need to ask what it is that makes a light soft or hard. The answer is the size of the light source in relation to the subject. A light source that is large in relation to the subject will be a soft light. On the other hand, a light source that is small in relation to the subject will be a hard light.
This is a misperception on his part. By his logic, if I have one of those spotlights that they use around theaters for promoting the openning of a new movie, or for spotting airplanes in the sky during World War II, because the light is about six feet in diameter, it will produce a soft light compared to a handheld flashlight with a diametr of three inches — as long as both lights are equal distance from the subject being photographed. Obviously, the flashlight will produce a softer light than the large spotlight. The answer is the size of the light source and the intensity of the light projected in relation to the subject.
It may seem like a minor thing for me to be citing, but it’s the basis of much of the book: the book is strictly about photographic lighting. And he reminds the reader of his incorrect logic several times throughout the book, especially in the few few chapters. Since an educational book is like a lecture, but without the ability to interact with the instructor, it becomes frustrating as you read it if there is an inaccuracy. So, if you will forgive Mr. Marr the oversight I mention and add the caveat of light intensity to his explanation, you’ll enjoy his book much more. Setting this aside, the book is fairly well written and is very informative; it’s otherwise an easy read for a beginner.