Lighting
Digital Field Guide
Lighting Digital Field Guide
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
10475 Crosspoint Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46256
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2011 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
ISBN: 978-0-470-87822-4
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization of Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.
For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (877) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2010935577
Trademarks: Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
About the Author
Brian McLernon is a commercial freelance photographer, educator, and writer based in Portland, Oregon. Originally from New Jersey and educated in Arizona, Philadelphia, and New York City, he shoots primarily for editorial, commercial, corporate, and lifestyle clients. He is the author of three previous Digital Field Guides, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Field Guide, the Canon Speedlite System Digital Field Guide, and the Canon PowerShot G11 Digital Field Guide.
To share his passion for photography, Brian conducts workshops in photography and lighting for Portland Community College’s adult education series. He is often honored to be a guest speaker for several artistic associations, communication groups, and business organizations and enjoys speaking to student groups as well. When he’s not photographing in the studio or on location, Brian spends time with his wife and daughter, family, and friends, camping, travelling, white-water rafting, cross-country and downhill skiing, and, of course, photographing nature and all kinds of motorsports.
Credits
Acquisitions Editor
Courtney Allen
Project Editor
Kristin Vorce
Technical Editor
Ben Holland
Senior Copy Editor
Kim Heusel
Editorial Director
Robyn Siesky
Editorial Manager
Rosemarie Graham
Business Manager
Amy Knies
Senior Marketing Manager
Sandy Smith
Vice President and Executive Group Publisher
Richard Swadley
Vice President and Executive Publisher
Barry Pruett
Project Coordinator
Patrick Redmond
Graphics and Production Specialists
Samantha K. Cherolis
Andrea Hornberger
Quality Control Technician
Lauren Mandelbaum
Proofreading and Indexing
Sharon Shock
Penny L. Stuart
For Dean Collins, who started me out on the light path.
Acknowledgments
Although only one name appears on the cover of this book, a project like this brings an entire team of people together in seemingly unrelated ways who all contributed to its creation. My hearty thanks go out to all those friends, clients, and associates who posed for many of the images in sections of this book and to those who contributed conversation, access, equipment, and ideas that helped make this book even better.
First, to my wife Gayle and daughter Brenna, who allowed me to disappear into my studio cave to shoot and write and make my deadlines, all the while providing those smiles, support, and laughter that make my life a joy.
To Bob and Shirley Hunsicker of Pharos Studios, my early mentors in studio photography and business, whose guidance and friendship contribute immeasurably to my photographic career.
To photographer Rick Becker of Becker Studios in New York City, who long ago opened his Pandora’s box of lighting tips, techniques, and special effects and shared with me the secrets of studio lighting.
To Michael Durham of the Oregon Zoo for providing access to the zoo and kind encouragement while I was writing this book. An incredible photographer himself, Michael strives to photograph that which can’t be seen by the naked eye.
To David Honl, Rachael Hoffman, Phil Bradon, Craig Strong, Kari Friedman, and Michael Paul Wyman for providing me with equipment and technical details about some of the photos and lighting equipment described in this book. You guys truly rock!
To Aaron McNally for assisting in several of the lighting setups and photo shoots, and to Ted Miller, Adrienne Luba and Kathryn Elsesser, Rhonda McNally, and Keegan Mullaney among others who graciously posed for several portraits in this book to describe various lighting angles and styles. I couldn’t have done it without you.
To photographers Galen Rowell, Dewitt Jones, George Lepp, and John Shaw, who conducted workshops that keyed me in to the technical considerations of natural light and shared concepts and approaches to nature photography that I still call on today.
To photographers David Hobby, Joe McNally, Syl Arena, Chase Jarvis, and John Harrington, who share their photographic expertise through blogs and Web sites in their selfless desire to see all photographers succeed. I am indebted to them for sharing their experiences that enhance all I attempt to accomplish in photography.
To Courtney Allen, my acquisitions editor, for this edition and first contact at Wiley, for taking me under her wing and providing friendship and encouragement and bringing me into the Wiley fold — may you rock to the metal always.
To Kristin Vorce, my project editor, for her attention to every detail of this book, including her advice on image selection, captions, and sentence structure. Her contributions never failed to make this book better. Also many thanks to Ben Holland, my technical editor, for keeping me on track and helping me explain myself better.
Finally, to Dean Collins, the master of lighting and Photoshop guru who showed me that photography is all about the light, not the gear. His knowledge of how to manipulate light and his entertaining teaching style have made a lasting impression on me. Though Dean is no longer with us, I am forever in his debt.