Light: Science and Magic, Fourth Edition

The usefulness of many photography books decreases rapidly when they are tied to technology or software, such as to the latest camera models or Photoshop version.  By contrast, photography books that teach basic principles can retain their value for many, many years.  The international bestseller Light: Science and Magic is just such a book.  The fourth edition continues to live up to the high standard set by its earlier editions. (See my review of the third edition here for more detail about this book.)

How can you feel truly comfortable in your understanding of a subject if you do not understand the elemental concepts first?  Photographers should know the fundamental, immutable truths about light and how it interacts with the rest of the physical world.  I have no doubt that you can be successful at photography without fully comprehending the laws and nature of light, but how much better you would be if you had a grasp of the basics. That is what this book teaches, and it is why it belongs in your library if you are at all serious about the art and craft of photography.

For those of you who already have the third edition and are wondering if it is worth the cost to purchase the fourth, I’d say no.  Though the latest edition is updated and expanded, in my opinion, it is not a big enough improvement to justify the cost.  On the other hand, if you do not have the third edition, then by all means you owe it to yourself to get a copy of the book considered to be the gold standard in lighting.

Preview

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Book Details

Title: Light: Science and Magic, Fourth Edition

Publisher: Focal Press

Authors: Fil Hunter, Paul Fuqua, Steven Biver

ISBN-13: 978-0240812250

Length: 326 pages

Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches

Publication Date: 2011-09-22; 4 edition

Format: Paperback

Full Disclosure: I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.  This never influences my opinion or review of a book.