fStopstudios wrote:
perhaps I'm just picky or have ADD, but I haven't seen one that was worth the price. For lighting concepts, there's plenty of free info available. However, for actual learning, trial and error (and equip) is the way to go.

I agree. Trial and error works best for me since the books always have a certain brand of light and a certain brand of camera and a certain type of backdrop. Plus the models they use look like the photographers inbreed cousin

X-processed wrote:
I've just got this one http://www.amazon.ca/Lighting-Portrait- … 464&sr=8-4.
I am noob in this area and I love to have paper reading materials in the bed.
Very simple to follow; photos and lighting diagrams with short explanations-exactly what I like.

I got that one, and this one as well
http://www.amazon.com/Photographing-Peo … b_title_41

both are pretty straight up and show what it took to snap the photos shown, which I like.

mindxus wrote:
what is the best book about studio lighting you have ever read and you would recommend to others? its quite hard to make a right choice because there are hundeds of books,with diverse reviews

Check this book out we'll worth the dollars

http://studiolightingphotography.com/buy-the-ebook/

mindxus wrote:
what is the best book about studio lighting you have ever read and you would recommend to others? its quite hard to make a right choice because there are hundeds of books,with diverse reviews

I would recommend kelbytraining.com @ $25.00 a month - tons of great video tutorials on all photography/photoshop topics, including lighting by some masters of the craft.

If you don't want to spend that money, I'd search YouTube for lighting tutorials.  There's tons of them, some of them good, some of them not.

Thing is, what I've found is that books and tutorials give you some theories and starting points but experience and experimentation are the real teachers.  If you aren't shooting enough with and have access to models on a regular basis to hone these chops, I recommend picking up a mannequin to use for your lighting set up experimentation.

Geyer Studio wrote:
Light science magic is a must for anyone that intends to use studio lighting....but it will not teach you "butterfly", "rembrant", "paramount", "rim"....but you must read this.

Others that I found worthwhile include Lighting and the dramatic portrait.

Most others are unoriginal and/or repetitive.

Best of luck.

It does teach you all of those lighting profiles besides butterfly & loop (those two can be learned online very fast anyways).

I'd suggest just using the internet/Google to figure out studio lighting.

Eros Studios wrote:

I would recommend kelbytraining.com @ $25.00 a month - tons of great video tutorials on all photography/photoshop topics, including lighting by some masters of the craft.

If you don't want to spend that money, I'd search YouTube for lighting tutorials.  There's tons of them, some of them good, some of them not.

Thing is, what I've found is that books and tutorials give you some theories and starting points but experience and experimentation are the real teachers.  If you aren't shooting enough with and have access to models on a regular basis to hone these chops, I recommend picking up a mannequin to use for your lighting set up experimentation.

This is the best advice you're going to get. I used Kelby for 1 month and think that it's okay but really most of what I learned was Photoshop techniques that can also be learned via using Google or by buying Scott Kelbys book.

Otherwise, experience is the best teacher when it comes to hands on photography.

You need to figure out what works best for you and you can only achieve that via experience.

X-processed wrote:
I've just got this one http://www.amazon.ca/Lighting-Portrait- … 464&sr=8-4.
I am noob in this area and I love to have paper reading materials in the bed.
Very simple to follow; photos and lighting diagrams with short explanations-exactly what I like.

That Science and Magic one, the reviews say it doesn't show diagrams and is hard to follow if you don't already have a lot of lighting experience.  I need something that gives me ideas and tells me why.

This one may work for me.

mindxus wrote:
what is the best book about studio lighting you have ever read and you would recommend to others? its quite hard to make a right choice because there are hundeds of books,with diverse reviews

Fine Light series by Dean Collins are some of best ever (books and videos) and I would highly recommend to others.  Books by Bill Norman on "Depth of Light" and "Depth of Field" are also great tutorials and highly recommended.

GCobb Photography wrote:
That Science and Magic one, the reviews say it doesn't show diagrams and is hard to follow if you don't already have a lot of lighting experience.  I need something that gives me ideas and tells me why.

This one may work for me.

I don't know what reviews are saying there are no lighting diagrams but they're completely false. Every version of Light, Science and Magic is chock full of lighting diagrams.

The difficulty of following along is pretty subjective. Personally I thought it was very easy to follow along as they introduce concepts at a simple level and gradually up the complexity. But they explain the "why" so that you know what affect a wide-angle lens vs a telephoto lens will have, or moving the light forward or backwards or rotating it around and so on.

Personally, I feel it is far and away the most useful book on lighting I've ever read. I'd also echo Kevin's recommendation on Matters of Light and Depth as well as pretty much anything ever put out by Dean Collins (be it print media or video).

Eduardo Frances wrote:
What do you want? ligthing for products? for fashion?, bridal?, portraits?, still life?, food?, product shots?. the best you can do is get one that is focused in the area you want to learn they will have more depth in the matters you want to learn that a general all stuff book.

+1

I'm sure the OP has a specific lighting issue in mind.  But you've got book recommendations for lighting theory and concepts, using strobes and artificial light and speed lights, table-top/light tent shooting, portraits, and so on.  Depending upon the answer, I'd have different recommendations.  I do agree that lots of diagrams with sample photos (i.e.: you see the photo, you see how it was set up) are key.

Ed

mindxus wrote:
studio lighting?

If you are working in Fashion/Beauty genre might look at this http://www.amazon.com/Lighting-Cookbook … 0817442316

The author is on Mayhem btw...

like so many others have said, what is your intended genre?

If you're shooting product it's an entirely different game...

As with any knowledgebase source... look at the authors background/experience to see what agenda he/she brings to the table... Also in doing research it is wise to canvass many schools of thought prior to decided what might work from your needs...

best is highly subjective... and print material is sadly disappearing...  a shame since the process of going through an editor typically culls out inappropriate materials...

all the best on your journey...