What photography books would you recommend?

Are there any good photography books about lighting that you could recommend?

• Answer:

  The very best books about lighting are (in no particular order): "Secrets of Lighting on Location" by Bob Krist. This book talks about all sorts of lighting, and how to use natural or existing light to its fullest, as well as how to make supplemental light (whether continuous or flash) portable and useful on location. Naturally, these techniques are also appropriate in a studio environment. "Lighting the Nude" published by RotoVision. 63 photographers from every corner of the globe show you how to set up spectacular lighting arrangements for various situations, complete with diagrams and explanations, and stage-by-stage photos throughout the shoot. Although the book is geared toward shooting the nude, it is completely suitable for learning about portraiture lighting as well. Rotovision also publishes a more-or-less integrated series of lighting books: "Lighting for Food and Drink Photography" "Lighting for Still Life" "Lighting or Glamour" "Lighting for Portraits" If I were to build a photo-book library, these guides would most likely serve as the cornerstone of the "lighting" section. I hope this helps! Good luck! Darin