LED Lighting: Professional Techniques for Digital Photographers

Kirk Tuck is a pioneer. Way back in 2008, Kirk wrote a ground-breaking book on using portable speedlights for location portraits (Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Photography). Fast forward to late 2011, and Kirk had already gained so much experience in using LED lighting for still photography that he once again put out a ground-breaking book using portable, low-power lights. He didn't just put out a "how to" book... he also adds the where, when and why it is highly advantageous to use LEDs in photography.This book is very easy to read and understand, and Kirk lays it all out in a very logical fashion that flows nicely.He explains what the advantages of using LEDs are, and also clearly lets you know when they are probably not your best choice. Kirk tells about the LED panels that are on the market, and exactly which ones he used in his photography business. The book contains lots of great close-up photos of these panels, too. He walks you through the various accessories you might need (clamps, stands, diffusers, reflectors) to supplement your LED lighting arrangements. Kirk describes the slight color spectrum deficiency, and how it can be remedied with simple "minus green" gel and/or performing a custom white balance in the camera by using a simple gray card.Kirk then gets down to the real business of showing how to actually use these LED panels in various types of photography (portraits, event, commercial, etc.) and even a little bit on using them for making videos with a DSLR. The resulting photos are excellent - but the portraits are stunningly beautiful! Lighting diagrams are abundant, but more importantly, Kirk explains what the purposed of each light was, why it was positioned where it was, and how it contributed to the overall lighting of the scene.This is the 4th book of Kirk Tuck's that I have read (I've bought the 5th, but haven't read it yet), and in my opinion this is clearly Kirk's best book. Even if you don't read any of the words, the portraits alone are worth the price of the book. :-)In some ways I wish I had not read it, because I am convinced that I will be ordering a lot of the gear that Kirk describes in this book. The nice thing to know is that I can get ALL of it for about the same cost as 3 Canon 580EX IIs or a couple Einsteins and a few large light modifiers. But after reading this book, I am convinced that it will be money well spent.

This is a conditionally excellent book. It is a very, very good introduction to LED lights in particular, and a broad introduction to portrait lighting in general. The book description is quite accurate, and the book is very readable and informative on LED lighting. Kirk presents a number of scenarios with step by step guides to how he achieved the look he did, and describes how to use LED lighting in portrait, food, and still life photography. His writing is engaging and conversational, and easy to follow.This book is an easy 5 stars if you are new to photography, or off camera lighting in general. If you've been lighting a set since I was a gleam in pappie's eye, well, you're really not going to find much content here in the last half of the book. For you the value is in reading the first half and saving yourself some guess and check time purchasing lights and experimenting. I'd rate it 3 stars for long time veterans of off camera lighting.Additionally, if you're a reader of Kirk's blog, at least half of the book has been pulled from blog posts, but there is value in having it edited and co-located in an easy to find location. I do not regret buying this book one bit, even if I have been playing with LED light panels for the last 12 months sporadically.

When something new and revolutionary arrives into the photographic frame I always like to learn as much about it as I can. The info I look for is unbiased, free from any agendas, and very open minded to the possibilities of how we can implement the new technologies at hand. Kirk has always presented solid, fact based info in a complete and open atmosphere and this book marks the start line of the next big wave of evolution for photographers. LED lighting is approaching quickly and will be in sharp focus over the next year as we learn how to make better pictures with it. I like to jest that "there is no flash for video" so if an imagemaker wants to use their cameras to create video, they will need to start to work with LED lighting. This book is the best place to start I've seen. You will most likely be shooting with LED instead of your shoe flash in the next 2 years, and there's a lot to learn. Kirk outlines the basics and beyond in this easy read with plenty of illustrations that give me lots of ideas on how to use my new LED lights. Well done Kirk, as always sir.Will Crockett / CrockettCo Technologies

I'm a fused glass artist. I enjoy making glass, but photographing it has been a nightmare. It seemed like there was always a reflection or hotspot, the colors were off, even after hours of trial and error it was never right. This book has taken the mystery out of lighting, and the LED technology makes it simple, safe and cheap. I got two small, inexpensive battery powered CN 160 lights. They weigh almost nothing, there's no cords to hassle with and no heat. I don't bother putting the lights on a stand, I just hold one in each hand. I move them around while looking through the viewfinder and hit the remote (also in my hand) when it looks right. It takes maybe 30 seconds. The pictures are coming out so good they look like they've been PhotoShopped. But they're not, they're just done right in the first place.I never could have done it without this book. It's allowing me to do in minutes what used to take hours, and the quality is consistent. It's honestly the most useful photography book I've ever read.If you're struggling with lighting, get this book, get some LED lights, get a gray card (this is important) and prepare to be amazed.

I am a subscriber to author's blog and he has, for some time now, been a bit of an evangelist for the use of LED lighting. So I thought I would have a look at his book to see what he has to say and what knowledge he has to impart.Although I haven't as yet sat down and studied the book fully, I did, immediately on receipt of the publication, peruse the contents to get a feel for what the book is like and I have to say I am very pleased with the purchase.With the plethora of LED lighting systems on the market today, this book is a very good reference point because the author has been using and experimenting with these types of light long before it became trendy to do so and therefore can advise you as to the differences between the diffrent types of LED light, thus saving you the massive learning curve.

Exceĺlent book, my experiments with LED lighting as a budget option for photography projects have been validated and I have learned lots of useful tips and information.

Kirk Tuck provides an excellent overview of using LED lights for photography. He also briefly discusses their use for DSLR video. I bought the kindle version - much cheaper than the physical book.I like the fact that Kirk based his experiences and this book largely on budget lights. It makes these setups more attainable for us all. You can tell from the text and examples that he is a working pro that has done decades of shoots.The only negatives while Kirk's actual portraits are great, there are too many poorly shot lighting setups. I feel lighting diagrams would have been more clear in many instances. Some diagrams are provided but the illustrations are low quality on the Kindle.This book could be updated. Much has happened since 2012. Modern LEDs have amazing features and great colour for under $500 (e.g. Rotolight Neo). In addition, more modifiers are now available for LEDs.Despite the need for an update & my minor complaints, this is an excellent book that remains the definitive source for LED photographic lighting. Highly recommended.

mein drittes buch von kirk tuck, der inzwischen auch wie wild bloggt. das thema LED ist grade sehr heiß und es ist informativ, herrn tuck dabei über die schulter zu schauen. im verhältnis zu den anderen büchern (minimalist lighting und product photography) kommt mir dieses buch ein wenig eilig zusammengeschustert vor- ein wenig, daher 4 sterne.fazit: schöne lektüre, schöner stil. wer neugierig ist, sollte anfangen, seinen blog zu lesen: [...]

sconsigliato, soldi buttari. è più che altro un catalogo dei vari prodotti a luce led, in giro c'é scuramente di meglio