It is absolutely no secret whatsoever that one of my favorite photographers currently producing work is
Joey L. The kid is a mastermind of lighting and an absolute master and prodigy of his art. So, as soon as he announced last year that he was going to be releasing a book of his current works and how-to guides on his approach to lighting and photography –
Photographing Shadow and Light – I was in! This was another book that was a last-minute request for Christmas last year from Sam and – once again – she came through like a champ.
I immersed myself in the book immediately and found it to include all of the works that I have studied for years and love, as well as great insights on his approaches. Included throughout the book are lighting guides to how he set up his lights from very simple set ups using Alien Bees and no more equipment than the novice strobist may have, all the way up to complex, multi-light setups that pros use on a day-to-day occurrence. He does a wonderful job detailing the thought processes behind each of the lighting set-ups, as well as how to interact with clients and approach the photographic process.
While this book is much less of a “coffee-table” type book than the previous books I’ve reviewed/pulled inspiration from, it makes a must-have edition to any photographer’s bookshelf and has icons and images that can be appreciated by all. So, my final note on this book is this: If you love photography and you love lighting, this book is priced in a way where you can’t afford not to have a copy of it in your home. Go, buy, enjoy, and learn.
