Last Updated on July 27, 2024
From the book Light—Science and Magic
![](https://scottlocklear.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/light-science-magic-cover-6th-edition-713x1024.jpg)
Lots of great, insightful, and important lessons in Light—Science and Magic, but not every word in the book (or even every chapter) is an essential re-read. These I think are the salient bits, the things we really need to know and remember. I’ll be referring to the book’s 6th edition (published in 2021).
Chapter 1
Most of Chapter 1 can be skipped. The only important part is the initial statement of the three “principles” of light:
- The effective size of the light source is the single most important decision in lighting a photograph. It determines what types of shadows are produced and may also affect the type of refection.
- Three types of refections are possible from any surface: direct refection, diffuse refection, and polarized direct refection. They determine why any surface looks the way it does.
- Some of these refections occur only if light strikes the surface from within a limited family of angles. After we decide what type of refection is important, the family of angles determines where the light should or should not be.
Chapter 2
What is light? A brief discussion about its nature and qualities throughout this chapter.
Light is a type of electromagnetic radiation (ER). The ER that is visible to human eyes is called “light.” The other types of ER include X-rays, infrared, ultraviolet, radar, radio, and so on, which are not visible to human eyes.
Three characteristics of light are of concern to photographers:
- Brightness
- Color
- Contrast
Chapter 3
Reflection management and the family of angles.