elementary books on lighting

Any recommendations to learn basics of lighting for portraits, etc.? I am
not a professional and do not intend to invest large amounts of money on
lighting equipment. I'm looking for ways to get good results inexpensively.
Hope there is such a thing. Thanks.

 

Here are two resources, a book and a web site.

The book is Photographic Lighting essential skills by John Child and Mark
Galer, Focal Press. This book is actually written to be used in a classroom
situation but there is no reason that it cannot be used stand alone. The
third addition was written relatively recently (2005) so topics related
specifically to digital are discussed.

The web site is:
http://www.studiolighting.net/
This site has a lot of good information and can help you understand the
basics pretty fast. One precaution is that some, but not all, of the
information is slanted toward one type and brand of strobe lighting. I am
sure that that brand is OK; but, if you are using this information to make a
purchasing decision be aware that there are lots of very good alternatives.

Chuck

 

I use bounced flash quite a bit, with moderate success. Years ago, a white
umbrella used to be the preferred option, but I make do with the ceiling
these days!

Dennis.

 

Terry,
If you are like me, you buy every book on the subject you can find.
I've found,though, that it's best to get in there and just do it. Even
though I have studio lights I've found natural light with a reflector
most often yields the best results. But, I'm not only a book nerd but
also a gear head. The boys with the most toys win

 

This comes up from tome to tome, and when I can reach the keyboard I
sometimes remember to suggest an excellent and inexpensive pair of
references:
The LIFE Library of Photography
The KODAK Library of Photography

They predate digital, but the basic principles don't change, and each
is well-researched and presented, with some of the classic examples to
illustrate a subject.

Sets and individual volumes are always available on eBay and Amazon,
usually for very little investment (watch the shipping, though). One
set of the Kodak books went for $16.01, a real bargain.