While light is required to make a photograph, light alone is not enough. More often, it is the way the light has been modified and shaped that brings an image to life. In this book, Glenn Rand and Tim Meyer offer a comprehensive approach to the tools and techniques photographers can use to shape the light—creating the style, energy, emotion, and feeling that make a photograph exceptional. Clear text is paired with ample before-and-after images and diagrams to make learning easy. Beginning with the physics of light, the authors show you how to predict light’s interaction with the surface of the subject/object you are photographing. Based on this, you can begin to make informed decisions about what kinds of modifiers will help you achieve the look you want. Using softboxes, umbrellas, masks, gels, reflectors, and more, you’ll learn to precisely control the light’s diffused edge and ratio for precise, flawless results.

This book is a contemporary overview of selected topics in fiber optics. It focuses on the latest research results on light wave manipulation using nonlinear optical fibers, with the aim of capturing some of the most innovative developments on this topic. The book’s scope covers both fundamentals and applications from both theoretical and experimental perspectives, with topics including linear and nonlinear effects, pulse propagation phenomena and pulse shaping, solitons and rogue waves, novel optical fibers, supercontinuum generation, polarization management, optical signal processing, fiber lasers, optical wave turbulence, light propagation in disordered fiber media, and slow and fast light. With contributions from leading-edge scientists in the field of nonlinear photonics and fiber optics, they offer an overview of the latest advances in their own research area. The listing of recent research papers at the end of each chapter is useful for researchers using the book as a reference. As the book addresses fundamental and practical photonics problems, it will also be of interest to, and benefit, broader academic communities, including areas such as nonlinear science, applied mathematics and physics, and optical engineering. It offers the reader a wide and critical overview of the state-of-the-art within this practical – as well as fundamentally important and interesting – area of modern science, providing a useful reference which will encourage further research and advances in the field.

A practical, hands-on guide to lighting for video, this book explores how LEDs are changing the aesthetics of lighting and provides students with an indispensable guide to the everyday techniques required to produce professional-quality lighting in the age of LEDs and wireless control options. The book focuses on first-hand application of technical knowledge, beginning with simple lighting setups and progressing to more complicated scenarios, and features accompanying diagrams, illustrations and case studies to demonstrate their real-world application. Key topics covered include basic three-point lighting, lighting moving actors, set lighting and exposure, instrument selection, bringing style to your lighting, color temperature and the Kelvin scale, exterior lighting, lighting categories and genres, green-screen techniques, money and budgeting, and electricity and electrical distribution. The book also provides guidance on career paths including what a grip does, case studies with photos and diagrams, and an extensive glossary of set terminology to introduce students to the language of filmmaking. A must-have resource for film and media production students taking classes in lighting and/or cinematography.

The production of biological light (ultra-weak photon emission or biophotons) within many types of cells and tissues is characteristic of an alive organism. You will begin a journey of discovery about biophotons in relationship to biological matter and about how such biophotons can be detected utilizing specialized very photon-sensitive technologies. In this book, Roeland Van Wijk provides a unified synthesis that facilitates easy entry into an exciting sub-field of biology. Light in Shaping Life encompasses the history of biophoton research, insight into how biophotons are generated, and into their involvement with life. Also included, is an overview of the potential benefits of such research to a better understanding of health and medicine. There is sequel to Light in Shaping Life available: Biophoton Technology in Energy and Vitality Diagnostics A Multi-disciplinary, Systems biology, and Biotechnology Appraoch Roeland van Wijk, Yu Yan and Eduard van Wijk Meluna, 2017 ISBN 9789081884341

This handbook addresses the development of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly solid-state light sources, in particular semiconductor light emitting diodes (LEDs) and other solid-state lighting devices. It reflects the vast growth of this field and impacts in diverse industries, from lighting to communications, biotechnology, imaging, and medicine. The chapters include coverage of nanoscale processing, fabrication of LEDs, light diodes, photodetectors and nanodevices, characterization techniques, application, and recent advances. Readers will obtain an understanding of the key properties of solid-state lighting and LED devices, an overview of current technologies, and appreciation for the challenges remaining. The handbook will be useful to material growers and evaluators, device design and processing engineers, newcomers, students, and professionals in the field.

Whether shooting portraits or products, skillful lighting can be the difference between a bland snapshot and a stunning, well-defined image. Capturing the ideal photograph requires many technical factors to work in tandem, the most fundamental of which is lighting. While we may take it for granted that light is required to create a photograph, light by itself usually does not produce the style, energy, emotion or feeling that makes a photograph exceptional. It is the way the light has been modified and shaped that gives the photographer the ability to create an image that communicates their feeling about the subject. It’s necessary to understand how light works in order to know how to modify it in the most desirous way. Beginning with simplified light concepts, Rand delves into the basics of light. Light’s natural tendency is to go off in all directions. To give a better understanding of how to control the light that you use in your photographs, Rand guides the reader through a series of discussions defining the light itself, the surfaces that will interact with the light in the photographs, the look of light that we wish to create and the tools, modifiers and shapers that are commonly available for use. Whether you want to add contrast with highlights and shadows or use the softness of diffuse light to add volume to the subject, the fundamentals of these concepts are covered here. Images, diagrams and descriptions are used to illustrate the manners in which light can be modified. From there, the book moves onto the main tools of light modification. Rand discusses the primary functions of each tool and defines the issues of the light’s characteristics after the modification. Techniques are presented for using reflectors, spotlights, softboxes, diffusers, umbrellas, barndoors, gels, scrims, shoots and more. Each chapter is highly illustrated with images of the tools being discussed, diagrams, and examples for the use of these tools in both commercial and portrait photography. Variations in control and problems that may occur with specific modifiers are discussed as well. The goal of this book is to show the effect of modifiers and shapers on the quality of light rather than to discuss the merits of a particular light source. By focusing on the methods to shape light, the photographer is open to improvise in scenarios where they may not have control over the light source. Whether you shoot commercial or portrait photography, this book provides you with the basis for not only successfully, but elegantly shaping light to create your desired result.

Flash is a necessary and immensely creative tool that dramatically increases the opportunities of any amateur photographer. However, many amateurs find flash intimidating, unsure of where to begin. Instead, they continue limiting themselves to shooting only available light. Understanding Flash Photography is a guide to off-camera flash, helping free photographers from “auto” to get the images they want when natural light isn’t enough. If you’ve been afraid to venture past natural light, here is the book that will finally help you explore the exciting possibilities of artificial light. Author Bryan Peterson starts by breaking down how flash works, then dispels the widely held myth that automatic “TTL” flash exposure is easier, explaining how to quickly master manual flash exposure to control the quality, shape, and direction of light. For the hundreds of thousands who found Understanding Exposure an exciting tool in moving past “auto” exposure in available light, Understanding Flash Photography is the essential companion to mastering the often challenging exposure puzzle.