The Basics Photography series is aimed at both photography and design students, as well as anyone with an interest in photography, this series will provide the reader with a comprehensive reference tool.

The second book in the series is Lighting. Artists paint with oils or watercolours, photographers paint with light. It is the fundamental ingredient of every photo. How a shot is lit can greatly change the way it affects the viewer. It is the most essential of all photographic tools, but it can be notoriously difficult to control (unless you have access to a studio), so this book aims to teach the reader how to make the best of every lighting situation. The book will be split into sections, which will focus on the basics: natural light, controlled light, artificial light and capturing light. The final section covers different methods of capturing images using light creatively, such as cameraless images (known as photograms) or how to make use of the Bulb function to produce special lighting effects. The book as a whole, but particularly this final section, will be extremely inspirational to students and those wishing to push their creative boundaries.

Author(s)
David Präkel was given his first camera at the age of 9 and photography has played a central role in his life ever since. Since completing a degree in psychology at the University of Manchester, David has enjoyed a diverse career in journalism, photography and education. In the 1990s he was a prolific magazine contributor, authored a book on popular music and worked as a publishing consultant and trainer. He then spent a sabbatical year in America teaching photography in night-class and youth programs. On his return to the UK he taught photography at all levels in schools, colleges and at the Kodak Imaging Training Centre in Harrow, Middlesex. He now runs his own photographic training workshops in Northumberland and is a part-time lecturer on the BA Hons Photography degree course at the Cumbria Institute of the Arts.