Ross Lowell's Matters of Light & Depth Review

Who is Ross Lowell? Ross is a leading pioneer in the art of light. His main talents are still photography and cinematography. With director, teacher, producer, woodworker, writer, and even inventor to add to his list of achievements, the man has had quite a life. If you have ever been to the Lowel Lighting website, you will see his handy-work, he is the founder of it.

Matters of Light & Depth was a book he published in 1992 containing 224 pages. Considering that was almost 20 years ago, it's amazing this book is still relevant today. Some of it is a tad outdated due to the rise of digital photography, but the lessons and theory still applies exactly the same. It's interesting because this book is aimed at not just photographers, but video and film people too, hence the sub-title "creating memorable images for video, film, and stills through lighting." This was the first book on lighting I ever read, and I just started reading it a second time. The wealth of information available in this book is so vast, you can read it over and over for years and still learn something.

What's in the book? Simple. Lighting. Okay, so it's not that simple. The book covers a wide array of subjects. This is one of the most comprehensive books out there on this subject. He starts simple with his idea of lighting planes, hard and soft light, and descriptions of the basic light setups, key light, kicker light, and so on. Then as you move deeper, he gets in too more technique like composing, framing, dollying, and booming followed by things such as multi light set ups, night and day, formula lighting and some light philosophy. The end of this book is filled with lighting exercises to put your new knowledge to work.

Whether you are a student or professional of film, video, or photography, this is a must have book. If you are going to learn something, why not learn from someone who has been there, done that. While some things in the book only pertain to film or photography, most of it applies to all. If you are trying to take that next step in any of those three fields, I honestly think this book will give you guidance in the right direction. Overall I give this book a 5 of 5 stars.

Chapter 1:Light of Passage - Basic Theory & Practice
Chapter 2:Lighting by Numbers - Technique
Chapter 3:In Broad Daylight - Tools & Tactics
Chapter 4:Dynamic Lighting of Static Subjects - Technique
Chapter 5:Shedding Light - Practical Matters
Chapter 6:Hearing the Light - Light Philosophy
Chapter 7:Light On Lessons & Resources - Exercises for the Eye
Chapter 8:Terms of Enlightenment - Glossary