KEVIN KUBOTA’S Learn the secrets of light from a master of light Kevin Kubota’s creative lighting techniques are legendary. Now, the master invites you to look over his shoulder and share his secrets. Learn the essential lighting skills that create a mood, define your subject, and give dimension to your images. Then experiment with Kevin’s lighting diagrams for a hundred or more specific situations, all indexed for easy reference. Finally, review the basic post-production techniques every photographer should know. Kevin’s notebook may just become your bible. Complete diagrams for lighting more than 100 situations • Learn about signifi cant lighting trends through history K E V I N K U B O TA h a s b e e n n a m e d o n e o f • U nderstand how to use the essential rules regarding quality, t h e w o r l d ’ s t o p 1 0 w e d d i n g p h o t o g r a p h e r s b y American Photo magazine and a Legend quantity, and ratios Behind the Lens by Nikon. An internationally • Gain the most from your light meter and histograms recognized speaker, he created the highly • Compile your own lighting kit for every situation s wuocrckesshsofupl anDdig aitlasol pPrhoovitdoegsr asopfhtwy arBeo tootoclas manpd® • M ake your images magnifi cent with Aperture®, Lightroom®, training to photographers through Kubota or Photoshop® Image Tools. Featuring a detailed index that enables you to quickly fi nd diagrams for a particular subject or scenario Check out the companion app on iTunes! Visit our website at www.wiley.com/compbooks PHOTOGRAPHY/Techniques/Lighting $34.99 US/$41.99 CAN fun & funky light 101 LIGHTING STYLES AND SETUPS L I G H T I N G N O T E B O O K FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS mixed light classic glamour light Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook 101 Lighting Styles and Setups for Digital Photographers Praise For Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook “I’ve been writing about photography on the Internet since 1998. I’ve seen and reviewed a plethora of books on the subject of photography. Kevin Kubota’s is one of the best. He has the rare talent of combining useful knowledge, beautiful imagery, inspiration, and digestible education—all in an entertaining read! I highly recommended this book to photographers of all levels.” ~Scott Bourne Publisher Photofocus “Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook is the kind of resource you simply need to have. Not only does it take the complexities of situational lighting and make it accessible for the rest of us, it’s also comprehensively rich, insightfully organized and will empower you to command light like you never have before. It’s genius in a bottle. Highly recommended!” ~Dane Sanders Photographer, Author of Fast Track Photographer, The Fast Track Photographer Business Plan “Most photographers are like great cooks. They can create a masterpiece in the kitchen as long as they’ve got a good recipe to follow. In the Lighting Notebook, Kevin Kubota takes you through the process of not just providing you with outstanding recipes, but he’ll turn you in a great Chef! This is a book about ideas and helping you build diversity in your skill set. Anybody can take a picture, but the Lighting Notebook will help you stand out and create images to help you expand your client base. All the marketing in the world can’t help you if you can’t deliver a consistently outstanding product to every client! As only Kevin, one of the fnest teachers and writers in professional photography, can do, he takes you through easy to understand steps to creating the ultimate image every time.” ~Skip Cohen President, Marketing Essentials International “Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook: 101 Lighting Styles and Setups for Digital Photographers is a must-read for anyone wanting to beef up their technical lighting skills! I just loved the simple no nonsense approach. Kevin really took the mystery, and fear, out of photography lighting.” ~Bambi Cantrell —“Empress of Imaging” Cantrell Portrait Design, Inc. “Kevin Kubota has pulled off a terrifc trifecta in Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook: it’s beautiful to look at, it’s genuinely fun to read, and it also just happens to be a very practical, hands-on guide o learning some wonderful detail about lighting. I actually laughed out loud a few times while stepping through this - and I can honestly say that’s the frst time I’ve ever done that while reading any sort of useful guide about lighting. Kevin’s writing fows so well, you get the feeling you’re in an ongoing conversation with him page after page. My favorite part, though, is how Kevin’s enthusiasm for his work and for delivering top-tier education really shines through in each chapter of this excellent book.” ~Tamara Lackey Author: Envisioning Family: A Photographer’s Guide to Making Meaningful Portraits of the Modern Family, Tamara Lackey’s Capturing Life Through (Better) Photography, The Art of Children’s Portrait Photography “Take a fun and exciting journey with Kevin Kubota through the history, theory and real world techniques used to create today’s top lighting styles. Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook: 101 Lighting Styles and Setups for Digital Photographers takes you behind the scenes with one of the world’s top photographers and teaches you the must have techniques you need to light like a pro. Photographers of all levels and budgets have a lot to gain from this complete, easy to understand, and inspiring step- by-step guide to one of photography’s most important topics.” ~Michael Corsentino Photographer, Author, Workshop Leader “I’ve known Kevin Kubota for many years. He has always had the deserved reputation of being a true professional—well regarded, thorough and very, very talented. After reading the frst draft of his new book, the Lighting Notebook, I am sure this will be yet another home run.” ~Bill Hurter Author, Editor of Rangefnder and After Capture Magazines Wedding & Portrait Photographers International Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook 101 Lighting Styles and Setups for Digital Photographers Kevin Kubota John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Kevin Kubota’s Lighting Notebook: 101 Lighting Styles and Setups for Digital Photographers Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis, IN 46256 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: 978-1-1180-3510-8 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per- copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. 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All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. About the Author American Photo Magazine named Kevin Kubota one of the “Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the world.” Kevin’s wedding and portrait images speak to the heart—filled with emotion, joy, intimacy, and impact. His photos have been featured on the covers and within the pages of many popular magazines and photography books. Kevin has been sponsored by Nikon and Adobe, and his work with the Nikon digital camera earned him a spot as a Nikon “Legend Behind the Lens.” Kevin is also a PPA Photographic Craftsman. Kubota is an internationally recognized speaker, having presented for every major photographic convention in the United States. He created the popular Digital Photography Bootcamp® workshop, which has been running successfully since 2002. He authored the book under the same name, now in its second edition, published by Amherst Media. Kubota Image Tools products have won multiple Hot One awards as well as the Readers Choice Award. Kevin was personally awarded the 2009 Monte Zucker Memorial Humanitarian Award for social service through photography. Kevin lives with his Queen Bee, Clare, and two young boys in Bend, Oregon. Life in the Kubota household is full of light! Photo by Benjamin Edwards. Credits Senior Acquisitions Editor Business Manager Stephanie McComb Amy Knies Production Editor, Copy Editing, Layout, Senior Marketing Manager Proofreading, and Indexing Sandy Smith Abshier House Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Design Richard Swadley Kubota Image Tools Vice President and Executive Publisher Editorial Director Barry Pruett Robyn Siesky