Kirk Tuck on the Minimalist Studio
Kirk's latest book landed on my doorstep just before I headed out to Dubai, and I only now have gotten a chance to read it. Reader's Digest version: If you liked his first book, you'll probably be very comfortable with his latest effort. And if some of this lighting stuff on this site leaves your head spinning, this may be the book for you.
More, inside.
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Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Studio Photography
So here's the thing. In reading through Kirk's new book I found myself continually waiting for the Big Unveiling, but it never happened. It wasn't until I finished it that I realized why that was: This is a book for beginners who are thinking about getting into home studio photography. And that's not me -- I am neither a beginner nor a studio guy.
When taken that context, the book made perfect sense.
Twenty years ago, I would have been all over it. But these days, I'm more 'been-there-done-that.' I am looking for McNally to show me how to light the Statue of Liberty with a bazillion SB-900's, or for Annie to tell me what she was thinking when she asked The Queen to "lose the crown" during a portrait session.
That's my problem: I am looking for pure heroin, and Kirk is offering the gateway drug.
And that thought didn't even hit me until I was reading some negative comments on the Flickr threads about how Hot Shoe Diaries was too anecdotal, not enough diagrams and setup shots, etc.
I thought the reviewers in question were insane. Which, of course, is my default reaction when anyone disagrees with me. It's like on the highway: Anyone driving faster than me is a maniac, and anyone going slower than me is an idiot.
[Spiffy Subhead Tying Together Ferraris, Burps, Costco and Bacardi 151 to go Here]
In the course of a given month about 325,000 people stumble into this site. I tend to interact with a relatively small number of, um, enthusiastic readers who cannot get enough of this lighting stuff. Don't take that as a knock, either -- I am the same way. But it definitely colors my perception of the readership.
I am beginning to suspect that there are a far greater number of lurkers who are dabblers. They are the curious, the tentative, the folks who are not exactly brimming with confidence yet. And Kirk's book is aimed more at them than at me.
So the former folks -- the rabid, "lighting Ferrari" types, might tear through Minimalist in 20 minutes and still be hungry. There are no D700s dangling upside down from Manhattan ladder trucks and there is absolutely no royalty whatsoever -- bejeweled or otherwise.
(I just got a mental image of Jeremy "Ogalthorpe" Center, chewing through everything Strobist has to offer in about 30 seconds, burping -- twice -- and then bellowing out, "Enough of this tripe! More! I want more! Bring me the Collins DVDs!)
But the latter folks -- the ones who maybe have not consumed this site's entire archive in one caffeinated sitting -- might actually appreciate the setup shots, the simple approach, the hand-holding, etc. I'm thinking, I dunno, let's call 'em Toyotas maybe. And while Ferraris are undeniably cool, there are an awful lot of Toyotas around.
Kirk is not writing for the 99th percentile. He is aiming at the people who have not yet dived headfirst into full-blown obsession. He gets into spaces, gear, lighting techniques (of course), money allocation, etc., when planning a small or home studio.
Example: Forget the wide-carriage inkjet and get to know your local Costco's ICC printer profiles. Beautiful 12x18's for $3 each, and you never have a nightmare about an ink clog again.
Kirk doesn't even assume you are married to strobes -- maybe you are a "hot lights" kind of person. Don't laugh -- lots of stuff is done with hot lights today. Awesome recycle time, and excellent in the modeling department.
If McNally's books are a walk on the wild side, Kirk's books are a guided stroll in the park, where every tree has a horticultural label and there are no dangerous animals lurking about waiting to jump out and overwhelm you.
This is a cup of Earl Grey tea to McNally's Bacardi 151.
Take a Sip Yourself
If you are not sure if this is your particular cup of tea, I highly recommend popping over to the Amazon page and making use of their "Look Inside the Book" feature. Amherst has wisely opted in and made sections of the text available for tire-kickers.
Check out the viewable table of contents and you will know right away if this one is aimed at you. My guess is his approach will speak to you or it won't, with few people on the fence.
And if Minimalist Lighting can bring new people into the game, I say welcome aboard. It's very easy for a bunch of lighting fanatics (and I count myself a member of that group) to forget that we were once exactly the people for whom Kirk is writing.
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:: Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Studio Photography ::
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New to Strobist, or lighting? Start here.
Now shipping, in DVD box set or download: Lighting in Layers
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Posted at 12:00 AM.
37 Comments:
Hi Dave,
I'm one of your suspected lurkers - have been for just a few months. Reading your stuff was, in the begining, a complete revelation for me. I've been in a studio a couple of times, and it was all wires, wall mounted backdrops, huge reflectors - lotsa cash. It never even occured to me that I could take my sb-600 off the camera and fire it remotely. Wow ! This was mindblowing, opened up a whole new dimension that I hadn't looked into in nearly 20 years of natural light and darkroom practices (yep, still have one of those). Then I ordered the Hot Shoe Diaries, and discovered the world of Joe McNally. Thank God there were no diagrams and how to's - I couldn't have read a bloody manual in bed could I? Wife thinks I'm going mad enough as it is! First thing I did after reading the HSD's was buy a set of gels. Taking photos of the kids in the woods with full CTO on a dreary grey day brought a beautiful warm light to the photos that I never would have chased had I not stumbled across strobist. Had to show my wife how to hold the flash 10 feet away and point it at the kids without putting her thumb over the IR sensor mind you. That little sensor seems to be in the place where the thumb naturally falls!
I'll take a look at Kirk Tuck's book on Amazon, but I suspect a shoot through umbrella and stand will be the next investment.
Cheers for all the good work and sharing
- Rory
If I was this books author I am not sure that I would be thanking you for this review.
Bigger is not always better, there is a place for a more minimalist approach to lighting and not just for people who don't understand complex setups.
Maybe it's the ones that claim to be the experts and think that more hardware and more wattage is automatically a good thing that need to read this book the most.
Sometimes a single construction light is the right tool for the job.
I own Kirk Tuck's first book on location lighting with small flashes and both of McNally's books.
I still have lots to learn when it comes to lighting and find both authors equally helpful. Joe teaches me to push my bounds and try something crazy. Kirk tells me how and why to set my gear to get a good shot.
What do you mean by "hot lights"?
funny that you mentioned going through the archives in one caffeine induced sitting. I'm not quite that ravenous, it took two caffeine induced sittings. No, Joke, when I found strobist about 5 months ago, I read everything you had posted to this in 2 days. I'm a nut... just not a very vocal one
For a subhead, how about "Male preoccupations ~ And a little something for everyone." I love your writing and your ability to share so much great information. That said, I'd probably benefit from the book in question. Scott Kelby's books are my favorites ... alongside McNally's masterful tomes and your web site of course.
Three weeks ago I finished reading the book "Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Photography". Cool book for the strobist fan.
Zamm...Hot lights are lights that are continuous, rather than flashes... so named because they give off a lot of heat and can be uncomfortable for long shoots.
Although I'm not considering myself as a beginner, I did truly enjoy Kirks book!
I think he is giving great advice and fail save instructions.
In my eyes it is a good book for beginners and pro's.
I have Kirk Tuck's earlier book, "Minimalist Lighting: Professional techniques for Location Photography" sitting here having checked it out from the library. I like it a lot and defiantly will be investing some time with the new one too. As a serious amateur who enjoys Strobist, McNally, and others, Kirk's earlier book fit right in.
The anecdote David mentioned about using CostCo instead of making your own prints set off buzzers for me because I have been coming to that conclusion on my own. I am getting better results from CostCo more economically with less headaches than on my Epson R1800. Did I know there were ICC profiles available from Costco? Nope. That's good, practical information that you don't need a ton of money to apply.
I think people move too fast, shoot too much and think too little. Everyone's looking for the magic formula. I have both of Tuck's books and I find that they fit in the just right category for someone who's ready to take the next step.
I liked in the studio book to see how he used an existing space at his house to make a studio. I liked how he did a whole lighting demo with a ten dollar light. It was a hell of a lot easier to see what the real effects were when you can see the progression of a demo, step by step.
And I must say I really like his photography. A walk in the park? Yes, and sometimes that's preferable to an evening at the disco.
These are books I will read over and over again. Tuck rocks.
Surprisingly harsh comment in comparison to your review about Kirk's first book. Then again, I have to admit that after reading Amazon's excerpts from both books, I find the first book more interesting.
What comes to comparison between McNally's and Kirk's stuff, I have read McNally's Hot Shoe Diaries and I've only seen excerpt from Kirk's book, but ...
I think Kirk's book is better choice for someone who still tries to make photography into profitable business, while McNally gives you lot of ideas, where you can spend all extra cash that you might have available.
At the same stuff, content in Kirk's book looks so basic stuff that I really would like to see whole book before making actual decision to buy it.
I'm waiting for the David Hobby Lighting reference encyclo-dictionary.
I have the movie and am now waiting for the book. As backwards as that sounds. :-)
strobist changed my life. there's no getting around that fact.
I really appreciated this review.
You see, I am one of your more recent lurkers. My problem is I want to learn all this lighting stuff but diving into your blog is a bit like someone who can't swim jumping into a pool without a life preserver.
I am completely lost and overwhelmed but I keep reading and bookmarking hoping to pick up enough of the language you speak here to someday become a fluent and obsessed strobist.
I think a book like this might be just what I need to get more of a footing so that coming over here begins to make more sense in my beginner brain.
~Melissa Gossard
Strobist changed my life, too. The weight of my backpack increased several pounds because of him/it/them.
Reading this great post, I'm reminded of a conversation we had in an empty stairwell a few weeks ago. :) We spoke about all target markets (student groups or blog readers) forming a bell-shaped curve and the importance of targeting the big gang in the middle of the bell. You'll satisfy more people that way and therefore be more successful. The high-enders can go back and forth with you in flickr posts (you offer plenty for them anyway) and the low-enders can grab on and try to hang (you've pulled thousands of them along I'm sure)! This new book is probably excellent reading for most of us--there's always something to learn.
Feel free to mod this out, as I'm posting as an AC...
But you might want to credit George Carlin for that "driving on the highway" line. I know you're super vigilant about protecting creative rights (your distaste for microstock has made that clear), so I imagine you'd find similar distaste in using a comedian's material (misquoted, even), without permission or even a credit.
@Anon-
I wasn't (mis)quoting Carlin, as I never heard him say it. I heard the saying from another source (conversationally) and realized long since that I felt the same way.
But if it was Carlin that first said it, many thanks for your giving him posthumous credit in this space!
Best,
DH
And I was about to thank you for the Carlin reference. Heck, thanks for it anyway, even if you didn't know at first.
I doubt that qualifies as dissing Carlin, either, since so much of what he said snuck into the lexicon.
For the folks who think David's slamming the book: I think this is a very helpful review. Heck, it might inspire me to look closer even, since learning that David isn't the target market doesn't at all mean that *I'm* not the target market. After all, I don't get 325k visitors to my blog (for so many many reasons).
Another lurker here. Been 'round the Strobist site since April 2006, following it regularly. I was wondering why you Mr. Strobist guy don't write a book or five? I'm sure such an idea is already sitting alone in some dark grey cave behind your hypophysis. DVD-s are not the same, plus you already wrote 60% of that stuff on this site anyway, why not score the goal then? Become the Delay Llama of photography (the other spelling is already taken)! At around 5% commision I am aware that financial benefits for you from such a book deal are not going to be great (or even OK), but what the hey!
That's an opportunity to involve the Strobist pool, I'm sure the people would be more than happy to give you their best photos for free just to be able to brag around that they are in the Big Bad Strobist Book of Doom, and I'm sure you can outdo the McNally's chicken flash. Anyways, you'll give us a plasure to see how people return critic favours. Cheerio
@Goran-
I can tell you that there is no book in the works right now. But if/when there ever is, it would absolutely be a community project.
I have been in talks with several book publishers, and I keep coming back to the fact that it would be stupid to do a Strobist-themed book without making use of the amazing stuff in the reader gallery.
@Marshall-
A certainly am not slamming it. Just trying to make sure I do not misdirect people to it for whom it might not be appropriate.
By the same token, I would want to make sure beginners/lurker knew there was a book out there that was better suited for them than some of the other books.
-DH
Exactly. I think that was what I meant, but I probably wasn't too clear...
I really like your site because I usually find a lot of useful information.
In the last two years a started to use Nikon flashes instedad of mine Bowens for more than the 80% of my assignement.
I use 3 Nikon flashes (SB900,SB800and SB600) also for little still life (here an example)with jewels I also bought your DVDs on ebay from another photographer and I found them interesting in the way you teach. I'm a photographer and I need fresh stuff not old one. I need interesting solution to new challenge or new way of thinking with new gear. That is what I'm ooking for and I found a lot of thinghs here. Thanks.
I like the comparison that you make David of Toyotas and Ferraris. I have read Kirk's first book on minimalist lighting, and found it was like being an intern in his shop for a day. After reading the book and practicing with some of what I learned I found that I had a much better level of predictability and professionalism to my work, I had become a Toyota.
I had the odd experience of having to shoot a subject that Kirk had already shot and saw the real difference between a Camry and an Enzo. Suffice it to say that I have a lot to learn, but I wish I had seen his book before I shot the location. My work would have been much better than it was.
If it had not been for strobist I would not have known to look for what Kirk was writing about. Thanks again David.
Nice review David. I just finished Kirk's book, and I agree with the review.
You also described me above. When I stumbled on to this strobist "heroin", I went back to the beginning and read every post and every comment in about 2 days. I can't thank you enough for this blog.
For the people that are critical of McNally's HSD because of the lack of diagrams and such....how about you get out and shoot rather then have someone hold your hand through everything? As good as he is, as educational as this site is, the best way to learn is just get out and shoot it.
Just a note regarding the costco printing option. If you are able to get things set up well on your end, they do have an amazingly consistent output. Apparently Costco custom calibrates their machines nightly through the folks at Dry Creek Photo, who are well known for producing great custom icc profiles.
Apply their ICC profile and you'll be shocked at the quality. I was. For more info check the dry creek website
http://www.drycreekphoto.com/icc/
David -
First, thanks for building a community around lighting - that's amazing on its own.
Second - thank you for what appears to be an honest review of a book. I read nothing negative - simply a good sense of the book's target audience - I like to know if it's me before my $ goes out the door.
I think you made a huge point which should not be overlooked. I have been making digital photographs for 5 years after a break from film.
I am not a professional - but I am someone trying to learn more about my hobby, and I think Strobist, books like this, Joe's stuff, all the other resources have accelerated my learning, and my ability/desire to try new things.
When people write, I think their target audience is sort of important - define it and write to it (+/- a bit since everyone needs to stretch)...and with the advent of digital I would think the largest target are neither pros nor beginners - but avid participants trying to make better photos of their kids, sports and vacations.
Love the blog, appreciate your dedication and leadership - thanks.
Jeff
I have read both of KIrk's books and both of Joe McNally's books and I have to say that Joe's books are like candy. They're really fun to read but afterwards I find the nutritional value is lacking. Joe is all about sensational stuff and I admit that it's a lot of fun. When I read Kirk's books I actually learn valuable stuff that helps me grow as a photog.
Joe's stuff comes from someone aiming to please other photographers. Kirk's stuff comes from someone who is aiming to please the kind of clients who live outside New York city.
I live vicariously through Joe. I learn stuff from Kirk. There's place for both. But Kirk helps me in my journey to actually make money taking pictures.
Thanks for the review, David. I don't get the comments about it being negative at all.
A million readers every three months? Wow.
Maybe you can change a bit of the lexicon. Teach people to say continuous lights instead of hot lights.
-Charlie Cello
I've read the first book about minimalist lighting. That was really good and simple to grasp.
This book is going to be forwarded more on how to set up a studio.
I've set up my studio using only strobist methods so far, and results are great. Looking forward to get this book!
Have to say, I'm disappointed that no-one responded to Chris @ 10:15, who seems to be under the impression that you've got to have a pair of balls to enjoy lighting. Thanks so much for making us lady Strobist fans feel so welcome, Chris.
David, thanks for the post. Appreciate you reading through this book and giving your opinion of the book's target skill level. Helps me to know if I should run out and buy it or plan to browse through it first.
Photopoppy-
Well said. I suspect we have a fair amount of people reading this site without balls. Speaking for myself, I alway pack a couple in the stand bag. Some aren't comfortable unless they have extas.
And I was a little surprised to find out that most photographers in Europe don't have any balls at all.
(We can get them at WalMart or Amazon, fortunately.
Congrats to Kirk.
It's great to see another Austin photographer experiencing success.
His writing style is clear and easy to grasp and having met him several times, Kirk is a really nice guy and an effective communicator.
Hey Daving, I'm another suspected lurker still lusting after a second flash I can't afford, there are lots of us. I hope that you'll continue to review the occasional non-heroin book for us. I love reading Strobist even if I find myself a little lost sometimes.
And it's not just a male preoccupation, Chris. Photon manipulation turns some of us silly women on, too. :)
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