Finished reading: Color and Light in Nature by David K. Lynch and William Livingston

★★★★½ Science Hardcover Own

Color and Light in Nature - O.K., this book has an odd ordering system. You get almost no confirmation that things went through, but it works. You basically pay via PayPal, then email your PayPal receipt to the address on the site, and the book shows up. It’s a beautiful, incredibly unique book aimed at photographers but also at folks who are curious, in a science sort of way, about why we see the things we see.

From the website:

What is a rainbow? Why are there always two of them? Can mirages be photographed? Why do stars twinkle? How many ice crystal haloes are there? Is it really darkest just before dawn? Why is the sky blue? Why is the setting sun red and flattened? What color is water, and why does it appear in so many different colors? Why does the full moon look so big on the horizon? What’s the best way to see an aurora borealis? What is the green flash? Why are icebergs blue? Why can clouds produce such strong colors? What is a glory? Why is the dark side of the moon sometimes visible? What are those light beams that seem to radiate from the setting sun?

These and scores of other naturally occurring naked eye phenomena are presented and discussed, along with tips on how to see and photograph them.

I’ve had this book since June, and I’ve slowly read it cover to cover, highlighting what pertains to me as a photographer. It will help you understand light and color in your photography. I’m thinking about getting a couple more copies to use as gifts. I can’t imagine any photographer who wouldn’t enjoy this.

Some major topics:

• Shadows
• Clear air
• Water and light
• Water drops
• Ice and halos
• Naked eye astronomy
• Observing (human vision and how it behaves and misbehaves)
• Exotic clouds

You can see professional photographer Nick Carver talk about the book and how it helped him make a shot in his video Dissecting a Photo: 1964 Sears Department Store.

277 pages · First published 1995