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Painting With Light | 
 enlarge | Author: John Alton
Publisher: University of California Press
Category: Book
List Price: $31.95
Buy New: $20.04
You Save: $11.91 (37%)
New (26) Used (16) from $16.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 90103
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 191
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 7.3 x 0.6
ISBN: 0520089499
Dewey Decimal Number: 779.5343
EAN: 9780520089495
ASIN: 0520089499
Publication Date: May 18, 1995
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Painting With Light was the first book on cinematography written by a major Hollywood cameraman. Published in 1949 and now put back into print, it is one of the best and most unusual books in the field. Written with good humor and full of helpful diagrams and photographs, it is certainly the most entertaining. Its technological discussions are dated, but Painting With Light remains relevant because its primary focus is on light itself and the many complex ways the camera crew can manipulate it. This new edition contains a biographical introduction by Todd McCarthy, who describes how the man who shot the strikingly colorful ballet sequence in An American in Paris also helped define the stark, haunting style of the film noir.
Product Description
Few cinematographers have had as decisive an impact on the cinematic medium as John Alton. Best known for his highly stylized film noir classics T-Men, He Walked by Night, and The Big Combo, Alton earned a reputation during the 1940s and 1950s as one of Hollywood's consummate craftsmen through his visual signature of crisp shadows and sculpted beams of light. No less renowned for his virtuoso color cinematography and deft appropriation of widescreen and Technicolor, he earned an Academy Award in 1951 for his work on the musical An American in Paris. First published in 1949, and long out of print since then, Painting With Light remains one of the few truly canonical statements on the art of motion picture photography, an unrivalled historical document on the workings of the postwar, American cinema. In simple, non-technical language, Alton explains the job of the cinematographer and explores how lighting, camera techniques, and choice of locations determine the visual mood of film. Todd McCarthy's introduction, written especially for this edition, provides an overview of Alton's biography and career and explores the influence of his work on contemporary cinematography.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 My husband is the filmmaker and enjoyed this book. December 14, 2008
I bought it for him as a gift, he turns to it from time to time even after his first read through.
 The Lighting Bible December 2, 2008
This is the "Lighting Bible". The book has a lot of out dated facts but, is great for setting up shots on a black & white shoot. John Alton was a master of his craft and it really shows in this book. I gave the book a 4 out of 5 stars because it doesn't apply to most film making today but, if you ever need to make a period piece, black & white feature, or "noir" style film; this is a recommend reading.
 book written in the 40's November 23, 2008
If you are looking for Hollywood history this is the right book.. it was written in the 40's!!
but I wasn't interested in history, I would like to learn something about lighting, the book is about cinema lights.. of the 40's... you can always learn something but... I'd rather prefer something more near to me...
Classic historical instruction, a must for cinephiles September 26, 2008
Not your average "how to" manual, this is more of a collectors item than practical advice for working cinematographers. I bought it to study the history of film lighting, and for that it was perfect and an ideal short read that isn't terribly technical. Some of the advice is still useful today, but lacks much of the practical working knowledge that most DP's take for granted. Still - I recommend it to all photographers and lighters as a solid foundation book to build from.
Learn To Walk January 20, 2008
This book is really great. Written in the fifties it still seems very relevant to me today.
It explains very basic items like cookies, gobos etc. and basic concepts like how to let objects appear to be three dimensional.
I looked at the book from the eyes of a still photographer. Some content was only relevant to cinematography. Personally, I even liked those parts as they gave me an behind the scenes look into movie lighting, which output I see every day.
A revised version would be very much appreciated.
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