ABCs of Beautiful Light

Everything we see is lit by one source or another. The questions are: what and how? That is what this book is designed to teach you. Through Rosanne Olson’s tried-and-true course on lighting principles for photography, video, and art in general, you will discover how the angles and heights of your light sources affect your pictures. You will learn how to work with light modifiers to change the quality of your light, and how to control light to create a feeling of depth and dimension—whether you’re shooting with natural light, continuous artificial light, studio strobes, dedicated flash, or a combination of sources. Assignments are included to help you put each concept into practice as you perfect your skills and train your eyes to see the subtleties of light. You will never look at a photograph or painting in the same way after you read this book!

Rosanne Olson is a portrait and fine art photographer. She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and has taught workshops on lighting, portraiture and creativity at Photo Center NW, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, Photo Plus Expo (New York), WPPI (Las Vegas), at various high schools and universities as a guest speaker, and in her Seattle studio. She authored a book about women and body image titled This is Who I Am – our beauty in all shapes and sizes (Artisan Books 2008) and is currently working on a textbook about lighting to be published in 2014 (Amherst Media).

Rosanne’s diverse photography background of 30 years ranges from newspaper and magazine photography to commercial jobs including ad campaigns for the New York City Ballet, Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Children’s Hospital, Swedish Medical Center and more. Her work has been featured in various publications including Photo District News, View Camera, Lens Work and Communication Arts, among others.

She has won numerous awards including nine times in Communication Arts annuals, more than a dozen times in Graphis Photo annuals and a 2013 PX3 award (Paris) for her newest fine art series, Rapture. She is represented by Robin Rice Gallery in New York and Iris Gallery in Boston and Aspen.