Title: Light and Lens: Photography in the Digital Age

Author: Robert Hirsch

ISBN: 024080855X

Publisher: Focal Press

Edition: Paperback

Review: A self-described “adventurous ideas book” rather than a software technique manual, Light and Lens aims to explore photography from a variety of angles. Guidance and explanations of the technology and science of digital photography are coupled with explorations into visual foundations and the perception of time. Hirsch explains in the opening that while rigour and scientific knowledge alone cannot make a great photograph, having a firm base of knowledge is the perfect starting block from which you can explore your artistic leanings.

With references ranging from Wilde and Socrates to Ansel Adams, Hirsch’s writing style might be more suited to a philosophy lecture hall than a photographer’s darkroom, yet the style is refreshing in a photography technique book, and the treatment of the subject matter makes this an essential book for the budding photographer.

What Digital Camera Score: 91%