Master Of Light

Through conversations held with fifteen of the most accomplished contemporary cinematographers, the authors explore the working world of the person who controls the visual look and style of a film. This reissue includes a new foreword by cinematographer John Bailey and a new preface by the authors, which bring this classic guide to cinematography, in print for more than twenty-five years, into the twenty-first century.

In this biography of Albert A. Michelson (1852-1931), his daughter shares personal reminiscences, describes her father’s family life — two wives, six children, and a strong temperament — and follows Michelson from his birth in Poland to Jewish parents to the United States where his parents brought him at the age of three, settling in a gold-rush town in Nevada and then in San Francisco. Michelson graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1873, studied in Europe, taught at Clark University, and was head of the department of physics at the University of Chicago from 1894 to 1929. Michelson’s passion was the accurate measurement of the speed of light. In his first experiment, he found it to be 186,320 miles per second, which remained the best value available for a generation, until Michelson himself bettered it. He also invented the interferometer to measure distances using the length of light waves; he measured the meter using the wavelength of cadmium light for the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris; and he used light interference to determine the size of stars. With E. W. Morley, he showed that the absolute motion of the earth through the ether is not measurable, contributing to the development of the theory of relativity. The first American to receive a Nobel prize in science, Michelson received the Nobel prize in physics in 1907 for his optical precision instruments and for the spectroscopic and metrological investigations he made with them. “This work of a devoted daughter who is not herself a scientist catches the humanity of a complex, brilliant man through anecdotes and informed detail.” — The New York Times “From personal recollection, from much reading, and from interviews, Mrs. Livingston has written a well-organized scientific biography of her father... In this book the author has attempted not only to discuss his scientific achievements, but also to portray Michelson the man — his personality and character, strengths and foibles. He was dedicated but demanding and could be arrogant, strict, and severe... This book portrays Michelson not as a legend, but as a real, believable person.” — John N. Howard, Science “[A] beautiful family portrait of Albert Abraham Michelson, America’s first Nobel laureate for science. This biography is more than an intellectual exercise, more than merely of academic or scientific or historical interest. It is almost a religious work that begins with a ‘quest for my father’ and ends with a ‘postscript’ on Michelson’s honors and continuing influence... an intelligently organized, emotionally motivated, intellectually controlled search for meaning in the life and works of a great man of science... Michelson’s youngest daughter by his second marriage, has presented a sensitive, artful, honest, and superbly readable portrait of her father... [which] paints the full life, personal relations, and human figure of Michelson in a form that is a worthy monument to his memory... We learn to know much more intimately where Michelson originated, how he matured, who recognized and helped him, what personal influences shaped his life, when and where his own exertions were influential in shaping the life of physics in the United States and the world... the author has been remarkably judicious and meticulous in handling her material.” — Loyd S. Swenson, Jr., Isis “A non-physicist herself, [the author] has relied heavily on physicists who were familiar with her father’s work and with the field of optics in general, as well as archivists, historians of science, writers and editors. Thus, this thorough biography is the fortunate combination of the efforts of many people, resulting in a valuable reference work as well as a very readable story about one of America’s greatest scientists... Its merit lies in the masterful way the author has melded voluminous information from many sources into a sensitive and realistic portrait of Michelson, showing him as a very real person with strengths and weaknesses, and showing his relation to scientists and the science of his period. It is a book well written and well worth reading by physicists and non-physicists alike.” — Jean M. Bennett, Physics Today “Mrs Livingston, Michelson’s last child by his second wife, is, as she says, neither a physicist nor a writer. Her book nonetheless has something for both the general reader and the specialist. The former will find an interesting and even adventurous life, the latter some gems from unpublished correspondence.” — J. L. Heilbron, The British Journal for the History of Science “The biography is a well-researched, accurate, and reliable work enhanced by the author’s invaluable first-hand experience with the subject. Michelson’s achievements are set against his personal life including his family, relationships to other scientists, and the struggles which inevitably develop in establishing a college science department.” — George T. Ladd, The Science Teacher “This excellent biography by Michelson’s youngest daughter is a judicious mixture of anecdotes and details of the scientific achievements... Dorothy Livingston is to be congratulated on this very readable and informative biography of her talented father.” — W. W. Watson, American Scientist “[An] admirable biography of Michelson the man... most fascinating.” — David R. Topper, Technology and Culture

Brand-new series! Elevate your art skills with definitive advice, tutorials, and inspiration from the world's most talented art masters.

With over 120 photographs by Ansel Adams and his contemporaries, this book examines the photographers whose work affected Ansel Adams' life and career and also offers a portfolio of Adams' photographs for the National Park Service.

Powerful Paintings from a Watercolor Master "The most nearly 'perfect' paintings to me are rarely the ones simply characterized by technical expertise. More often, they are the ones in which you can sense the beating heart of the artist just below the surface--flaws included." Twenty years into a career as architect and architectural illustrator, Thomas Schaller embarked upon a bold new path as a fine artist. Today he is one of the world's most accomplished watercolor artists, celebrated for his poignant treatment of light and its dynamic interplay with the natural and manmade landscape. The first and only collection of work from this popular contemporary artist, Thomas W. Schaller: Architect of Light features 150 of his finest paintings--buildings, bridges, boats, people and other scenes from around the world. In a series of essays, Schaller ruminates on his journey as an artist, what drives him, and the "truths" he's discovered along the way. He offers not only sage insight on composition, color and other technical aspects of painting, but also provocative perspective on more fundamental struggles for the artist, such as overcoming self-doubt and honing one's own, unique voice. Schaller's essays, like his art, shine with passion, authenticity, and the epiphanies that comprise his artistic constellation: discovering the power of breathing...the secret to "finding the art" in any subject...and how the quest for perfection led him to worry less about the final result to take greater joy in the process itself. It's a pivoting read for collector, art-lover and practicing artist alike, full of views to savor and enlighten.

The bravura Impressionist works of the premier Spanish painter of a century ago, showcased and explored in detail by an international team of renowned scholars Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923) was the leading Spanish painter of his day, world-famous when Picasso was still struggling to establish a name. This sumptuously illustrated book traces Sorolla's career at home and abroad, focusing on more than 60 canvases. These include portraits, landscapes, the bathers and seascapes for which he is most famous, and genre scenes of Spanish life. His monumental early works established the artist's reputation as an unflinching social realist. Sending pictures strategically to major exhibitions across Europe, Sorolla depicted peasants, fishermen, and sail-makers eking out meager existences; young women forced into prostitution; and naked, disabled orphans. Rarely had Impressionist technique been turned to such provocative ends. As Sorolla found a wealthy clientele toward the turn of the century, his focus turned to sun-drenched scenes of leisure and elegant sociability: beautiful women stroll in fashionable resorts and children gambol on the seashore. Here, leading scholars offer a contemporary assessment of his career and explore Sorolla's relations with the most famous bravura painters of the day, including John Singer Sargent and the Swedish artist Anders Zorn. An illustrated chronology by Blanca Pons Sorolla, the artist's great-granddaughter, provides additional information. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: National Gallery, London (03/18/19-07/07/19) National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin (08/10/19-11/03/19)

This landmark book, the first major study of one of America's eminent Impressionists, examines the life and work of Theodore Clement Steele (1847-1926). Born in a "little log house in an orchard" near Gosport, Indiana, T. C. Steele had a lifelong love affair with the Indiana landscape, but the timeless universality of his picture-making provides his depictions of the midwestern landscape and cityscape with a welcoming familiarity that appeals to all lovers of art and nature. The thirty-eight color paintings selected for this volume, many of which have never been reproduced before, celebrate not only the beauties of Indiana but those Steele observed in his travels to Germany and the Pacific Northwest. The superb color reproductions, which capture the subtle interaction of form, color, and light in Steele's poetic and masterfully executed images reveal the universality and "beauty, harmony and order" that have earned his art renewed critical attention in recent years.