Photographer, author and designer Fil Hunter passed away in November of 2013. He was the genius behind the classic book on lighting, Light-Science & Magic, which he started with co-author Paul Fuqua over 25 years ago. Needless to say, his contribution was huge in the global photographic community.
Fil was my mentor and friend. I clearly remember my first photo assistant job with him and just being in awe of his mastery with light and the large format camera. He was a wonderful teacher with a quirky sense of humor, unless you didn't get it right :) and he was always willing to share his knowledge of photography and lighting. Our six years together sharing a studio was a blast and during our down times he looked for the opportunity to play chess - another one of his passions. He beat me on most occasions. I'm just very grateful for all the guidance and support he gave me during the early years of my career and then later on inviting me to join in as a co-author on Light-Science and Magic, An Introduction to Photographic Lighting.
Fil was my mentor and friend. I clearly remember my first photo assistant job with him and just being in awe of his mastery with light and the large format camera. He was a wonderful teacher with a quirky sense of humor, unless you didn't get it right :) and he was always willing to share his knowledge of photography and lighting. Our six years together sharing a studio was a blast and during our down times he looked for the opportunity to play chess - another one of his passions. He beat me on most occasions. I'm just very grateful for all the guidance and support he gave me during the early years of my career and then later on inviting me to join in as a co-author on Light-Science and Magic, An Introduction to Photographic Lighting.
Fil’s legacy continues with a 5th edition of L-S&M, coming out in the spring of 2015.
Below is a self-portrait of Fil in his Alexandria, VA studio (photo courtesy of his lovely wife Robin Reid).
