Having bought almost every book on food photography that has been written in the last 10 years, I can without a doubt say that Teri Campbell's "Food Photography & Lighting" is THE textbook for anyone working at or aspires to work at the professional level in food photography.The book takes you through every process of being a professional food photographer, from the struggles of moving from a home, or apt, based food photographer to taking the enormous leap to having your own studio, as well as all the technical knowledge needed to deal with any location, shoot, or challenge. Its like a comforting, encouraging friend sharing their personal stories of success and technical knowledge in a way that makes the reader feel a little more positive about taking similar risks in their own career.Topics that are so difficult to ever learn about and most food photographers have to learn by trial an error are covered in a clear, understandable way in this book. The business side of food photography is sometimes the most challenging, and until this book arrived there really was no source of information on this mysterious side of the business that rose to the level of detail that is found in Teri's book. I've read countless threads on message boards about "what do I charge?" and "How does a shoot with a client on set go?". Now all I have to do is refer them to Teri's book, and there they can get a clear understanding of probably the most challenging side of food photography, running the business side of a food photography company.Even though the book contains an enormous amount of technical information regarding lighting, using both natural light and strobes, its told in such a relaxed, "conversation over coffee" way, that its easy to understand, but even more so, its easy to retain. The next day after finishing the book, I was already down in my studio trying out some of the techniques and setups that I read in Teri's book.But my favorite part is the chapters that cover different shoots, showing both the diagrams for the lighting and prop set up, but also sharing the unique stories behind the shoots. So many times i've been on a food photography shoot and encountered challenges and obstacles, and I always assumed I was doing something wrong, or I just wasn't a good enough food photographer. Reading Teri's stories about the different shoots he has done, I began to realize that even the most prestigious food photographers have challenges with locations, lighting, and gear.And that was the most personal thing I took away from Teri's book. That reassurance from one of the greatest food photographers, that we all face challenges in being a food photographer. So not only did the book give me a wealth of technical knowledge about both the professional and the business side of food photography, it also gave me the encouragement to take the next step forward in my career.