alton wrote "painting with light" (1949), one of the first books written by a working studio cinematographer. the book put forth several controversial theories for the day, such as depth is created by placing the brightest object in the scene furthest from the camera, and that studio lighting must always simulate natural light in texture and direction. it addresses both conventional and unconventional methods of studio motion-picture lighting. despite the vast technical advances achieved within the motion picture industry much of the content is still pertinent. "painting with light" (1949) contains essential reading for any budding filmmaker with detailed information and ideas for lighting several difficult interior and exterior setups and situations. the table of contents includes chapters such as "mystery lighting", "special illumination", and "visual symphony".