The Portrait Photographer S Lighting Style Guide

Todays most popular portrait styles are broken down with lighting diagrams and exposure information, as well as the story behind the shot, to create an indispensable reference for anyone interested in making more up to date, professional style portraits.

Light, vibrant and malleable, is the greatest tool at the disposal of portrait photographers. In this acclaimed book—with over 50,000 copies in print—Christopher Grey walks you through studio portrait lighting from start to finish. Dozens of image sequences and before/after pairings show you precisely how each change of light position and modifier affects the look of the lighting on the subject. From classic portrait lighting patterns to unexpected but powerful looks, Grey teaches you everything you need to know to control light effectively. Armed with these powerful skills, you’ll be able to create portraits that are more flattering, more marketable, and more creative.

Portrait Photographer’s Style Guide is a hardworking recipe book of inspiring portrait photography. The first section of the book explores professional portrait techniques across a wide variety of styles and genres that echo the full range of images in today’s magazines, advertising and modelling shots. From gritty urban looks to classic poses, readers are provided with all the ingredients they need to recreate these styles. A 3D diagram of the studio or outdoor equipment setup accompanies each image, and explanations describe precisely how the image was shot in terms of format, lens, exposure, aperture and lighting. The second half of the book provides professional advice on handling commissions, setting fees, understanding copyright and planning shoots. It also includes practical shooting tips, an overview of essential equipment, and step-by-step tutorials.

Effective commercial portraiture is heavily reliant on clean, crisp lighting looks that emphasize color, contrast, contours, and texture to allow viewers of magazines, newspapers, television, and movies to view a product or model/celebrity in a precise and predetermined way that suits the overall marketing campaign and leaves viewers with a specific, conscripted feeling about the product /person being shown. Crafting this type of polished lighting requires absolute proficiency with the tools of the trade, from flash, to beauty lights, to softboxes, to gobos and gels. It also requires thinking outside the box to create lighting with a “hook”—a certain quality that binds the look to the brand identity and can be carried out repeatedly across several advertising campaigns. Whether you are producing album cover art, lingerie shoots for an intimates catalog, or production stills for television shows or movies, Jennifer Emery will give you the technical and creative skill set you need to thrive artistically, work efficiently with models and set designers, and win repeat clients. Beginning with essential strategies for finding and casting talent, paying/trading with that talent, and creating an open dialogue throughout the directorial stages, Jennifer builds a solid foundation from which the artistic concept can spring forth. In the following chapters, she presents text and images that will instruct readers on creating numerous looks/projects, including: (1) Beauty lighting for beauty/cosmetics ads (2) High-Key Lighting for a magazine cover shoot, (3) Lighting groups for a movie/TV poster, (4) Sculpting light for boudoir/lingerie/swimsuit/nude photograph, (5) Working with speedlights/flash for editorial fashion and lifestyle shoots, and (6) Lighting exterior locations for high fashion and fashion editorial work. Armed with these skills, photographers will be able to approach any commercial lighting job with a repertoire of skills, an ability to overcome challenges, and the confidence needed to nail the shot every time.

This cookbook-style guide to portrait lighting contains all the ingredients necessary for a successful photo shoot. With 60 two-page spreads highlighting the techniques used to create stunning portraits alongside the portraits themselves, aspiring photographers will have a clear sense of both the "how" and the "why" of good lighting. Difficult questions such as How can I downplay a double chin and dark shadows under the eyes? and How can I produce a soft, romantic feel in a woman's portrait? Are addressed and resolved in this no-nonsense guide to good lighting.

Light is the greatest tool at the disposal of portrait photographers. In this book Christopher Grey walks you through portrait lighting from start to finish, teaching you how to control light more effectively so you can create portraits that are more flattering, more creative and more marketable.

There are many aspects to professional photography: composition, camera angles, exposure, color balance, posing, and lighting— just to name a few. However, while each of these aspects of photography is important in the creation of a professional portrait, lighting presents a special challenge that is part art and part science. When the two come together effectively, the results are stunning; when any one aspect of the recipe falls short, the result is a poor exposure or a downright unflattering look. On the artistic side of the scale, lighting is one of the primary tools for setting the mood of the portrait. It can communicate a sense of bright, airy ease or sharp, dramatic tension—or anything in between. Determining what look is right for the client (and for their intended use of the resulting portraits) is a key decision. From there, the photographer can begin to use light to sculpt the subject’s features, minimizing problem areas or accentuating the subject’s best features through the selection of light modifiers and the positioning of the lights themselves. Moving to the technical side, outdoor lighting present particular challenges—but also some significant advantages. Outdoors, photographers shoot at least partially with natural light. While this is (most of the day) an abundant light source, it is largely out of the control of the photographer. The light can change from moment to moment as clouds pass between the earth and sun. It also changes continually throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. Since he can’t completely control the light, the photographer must be prepared to adapt his subject’s pose and position to create flattering results with the light as-is. Alternately, the photographer can “tweak” the lighting by augmenting the sunlight with flash or reflectors—or even softening it, using scrim or other diffusers. (Of course, this leaves another major concern: the background. Even if the light on the subject can be perfected, rarely can the photographer also control the light on an area as large as the background—making it a major concern in the process of posing and lighting.) So, given all this, why would any photographer choose to make portraits outside? One advantage is that the lighting and scenes are free—making outdoor photography a great starting point for those entering the field. Even established studios, however, have found that clients simply like the natural, timeless look of outdoor portraits. This makes them strong sellers. Additionally, most portrait subjects are more at ease in natural light than when seated in front of bright, noisy studio-flash units—and relaxed subjects translate into better expressions, and better overall portraits. In this book, Smith takes you through the process or lighting outdoor portraits from start to finish, covering both the artistic and technical aspects of achieving success. Short one- or two-page lessons are amply illustrated to guide the reader through each phase. In many cases, before and after images—or image sequences showing variations and alternative approaches—are presented to facilitate learning. Readers are encouraged to have this book with them during practice sessions and work on replicating or refining the provided examples, creating a self-study course in the art of lighting for outdoor portrait photography.

Aspiring photographers are always looking for that edge, that fresh point of view to add drama to their images. Photographer Joey L. found his vision early, drawing critical acclaim as a brilliant commercial photographer with a distinctive technical expertise for lighting. In Photographing Shadow and Light, Joey lifts the curtain on his dramatic, creatively fearless approach to portraiture, sharing his personal philosophy and a behind-the-scenes look at 15 striking photo sessions—from personal projects shot in Africa, India, and Brooklyn to commercial shoots for 50 Cent, the Jonas Brothers, and Project Runway All Stars. Joey provides readers with a step-by-step description of how he visualized each shoot, formed meaningful connections with his subjects, and “built” his signature dramatic lighting effects—one light at a time. Featuring more than 85 stunning portraits, detailed lighting diagrams, and a foreword from industry icon David Hobby (aka Strobist), Photographing Shadow and Light shares the creative process behind one of today’s most exciting photography talents, providing serious amateurs and professionals a fresh perspective on creating compelling, professional quality portraits. “Joey Lawrence is . . . the future of photography. Get used to it.” —David Hobby (Strobist) Get inside the images of commercial and fine art portrait photographer Joey L. with this behind-the-lens guide to his fearless approach, creative vision, and signature lighting techniques. Also available as an ebook