Essential Elements of Portrait Photography

Creating an idealized image of a subject is a portrait photographer's job. However, the approach is not quite formulaic. From one subject to the next and one day to the next, there are different goals and scenarios—on Monday, you may be tasked with photographing your subjects under cloudy skies on a beach; on Tuesday, you may need want to downplay your client's wide hips in the studio; on Wednesday, you may want to create dramatic lighting for an actor's portfolio—on-stage. Every day, there is a unique challenge to meet, often under varying conditions. So, how do you make a magically good portrait during every shoot?

In this book, Bill Israelson shows you how to tackle the problem of creating a great portrait of your every client. Beginning with a discussion on equipment essentials, breaking the discussion into two topics—gear for studio work and portable equipment for location work.

Next, you'll learn simple posing strategies for making women, men, kids, and groups looks their best in any presentation. You'll learn how to position the body from head to toe to maximize assets and downplay common problem areas.

Lighting is the backbone of every image. In the studio, you have complete control over every facet of the lighting—from its hardness or softness to its color temperature and direction. On location, the basic principles of good lighting still apply—but the quality and quantity of light is subject to change. Israelson shows you how to harness the available light and supplement it when needed to create saleable images every time.

With straightforward, jargon-free text and a wide range of image examples, this book will help you quickly learn how to improve your portrait results to create client-pleasing portraits every time.

Creating an idealized image of a subject is a portrait photographer's job. However, the approach is not quite formulaic. From one subject to the next and one day to the next, there are different goals and scenarios—on Monday, you may be tasked with photographing your subjects under cloudy skies on a beach; on Tuesday, you may need want to downplay your client's wide hips in the studio; on Wednesday, you may want to create dramatic lighting for an actor's portfolio—on-stage. Every day, there is a unique challenge to meet, often under varying conditions. So, how do you make a magically good portrait during every shoot?

In this book, Bill Israelson shows you how to tackle the problem of creating a great portrait of your every client. Beginning with a discussion on equipment essentials, breaking the discussion into two topics—gear for studio work and portable equipment for location work.

Next, you'll learn simple posing strategies for making women, men, kids, and groups looks their best in any presentation. You'll learn how to position the body from head to toe to maximize assets and downplay common problem areas.

Lighting is the backbone of every image. In the studio, you have complete control over every facet of the lighting—from its hardness or softness to its color temperature and direction. On location, the basic principles of good lighting still apply—but the quality and quantity of light is subject to change. Israelson shows you how to harness the available light and supplement it when needed to create saleable images every time.

With straightforward, jargon-free text and a wide range of image examples, this book will help you quickly learn how to improve your portrait results to create client-pleasing portraits every time.