Portraits (Pro-Lighting Series)

Rating:
Summary: Good, But Not a Real How-to-Do-It book
Review: It's a well done book of its type-good photos, good lighting diagrams, and high quality typography. But like most of its genre it does not give the "nuts and bolts" of how to set up and run a photo studio. For this I find the books of Scott Smith to be outstanding.

Rating:
Summary: Good, But Not a Real How-to-Do-It book
Review: It's a well done book of its type-good photos, good lighting diagrams, and high quality typography. But like most of its genre it does not give the "nuts and bolts" of how to set up and run a photo studio. For this I find the books of Scott Smith to be outstanding.

Rating:
Summary: fabulously informative, with interesting examples
Review: Of all my photography books, this is the one that did me the most good. The examples are excellent, ranging from traditional to exotic, with really good lighting diagrams, that are actually reasonably reproducable. Some of the examples take a full studio setup, but mostly there is a wide range of equipment and techniques. And for once, the pictures are good, not 70-s looking faux playboy shots. Between this and the "New Glamour" book, I would be willing to buy any book in this series sight unseen.

Rating:
Summary: Solid lighting concepts for portraits
Review: Photography is painting with light and this book goes to great lengths to detail exactly how the portraits were shot. Through traditional definitions, birds-eye drawings, and technical notations, this manual provides the blueprints to photographs that compliment the nature of the subject through command of the luminous environment. Truely a wonderful book that has taught me a lesson from every page.

Rating:
Summary: Not What I Thought It Would Be
Review: This book definately did not live up to its average four star rating. As a pro photographer I can tell you that it lacked any detail regarding exposures, exact positions and angles of lighting, posing techniques and a number of other important areas of portraiture. A number of the examples were written in German, many of the lighting products were from Europe, and only one of the photographers profiled was from the U.S., which is important in regards to accepted styles.If you want basic pictures of lighting set-ups and ideas for using films that are no longer very popular, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Good, But Not a Real How-to-Do-It book
Review: This is by far the best book of it's kind. Excellent diagrams and descriptions walk you through the "hows", but more importantly the "whys" of creating dramatic and interesting lighting effects. A variety of set ups are used from existing light to 7-light set ups. Tungsten, strobe and quartz lighting, and even camera mounted flash examples are given. I would've liked a little more information on how to meter the various scenes and occasionally more description of how certain unusual effects were created but it is a mandatory resource for anyone who is serious about their portraiture and wants to be able to expand their current repetoir.

Rating:
Summary: Mandatory resource for any serious amateur or pro photograph
Review: This is by far the best book of it's kind. Excellent diagrams and descriptions walk you through the "hows", but more importantly the "whys" of creating dramatic and interesting lighting effects. A variety of set ups are used from existing light to 7-light set ups. Tungsten, strobe and quartz lighting, and even camera mounted flash examples are given. I would've liked a little more information on how to meter the various scenes and occasionally more description of how certain unusual effects were created but it is a mandatory resource for anyone who is serious about their portraiture and wants to be able to expand their current repetoir.

Rating:
Summary: Not For The Amatuer
Review: This outstanding book title says it all...with an emphasis on PRO. With few exceptions this book addresses studio lighting. The lighting techniques are explained well and in detail. However you will need significant lighting equipment to employ the techniques identified.