Jeff Smith's Guide to Head and Shoulders Portraits (Professional Photographers Gde)

After reading all the glowing reviews of this book, I was expecting something truly remarkable. After finishing the book, I can't help but feel a little disappointed. About 40% of the book has nothing to do with how to take head and shoulders pictures (or any pictures, for that matter), but rather with the business of photography, and how to make yours more profitable. It seems this book is aimed, not at the amateur photographer, but at the pro who's looking to improve his business. He goes on about how to find out what a client wants, how to treat them, what things to have readily available at your studio, etc. This is all good information for those who need it, but perhaps he should have saved it for a book entitled "The Business of Photography" or something. Most of his suggestions simply would not apply to an amateur. For example, he suggests hiring assistants to do almost everything except take the photos, claiming "You make hundreds of dollars an hour behind the camera, but when you sit down at the computer, you're doing the job of someone making twelve dollars an hour." Well, that's all fine, but it's not what I was looking for in a book with the title "Jeff Smith's Guide to Head and Shoulders Portraits". I was hoping for...I don't know...maybe some information on how to take great head and shoulders portraits. It's not like most of the people reading this book are in a position to hire lots of assistants. If I had that kind of money, I'd just pay a seasoned pro photographer to teach me everything he knows. Mr. Smith goes on and on about how to make your photography business profitable, and basically states that, if you don't follow his advice, you'll be one of those photographers complaining about being put out of business by "soccer moms with dSLR's". He repeatedly emphasizes the importance of knowing what your customers needs and desires are. But he doesn't seem to understand that this book is most likely not being read by fellow professionals, but by the very "soccer moms" and other amateurs he rails against. I believe he has failed to take his own advice and has put out a book that doesn't meet the expectations of his clients. Now, the reason I give the book three stars and not just one is because it does contain some useful information about posing and lighting the subject, and his portraits are truly stunning. Of course, it helps that he runs a very high-end photography studio, and his clients are the "beautiful people" of California, not the average Joe or Jane. I'm not sure his lighting setup, which leans more toward fashion lighting than portraiture, would be appropriate for most clients. Still, the book shows the lighting techniques and posing very well. He also goes into detail on posing the hands, head, shoulders, and even the eyes. It's just a shame that he wasted so much space on information that isn't on topic. I wish he had gone into more detail on various lighting setups, but apparently he didn't have enough space. Obviously, he felt that including information on how to stock tampons because "the average woman starts her period at unexpected times in embarrassing places and has no hygiene products" was more important. I'm keeping the book, so Jeff has made his profit off of me, which seems to be his main goal. But I won't be putting him on my list of authors to buy from in the future. Copyright ......Page 2 Table of Contents ......Page 3 INTRODUCTION Why Head and Shoulders Portraits Sell......Page 6 It’s About Them, Not You......Page 7 Meeting Your Clients’ Needs and Desires......Page 8 Creating What the Client Desires......Page 12 Meeting Client Desires Means Making Money......Page 13 2. Tools of the Trade......Page 14 Think Creatively......Page 15 Custom White Balance......Page 16 Consistent Exposures......Page 17 Lens Selection......Page 18 Camera Support......Page 19 A Fan......Page 21 Work with an Assistant......Page 22 More to Come......Page 23 Black and White Clothing......Page 24 Common Problems......Page 26 Jewelry......Page 27 Two Schools of Thought......Page 28 Contrast......Page 29 Color......Page 31 Lines and Texture......Page 32 Using Complete Sets......Page 33 Moving Ahead......Page 36 Lighting Descriptions......Page 37 Background Light......Page 38 Hair Light......Page 39 Background Light......Page 40 Fill Light......Page 41 Height and Angle......Page 42 An Individualized Approach......Page 43 Test Your Lighting Tools......Page 44 Parabolics......Page 47 Spotlights......Page 49 Butterfly Lighting......Page 51 You’re Selling Memories......Page 55 The Face Turned Toward the Main Light......Page 57 The Position of the Eyes......Page 58 The Tilt of the Head......Page 60 The Real Rule......Page 62 Long Hair......Page 64 The Neck......Page 65 The Shoulders......Page 66 The Arms......Page 67 The Hands......Page 70 The Expression......Page 72 Mirroring......Page 73 The Perfect Smile......Page 74 Don’t Rely on Digital Fixes......Page 78 Explaining Problems with Tact......Page 80 Double Chin......Page 81 Ears......Page 82 Eyeglasses......Page 83 Larger Body Size......Page 85 Business or Yearbook Poses......Page 86 Resting Poses......Page 87 Glamorous Poses......Page 89 Show More of the Background......Page 92 Variations......Page 93 Be Observant......Page 97 Coordinating the Clothing and the Location......Page 98 Including the Background......Page 100 Skip the On-Camera Flash......Page 102 Studio Flash......Page 103 Reflectors......Page 104 In Short......Page 106 Donkeys and Lapdogs......Page 107 Establish a Mutually Beneficial Relationship......Page 109 Define Your Market......Page 110 Don’t Try to Please Everyone......Page 111 Take Control of Your Business......Page 112 Delegate Postproduction......Page 114 The Skin......Page 116 Stretching......Page 117 Vignetting......Page 118 Add Your Logo......Page 120 Add Texture to the Prints......Page 121 Stop Selling Single Portraits......Page 122 In Closing......Page 123 Index......Page 124

With detailed, informative instructions for capturing personable and memorable yearbook photos, actor and model portfolios, and business, bridal, and children’s portraits, this exhaustive reference covers what photographers need to know to be successful. Emphasizing that the client is always the center of the photograph, this resource illustrates how to evaluate the customer to determine which features to downplay and which to accent. Tips for creating the perfect image through posing and lighting, handling the post-shot conference, and previewing and retouching the images are supplied, as well as guidance for the technical and emotional challenges of shooting a portrait. Packed with step-by-step images, no-nonsense techniques, and practical advice, this is a must-have book for professional and advanced amateur photographers.

Why head and shoulders portraits sell Creating portraits by design Tools of the trade Clothing selection Background selection Lighting Posing Working on location Customer service Postproduction.