Mastering Portrait Photography Paperback – 7 Nov. 2015

I followed this recommendation in a magazine, having recently taken part in a studio practice session at my club and realising that I really did have a growing interest in studio work. Having held a fear of flash for many years arising from the poor quality of my resulting shots, I have given anything to do with artifical lighting a very wide-berth - I have not used the in camera on my D800 since I purchased it in 2012. However the article suggested this book removed the mystery and fear and I agree wholeheartedly. It is a must for anyone with my level of experince (and fear!). Written simply and using few but well chosen words in explanation it combines the expectation and excitement of studio photography with what I know of slightly advanced photography. It builds an explanation stage upon stage, and following each stage I have reverted back to basics even going through my manual again and this has surprisingly filled in many gaps in my knowledge. It has encouraged me to check again what my camera is capable of and finding new limits by activating some of the functions I left on auto even though I shoot almost extensively with aperture priority, spot exposure and adjusting EV continuously. It has removed my fear and explained things so simply that I have now ordered my first studio kit and cannot wait to try - following again each stage in this great book. What I want now is the stage approach in a stage 2 book.

This book is very detailed, and very professionally produced, with lots of handy hints & tips.Would definitely recommend, well done!

A really nice bootk full of usefull advices. I like that it's not too big, the authors don't go in too much details and jargon, but in the same time the info is absolutely sufficient and gives good starting point in different aspects of the portrait photography. Ideal for begginers, like me.

Excellent book giving great pointers on what to think about when taking portraits, what locations to use, framing, depth of field etc. What would make this book excellent would be if there was a few lighting set up diagrams given for some of the examples to get you started. It's good to try an dissect and study images to see lighting positions and effects but that takes a lot of time and practice to master.

Occasionally you come across a book that you can’t put down. This is one of those books. Concise, delightful photographs and excellent text that allows even a novice to improve their way of capturing first class portraits.We can all learn something about topics we have an interest in. Photography is a ‘learned’ skill though there has to be a willingness to practice. From this book you can read about the photograph and what the photographer did to capture it; not just the camera settings, but also how to get subjects to relax and help them ‘want’ to have their picture taken. Most of us are a bit scared when a camera is pointed at us, unless you’re so handsome or beautiful, and most subjects aren’t that good looking! (Don’t I know it!)I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Yes, it’s that good. Anyone who reads this book and doesn’t fall in love with taking portraits afterwards has to be not really in love with photography. Buy it, devour it and use its content is all I can say. I repeat; yes, it’s that good!

A superb book if you want to improve your portrait photography. Great composition, lighting, location and posing tips to help you get the perfect picture. It's a book you can leave on top of your coffee table and I can guarantee that it won't just be you picking it up - friends of mine who aren't interested in photography (apart from taking photo's on their mobile) pick it up and can't put it down!

This book is excellent - everything is explained clearly in plain English, but unlike most photography books it has a pleasant charm which comes from the authors' voices. I think this is a perfect book for beginners like me. If you are serious about wanting to get good at photography start here!

Portrait photography is my speciality, and there is not much I don't know about it. However this book reminded me of some things Id not tried in a while and refreshed what I know about composition. Good read, highly recommended.