Lines
To effectively master the fundamentals of composition, the photographer must be able to recognize real and implied lines within the photograph. A real line is one that is obvious a horizon, for example. An implied line is one that is not as obvious the curve of the wrist or the bend of an arm is an implied line. Real lines should not intersect the photograph in halves. This actually splits the composition into two halves. It is better to locate real lines at a point one-third into the...
Lighting Ratios
The term lighting ratio is used to describe the difference in intensity between the shadow and highlight side of the face. This is useful in determining how much local contrast there will be in the portrait, as well as how much detail will be visible in the shadow areas. Light ratios are expressed numerically. For example, if an image has a 3 1 ratio, it means that the highlight side of the face has three units of light falling on it, while the shadow side has only one unit of light falling on...
Basic Lighting Setups
There are five basic portrait lighting setups. As you progress through them from Paramount to split lighting, each progressively makes the face slimmer. Each also progressively brings out more texture in the face because the light is more to one side. Additionally, as you progress from Paramount to split lighting, you'll notice that the key light mimics the path of the setting sun at first high, and then gradually lower in relation to the subject. It is important that the key light never dip...
Head Positions
There are three basic head positions in portraiture the seven-eighths, three-quarters, and profile views. With all three of these head poses, the shoulders should be at an angle to the camera. The Seven-Eighths View. The seven-eighths view occurs when the subject is looking just slightly away from the camera. In other words, you will see just a little more of one side of the face than the other when looking through the camera. You will still see both of the subject's ears in a seven-eighths...
Cameraformat Size
Large Format. Large-format cameras and films 4x5-inches and larger were traditionally used in portrait studios to provide greater technical accuracy and the ability to retouch the film. However, there are a great many limitations to using large format, especially now that so many of the popular emulsions available in sheet film size have been discontinued. Although there are still a fair number of fine-art portrait photographers who prefer the precision and enlargeability of sheet film, these...
Tim Schooler Famous For Faces
Tim Schooler is an award-winning photographer specializing in high-school senior photography with a cutting edge. His work is noted for the pop in the eyes and for the generally incredible way that he treats the faces he works with. He says, I am not a fan of over-softening skin, I think it is done too much these days. But with digital, and the high-resolution sensors we're using now, you have to do a subtle amount of diffusion to take the edge off. But I still want to see detail in the skin,...
Authors Note
This is the third edition of Portrait Photographer's Handbook. While the focus of this new edition remains essen tially on lighting, posing, and creativity for professional portraiture, one cannot ignore the impact of digital technology in portraiture in the past few years. When the first edition was published, digital capture and output were in use by only a select handful of photographers. In those early years of digital, professional cameras could cost as much as 30,000, making them a luxury...
Third Edition
Copyright 2007 by Bill Hurter. All rights reserved. Front cover photograph by Tim Kelly. Back cover photograph by Chris Nelson. Published by Amherst Media, Inc. P.O. Box 586 Buffalo, N.Y. 14226 Fax 716-874-4508 www.AmherstMedia.com Senior Editor Production Manager Michelle Perkins Assistant Editor Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt Editorial Assistance from Carey A. Maines and Artie Vanderpool Library of Congress Control Number 2006937290 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or...