Practical Digital Portraits

In this e-book are 10 projects, varying in complexity and style, covering many aspects of shooting portraits, from the basics to hiring a studio and shooting on location. It starts with a guide to composition and the kind of mistakes that can easily be made, whether they are the fault of the photographer or a characteristic of the focal length of lens being used. If you have never been in a studio then that chapter will be invaluable as it explains how to use studio lights with your DSLR. Then come the standard photo shoot tutorials covering fashion styles and glossy portraits. From there it’s a trip into the past on how to shoot various retro styles and images from the golden age of Hollywood portraiture. To finish there’s a look at period-themed shoots by organising a shoot at Whitby Abbey with a Victorian-attired model, going on location for a massive war weekend re-enactment, and rounding things off with some post-apocalyptic shots from the near future. Who is this book aimed at? Typically, a DSLR owner who knows how to change a lens and turn the camera on, but wants to get more out of the custom aperture, shutter speed, ISO and metering settings, wants to learn a little more about lens effects and who doesn’t have experience of carrying portrait shoots on location or the studio. If you’ve never photographed a model before, there are some helpful hints. Also, if you have a fully featured compact camera then there’s plenty of advice here as a lot of the book deals with location based photography. At all times this is a practical book, explaining how to get things done, and ways to make shots better.