The Art of People Photography: Inspiring Techniques for Creative Results [Paperback]

Bambi Cantrell (Author), Skip Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

Portrait photography is one of the most challenging of all the photographic specialties. The person is right there--it seems so easy! But great portraits aren’t just about what the subject looks like. It’s about how they see themselves. Great people photography is about photography...and about understanding people. The Art of People Photography shows photographers how to reveal the person behind the portrait. From the basics of choosing a camera and lens, to understanding composition, lighting, depth of field, exposure, and printing, and finally, to learning how to break the rules and capture the real personality of any subject, authors Bambi Cantrell and Skip Cohen explain how to think and shoot outside the box. Successful portrait photographers express their own artistic ideas while creating stunning, insightful portraits with personality and style. Here’s how to rise to that level of creativity and confidence.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bambi Cantrell, whose work has appeared in the New York Times, American Photo, Ebony, and Rangefinder, is one of the most sought-after photographers in the San Francisco Bay area.

Skip Cohen is president of Rangefinder Publishing and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International. With Bambi Cantrell, he is the co-author of Watson-Guptill’s top-selling The Art of Wedding Photography, The Art of People Photography, and The Art of Digital Wedding Photography. He lives in Santa Monica, CA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Amphoto Books (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0817455671
• ISBN-13: 978-0817455675
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.5 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #583,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars meh, June 26, 2007

By 

Honey White - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of People Photography: Inspiring Techniques for Creative Results (Paperback)

just a long advertisment for some cheezy filters. the one gem tucked in the ad was, "expression is more important than technique" in portraiture. not that technique is unimportant, but expression is king.

save your money. i recommend bill peterson's "beyond portraiture" instead

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended, June 9, 2007

By 

Robert F. Weir "robfweir" (Rochester, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of People Photography: Inspiring Techniques for Creative Results (Paperback)

I am a professional photographer and have a library of photo books many by the Amphoto publisher. I own the first Cantrell book on weddings, it is the best wedding book I own. Unfortunately, however, this one does not match up to her first effort. While the book has much detail about equipment, camera settings, and technique, the photos used for illustration are far too standard. Too many look like they are from the PPA (Professional Photographer magazine) and not the style that customers are looking for today. While I admit that there is plenty of good information about equipment, technique, and personal development, I take exception to an author who takes payment from a corporation to essentially advertise the product.. I am totally turned off by the shameless promotion throughout the book in both text and photographers for the Canon system. It is obvious that there were promotion dollars or equipment paid to the photographer for development of this book. shame on you Bambi.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the better amphoto books, December 31, 2007

By 

Patrick Holt "txdragon" (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of People Photography: Inspiring Techniques for Creative Results (Paperback)

This is a good book for inspiration, and some new ideas. It assumes that you are already a photography, and does not try to to teach portraiture so much as offer you some ideas and maybe new things to try. Amphoto's books on the whole, seem to really be nothing more then either reviews or just general guides- they keep themselves way to short page-length wise(always about 129 pages) to really server as instructional aides. This one really does give some good ideas about how to change up how you maybe take a portrait- but once it again, it only aims to inspire, not instruct. I do give it kudos for actually breaking down the use of 1 or 2 NIK 3rd party filters. If your looking for step by step instruction, your better off with a focal press book. Still if you want to see what type photos can be produced, this other is pretty awesome.