Black & White Portrait Photography [Paperback]

Helen T. Boursier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1998

Addressing the unique lighting and technical challenges specific to black and white portraits, this book teaches anyone with basic skills how to make any subject look great in black and white. Numerous photos illustrate exactly how to do it and set a high standard for quality. Professionals and amateurs will find dozens of useful tips for working in a studio or outdoors and for processing and storing images for generations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Helen T. Boursier is the author of several photography books, including Family Portrait Photography, Photographers and Their Studios, and Watercolor Portrait Photography.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Amherst Media, Inc. (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0936262613
• ISBN-13: 978-0936262611
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,547,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A bit of a disappointment, January 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Black & White Portrait Photography (Paperback)

I had high hopes for this book, and black-and-white portraiture is a real interest of mine. Regrettably, I cannot recommend the book. The book does contain some nice portraits and give some good advice (I particularly liked the advice concerning handling children); however, it was mostly characterized by what was absent. There was almost no specific information on how the photos that illustrated the book were shot (ie, schematics of location and lighting, exposures, equipment used), and in general the recommendations offered (eg: "develop your own signature style") were simply too vague. There was too little concentration on compositional elements, needed equipment, and the pros and cons of various photographic choices. Moreover, most photographers learn as much or more from analyzing mistakes as from evaluating successes, but there was virtually none of that.

In the end, no book is going to make you a good photographer. However, this book seemed to be too much of a brochure for photo services of the author and the other contributors and not enough of an aid to aspiring black-and-white portrait photographers.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dissappointing book from Ms. Boursier, November 16, 2001

By 

Anton Karidian (Toronto) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black & White Portrait Photography (Paperback)

The cover of the book seems to suggest a book on "unconventional" portrait photography; howevever, most of the examples shown inside are extremely conventional -- even mundane.

Furthermore the photo techniques really don't address the concepts and advantages of shooting in black and white. Virtually all the photographs could have been equally as effective in color. Frankly many would have been BETTER in color since the portraits really don't try to evoke any mood which would be enhanced in black and white -- with the exception of the cover.

This book doesn't shed any new light on portrait photography which her previous book on Group Portaits hasn't already covered.

To make things worse, the black and white reproductions in the book are of poor quality. The imagaes are flat and muddy.