Faces: The Creative Process Behind Great Portraits [Hardcover]

Jane Bown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

The eyes are the window of the soul, and every face tells a story. One of the world's finest portrait photographers, working exclusively in black-and-white and using only natural light, has been the visual "biographer" of some of the late-20th century's most famous people. Jane Brown's unerring eye and talent for revealing the personalities of her sitters have won tremendous critical acclaim. Using some of her most compelling images, Brown reveals the secrets of her craft, with its technicalities and creative possibilities. Among the celebrities are a thoughtful looking Spike Lee; a smiling and wide-eyed Robin Williams; and singer Sinead O'Connor, her gaze lowered, her head leaning softly into her shoulder. This collection sheds a more personal light on some of the finest writers, actors, musicians, artists, and public figures around the globe.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"She can look at a person and she knows, instinctively, straight away, who they are" Bjork --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Jane Bown has worked as a portrait photographer for the Observer for over 45 years. Her previous books include The Gentle Eye, Men of Consequence and Women of Consequence. This is her first practical photography book. She lives in London and Sussex. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Collins & Brown (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855857898
• ISBN-13: 978-1855857896
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,090,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great portrait book for those who want to keep it simple, September 10, 2004

By 

Nicholas M. Sullivan (Hermitage, Tn United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Faces: The Creative Process Behind Great Portraits (Paperback)

Working without artificial lights and with a manual camera, Jane Bown over a long and distinguished photojournalistic career has taken many great black and white portraits on location of the famous and once famous. The natural lighting she uses is terrific and often dramatic. Don't let the lofty title "creative process" intimidate you. Bown has very little time (often 15 minutes or less) on her assignments to do much complicated planning. Most of her "creative processes" are actually her instincts and experience built on many years of shooting portraits under similar conditions. She shows what can be done without a lot of fuss, dinkering with lights and backgrounds, and all the other trappings of a studio portrait or a sophisticated on-location shoot.

5.0 out of 5 stars Faces: The Creative Process Behind Great Portraits, July 28, 2010

By 

R. Horsey (Gladesville NSW AUSTRALIA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Faces: The Creative Process Behind Great Portraits (Paperback)

Jane Bown has produced a book that is essential for all portrait photographers with a leaning to Black and White Photography. The book has given me a greater understanding of lighting and techniques more than most other publications and short courses that I have previously undertaken. The simplistic manner she has in producing portraits is to equal people the like of Lord Snowdon, David Moore and Yousuf Karsh. This makes her to me one of the finest portrait photographers of our time.

Raymond Horsey
Gladesville NSW
AUSTRALIA

5.0 out of 5 stars There's no technique like no technique., November 1, 2008

By 

Ben Rosengart (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Faces: The Creative Process Behind Great Portraits (Paperback)

What impresses me about Jane Bown's work is its simplicity. She relies on a human connection with the subject, her own sense of timing, and a handful of elementary strategies for making use of available light. The result is a body of work through which the personalities of her subjects shine directly and clearly. If you like to make portraits, this book is a worthwhile read.