Outdoor and Location Portrait Photography [Paperback]

Jeff Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2002

Outdoor portraiture offers photographers countless opportunities to create dramatic and beautiful photographs. In the guide, photographers will learn aspects of identifying and controlling natural light, finding the perfect setting, utilizing architecture, taking urban portraits, and capturing stunning nightscapes. Included are tips for professional photographers to build a better profit margin.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeff Smith is a professional photographer and the author of Corrective Lighting and Posing. He lives in Fresno, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Amherst Media, Inc.; Second edition edition (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584280700
• ISBN-13: 978-1584280705
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #621,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good basic information and advice on outdoor portraits., November 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Outdoor & Location Portrait Photography (Paperback)

This book is a good starting point for advanced amateurs or beginning professionals who want some basic pointers on outdoor location photography. It contains useful basic technical information on choosing settings and manipulating lighting, positioning of subjects, clothing, etc. The book is written in an easy-to-read and well-organized manner. Mr. Smith has used his experiences as a high school senior portrait photographer as his primary examples throughout the book. Of the over 100 images contained in the book, 17 depict equipment and/or setup, 3 are young male subjects, and about 83 are young female subjects. There are no examples of groups, families, older people, pets, etc., but most of the techniques described should be adaptable to most types of clients. Mr. Smith's advice on the business aspects of portrait photography is something this book offers that is usually omitted from more technically oriented photography books.

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outdoor and Location Portrait Photography, December 10, 1999

By 

writer, photographer and book reviewer Marily... (California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Outdoor & Location Portrait Photography (Paperback)

Outdoor and Location Portrait Photography

"In this book, we will discuss everything you need to know to create beautiful portraits with natural light, from the best equipment to use, identifying the perfect light, to posing the subject and defining your photographic style." This is what author and professional photographer Jeff Smith promises in the introduction to his book. He keeps his promise and then some. Chapter one discusses, "The Right Equipment." Camera format, films, lenses, vignettes and labs are but a few of the subjects covered. In chapters two and three Smith covers the subjects of understanding and controlling natural light. Smith takes the photographer to the scenes where they will most likely be taking outdoor portraits and shows how the elements within those scenes can work toward making beautiful portraits in chapters four and five. Other chapters cover clothing choices, make-up and hair, and posing. Clear and helpful illustrations are offered with the book's text. The art side of photography is why most photographers enter the challenging field of professional photography, but it is the business side of photography that can make or break a career. Smith devotes two chapters plus, to profits, advertising, working with clients and studio image.

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Guide to Profitable Photography?, September 4, 2002

By 

Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Outdoor and Location Portrait Photography (Paperback)

From the title this looks like just the book for someone who wants to shoot good portraits without setting up a studio. However, once you start reading you'll realize that this book is aimed at the professional portrait photographer who has to crank out pictures for a living, rather than for someone interested in capturing the soul of a person on film. It's not that there isn't a place for such a book but I think the publisher has an obligation to give us fair warning. Discovering more than half-way through a photography book that the main theme is "Art is Determined by the Eye of the Buyer" might leave a reader with a bad taste in his or her mouth.

The title might lead you to think that this book was a comprehensive approach to the subject, and that it would deal with lighting, posing, the relationship of foreground, subject and background, and the use of props, among other items critical to good portraiture. Well, the first half of the book does deal with lighting and from the author's presentation, with a little thought, one might be able to derive some comprehensive approach to using light. He certainly hammers home the theme that outdoor portrait photographers don't want direct lighting. Smith also advocates shooting early and late in the day and using reflectors for fill light. But then he lapses into broad generalities. He tells us make sure the background is right but never makes it really clear how one is to do that.

Unfortunately, he spends more of the book telling you that if you want to make money, you've got to work fast and be a step ahead of everyone into the next fad. Certainly chapters entitled "Maximizing Profit" and "Marketing Outdoor Photographs" have little to do with photography itself.

I'm certain there are many better books on portrait photography around. Although by no means comprehensive, the same publisher offers "Professional Secrets of Natural Light Portrait Photography" by Douglas Allen Box. The Box book covers many more aspects of the subject, offers a comprehensive approach to outdoor photography and, even though it includes the word "professional", does not dwell on portrait photography as a money-making enterprise.