Customer Reviews

Portrait Photography: The Art of Seeing Light

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was very disappointed when I got this book (which I bought right here based on the previous positive reviews) - after about ten minutes I found I had wasted my money for just another photo book which serves more as some kind of portfolio for the author's work instead of delivering lots of useful information to help the reader. One might get over this if Blair's images were indeed outstanding - but unfortunately the are very conventional, very stiffly posed, and VERY 80's style! They annoy me so much it is hard to concentrate at the text.
The lighting advice given is very basic and only loosely connected with the image examples given. As a professional photographer I was looking for a book with a strategic view on portraiture lighting, how to create different moods and emotions with a broad choice of light sources, interpreting personality, some new ideas to spark my creativity. I guess will have to look elsewhere...

I was rather disappointed with this book. I found it to be written at a fairly high level in two ways. First I felt that there were many technical terms that the reader was assumed to be familiar with already. The author used 'bare bulb', 'wrapping the light', and 'feathering' frequently without ever explaining what he meant. It was also high level in that he discuss in vague terms how he obtained a picture, but never got into the details. For example, there were no diagrams of the lighting in respect to the pictures. I'd rather he spent more time explaining how he get the shots and less time showing off his pictures.

Don Blair is the "Big Daddy". He is a true artist and teacher. I try to read all of his books and view his training videos. Most (not all) of the material in this book he has written or said before. If this is your first book by Don then buy it. I do wish he had put lighting diagrams in along with some of the pictures. I HIGHLY recommend his book "Body parts."

Along with Monte Zucker, Don Blair is one of our two living masters of people photography, and this book is a useful introduction to one of the key tools of portraiture: light. It features excellent photos that illustrate all the most important styles of lighting. Lighting diagrams would have helped, especially for beginners, but there is a lot you can learn from the examples and tips provided in this interesting compendium of techniques.

This book is an easy to read guide for understanding light as it applies to photography, from one of the great masters of our time.

Maybe this is 2007, I find this style of photography doesn't sell very well in today consumer tastes. Yes, Mr. Blair is a master as well as Zucker; nonetheless, my clients want natural and fun. If I pose them and hold for the shot, their reaction is "I don't like to pose." On the other hand, there are some good lighting tips and hand position that are important to keep in mind.

I expected this book to be very useful, since it's written by a master portrait photographer. But I found it to be completely useless. Sample photos on this book look ackward and posing forced and also very, very outdated. It's the only photography book I own that I wish i never bought!. Sorry to say, but I considere it a waste of my money!

Nothing struck me as intriguing, interesting or new in this book. It's just a book of mostly mundane very normal typical photography. I was hoping for a new spin on the old habit.