Jeff Smith's Guide to Head and Shoulders Portrait Photography

(Wang) #1

  • Why Head and Shoulders Portraits Sell..



    1. Creating Portraits by Design.



  • It’s About Them, Not You.

  • Meeting Your Clients’ Needs and Desires.

  • Business and Communication.

  • Creating What the Client Desires.

  • Meeting Client Desires Means Making Money.



    1. Tools of the Trade..



  • Think Creatively.

  • Camera Selection.

  • Camera Settings.

    • JPEG File Format in the Studio.

      • Custom White Balance.

      • Consistent Exposures.



    • Occasions for Shooting RAW Files.



  • Lens Selection.

  • Camera Support.

  • Subject Seating.

  • A Fan.

  • Backgrounds.

  • Work with an Assistant.

  • Beauty Products.

  • Food and Beverages.

  • More to Come.



      1. Clothing Selection..



    • Clothing Guidelines.

      • Long Sleeves.

      • Black and White Clothing.





  • Common Problems.

    • Poor Fit.

    • Wrong Undergarments.

    • Unkempt Clothing.



  • Jewelry.



    1. Background Selection.



  • Two Schools of Thought.

  • Coordinating with the Image Design.

    • Contrast.

    • Color.

    • Lines and Texture.

      • Using Complete Sets.

      • Moving Ahead.



        1. Lighting.



      • Lighting Skills Evolve.

      • A Note on Equipment.

      • Lighting Descriptions.

      • Auxiliary Lights.

        • Low-Key Setups.

          • Background Light.

          • Hair Light.

          • Additional Accent Hair Lights.

          • Reflector Under the Subject.



        • High-Key Setups.

          • Background Light.





      • Fill Light.

      • Main Light.

        • Distance to the Subject.

        • Height and Angle.

        • An Individualized Approach.

        • Size of the Light.

        • Light Modifiers.

        • Feathering the Light.



      • Test Your Lighting Tools.

      • Consider Unique Sources.

        • Parabolics.

        • Spotlights.



      • Lighting for Close-Ups.

        • Butterfly Lighting.

        • Ring Lighting.



      • You’re Selling Memories.



        1. Posing..



      • The Head and Face.

        • The Face Turned Toward the Main Light.

        • Lower the Chin, Lose the Catchlights.

        • The Position of the Eyes.

        • The Tilt of the Head.

          • The Traditional Rules.

          • The Real Rule.

          • Long Hair.

          • For the Guys.







    • The Neck.



  • The Shoulders and Arms.

    • The Shoulders.

    • The Arms.



  • The Hands.

  • The Expression.

    • Mirroring.

    • The Perfect Smile.



  • Corrective Posing.

    • Don’t Rely on Digital Fixes.

    • Explaining Problems with Tact.

    • Common Problems and Solutions.

      • Double Chin.

      • Wide or Narrow Faces.

      • Ears.

      • Noses.

      • Eyes.

      • Eyeglasses.

      • Baldness.

      • Larger Body Size.





  • Posing Styles.

    • Business or Yearbook Poses.

    • Resting Poses.

    • Glamorous Poses.



  • Show More of the Background.

  • Variations.

  • Be Observant.



    1. Working on Location..



  • Coordinating the Clothing and the Location.

  • Including the Background.

  • Lighting.

    • Skip the On-Camera Flash.

    • Studio Flash.

    • Reflectors.

    • Look at the Subject’s Eyes.



  • In Short.



    1. Customer Service.



  • Donkeys and Lapdogs.

  • Establish a Mutually Beneficial Relationship.

  • Define Your Market.

    • Don’t Try to Please Everyone.

    • Take Control of Your Business.



      1. Postproduction.



    • Delegate Postproduction.

    • Standardize Your Procedures.

    • Our Approach to Enhancement.

      • The Skin.

      • The Eyes.

      • Shadowing.

      • And That’s It!.



    • Our Approach to Correction.

      • Look for Simple Fixes.

      • For Heavy Subjects.

        • Liquify.

        • Stretching.



      • Vignetting.

      • Clients Pay for Other Corrections.



    • Prevent Copying.

      • Add Your Logo.

      • Add Texture to the Prints.

      • Stop Selling Single Portraits.



    • In Closing..

    • Index..

      • TABLE OF CONTENTS





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