Models need to get hired, designers need to sell their clothing, magazine editors need to attract readers—and to do this, they all need one thing: attention-grabbing images. Satisfying these savvy and demanding fashion-photography clients requires a photographer with both a strong command of lighting and a dash of ingenuity. In this book, veteran fashion shooter Billy Pegram (whose past clients include Fila, Swatch, Pussycat Dolls, and Tony Hawk) shows you how to attain that goal with cutting-edge techniques that showcase flawless skin, accentuate stunning figures, and highlight gorgeous products. Through careful control of the light, whether in the studio or on location, you’ll learn how to manage every nuance of the model’s appearance, drawing attention to his or her standout qualities and minimizing any problem areas. Short, to-the-point lessons with ample lighting diagrams and image sequences make learning easy. Armed with these techniques, you’ll be ready to approach fashion shoots (or fashion-inspired portrait sessions) with confidence—and deliver memorable images to your clients.

With detailed discussions and eye-catching, dynamic images, this guidebook shows professional photographers how to masterfully create beautiful images of a model to achieve any creative objective. Instructions illustrate basic poses as well as a host of subtle variations to provide photographers with an endless array of looks for editorial fashion shots, athletics, glamour or nude photography, and shots designed to show curves, reveal personality, or showcase the hands, hair, or legs. This comprehensive resource also provides expert advice on conducting a successful session, how to work with the model, how to work with a support staff of image stylists, and tips for designing a high-quality portfolio. Additional lessons provide a start-to-finish analysis of four different shooting sessions, each with a different model and a different objective.

Detailed discussions and eye-catching, dynamic images show photographers how to masterfully create beautifully illuminated models in this professional, informative resource. With an endless array of looks for all types of models—such as nude, athletic, advertising, hand, leg, and plus size—this manual is packed with inspiration as well as technical advice. Start-to-finish analyses of real-life sessions help photographers take the guesswork out of lighting and avoid common mistakes. Whether enhancing a product with the model or showcasing the model with the photograph, these tips illustrate how to meet objectives through artistry and skill.

Walking photographers through the process of capturing the many possibilities of the human form, Figure Photography presents the techniques for shooting tasteful, beautiful figure images that make a statement, grab attention and create an emotional impact. This book provides behind-the-scenes looks at a variety of assignments, covered from concept to execution, showing the decisions that went into the styling of the set and model, the lighting setup used to capture the desired mood and post-production techniques used to enhance the final results.

Aspiring photographers are always looking for that edge, that fresh point of view to add drama to their images. Photographer Joey L. found his vision early, drawing critical acclaim as a brilliant commercial photographer with a distinctive technical expertise for lighting. In Photographing Shadow and Light, Joey lifts the curtain on his dramatic, creatively fearless approach to portraiture, sharing his personal philosophy and a behind-the-scenes look at 15 striking photo sessions—from personal projects shot in Africa, India, and Brooklyn to commercial shoots for 50 Cent, the Jonas Brothers, and Project Runway All Stars. Joey provides readers with a step-by-step description of how he visualized each shoot, formed meaningful connections with his subjects, and “built” his signature dramatic lighting effects—one light at a time. Featuring more than 85 stunning portraits, detailed lighting diagrams, and a foreword from industry icon David Hobby (aka Strobist), Photographing Shadow and Light shares the creative process behind one of today’s most exciting photography talents, providing serious amateurs and professionals a fresh perspective on creating compelling, professional quality portraits. “Joey Lawrence is . . . the future of photography. Get used to it.” —David Hobby (Strobist) Get inside the images of commercial and fine art portrait photographer Joey L. with this behind-the-lens guide to his fearless approach, creative vision, and signature lighting techniques. Also available as an ebook

With lighting techniques beneficial for professional photographers but also accessible for those less experienced with a camera, this handy reference offers insights into utilizing “hot lights” (tungsten-based continuous light sources) to achieve glamorous, Hollywood-inspired shots. This “Hollywood” lighting—characterized by dramatic contrast, sharp shadows, and a sultry mood—is simple to create and allows photographers to “sculpt” the subject, accentuating their best features while minimizing flaws. Though the focus is on nostalgic lighting style, the book acknowledges modern advances in photographic technology and discusses how to produce these dazzling retro effects using both digital and traditional film cameras. Throughout the book, lighting diagrams showing the photograph’s setup accompany nearly every image, carefully illustrating the lighting techniques for easy re-creation.

The core goal of photography is representing subjects that have depth and texture in a medium that inherently lacks both those qualities, and this book shows the best way to rise to that challenge: through the careful application and capture of lighting. It demonstrates how to accentuate or minimize textures, add or subtract highlights, and create or combat shadows to showcase the subjects in the best way and create the illusion of a third dimension in the images. Exploring techniques for lighting portraits, still-life subjects, nature images, and architectural shots, both studio and location lighting are covered in detail. The book teaches photographers how to study their subjectsÑwith all of the textures, colors, shapes, and surfaces they haveÑthen visualize the image as a finished photograph before the photography actually begins. With chapters that thoroughly cover the science of lighting and visualization, photographers can apply that knowledge and successfully create artful images.

Focusing exclusively on light modifiers and making the most of the least equipment, this in-depth handbook is ideal for use by the beginner and advanced amateurs who wish to take their photography to the next level. Including diagrams and lighting set scenes to facilitate learning and adapting technique, step-by-step critiques of several portrait sessions, and an extensive review of a variety of light modifying tools—from barn doors and snoots to gels, umbrellas, and strip boxes—this invaluable textbook style book reveals the precise steps for obtaining dimension and depth for indoor and outdoor portrait sessions. This resource is a must-have for beginner photographers looking to discover a treasure trove of fresh, creative lighting inspiration, that will surely help add diversity and creative style to your photography

See the images and read the stories behind the creative process of one of America’s most respected landscape photographers, William Neill.

For more than two decades, William Neill has been offering his thoughts and insights about photography and the beauty of nature in essays that cover the techniques, business, and spirit of his photographic life. Curated and collected here for the first time, these essays are both pragmatic and profound, offering readers an intimate look behind the scenes at Neill’s creative process behind individual photographs as well as a discussion of the larger and more foundational topics that are key to his philosophy and approach to work.

Drawing from the tradition of behind-the-scenes books like Ansel Adams’ Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs and Galen Rowell’s Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape, Light on the Landscape covers in detail the core photographic fundamentals such as light, composition, camera angle, and exposure choices, but it also deftly considers those subjects that are less frequently examined: portfolio development, marketing, printmaking, nature stewardship, inspiration, preparation, self-improvement, and more. The result is a profound and wide-ranging exploration of that magical convergence of light, land, and camera.

Filled with beautiful and inspiring photographs, Light on the Landscape is also full of the kind of wisdom that only comes from a deeply thoughtful photographer who has spent a lifetime communicating with a camera. Incorporating the lessons within the book, you too can learn to achieve not only technically excellent and beautiful images, but photographs that truly rise above your best and reveal your deeply personal and creative perspective—your vision, your voice.

More and more men are seeking out great portrait, commercial, or fashion photography. For working photographers, photographing men may be one of today's greatest new opportunities. But, while there are dozens of books, guides, and workshops on photographing women, there's been practically nothing comparable for men… until now! Jeff Rojas's Photographing Men is today's definitive full-color guide to every aspect of modern male photography. Rojas builds on his unique in-person course, which has made him Google's #1 go-to search result for knowledge on photographing males. Rojas covers posing, styling, posing, lighting, post-production, and more, showing how to achieve outstanding results and maximum creative expression. You'll discover how to: Make male clients look natural, masculine, and confident Skillfully document your male clients' best attributes, physical and emotional Define every man's face shapes, body shapes, and other features Compensate for flaws and perceived flaws, including acne, baldness, double chins, gray hair, wrinkles, and large features Overcome the challenges of styling male subjects, including big, skinny, and short men Understand how a suit should really fit your subject - and what to do if suits are out of the question Properly light all shapes and sizes of men for portraits, fashion, and commercial images (with complete lighting diagrams, behind-the-scenes images, and gear lists) Get detailed examples and tips for portraits, 3/4 poses, and full-length poses Photograph entrepreneurs, managers, prosperous men, innovators, "classic" and "handsome" men, athletes, muscle men, underwear models, and even movie stars Complement every man's features in post-production techniques And much more