Portrait Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots

Do you enjoy taking photos of people?

Whether in studio, outdoors or at special events you want to take the best possible photos of your subjects.
We have the perfect book to guide you through the fundamentals of portrait photography, taking you through all the tips and tricks one step at a time.

In Portrait Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots pro photographer Erik Valind will help you capture stunning portraits using both natural and indoor light. He starts off by teaching you the basics of portrait photography like selecting the correct lens for the shot you want to create, which camera setting to use and when, as well as how to compose your shots correctly.

In this book you will also learn how to connect with your subject and he offers a couple of "go-to" poses that are flattering on your subjects. He also address problems that you might encounter using both ambient and studio light as well as how you can benefit from the opportunities given by both lighting options.

What You can Expect to Learn

• The fundamentals of taking a great portrait shot like stepping back, zooming in, having your subject in the light and the all important focus being on the eyes.
  
• How to evaluate focal lengthFOCAL LENGTHMeasured in mm, it is the distance from the focal point of a lens (its centre or curved mirror where light converges) to the plane of the image sensor (film) when an object is in focus. A shorter focal length lens sees a wider image and a longer focal length brings your subject closer. For example, a 15mm lens sees a very wide image and is perfect for landscape photography. Conversely, a 500mm lens sees a very narrow image, brings the subject much closer and is thus great for subjects that are far away, like a bird in a tree. With zoom lenses, its minimum and maximum focal lengths are indicated, for example, as 24-105mm. A zoom lens allows you to change the lens’ focal length, with shorter (wide-angle) and longer (telephoto) options, whereas a fixed focal length lens requires you to move back and forth to find the correct image composition. and compression as well as which lens to select for any given shoot.
  
• How to gain your subjects trust and how to provide helpful direction and feedback to put them to ease but also get the best possible shot.
  
• To improve the light situation using various tools such as reflectors, modifiers, strobes and umbrellas.
  
• How to address certain challenges you may encounter when using ambient light like shade and direct sunlight and to redirect that light to improve the quality of your image.
  
• You will also have the opportunity of going “behind the scenes” in the comfort of your own home, a step-by-step walk through of the process of creating the image you want, from start to finish.
  

After you have mastered the basics he will take you through a variety of possible shooting setups.