Beyond Portraiture

Great portraits go beyond a mere record of a face. They reveal one of the millions of intimate human moments that make up a life. In Beyond Portraiture, renowned photographer Bryan Peterson shows how to spot those “ah-ha!” moments and capture them forever. A teary child...old people laughing together...a smiling girl with big, big hair. Everyone remember pictures like these, usually taken by a mother, a father, a friend holding a camera, forever preserving small yet revealing vignettes of our personal histories. But we always relied on pure luck and chance to catch those moments. Peterson’s approach explains what makes a photo memorable, how to spot the universal themes that everyone can identify with, and how to use lighting, setting, and exposure to reveal the wonder and the joy of everyday moments. Beyond Portraiture makes it easy to create indelible memories with light and shadow.

Inspired to paint or enthralled by the world of portraiture A Little Book of Portraits: Beyond the Canvas accompanies the celebrated Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year series and includes sixty-four of the finest portraits painted during the competition with illuminating commentary from the three series judges: Tai Shan Schierenberg, Kathleen Soriano and Kate Bryan. The paintings featured in this book, include portraits of famous sitters, such as Juliet Stevenson and John Humphrys, self-portraits of the artists themselves and commissioned paintings of Hilary Mantel and Sophie Dahl. The judges approach each painting from a different angle and with a unique voice, reflecting their differing specialities within the art world. Between them they uncover the approach, style and effectiveness of each portrait whilst discussing the techniques critical to the success of the painter's brushwork, likeness and perspective. With a wide range of different mediums from oil to charcoal or even soil, the book takes us behind the finished portrait and into the myriad of processes that creates one great work of art. A Little Book of Portraits reveals the skills behind the artist's brush that makes timeless and inventive portraiture.

Explores new approaches to portraying identity and the human face and figure, through works from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's collections and other institutions.

An inspirational bible for monochrome photography - this second edition almost doubles the content of its predecessor showing you the path from visualization to print

Though known as the Danish Golden Age, nineteenth-century Denmark was one of the most tumultuous periods in the nation's history—from the disastrous siege of Copenhagen and the collapse of Denmark's monarchy to the swelling tide of nationalism that eventually engulfed all of Europe. This volume places artists at the center of Denmark's dramatic cultural, political, and philosophical transformation by bringing together 90 drawings, paintings, and oil sketches by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, Christen Købke, Constantin Hansen, Martinus Rørbye, Johan Thomas Lundbye, Vilhelm Hammershøi, and others. Five thematic essays by leading scholars in Denmark and the United States explore the way Danish artists manifested the pride, traditions, and anxieties of their nation; the sea's ever-changing role as a marker of Danish identity; the evolving nature of portraiture; nostalgia for the Danish landscape and folk traditions; and the influence on Danish artists of their travels throughout Europe.

The fundamentals of exposure and the essentials of lighting are explored in this photography reference that uses progressive images from portrait sessions as its basis of explanation. Starting with how light is perceived differently by the camera than the human eye, this resource clarifies the more complicated laws that govern light, breaking the rules down with clear, effective examples. Various light sources are investigated—from simple sunlight to advanced professional and studio systems—as well as the types of lighting units used at different times during the sessions. By adding or modifying one light at a time, a sequence of images shows how the desired effect was achieved, offering photographers step-by-step troubleshooting tips. Concise text paired with photo examples offer any portrait photographer the techniques needed to create perfectly lit images.

The first book in the Understanding Photography series, Understanding Exposure, was a runaway best-seller, with more than 250,000 copies sold. Now author Bryan Peterson brings his signature style to another important photography topic: shutter speed. With clear, jargon-free explanations of terms and techniques, plus compelling “before-and-after” photos that pair a mediocre image (created using the wrong shutter speed) with a great image (created using the right shutter speed), this is the definitive practical guide to mastering an often-confusing subject. Topics include freezing and implying motion, panning, zooming, exposure, Bogen Super Clamps, and rendering motion effects with Photoshop, all with helpful guidance for both digital and film formats. Great for beginners and serious amateurs, Understanding Shutter Speed is the definitive handy guide to mastering shutter speed for superb results.

Beautifully illustrated, Portrait Photography in Africa offers new interpretations of the cultural and historical roles of photography in Africa. Twelve leading scholars look at early photographs, important photographers' studios, the uses of portraiture in the 19th century, and the current passion for portraits in Africa. They review a variety of topics, including what defines a common culture of photography, the social and political implications of changing technologies for portraiture, and the lasting effects of culture on the idea of the person depicted in the photographic image.

This is the first general and theoretical study devoted entirely to portraiture. Drawing on a broad range of images from Antiquity to the twentieth century, which includes paintings, sculptures, prints, cartoons, postage stamps, medals, documents and photographs, Richard Brilliant investigates the genre as a particular phenomenon in Western art that is especially sensitive to changes in the perceived nature of the individual in society. The author's argument on behalf of portraiture (and he draws on examples by such artists as Botticelli, Rembrandt, Matisse, Warhol and Hockney) does not comprise a mere survey of the genre, nor is it a straightforward history of its reception. Instead, Brilliant presents a thematic and cogent analysis of the connections between the subject-matter of portraits and the beholder's response – the response he or she makes to the image itself and to the person it represents. Portraiture's extraordinary longevity and resilience as a genre is a testament to the power of this imaginative transaction between the subject, the artist and the beholder.

Go beyond the basic rules of photography to capture stunning portraits Portrait photography is a vital topic for photographers of every level of experience, from amateur to professional. Written by renowned photographer Harold Davis, this inspirational book encourages you to define our own photographic style and capture stunning, creative, and unique portraits. You'll discover tips and techniques for "breaking the rules" of basic digital photography so that you can go beyond the fundamentals such as composition, lighting, and exposure in order to create memorable and incomparable portraits. Explores the most common subject of most photographers-people-and explains when, why, and how to forgo the fundamentals to capture memorable portraits Encourages you to define your own unique photographic style and offers information and inspiration to help you do so Delves into a variety of creative techniques that you can use when exploring ways to take lively and stunning portraits Illustrated with Harold Davis's striking portrait photography, Creative Portraits will both inform and inspire you.