The Headshot: The Secrets to Creating Amazing Headshot Portraits from New Riders is an instructional guide on how to produce unique and creative portraits, whether they are assignment-based, for personal projects, or just of family and friends. Authored by notable photographer, Peter Hurley, this publication begins with some of Hurley's classic recipes for producing effective shots, including his trademark "white background, flat light, chopped-off heads" look. Over the course of more than a dozen chapters, the book covers technical topics on lighting, composition, and camera setup, as well as how to establish a rapport with your subjects, how to gain expression from your subjects, and how to direct your subjects, with specific focus given to adjusting jaw, smile, eyes, and eyebrow positioning. This guide serves as an all-around foundation for producing effective portraits of a variety of different subject types.
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: The headshot recipe that started it all
- Chapter 2: Hitting the technical on the head
- Chapter 3: Lights, camera, action-or not?
- Chapter 4: Establishing a rapport
- Chapter 5: Let's craft what's in your director's toolbox
- Chapter 6: The art of Sherlock Holmesing
- Chapter 7: Breaking the nonverbal two thirds barrier
- Chapter 8: It all starts with the jaw
- Chapter 9: The beauty of the human smile
- Chapter 10: Make em squint
- Chapter 11: It's all about the therapy/direction and the inner dialogue going on between us and our subject
- Chapter 12: Pre-shutter release checklist
- Chapter 13: Don't shoot it if it just ain't right