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.

Intimate pictures of the top artists in rap music from one of the most influential and culturally relevant photographers of his generation Photographer Gunner Stahl has captured shots of some of the world's most famous rappers including Drake, Migos, Kayne West, A$AP Rocky, Childish Gambino, Gucci Mane, Post Malone, and many others. He started by capturing the burgeoning hip-hop scene in Atlanta with an undeniable raw energy that has led to professional opportunities with magazines like Vogue, Fader, and Highsnobiety as well as brands like Google, Red Bull, Moncler, Adidas, Stella McCartney, PUMA, and Kylie Jenner's Thick clothing collection. In Portraits, he will publish unseen images of rap's most famous artists along with written contributions from rapper Swae Lee and photographer Chi Modu.

Go beyond the photographic conventions, break the rules, and create compelling portraits. While the ability to create a conventional, traditional portrait is a must-have skill for any photographer of people, it can often yield a fairly predictable result: a straightforward likeness of the subject, created with a flattering lens in flattering light with a flattering composition. The subject may be pleased with the results, but it's not a very interesting photograph. And in the constant, endless stream of images we consume daily, the portrait is likely forgotten as quickly as it appeared. A truly creative portrait comes from the two-sided exchange between the subject and the photographer, with both parties working together to create an image that goes beyond the simple representation of the subject. The end result is not an image that simply breaks the rules--it's an engaging photograph that both captures the essence of the subject and compels the viewer to stop and take notice. In The Creative Portrait, photographer and author Nick Fancher walks you through a plethora of ideas and techniques for making such creative work. Known for imagery that is bold, colorful, expressive, and widely varied, Nick has built a career by going against the grain. The result has been a consistent output of innovative and striking photographs. In this book, Nick will help you go beyond the conventional approach and explore the endless possibilities that come with intentionally breaking the rules. He'll teach you all about: -The gear he uses, and his overall approach to shooting -Why it's so important to practice photographing paper, plastic, and plants -Multiple long exposure techniques for creating unique and expressive images -Blocking, directing, and concentrating light with cookies, flags, gobos, and snoots -Shooting through glass for numerous creative effects -How he employs smoke, mirrors, and projectors in his work -And much more Throughout the book, Nick includes behind-the-scenes photos and diagrams of his shoots, as well as Lightroom post-processing techniques so you can follow along. He also includes over a dozen creative prompts to actively push you to go beyond your own comfort zone in your photography in order to create compelling portraiture.

"This book presents the work of nineteen photographers and conveys their inspirations, techniques, and insights in their own words"--Back cover.

The very best portrait photography strives to give the viewer access into their subject's inner self; to provide a window into their soul. With the advent of the digital age and the potential afforded by post-processing, a whole generation of photographic artists has access to greater creative possibilities than ever before. Spearheading this new breed of creative photographer is author Natalie Dybisz, better known in the photographic community as Miss Aniela. Devoted to exploring portraiture at its most creative portraits with context, story, and constructed elements Creative Portrait Photography takes the reader on a behind-the-scenes journey through the creation of Natalie Dybisz's innovative digital portraits, from first concept to post-processing. Also featuring an extensive showcase chapter in which other photographer-artist's work and working methods are laid bare, Creative Portrait Photography has everything you need to inspire you and transform your perspective on portrait photography.

In this sexy, bold book, Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer Brian Smith tells the stories behind the photos and lessons learned in 30 years of photographing celebrities and people from all walks of life. Smith’s long list of famous and infamous subjects includes pro basketball players Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal; billionaires Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and Donald Trump; tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams; actors Anne Hathaway, Antonio Banderas, Christopher Walken, Taye Diggs, Jane Krakowski, and William H. Macy; and many more. You’ll get the inside scoop on what goes on at a celebrity photo shoot in this gorgeous guide to making professional portraits. Smith has mastered how to make a meaningful portrait on a magazine’s budget and on a celebrity’s schedule, which can sometimes be 15 minutes or less. Smith reveals his tips on connecting with people, finding the perfect location, telling a great story through portraiture, getting the ideal pose, capturing emotion and gestures, arranging unique group shots, and lighting the scene just right. You might not be photographing the rich and famous, but after reading Smith’s tell-all guide, you’ll know how to give everyone who makes their way in front of your camera the star treatment.

Learn to create gorgeous portraits in watercolor using easy techniques. Written and illustrated by Ana Santos, an artist and illustrator and a popular online instructor, Creative Portraits in Watercolor presents simple step-by-step demonstrations and beginner-level exercises to create expressive, imaginative portraits. You’ll learn about: Essential Materials. Types of watercolor paint, papers, brushes, and other supplies. Color. Its essential characteristics, plus the color wheel, harmonies, contrasts, and creating palettes. How to Work with Watercolor. Fundamental methods, brushstrokes, transparencies, gradients, and techniques for creating areas of light. Proportions of the Face. Basic proportions and feature positions for front, profile, and three-quarter views, plus creating imaginary faces and transferring reference images. Creative Portraits. Discover 45 fun exercises and inspiring examples that explore painting portraits using key color wheel palettes, mixed media combinations, and thought-provoking techniques. With Creative Portraits in Watercolor, you’ll learn to achieve stunning results with a wide variety of simple techniques.