In this beautifully illustrated book, travel and adventure photographer Rick Sammon introduces the proven techniques he uses to make extraordinary photographs of people around the world. You'll find important tips and strategies for engaging your subject and setting up the shoot, along with techniques for shooting in a variety of conditions both indoors and outdoors. Rick Sammon is people person who loves the art of making -- rather than simply taking -- people pictures. In Face to Face, he makes learning people photography a quick and enjoyable experience. Rick demonstrates his methods through a collection of his original photographs. Each photo includes notes explaining the principles he followed and the techniques he used. Face to Face offers hundreds of tips you can you for studio shoots and "environmental" people pictures, including:

• Outdoor techniques for shooting in low light, shooting in bright light, for capturing action, taking profiles, taking group shots, and more

• Indoor techniques for using a flash and strobes, and for shooting silhouettes, working with mirrors, and other techniques

• Photo philosophies and creative advice, such as developing a sense of place, carefully choosing the background, seeing pictures within a picture, and more

• How to photograph people in different cultures, along with fascinating behind-the-scenes stories of photos in the book

The largest section of the book, "Photo Philosophies", lays out several principles for making people pictures. Rick stresses that the camera looks both ways -- in other words, the attitude and energy you bring to a shoot will be reflected in a subject's face. If you're enthusiastic, you'll capture a picture that portrays enthusiasm. If you're impatient or distracted, that will be reflected as well. Getting subjects to accept him in a matter of seconds is his prime goal as a people photographer -- after that, he says, taking pictures is much easier. Even if you're not a world traveler, Rick's tips and techniques will have you taking top-notch people pictures wherever you are. Rick Sammon gives more than a dozen workshops and presentations each year, holds online classes, and is the producer of seven interactive DVDs for photographers on all facets of photography.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 21 Ratings

Good Book, But Beware It's All in B&W! - 2009-07-27
Reviewer Rating:
I read the description, I read the reviews and being a portrait photographer thought this book could be both, interesting and helpful. Well, it is interesting and depending on your level, helpful. But it has mayor flaw: It's printed in black and white.

And that's not even the real problem. The worst thing is that it's written considering it's printed in full color. So when you read something like: "Here is another example of how color can affect a picture... which do you think has more impact?" Well... I don't know, the dark gray one?

That's just one example; there are dozens of color references that become useless since you can really see any color.

Beyond that, it's has some good information, tips, and it's well written.

LM

Face to Face: A Great Place to Begin Photographing People - 2009-01-04
Reviewer Rating:
Relatively recently I got into DSLR photography and more recently I began photographing people. I have learned something from every photo shoot that I have done, but it has been a lot of trial and error. I just purchased Rick's book and find it a fabulous reference. A number of the reviews refer to this as a "beginner's book", which it definitely is; however, I think it really will have tips and ideas that even a well seasoned professional can use.

There are a number of aspects about this book that I reall like. The most obvious is the extensive use of photographs to help the reader compare and contrast the effects of a particular technique. Another thing that I liked was the overall organization. Five parts to the book with multiple lessons in each. Each part and lession seemed to naturally flow to the next. Best of all, though, is he starts off with "Jumpstart Your Session." This section gives a quick overview for impatient people like me.

What I find most challenging about learning photography, or just about anything, is that there are so many things you need to pay attention to. Until you have been doing it a while it is almost impossible to remember everything you need to for each shot. However, with experience these things become ingrained. In a relatively short number of pages, Rick's book covers all of the basic elements; and because of its organization, it is easy to take a quick refresher course or to focus on one thing.

I started working with models because I like taking candid photos of everyday people. However, I still struggle with coming up to people and asking to photograph them and conversely, I do not like to just walk up and photograph them. Ricks book touches upon this. While he does not spend a lot of time discussing the topic and most of his examples are in foreign countries, I felt they were very applicable. In addition, he provides insight into working with models, which is what I have started doing because at least you have a subject that you know is willing to be photographed and will work with you to perfect the shot.

One last thing that I will mention is that this book does not go into using tons of equipment, which specifically fits what I like to do. I do not have umbrellas, dozens of flashes, booms, and all of that. So his approach to travelling light fits very nicely into my tastes of the resources of most beginning photographers.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn more about photographing people; both as portraits or people within their environment.

Okay, but not great - 2009-05-05
Reviewer Rating:
This book would gives a few hints and tips but not in great depth. For anyone interested in looking at nice photos and some small hints and tips then maybe this book may be for you. For you who wants to get into the details, then maybe look elsewhere.

Good, but... - 2009-08-02
Reviewer Rating:
I agree with a lot of the good already lauded for this little volume. There are some thoughtful tips to guide the photographer to see people in addition to the shot. That said, this book is short on variety. One would think that a career photog like Sammon has a wealth of photo shoots to draw from in order to illustrate the points he makes. Instead the book is burdened with too many similar shots from too few sessions in my opinion.

Inspiration and Expertise - 2009-03-19
Reviewer Rating:
I love the photographs in this book, and Rick's explanations of his process inspire me to get out there and "make" better pictures myself. His love of people and photography comes through on every page and is very contagious. I find the lighting and composition tips especially useful -- I understand now what makes the difference between a snapshot and an interesting photograph. I also recommend Rick's videos and blog for ongoing access to his enthusiastic training.

Browse Similar Topics

Top Level Categories:
Graphics

Sub-Categories:
Graphics > Digital Photography
Digital Photography > Inspirational
Graphics > Desktop Image Processing