Christopher Grey's Posing, Composition, and Cropping: Master Techniques for Digital Portrait Photographers

by Christopher Grey

Christopher Grey follows up his successful books on lighting for portrait photographers with this complete guide to professional portraiture. Successful poses are shown to be achieved through a thorough understanding of the client's personality and their objectives for the image's use. Next, the mechanics of positioning the human body are thoroughly explained with special attention given to each part of the physical form to make it look its best. Specialized techniques for different styles of portrait (including head shots for actors, senior portraits, and editorial fashion portraits) are offered, allowing photographers to better tailor the pose. Also covered are different approaches to directing the subject, from very hands-on in which the photographer refines every aspect of the pose to a more relaxed strategy of general guidance with only occasional instruction for selective posing refinement. Using the techniques presented in this book, photographers will be able to more efficiently and effectively present their subjects in flattering ways--and in eye-catching compositions.

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

This is the listing for the photographer. For the novelist, see Christopher Peter Grey. For the management author see Christopher John Grey.

Reviews

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like reading books about photography. Gord and I have taken classes and I'd like to get better at it. Books remind me of this.

This book's chapters include:
* Conceiving a Successful Image - what is the primary use of the image, how much drama is necessary, what will the client(s) wear, what is the condition of the subject's hands and nails, etc.
* Posing - working with the face, hands, arms and shoulders, posing an executive, posing of the feet and legs, secrets to working with couples and groups, etc.
* Composition - rule of thirds, power of triangles, etc.
* Cropping and Making the Most of a Large File
* Avoiding Common Mistakes
* Creating Attitude

This is a good book for beginners right up to pros.

There were tons of pictures to show what the author was talking about. For example, showing the difference between the placement of the shoulders and/or the tilt of the head on the picture. Or the placement of the legs and feet. Or the effect on the picture if you crop it at a joint (an elbow, etc.). These are probably things that pros do naturally but for some of us, we wouldn't think about it.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2015/07...

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read with good examples. If you're a visual learner, as most photographers are, this is a great book for learning the different aspects of good posing. It covers individual troublesome areas such as hands and arms. Christopher Grey includes samples of each of these, along with others, and variations of each so you can see what a slight difference can make. He also includes a few samples of what not to do and why which I find quite helpful especially for someone just starting out with portrait photography. As for the subject of composition and cropping he does just a well at giving straightforward sample images to use as a guide for creating your own excellent portraits. He also covers how these elements work together to make the final pleasing image that your client is looking for. A great reference book for the advanced and an excellent place to start for the beginner.

It was a quick read as well with so many photos filling it up.