People Pictures: 30 Exercises for Creating Authentic Photographs

by Chris Orwig

Bestselling author/photographer Chris Orwig offers 30 photographic exercises to renew your passion for capturing the people in your world. This is not a traditional portrait photography book. The goal isn’t flattery, but connection and depth. Whether you are a student, busy parent, or seasoned pro photographer, these exercises provide an accessible framework for exploration and growth.  With titles Be Quiet, Turn the Camera Around, and the Fabric of Family, each of the 30 exercises encourages you to have fun and experiment at your own pace. With step-by-step instructions and using natural light, you will explore everything from street, lifestyle, candid, and environmental shots. The projects are small artistic endeavors meant to change how you see and the pictures that you make. All that’s required is a camera, an intrepid attitude, curiosity, and some imagination.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Reference

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Chris Orwig is a best-selling author, photographer and teacher who blends a down-to-earth approach with technical expertise. Having authored 7 books and over 5000 hours of online tutorials, Chris knows his stuff. But more importantly, he knows what matters most. After having survived a near death experience at an early age, Chris realized that life is a gift, and that the camera is the perfect tool for savoring and celebrating the time that we have. He regularly speaks on creativity and photography at conferences and workshops, and has been invited to speak for companies like Google, Facebook, Adobe and on the TEDx stage. Whether capturing photographs, teaching or writing books, Chris strives to inspire others to become more creative and lead more meaningful lives. Find out more at www.chrisorwig.com and on Instagram @chrisorwig

Reviews

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the sort of self-teaching, weekly challenge exercises format. The author/photographer, Chris Orwig, is an excellent photographer and has perfected his own aesthetic and philosophy with respect to portraiture. He's very much into the environment and the person and how they're connected when photographing. I highly recommend this for those photographers that share the same aesthetic and/or philosophy towards portraiture - somewhat personal, really thinking about what's unique in each person or trying to capture that person's passion in an image. This certainly isn't a photography-training book - it's more of a trying to develop an aesthetic that works for you and sticking with it...and trying new things. I recommend thumbing through the book first to see if it's really something that would work for you and actually appeals to you at your own particular stage in photography.

[William C. Montgomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris Orwig’s book, People Pictures: 30 Exercises for Creating Authentic Photographs, was a good, not great book. I say that because I really don’t feel compelled to go out and try any of his exercises. On the other hand, the book is fundamentally about photographers building relationships with their models to arrive at better, more authentic photographs. That philosophy makes the book worth reading. I will undoubtedly pick the book up and reread large swaths of it. I may even find an exercise or two to attempt.

[Kathleen Messmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fine art photographer. I never like to have "people" in my shots. Then someone asked me to do some candid shots of them. They came out really well so I decided I should probably bone up on how to do this portrait thing right. This book was the answer. The exercises were amazing and really brought out a part of my photography I never knew was there. It gave the images soul - something I never EVER thought would be issuing forth from my mouth! It's opened a whole new area of photography for me. Thanks Chris!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every photographer should have this book on their bookshelf. Inspiring information, exercises and photos. I feel Orwig gets at the heart of photography, the soul, few of the photography books I've read recently have been able to capture that balance between instructional/useful information and soulful inspiration. This book does it.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent course of study and practice toward becoming a fine portrait photographer. I read in another review that the exercises are weekly. I'm thinking that it might take a typical member of my photo club a good number of years to get through all thirty. But my friends are not full-time photographers. But why not do it little by little? The experiences would be enriching.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I powered through this book, since I don't like to quit, but it was just too fluffy and wordy for my tastes. I can take inspiration pretty easily, but I didn't find it in this book.

[G.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent portrait tutorial with thoughtful exercises and excellent example pics to support author Chris Orwig's theory.