The Art of Celebrity and Editorial Photography eBook

Photography Tips

Michael Grecco is one of the best-known celebrity photographers in the world. His beautiful, insightful work is all around us–on movie posters, in advertising, on magazine covers, everywhere. “I delight in inspiring people,” he writes. “I want them to stop, think, and feel.” Now Grecco shares the secrets of great portraits in his book Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Celebrity and Editorial Photography. We were able to get a 60% discount for our readers which has expired, sorry about that, stay tuned to see what’s next!

Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait

Sections on cameras, illumination, film and digital, creativity and conceptualization, connecting with the subject, and having a point of view, plus intriguing case studies that show “how I got that picture,” make this book a resource photographers refer to as they take on their own clients. Whether the subject is a star or a soccer mom, Grecco shows how to add artistry, drama, wit, humor, and personality to their portrait.

Some of the many topics covered (99 pages):

• Cameras
• Formats & Lenses
• Shutter + Aperture = Control
• Selective Focus
• Plastic Cameras
• Illumination
• Grecco’s Laws of Light
• Grid Spots
• Fresnels and Optical Spot Lights
• Shadows
• Strobes
• Continuous Light
• Lighting It
• Finding Light
• The Medium
• From Analog to Digital
• Your Color Palette
• Getting the Color You Want
• Creativity & Conceptualization
• Collaboration
• Storytelling
• Locations
• Studios & Sets
• Props
• Wardrobe
• Makeup & Hair
• Letting go
• Taking Risks
• The Connection
• The Subject/Photographer Relationship
• Posing
• Shooting Egos
• Shooting Strangers
• In-Depth Case Studies
• Irony & Humor
• Celebrities
• Music
• Business & Corporate
• Intimate
• Advertising
• Sports Drama

“Assistants and other photographers have asked why I would want to give away my secrets in a book. But I don’t see it that way. I am just passing along what I have learned through years of experience, along with some insights about my process that I hope will help you perfect your own. I believe the most important thing you can take away from this book is how I discovered what worked for me. No one can get inside my head and think the way I think – in the end, we all make our own discoveries.”

Some of the items covered in Lighting & the Dramatic Portrait

“The techniques described here are not all my secrets; I have learned a lot from being on film sets and talking to other photographers. If I had relied on a set of fixed rules and principles throughout my career, my work would have been repetitive, it would not have evolved and improved, and I would have become bored and stale. I continually look for new ideas and new ways to handle different situations, trying out new lighting solutions, camera tricks, and overall approaches. Think of this book as a starting point for your own creative process; experiment, see what works, take chances, and most of all, enjoy!” -Author Michael Grecco