Are you looking for the type of images you would get if you went to a “traditional” portrait studio downtown 
in your home town? Or are you looking for more “cutting edge” or avant gard styles? Something you might see in fashion magazines? Something else? I recommend a book that our good friend and fellow photographer Jim Downing sent us some time back written by Gary Bernstein. It is probably one of the best books on lighting you will ever read on use of light, light metering, camera settings, lenses, exposures, and composition, shows photographs of models, celebrities, and individuals, and describes the composition and lighting of each portrait in easy to understand diagrams.
- Color or black & White or both?
- Individuals or groups? Any specific age-range of subjects?
- Head shots? Head and Shoulders? Bust? Waist-up? Full length?
The feature of this book that makes it so worthwhile to me is that it breaks down exactly how to light a portrait and teaches you how to look at other portraits that you like and try to figure out the lighting that was used. Look at the catchlights in the eyes. The direction the nose and eyebrow shadows fall. The length of the shadows, etc, etc, the real “psychology of 
portrait lighting” and interaction with the subject.
When Jim told me about this book and that he studied it back in college in the 80’s, I thought, “how dated can this be”? But he sent it to me, and I have to admit he was right, again! This book is like a university education on professional lighting techniques in your hand. You may get more exercises and assignments from paying big bucks at a university for this training, but the principles are all right here in this fantastic book at a fraction of the price.
You may have a hard time finding a copy, I think it’s out of print. To be helpful, here is a search via Amazon to find used copies [much more reasonable] : Availability on Amazon – Click Here ISBN: 0-89586-269-7
I hope this is helpful, let me know if you have a copy and how you like it. Our readers will appreciate your comments about it.
Happy shooting this weekend!
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Filed under: Artists, Books, Education, Lighting, Photography Tips, Techniques, Tools | Tagged: black & white, camera settings, catchlight, color, cutting edge, exposures, Gary Bernstein, group lighting, head shots, Jim Downing, lenses, light, light metering, Lighting Techniques, lighting tips, model lighting, Modern, photograph composition, Photograph tips, Photography Tips, portrait lighting, street, urban
I’ve seen this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes to take photos, it’s helpful to us amatuers too. Thanks Stephanie.
Thanks Sandy. There are a lot of good books out there on lighting, but Gary’s was and is still one of the best!
Glad you liked the post.
Anyone else got specific books you found helpful on elements of professional portraiture?