Sculpting with Light: Techniques for Portrait Photographers

Very thorough with explaining the use of light on different projects to get the most effective result.
Rating: 5 / 5

When you pick up a book like this, what is your real intention? Is your goal to work for your local portrait studio? Is your goal to build your own studio and take portraits there? If you answered YES to either of these questions, then I think this is a great book for you to consider reading. If your goal is to take better pictures of your family members using your flash gun, or reach the elite level of fashion photography, then your search for the right book isn't over yet.

Allison Earnest takes you on a journey into her world of what I would call common private studio photography. This is actually the type of professional photographer that most of interact with at some point in our lives, be it our first family portrait, Senior portraits, or our wedding studio shoot. There's people like Allison in every city of the country, some of whom work independently and other who work for a large studio which sees hundreds of families daily. The techniques described in this book will teach you how to work in that industry to get results that you once paid what you thought was a lot of money for (your perception changes when you're the photographer .

When I first skimmed through this book my first thought was "these pictures aren't that great," so I admit I went in with a negative attitude when I read this book. I quickly got annoyed with the author seemingly trying to sell me on Hensel lights throughout the book (note to editor – skip brand names if there is a next edition). However, as I read on I appreciated the authors middle chapters that offered some really good advice and tips that aren't always easy to find. Had I been the editor, I would have cut chapters 1 and 8 from the book and enhanced chapters 2 & 6. That leaves chapters 3, 4, 5, & 7 as being the real useful content in this book. For many that will be enough, especially if you don't have exposure to those concepts. I appreciated what was there, and suspect you will as well.

Skill Level: Any

Value: At retail, too much – but the going rate on Amazon is fair

Recommendation: If you are new to studio lighting and want to improve your portraiture then chapters 3 through 5 will be useful to you and probably worth the price of the book. If that isn't your goal then you shouldn't bother with this one. In the end, I say pick it up on sale and skip to the good stuff.

Rating: 3 / 5

The lightnings setup are well explained, very helpfull to understand how to make good portrait photos.
Rating: 4 / 5

I am an amateur photographer who found this book to be very useful and I do recomend it for anyone wanting to know the subtle details of photography, but felt it too daunting a task. A true work for the layman as well as the professional, to increase their knowledge of photography. in this book you will learn the importance of the various types of lighting which will undoubtedly increase the quality of the shots you chose to take. The high quality of the author is not to be dismissed here, for without her vast ability one would not be able to absorb the subtle nuances of this artform to the degree I am sure you will after absorbing what this book has to offer.

Perry Alarcon
Rating: 5 / 5

Allison presents a lot of valuable information for practical photography. She illustrates it well with good, better and best photographs where we visually see the differences in technique. She is also practical in the sense that in the real world you are always going to encounter problems and obstacles. Allison is not adverse to sharing some of her solutions to these real-world problems. She has created a text book that is easy to understand and has something to teach photographers at all levels.

Kent Stuck, CPP

Colorado Springs, CO
Rating: 5 / 5