The Business of Portrait Photography

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book on Portrait Photography
Review: All of the above reviews state exactly what my feelings are on this book...It is indispensible, a must have for a portrait photographer and the photos are stunning! I had to write a review on this book because it is simply the best book on the topic and I cannot state that enough. As an emerging professional photographer, this book has been the one to truly piece the puzzle together. A wonderful read!

Rating:
Summary: To the point! Filled with information, informative
Review: Extremely enlightening. This book offerd much information for me. I'm not a beginner, yet not quite a professional, a book like this is capable of filling in the space between the two. The author also utilize the expertise of fellow professional photographers, making it a well rounded book. I must repeat this is definately an Excellent book, easy to read and understand, yet it offered a professioal perspective that did not try to "write over your head" definately a creation of love!

Rating:
Summary: To the point! Filled with information, informative
Review: Extremely enlightening. This book offerd much information for me. I'm not a beginner, yet not quite a professional, a book like this is capable of filling in the space between the two. The author also utilize the expertise of fellow professional photographers, making it a well rounded book. I must repeat this is definately an Excellent book, easy to read and understand, yet it offered a professioal perspective that did not try to "write over your head" definately a creation of love!

Rating:
Summary: Best Book on the Subject
Review: I completely agree with the other positive 5* reviews, and completely disagree with Fribio99's review. This is the best single book I've ever seen on this subject.

This book covers the practical and artistic issues of portrait photography such as equipment, lighting, posing, exposure, diffusion. It then deals with how to handle special subjects like children, pets, couples, groups, and other portrait specialities. It also includes practical chapters on how to manage and improve the business side of the operations.

Finally, the book concludes with "guest appearances" in the form of two- or four-page spreads by 15 other photographers (they largely seem to be couples), so that you get a sense of different styles of portrait photography and different perspectives on how to build a portrait business. Many of these "guests" are truly spectacular artists in their own right, and it is very intersting to read and learn from what they have to say.

A bonus to all this really good information is the stunning variety of really great pictures (mainly in color). Different people have different ideas how a portrait should look, but most mainstream styles are here, and they are beautifully illustrated by a wide and extremely gifted variety of photographers.

If you buy this book and Kodak's "The Portrait," you'll probably never need anything else.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Insight...
Review: The Business of Portrait Photography offers excellent insight for people considering entry into this exciting line of work. I am in the beginning stages of opening my own portrait photograhy business, and found the information in Mr.McDonald's book quite helpful and well-written. It is not easy to find photographers willing to share their experience with newcomers, and this book does exactly that. If you are curious about this field, I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: A truly indespensible book
Review: This book is a wealth of information on running a photography studio. After reading this book you won't have many questions left. The pictures in this book are inspiring.

Rating:
Summary: A truly indespensible book
Review: This book is a wealth of information on running a photography studio. After reading this book you won't have many questions left. The pictures in this book are inspiring.

Rating:
Summary: abstain from buying
Review: This book is poor and you shouldn't buy it. I'm sure Mr McDonald has had a successful career and photographic business and that transpires from his writings. But his cheesiness in words (only matched by his insufferable cheesiness in portraiture) makes the mere sifting through (let alone the reading) intolerable. If you like Avedon and Irving Penn, don't buy this book. Granted, it was never meant to be a monograph but a book that gave the clues on how to set up a business in photographic portraiture. But it would help, wouldn't it, and it would give some minor credibility if the pictures were at least interesting. and what about the lyrics? take a look at this suggestion for an advertisement of a studio: "BECAUSE YOU LOVE THEM. Life is a panorama filled with many entrances and exits... separations and reunions. So there are Tom McDonald portraits to remember yesterday and the many faces of love." You decide. I just wanted you to avoid my mistake.

Rating:
Summary: an indispensable book on running a portrait business
Review: This is easily the most helpful and practical book I have every read on operating a photography business.It doesn't just cover the "big picture", although it does that well, going into different philosophies, styles and approaches to business of different photograpers. It covers every practical aspect of the business, going into details other books don't bother mentioning. I wish I had read this book when I started my business it would have saved me a lot of time and money.