Rating: 
Summary: A handful of ideas from the 1960s
Review: 50 techniques is a stretch. Despite the colorful labels, many lighting set-ups are identical to those shown on other pages. Few, if any, would sell in today's market. Unless you are interested in seeing how a hobbiest in the sixties might have photographed a handful of community actors, you won't find much here. The examples are out-of-date, uninspired, and in some cases poorly focused.
Rating:
Summary: This is an extremely hollow book.
Review: I don't know how this horrible book was ever published. In my opinion it is just the same most of the other portrait lighting books, that is, soft light, soft-focus, gels, lenses, umbrellas, etc... It all techniques and equipment, not any of the ideals of portrait photography such as capturing the "feeling" or "essence" of the subject. This is quite upsetting to me, and I wonder if the truths behind portriature died with the greats: Eugene Smith, Alfred Humer, Roy Corral, and others of tremedous ability.
Rating:
Summary: I found a book dedcated to hotlight photography to be dated!
Review: I found the book to be very disapointing because of the use of hotlights instead of flash. There also was no mention of settings, I think these days very few photographers rely on hotlights. The book was not relavant to todays portrait styles, I would have given this book a high rating if it would have been published 25 years ago, but today I would give it only a single star, I also was surprised at the authors lack of skill in the 3 or 4 photos that he tried to unsuccessfuly use flash, the photographs were overexposed, also there were shadows directly behind the subjects heads that no customer of mine would except. nor would I even show my customers such photos. shame on you John Hart!
Rating: 
Summary: A Timeless Book of Lighting Techniques and More
Review: I have just discovered this revealing book by successful photographer, Master of Arts John Hart, in which he explains more than just lighting the client whose portrait he is taking. He discusses every aspect of the entire business from greeting the client, creating client rapport, coaching the client through the session, the positioning of the client, applying facial makeup, indoor and outdoor portraiture and direct and indirect lighting, to record keeping, legal releases, equipment and everything else necessary for operating a successful business. As for lighting, he explains the why, how and what light should be used. This is an invaluable aide for even those going digital.
Rating:
Summary: A Timeless Book of Lighting Techniques and More
Review: I have just discovered this revealing book by successful photographer, Master of Arts John Hart, in which he explains more than just lighting the client whose portrait he is taking. He discusses every aspect of the entire business from greeting the client, creating client rapport, coaching the client through the session, the positioning of the client, applying facial makeup, indoor and outdoor portraiture and direct and indirect lighting, to record keeping, legal releases, equipment and everything else necessary for operating a successful business. As for lighting, he explains the why, how and what light should be used. This is an invaluable aide for even those going digital.
Rating:
Summary: All Photography Students Should Own this Book.
Review: If you're looking for fine art techniques, this may not be exactly for you, but if you know the difference between a Key and a Kick light, if you know what a 1:3 lighting ratio is, and if you're looking for a cookbook to teach you the basics and fundamentals of portrait lighting that are second nature to the working professional, then this is the book to do it. No nonsense and no fluff, concise and to the point, this book covers a wide range of lighting and posing scenarios that will stand you in good stead throughout your career. Having purchased close to a dozen books on portraiture, this one is one of the best. If you're a budding pro, a student, an advanced amatuer, or just someone who wonders how they light the types of professional photos you see in magazines and in the windows of portrait studios everywhere, this book will provide you with a veritable wealth of information.
Rating: 
Summary: Basic Techniques for bland and sterile portraits
Review: Okay, this guy makes his living, according to the book, from doing head shots and studio portraits for actors and models who need samples for their portfolios.I won't say there's nothing to be learned from this book, as he does show, and carefully explain the techniques he is using, and shows examples of the pictures he wouldn't use and explains why, as well as the ones he would. However, the portraits are, for the most part, brightly lit, flat, hard edged and soulless. They look to me exactly like the kind of pictures I **don't** want to take of people in front of my camera. Sort of a primer for the Sears Studio Photography technique of portraiture. Yuck.
Rating: 
Summary: Definately a classic ....
Review: Personally, I found this book very interesting and well worth the money. While the book is a little dated, it deals concisely with how to achieve a wide range of lighting techniques, both indoor and out, old and modern. The book is definitely biased towards commercial headshot photography but many of the techniques and ideas described are applicable to photographers in all fields, whether professional or amateur. Several areas I particularly liked were the hints and tips spread among the pages and the FAQ sections dealing with setting up in business, legal aspects, working with clients, retouching, etc.
Rating:
Summary: Definately a classic ....
Review: Personally, I found this book very interesting and well worth the money. While the book is a little dated, it deals concisely with how to achieve a wide range of lighting techniques, both indoor and out, old and modern. The book is definitely biased towards commercial headshot photography but many of the techniques and ideas described are applicable to photographers in all fields, whether professional or amateur. Several areas I particularly liked were the hints and tips spread among the pages and the FAQ sections dealing with setting up in business, legal aspects, working with clients, retouching, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: 5 not 50
Review: There are some useful examples in this book, however there are certainly not 50! Many of the lighting setups shown are so similar it's hard to see any difference from one to the next. Most of the older b & w examples seem dangerously overexposed, again making each 'technique' undistinguishable. Some of the newer colour examples are quite out-of-focus which really doesn't help matters. I see this book more of a 'what not to do' guide. He manages to make one of the models look great in one shot, but gross in the next, and so forth. There are definately more useful, more up-to-date books that give better examples than this title.
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