Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

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 with photographers at every level, in 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 will use again and again through the years. Whether the subject is a star or a soccer mom, Grecco shows how to add artistry, drama, wit, humor, and personality to their portrait.

Average Customer Rating:

Review of Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait

Customer Rating:

Fantastic book. Many times photographic technique books are written by second rate photographers who write books because they can't cut it as professional photographers and the examples they give are amateurish at best. But Michael is a first rate photographer, and he gives practical ideas for lighting set ups which I've managed to adapt to my own work. The only negative is, I would like a bit more detail, like exposure and aperture settings used in the shots would be great. Also, towards the end of the book in the case studies he hasn't continued giving the lighting diagrams that were so useful in the beginning of the book. But it's a minor point, I would recommend this book to anyone who is serious about photography.

Very general | More biographical than technical

Customer Rating:

General overview book. Not a great tutorial. With great anticipation to embark the world of studio and lighting photography Grecco does underline the basics of studio photgraphy lighting ; however, that book is more geared towards beginners rather than intermediate.Largest part of this book is describing experience with "celebrities" wich left a slight pretentious aftertaste. If you are looking for a book about the limited basics of studio lighting than this for you, otherwise I highly recommand to take workshops or experiment in your studio.

Do-it-yourself learning

Customer Rating:

The author provides some incredible pictures, offers less than you need to understand how they were taken, and ends up making you think, hard, about the creative process. This book will be most appreciated by more advanced photographers who are willing to take a do-it-yourself approach to learning how to light and take dramatic portraits. Everything you really need to know is in there, but you have to work to extract it. I think the process will make you a more thoughtful photographer and a better one. If you're the type who likes mindless step-by-step instructions, and discovers that such rote approaches can't really be applied creatively, you will be disappointed in this book. All others are invited to read, study, and learn.

Heavy on the name dropping, light on the details

Customer Rating:

Obviously, Michael Grecco is an accomplished photographer, his body of work speaks for itself. On the dust jacket and in the introduction, Grecco says, "...Assistants and other photographers have asked why I would want to give away my secrets in a book..." After reading this book, I would like to assure Mr. Grecco's contemporaries that his secrets still lie safe with him. Lots of allusions to celebrity and lots of high end equipment name dropping occur. There is very little discussion about development of the theme of an image. This is definitely a book for Grecco fans not for experienced photographers seeking additional insight. The title is deceptive, the chapter on Illumination is 44 pages, that's right, 44 pages. Don't bother.

The pictures are pretty

Customer Rating:

There are a lot of pretty pictures, and a few lighting diagrams, but most of this book is Mr. Grecco recounting his favorite photo shoots with stories that don't lend much to teaching new photographers. It may be packed full of inspiration, but it's lacking on inspiration. Also, you will be hard pressed to recreate any of the images you see here, unless you have the kind of budget that would suggest you not be concerned about spending the $30 for this book anyway.