Headshot, The: The Secrets to Creating Amazing Headshot Portraits (Voices That Matter)

I had a great time reading this book. I've been following this guy for years, and he never disappoints. Just when I think I've learned everything I could possibly learn about headshots, he drops something new on me. This book is stuffed full useful information about how to be a better headshot photographer. He comes at you with information from every angle of the business. The photography is beautiful, and the lessons come from a very honest place. Chances are, if you're reading this book, you haven't photographed as many people as Peter Hurley has. There are a lot of parts of being a photographer that just come with time and experience and by reading this book I feel like I've taken a shortcut. Peter shares his experiences with you so that your learning curve isn't quite as steep. I'm a better photographer for having read this book, and I'm thankful he took the time to write it and share it with us.

Peter Hurley is arguably one of the best headshot photographers in the world. He has a definite look to his shots and if you're interested in how he gets it, he freely lays out his entire detailed approach. The book is a surprisingly entertaining read as it goes through how he came to be where he is and it's full of details that you won't find anywhere else. A good book for an advanced photographer who wants to improve his portraits. Once you've mastered lighting and composition, what separates great portraits from ok ones is coaching the talent. Peter's book is one of the few books I've found that can actually teach you that skill. I shoot artists and bands for a living and I would have happily paid twice as much for this book.

I would like to thank Peter Hurley for sharing his secrets with the rest of us- he lays it all out in this book, which goes into greater detail than his YouTube videos, which I also highly recommend watching if you want to try Mr. Hurley's technique. I didn't know the first thing about photographing headshots before I got this book, except that I couldn't seem to get any good ones taken. They were so awful that they didn't even remotely resemble how I look in person or in the mirror and frankly I just wanted to cry. I love the conversational tone and humor in the book, and there is no contesting that Mr. Hurley has mastered this type of photography. I needed headshots for LinkedIn because I just graduated from college and I'm looking for a job, and I need to look professional. I was worried because I have never considered myself to be photogenic- I wouldn't want to scare potential employers off with a horrid pic. You just never know these days... The campus photographer offered to shoot some pics for me, but they came out hideous. I'm not sure what lens he was using but I must have gained fifty pounds in my face alone. He is great at photographing the sports events but not so much with a headshot. I'm grateful that he took a stab at it anyway, he was trying to save me some money from hiring a pro. I have a Nikon D7000 and decided that I would give it a try, using the remote. Lots of equally horrible shots later that miraculously did not break the camera, I ordered some books on posing and this book on headshots because I knew there was something I was missing, and I had to find out what. I liked what Peter Hurley had to say about people who think they are not photogenic, and paid lots of attention to his techniques on not adding weight to people with the camera. I watched his YouTube videos, practiced squinching in the mirror, and got a tether cord for my camera. I downloaded a free tethering software program called digiCamControl so I could shoot tethered. I rigged up my own fluorescent light box using four 4-ft long 2-bulb fixtures from Home Depot and Lowes, and I used 6500k bright daylight bulbs. Expect to pay around $20 for a T8 fixture and $12 for a T12 fixture, and two-packs of the bulbs ran about $11 each. So you can set this up inexpensively, and then you have lights you can use for other purposes, like starting seeds if you garden. I have a chrome shelving unit that I put directly in front of my desk, and I zip-tied the upright light fixtures to the shelf posts and rested the bottom edges on the desk. I laid the top light across the top shelf, and set the lower one on the desk. My square is more like a # but it does the job on the budget I have. I set my laptop on the shelf and put the mouse & pad on a hardback book that I held in my lap. I put the camera on a tripod behind this shelf rig, and dinked around with it until I got it the way I wanted it. I put it on full manual and used the settings Mr. Hurley recommends on page 33; I could change the ISO setting from the laptop with the mouse afterward. I had a 30x40" foamboard from some art classes I took, and I binder-clipped that to a chrome shelf I had behind me. If you follow his setup, you will pretty much be in the zone for the cropped head style he favors. Then if you follow his advice about finding your good side (for me, it's the side without the ginormous zit that just surfaced! coincidentally my good side is the left side), posing correctly ("it's all about the jaw"), and making sure your hair isn't ruining your shots, you will probably not even need to break out Photoshop. I have done two sessions so far as a learning process, and I could probably use what I have but I want to try again with a few little changes. The first session I did would have been fine except for some reason my hair frizzed up, and I had to wash it and restyle it before trying again. Then the second time some strands of hair ended up getting on my face but I didn't notice it until too late. I figured out what I need to do to my hair (strong hairspray!) and makeup to get it right, and I will resume shooting tomorrow. When I got the setup right, my photos came out WITHOUT adding weight and slimmed down my face, my skin looked luminous without a bunch of makeup on it, I looked confident & approachable like he says in the book, and the pics look way better than selfies with a bunch of distracting crap in the background and so-so lighting. I studied the pics in the book to get an idea of how his makeup artist does the looks and tried to copy it. I don't want to look like I'm wearing a ton of makeup, just want the natural myself-but-better look. (Which of course involves wearing a lot of makeup, but lightly and skillfully applied.) Keep in mind that the camera, with its single lens, does not have the depth perception that we do with our two eyes, and you can do some contouring with makeup to trick the camera into seeing what you want it to see. Wayne Goss and others on YouTube have lots of videos on how to do contouring, and IMHO it's necessary for still photography. That is one reason why you can look good in person and horrible in pictures- the camera only has the one lens and it flattens everything out to varying degrees depending on the lens being used. I am super-pleased because I got excellent results using stuff I already had, except for three of the light fixtures and the bulbs. I also learned how posing and lighting can make all the difference in whether you are photogenic or not, and Mr. Hurley's recommendations prevent reasonably attractive people from literally looking like trolls in photographs. I've taken a couple of photography classes but I'm still quite the amateur; I haven't taken any studio lighting classes, and being ignorant of that subject was hosing me over before I got this book. I love that the fluorescent lighting is continuous and you don't have to mess around with flashes. I also love the plain background which puts all the viewer's attention on the person in the photograph, and allows the subject's personality to show. I can only imagine what I could get with better lighting and equipment, but I was able to do a lot with what I had, and it's all due to this book. Loveee!

I have to say I liked the book, I have watched all of Peter Hurley's video's and how too's and have felt that it put many things into perspective. I usually feel if I get one or two take home points its a successful presentation, and I can say I took home more than 2. The world revolves around marketing so having a successful "shtick" is commendable and has obviously been successful. To read the book gives nice review on how Peter developed his successful style. I will likely read it more than once.

I have been a professional photographer since 2007. I can honestly tell you I've read tons and tons of books, magazines, blogs, etc etc and I can only name 5 or 6 that have had any impact on my photography and/or my business like this book has. Not sure if Peter will read this review or not (would be cool if he did!) but I can say this, just reading the introduction has me excited to read the rest. This is the kind of book that will probably only interest you if you have been shooting for awhile. Some books are like that. I've seen reviews on here that say "well... once you get passed his small talk, and his weird sense of humor/sarcasm..." Um. Hello. Have you ever heard Peter talk? THIS IS PETER! I can hear his voice as I'm reading it. That's what makes this book so fan-freaking-tastic! Because I've been doing this for so long, I can totally relate to doing shoot after shoot and losing interest/passion. It's not until something in you changes, and you want to approach shoots and people differently... This book is awesome- he talks about people. He talks about how to reach their heart with your camera. It is a book every serious photographer should read.

Thank you for taking the time to allow us to take what we can from your writings. Having resources at every level I seek to participate in actually helps me make incredibly better images for clients that are willing to trust me to do just that for them. I have attended your workshops. I have watched your youtube videos. I have read some of your posting to various media. I subscribe to the Kelby training. In short, I appreciate anyone that is a force at what they do and are willing to share (in any form; paid or free). The content of the book builds on, reinforces, and introduces ideas, workflow, and technique to beginners and constant learners alike. Having a reference when working in the Headshot genre only enhances what we know and that is what I expected and found in this book. I have recommended the book to several friends and would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the art of making sellable headshots. Enough said.

If you have even a casual interest in headshot photography, you've no doubt come across the work of Peter Hurley. Hurley's signature style is instantly recognizable and he's done a number of videos ("it's all about the jaw", "the squinch", "hold your sub") that describe some of the techniques he uses in his images. This book was somewhat of a surprise in that it is quite a bit longer, and much more text heavy than you would expect from a typical photography book (and it still has plenty of images throughout the book). However, despite the length, the instructional value is somewhat limited because of the somewhat repetitive and meandering conversational style of the text, making the density of information rather low. Some parts felt a bit drawn out, although there's always a meaningful point that Hurley tries to draw out in every section (even if the point at the end could have been stated in far fewer words, and more concise examples). "The Headshot" starts out describing how Hurley got started, which is fairly interesting. You get a sense for the hustle he put into trying to establish himself, and how he stayed true to the vision he had for headshots. The second chapter talks about some technical details about lighting. Hurley will talk about the lighting positions he likes to use, as well as his equipment, although this isn't the kind of book that talks about F-stops, light meters, etc. When camera settings are shared, it's not terribly interesting (although I suppose some people crave that kind of data). One noticeable thing is that he seems to mention his specific line of lighting equipment a lot, almost to the point of being an ad. The rest of the book describes things Hurley looks for (and he has a very keen eye for detail). Of course, he talks about the same tips he has in his youtube videos that you've probably already seen, but don't expect a lot of other tips along that lines. You should also not expect a lot of technical details, or post-processing. None of that exists in this book. I'd also note that there are a lot of images in this book, but many times there are images without any specific reference to what he's trying to tell you with that image. Many times they just seem like random pieces of eye candy rather than images that had a specific purpose in trying to illustrate some concept. This isn't always the case, but it is noticeable and somewhat distracting (since it's a pretty text heavy book). Instead, Hurley talks a lot about assessing your subject, not just to find their good and bad features, but also to get a sense for their personality. A lot of anecdotes are given to try to nail home the importance of establishing a rapport with your subject, and how he uses various techniques to get subjects to relax and give genuine expressions. This is where Hurley's work really shines, and despite so much time spent discussing this, the long and short of it is that the techniques Hurley uses work for him in large part because of his personality, and what works for him probably won't work for a lot of people. If you've ever had a chance to view Hurley's fstopper's tutorial, you'll also notice that most of the value of that tutorial is just seeing the interaction and reactions of his subjects. It's hard to quantify exactly what you've learned at the end of this, because in the end, it's a very general approach and not a specific concrete technique that makes it work. You can even walk away from watching the video (or reading this book), feeling like you've learned (concretely) very little. So while this certainly isn't exactly a primer, and the density of information is relatively low, I'd still say that this is worth a read for anyone interest in taking headshots. The book has a lot of tips (some that might be for you, some might not), and gives you plenty to think about if you step back and look at the big picture of what he's trying to say rather than look at the (somewhat drawn out) specifics.

Peter Hurley’s new book “The Headshot” is a comprehensive narrative of the art, science and craft of taking world-class headshots. Peter’s headshots are rigorously consistent. They are meticulous in execution and manage to capture an expression of each subject’s aura. This is much more difficult to do that to say. This book, however, pulls it all together and provides a complete handbook for the newbie or a disciplined review for the pro. Peter’s book incorporates the substance of many of his previous works: Fstoppers: The Art behind the Headshot and Illuminating the Face: his Kelby Training Video, Mastering Headshot Photography; his YouTube videos: Illuminating the Face, It’s All about the Jaw and It’s All about the Squinch as well as a significant portion of his live studio Headshot Intensive Workshop. This book is far more comprehensive than any of the component or predecessor pieces. It provides detailed descriptions of the mechanics of shooting headshots along with candidly frank explanations of how to evoke a subject’s personality in a photo shoot. Peter does not underestimate or gloss over any of the challenging details or pitfalls. In fact, he underscores the difficulty of dealing with people and their natural fear of the camera. The principal reason I would recommend this book: Peter articulates the issues and provides a plethora of options for overcoming the obstacles. This is a book for people who want to learn to take world-class headshots or simply for those who want to know the inside story of how it’s done.

I first encountered Peter Hurley through Scott Kelby's online classes and immediately thought this guy is great at understanding the dynamics of successful Portraits and Headshots. This book encapsulates everything I learnt throughout these online courses and is a terrific resource for mastering this fascinating aspect of Photography. This book goes into the psychology of human nature during the headshot process and teaches strategies and techniques to get your subject to relax so that you, the photographer, can capture an authentic expression. I love this book, I think it is outstanding - Peter Hurley writes exactly like he expresses himself on video and I am ok with that, the information is comes from someone who really understands how to get the best out of his subjects. The images in the books are really fabulous, inspiring and compliment the written text perfectly. This book is well worth having in your library.

J'ai apprécié l'ensemble des conseils que l'on retrouve dans cet ouvrage. Très utile pour le setting lumière et la direction du modèle.

Before completing this book the results from my headshots improved dramatically. Peter Hurley can come across as abrasive in his videos and I saw similar comments about this book before I purchased it. I also did not have high expectations because I figured that this was going to be about the squinch and the Jawline. On the contrary there is a lot of good information on relating to your subject and how to relax people and get them in the frame of mind. I find additionally that the banter that he encourages also helps me relax, which is as important as making the client relax. This book was really a pleasant surprise, it was easy to read, has lots of good photos and useful suggestions. There is very little on camera and lighting settings, so if that is what you are looking for this is not the book for you. This is more about getting to what you really want in an headshot, which is to capture and engaging expression.

Peter Hurley ist als ehemaliges Model und langjähriger Portraitfotograf ein Experte für Business- und Portraitfotografie. Egal ob man seine Dauerlichttechnik verwendet, mit natürlichem Licht fotografiert, mit Aufsteckblitzen arbeitet oder mit einer Studioblitzanlage, Hurley legt in seinem Buch dar, dass neben eine guten Technik es vor allem darum geht, das Model in die richtige Stimmung zu versetzen, um ein erstklassiges Portraitfoto zu erzeugen. Da er selbst als Model gearbeitet hat, weiss Hurley worauf es ankommt. Hurley, der inzwischen auch in Workshops sein Wissen an Nachwuchsfotografen vermittelt weiss auch: Profiequipment allein macht noch keinen guten Fotografen, aber ein guter Fotograf schiesst ein erstklassiges Bild auch mit einer Handykamera. Entscheident ist vor allem, wie man sein Model am besten motivert, um ein emotional packendes Portrait zu bekommen. Absolut empfehlenswert für alle, die sich ernsthaft mit Portrait- und Businessfotografie beschäftigen wollen.

Perfect