Location: Home» Books » Face to Face: Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Photographing People

Site Links

View Cart
Checkout
About Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Returns Policy
Shipping Information
DSLR Camera Features
Depth of Field Explained
Digital Camera Forum

Subcategories

Reference
•	Almanacs & Yearbooks
•	Atlases & Maps
•	Audiobooks
•	Business Skills
•	Careers
•	Catalogs & Directories
•	Consumer Guides
•	Dictionaries & Thesauruses
•	Education
•	Encyclopedias
•	Etiquette
•	Foreign Languages
•	Fun Facts
•	Genealogy
•	General
•	General AAS
•	Job Hunting
•	Large Print
•	Law
•	Publishing & Books
•	Quotations
•	Spanish-Language Reference
•	Study Guides
•	Test Prep Central
•	Words & Language
•	Writing

Nikon D80

New Releases

•	Guinness: World Records 2009 (Guinness World Records)
•	The Atlas of the Real World
•	The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009 (World Almanac and Book of Facts)
•	Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
•	The Bro Code
•	The New York Times: The Complete Front Pages: 1851-2008
•	Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, ... With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory
•	Ripley's Believe It Or Not Special Edition 2009 (Ripley's Believe It Or Not Special Edition)
•	Late Show Fun Facts
•	Freakin' Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF

Face to Face: Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Photographing People

enlarge

Author: Rick Sammon
Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$34.99~~
Buy New: $23.09
You Save: $11.90 (34%)

New (45) Used (7) from $18.60

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

15 reviews
Sales Rank: 15003

Format: Illustrated
Media: Paperback
Pages: 303
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 8.1 x 0.7

ISBN: 059651574X
Dewey Decimal Number: 778.92
EAN: 9780596515744
ASIN: 059651574X

Publication Date: May 28, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com Review
Whether you're interested in studio photographs, or "environmental" photos of individuals where they live, in Face to Face you'll learn the preparation and attention to detail required to make alluring people pictures.

From the Introduction
The Camera Looks Both Ways

“In picturing the subject, we are also picturing a part of ourselves.”
When it comes to photographing people, that is, no doubt, the most important photo tip I can share with you. “Every picture is a self portrait” is another way of conveying that point. Let me explain. When you are looking through your camera’s viewfinder, viewing and framing a subject, if you realize that the feeling, the emotion, the attitude and the energy that you project will be reflected in your subject’s face--and eyes--you’ll get a higher percentage of pictures that you like. That’s because by your actions, you are subconsciously “directing” the subject to mirror the way you feel. So in looking at the opening photograph in this introduction, I am sure that you know exactly how I was feeling when I took the picture outside a school in Lombok, Indonesia. That’s right! I was having a blast. For all the photographs in this book, I will provide their locations for those of you who may want to know where the pictures were taken. Some of you may find that photographing strangers in strange lands is the ultimate photography experience. For me, getting people to like, or at least accept me, in a matter of seconds in far-away places is my prime goal as a travel photographer. After achieving that goal, taking the pictures is relatively easy--if you follow the tips in this book. Even if you are not a world traveler, however, you’ll find that my tips and techniques for photographing people, for the most part, are the same, no matter where you go. In this book, the one that I’ve dreamed about writing for years, I’ll also share some behind-the-scenes stories. For my Lombok picture, for example, I had just finished doing magic tricks for about an hour in one of the school’s classrooms. I love doing magic tricks when I travel, and it’s also a great technique for “breaking the ice” and getting people to let me into their lives for a few moments. That effort resulted in one of my favorite group shots--a shot that captures the enthusiasm of the school kids. Of course, I’ll also get into the technical aspects of photographing people on the following pages. You’ll learn how to photograph people in low light and in bright light, with a flash and without a flash. You’ll see how reflectors and diffusers can turn a snapshot into a great shot. You’ll understand the difference between an environmental portrait and a portrait--and the difference between taking and making a picture. Camera settings and lenses will also be covered. You’ll find sections on Outdoor Photography and Indoor Photography. In some cases, you’ll be able to use the techniques interchangeably, such as when it comes to posing a group or creating a sense of depth in a photograph. In fact, I will share everything I know about photographing people with you--all while trying to make the learning process fun and enjoyable. Before moving on, I’d like to share three more pictures with you that illustrate my “Camera Looks Both Ways” philosophy.

Check out my pictures of a young woman whom I photographed in Cuba, a Buddhist monk whom I photographed in Cambodia, and a man with face piercing whom I photographed in Cuba. While photographing one subject, I was beaming with joy. For another, I was trying to show an honest feeling of respect. And for another, I was expressing the feeling of, “Man, you look totally awesome.” I don’t have to match the photos with the feeling for you. See! The camera does, indeed, look both ways. Speaking of photo philosophies, if you check out the table of contents, you’ll see that Photo Philosophies is the longest section in this book. That’s because getting a good picture of a person goes way beyond technique. When it comes to photographing a person, you really need to think before you shoot, and that section offers a lot of food for thought. So what about Photoshop? Well, all of the pictures in this book have been enhanced to some degree, even it was only in sharpening, cropping and/or adjusting the brightness, contrast and color of an image. This is not a Photoshop book. However, because Photoshop can help you get a more dramatic, dynamic and artistic images, I’ve included a section at the end of this book that features my favorite Photoshop enhancements when it comes to people pictures.

For now, this before-and-after pair of images of a horse and rider at sunset, photographed at the Ponderosa Ranch in Oregon, shows how simple cropping and a bit of color, contrast and brightness enhancement can turn a snapshot into a great shot.
Ready to get going with some solid tips and techniques? I am. In fact, I can’t wait for you to read the rest of this book--because I truly enjoy teaching and sharing my photographic experiences. Naturally, I also like “revisiting,” so to speak, some of my favorite subjects. Those of you who have attended my workshops and seminars, or have seen my Web TV shows, also know that I enjoy meeting people. For those of you who are joining me for the first time, I hope you enjoy “meeting” me here. Before you go, however, I’d like to share two of my all-time people pictures with you.

Let's look at a portrait of a young girl whom I photographed in Bhutan and a picture of three girls that I photographed in Costa Rica. What I like about these pictures is the direct eye contact the subjects are making with my camera--and me. Connect with your subjects, and your pictures will connect with those who view them.
Understand your subject, and you’ll gain some insight into the soul of the photographer--your soul.

--Rick Sammon
Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Product Description
In this beautifully illustrated book, travel and adventure photographer Rick Sammon introduces the proven techniques he uses to make extraordinary photographs of people around the world. You'll find important tips and strategies for engaging your subject and setting up the shoot, along with techniques for shooting in a variety of conditions both indoors and outdoors.

Rick Sammon is people person who loves the art of making -- rather than simply taking -- people pictures. In Face to Face, he makes learning people photography a quick and enjoyable experience. Rick demonstrates his methods through a collection of his original photographs. Each photo includes notes explaining the principles he followed and the techniques he used.

Face to Face offers hundreds of tips you can you for studio shoots and "environmental" people pictures, including:

Outdoor techniques for shooting in low light, shooting in bright light, for capturing action, taking profiles, taking group shots, and more
Indoor techniques for using a flash and strobes, and for shooting silhouettes, working with mirrors, and other techniques
Photo philosophies and creative advice, such as developing a sense of place, carefully choosing the background, seeing pictures within a picture, and more
How to photograph people in different cultures, along with fascinating behind-the-scenes stories of photos in the book

The largest section of the book, "Photo Philosophies", lays out several principles for making people pictures. Rick stresses that the camera looks both ways -- in other words, the attitude and energy you bring to a shoot will be reflected in a subject's face. If you're enthusiastic, you'll capture a picture that portrays enthusiasm. If you're impatient or distracted, that will be reflected as well.

Getting subjects to accept him in a matter of seconds is his prime goal as a people photographer -- after that, he says, taking pictures is much easier. Even if you're not a world traveler, Rick's tips and techniques will have you taking top-notch people pictures wherever you are.

Rick Sammon gives more than a dozen workshops and presentations each year, holds online classes, and is the producer of seven interactive DVDs for photographers on all facets of photography.

Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

f you haven't ever don this type photography, it holds the keys. October 30, 2008
Bruce A. Smith
This book provides the reader with many common sense points of advice that are all very relevant and helpful. It covers many circumstances on an international scale that allows you to feel more at home taking the picture of someone you don't know as well as helpful advice on payment for the picture. This book is essential for anyone with an interest in this sort of work... Bravo to Mr Sammon for writing yet another great reference.

5 out of 5 stars

Very Helpful October 8, 2008
Sharon Gordon (Cle Elum, WA)
I found this book very helpful. It has great photos that illustrate his points, and it is easy to understand. The thing I would have found more helpful is if he had included more about where to take the exposure, etc., but I realize that is covered in another book..... I loved the book and will reread it many times. Very inspiring. Thank you, Mr. Sammon.

5 out of 5 stars

A good introduction for beginners (not technical at all) September 27, 2008
Shlomo Yona (Israel)
After reading Peterson's books (understanding exposure, beyond portraiture, understanding shutter speed, and more) this book feels not technical enough. It misses technical information that would be very useful to people who'd like to learn, such as f-number, shutter speed, distance from object, metering mode and method etc. Though this information did appear in a few pages, it was not available throughout the book.

Still, the pictures are very appealing and the author does explain how he took them. A lot of emphasis was put on the social side of potrait photography. How to approach, how to get friendly, how to share your pictures. Also, the artistic sides are covered, how to "direct" your model, how to give attention to details (background, framing, light, shadows, etc.). Some technical aspects are indeed mentioned and a few tricks on exposure and light metering and white balance. Also the last few lessons in the book are some photoshop "how-to"s.

I liked the book. I enjoyed the pictures, I did my best to learn the messages from the lessons and liked a lot the authors attitude and explanation way.

To get a good understanding of what lessons are expected in the book take a look at the table of contents. Lessons are titled by the main tip that they deliver.

5 out of 5 stars

An excellent guide for any photography library September 5, 2008
Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
Rick Sammon is known for his travel and adventure photo guides, but FACE TO FACE offers something different: a focus on the art of making people pictures using a range of methods to capture subjects. These take the form of lessons contrasting different approaches to images and people, using Sammon's own subjects and methods as examples. It's an excellent guide for any photography library, particularly those specializing in portrait photography.

5 out of 5 stars

wonderful book August 28, 2008
Markus Jais
Face to Face by Rick Sammon is one of my favorites books on portrait photography.

It's full with stunning pictures of people from many places around the world. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book.

But in addition to the great pictures, the text is also very informative and entertaining.

Part 2 is my favorite part of the book and full of useful stuff. For example, Rick explains why you should not place the subject in the center for most shots, or why shooting both horizontal and vertical is a good idea for most subjects.

I like the authors writing style. The book is easy to read and the text is a perfect fit for the beautiful images. It never gets boring or too technical. It's clear that the author knows and lovers what he is doing and this is reflecting in his images and his writing.

If you want to improve your photography, I highly recommend this book.

candid photography composition photography portraits professional

Nikon D90

Canon Rebel XSi

Sony Alpha A200K

Canon EOS 50D

Nikon D300

Canon Rebel XTi

Nikon D60

Bestsellers

•	Guinness: World Records 2009 (Guinness World Records)
•	The Atlas of the Real World
•	The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009 (World Almanac and Book of Facts)
•	Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
•	The Bro Code
•	The New York Times: The Complete Front Pages: 1851-2008
•	An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't
•	Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, ... With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory
•	The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
•	The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary