Heisler on Portraiture
Photo District News has a series of excerpts up from Gregory Heisler’s new book – worth clicking through to see how he handled Hugh Grant, Muhammad Ali, Daniel Boulud and Herman Shaw.
Love this from the Hugh Grant segment on posing subjects:
So, as the photographer, you have four choices: (1) be satisfied with whomever they show you; (2) tell them exactly what to do (this can be dangerous); (3) distract them with music and chitchat; or (4) just do nothing and silently bore them until (hopefully) something natural happens.
Alum Dylan Wilson sent me a link to the book, 50 Portraits, a few days ago … and I ordered it. Which makes five or six books I’ve ordered in the last few weeks, I hope I get some time to actually read them soon.
I think equally important is this bit from Boulud:
The chefs … appreciated the idea and had given great thought to their choices. They were quite taken by their portraits; even I was surprised by the images. Apparently so was the editor. The pictures ran, but the magazine never called me again.
It happens and you’ve got to be okay with it. Here I’ve seen plenty of bad editorial decisions wreck spreads.