Today I will introduce you to this new literary recommendation which, in my opinion, is of particular interest for a simple reason: there is a growing market for male portraiture because, increasingly, men pay more attention to their appearance, consume more articles. (clothes, perfume, watches, glasses, creams and a long etc. ) to look better. However, there is very little information on how to photograph men, beyond basic lighting tricks and schemes.
Brands have already understood this and have started working with their marketing campaigns targeting men, but it seems that there is still little photographic specialization in portraying men.
- That is why I consider this book to be especially interesting.
- Because it brings something difficult to find to this day and treats it very fully.
Anyone who has photographic knowledge and seeks to specialize professionally in male portraiture, as some knowledge of lighting, composition, technology management and photographic and study equipment is required and assumed.
If you find this niche photo market interesting, this is a great guide to take your first steps on the subject, or to specialize, as it has everything you need to do it.
And if you are attracted and interested in the subject, but do not have that basic photographic knowledge that you take for granted, we recommend that you start with our Guide to Mastering Portrait Photography.
Let’s see what it contains and how.
Intro
The book begins with a brief introduction in which the author, Jeff Rojas, justifies the origin of the book and his need to shed light on certain aspects of male photography that have so far been poorly worked on, based on his work and personal experiences. importance of anticipating, taking control of the situation, importance of style, etc.
Each person has their different attributes in relation to others and the photographer’s duty is to make them appear in their best light so that the representative feels satisfied without deceiving reality.
With good lighting, a refined editing technique and photographic equipment depending on each situation, we can value the best of each model and soften the less flattering ones.
Chapter 1: Face Shape
Knowing how to identify the shape of a person’s face (square, oval, round, triangular, rectangular, diamond and heart) will lead us to make decisions about lighting, lenses and image tweaks that will be definitive for the final result of the photograph.
In this chapter and through concrete and enlightening examples, you will learn to identify all kinds of faces and learn the best tricks to get the most out of it.
Chapter 2: Body Types
Just as there are different types of face, there are also body shapes, here 3 types are identified: ectomorph, mesomorphic and endomorphic, each gets the best angle, the best lens or the best posture of the author to get the best results.
For example, with thin people, you should make sure they look more shoulder to shoulder. Another example is trying to make sure older people don’t seem to be heavier than they did by preferably placing them at a 45-degree angle. , leaving a space between the arms and waist, etc.
Chapter 3: Perceived Defects
Even if the author argues that we are all beautiful on the outside (and I love it)?, she is aware that all or most of us have some complexes.
Our job as photographers is to make the client feel comfortable observing their image, so it gives us different lighting, installation and editing guidelines, with which to mask the most typical defects such as baldness, acne, scars, wrinkles, etc. jowls, grays, etc.
To help the represented person look their best, it is essential that they are at their best, so Jeff Rojas prepares us in this chapter to advise clients on how to improve their presence.
Chapter 4: Understanding Body Language
All of a person’s nonverbal gestures convey information about the person, it should not be limited to the face: hands, legs, arms, they also talk a lot about the person we represent.
In this chapter you will learn to capture what inspires each pose to better understand the people you embody and, above all, to use it according to what you want to convey: confidence, seriousness, strength, stress, intensity, etc.
Chapter 5: Standing Poses
Based on the premise that men generally want to appear taller, thinner and younger, the author recommends a series of poses and attitudes with which to direct the client or model according to the negative space, each of which is accompanied by tips and photographs.
However, it also emphasizes that there is no perfect pose, but that each person can look better with one or the other or even with an adaptation of it, the important thing is that the person represented feels comfortable and safe.
Chapter 6: Sitting Poses
In this chapter we delve into the seated postures, how to position the legs, arms, the best angle to the camera, how to get more stylized subjects, as well as many ideas with tips and examples to get the best results with each person. . based on your physical attributes.
Each chapter on poses also includes two or three additional pages of images with different poses for easy inspiration.
Chapter 7: Elongated Poses
Although not the most common poses, stretched postures allow you to stylize the silhouette and play with negative arm space.
It counts it through many poses with its tricks and examples (better composition, angle, etc. ), as well as places to find inspiration for these poses, for example paintings and sculptures.
Chapter 8: Style
The importance of style is essential to achieve the best results, if we do not have a stylist on the team, we will have to learn how to advise our clients ourselves.
According to the author, the key is to convey to the customer: Dress as you want to be perceived.
More than each person’s style, the most important thing is that the chosen clothes (which usually fit) perfectly correspond to the theme, so it teaches us to recognize when a costume is too long, short, wide, etc.
It also recommends a number of very useful tools to have in our study so that we can make the necessary adjustments in the style of the person represented: tweezers, moisturizer, steam brush, drying paper or arm compresses.
Chapter 9: Stylization of Complex Features
We won’t always introduce slim, muscular characters, and probably most of the time we’ll introduce other characters, from very thin people to older people.
The author reminds us that our job is not to do magic, but to beautify each person in their features, without eliminating them but without accentuating their possible complex.
In this chapter, the author teaches us to stylize all types of body through, for example, the negative space between the body and arms, the color of choosing a background similar to that of the subject for thick subjects, or how to hide the bodies. Also thin or long.
Regardless of the budget that large portraits seem to hide, the truth is that the replication of lighting patterns is relatively simple, the most difficult is to recreate the level of production or the theme of a professional photo shoot, according to the author, this comes with patience, time, practice and greater budgets ?.
Chapter 10: Introduction to the Awakening of Men
In the introduction to this chapter, the author explains the differences between portraits (emphasis is on the subject), commercial photography (emphasis is on object) and fashion photography (emphasis is on clothing and accessories). identify and drink from each other.
Once you have decided which photographic direction you are going to take (portraits, commercial or fashion), you will have to choose certain lighting or other patterns, but for this you must have knowledge on how to control and modify the light to recreate the different lighting settings.
Is natural or artificial light better? Hard or soft light What lighting equipment do I need?All of this is answered in this chapter.
Chapter 11: Portraits
When the focus is on a person’s face, we make a portrait, so the style, background, or environment can help create an impact on the subject, but the focus should be on the face.
Through different lighting patterns, tricks and examples of perfectly represented images, Jeff Rojas offers different types of lighting for male portraits.
Chapter 12: Commercial Photography
It is photography that sells products, places or services to an audience, and the ultimate goal is to make those who see our photographs feel that they cannot live without what we are photographing.
Through different lighting schemes, necessary materials, poses and multitude of images by way of example, the author guides us through various advertising campaigns (perfumes, sportswear, bodybuilding, etc. ).
Chapter 13: Fashion Photography
It is considered a subset of advertising photography whose intention is to sell clothes to consumers, so lighting patterns focus on selling the outfit and do not necessarily have to be the most flattering for the model.
As in previous sections, the author proposes different campaigns, with its lighting schemes, sample images and tips.
To date, there is not much information about male photography, so this book is a perfect guide to dely into this little explored and full of possibilities.
The book is simple, well explained, includes many examples and tricks, the language is entertaining, very visual?In short, an easy-to-read, understand and very complete book, with very simple and useful tips.
Jeff Rojas is an American fashion and portrait photographer based in New York City, who works for magazines such as Elle or Esquire, which combines with his work as a professor of photography on platforms such as CreativeLive, WPPI, Photo Plus Expo, Imaging USA or APA.
If you have photographic knowledge and want to immerse yourself in the unexplored world of male photography, this is certainly a reference book on the subject, easy to understand, with many examples, photos and tips, will give you tons of tips and ideas to manage to photograph men.
If you think you know someone who might be interested in the topic, don’t forget to share it!