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Monte teaches simple lighting patterns that will enable you to make quality predictable portraits using one lighting pattern, two poses and three camera positions. He demonstrates this with both Studio & Window Light.
Topics Covered: Introduction The Basic Pose Works on Everyone Two Ways of Bringing People Together Profiles are Always in the Feminine Pose A Word About Our Sponsor Window Light Portraits Another Look at the Studio Setup A Bonus Engagement Portrait Conclusion
(about 56 minutes)
Interactive CD-ROM with Monte’s Photoshop Portrait Optimizing Techniques.
Session 01 : Retouch & Optimize Cathy's Full Face Portrait: Learn Monte's process of retouching and building optimal contrast for the perfect print. See the easy technique for adding a vignette which forces attention to the face. Session 02 : Retouch & Optimize Cathy's 2/3 View Portrait: Similar retouching and techniques are used for this second portrait plus a vignette finishes off this elegant portrait. Study and practice his system. Session 03 : Retouch & Optimize Ashley's 2/3 View Portrait: Retouching the face and optimizing the hair and shadow density really take this portrait into a higher level. Session 04 : Retouch & Convert Ben's Portrait to B&W: Watch how Monte changes this color portrait into a classic Black & White, embellishes with a vignette and uses strategic retouching. Session 05 : Monte's Review of Lighting Patterns: Get the final review of the basic poses and lighting patterns.
NOTE: CD-ROM The programs are tested to run on Macintosh OS X 10.1.x and Windows 98, ME, 2000 and XP computers. Photoshop CS programs are NOT Macintosh OS 9 compatible.
(about 63 minutes)
This video was added to our catalog on January 25, 2007 in Arts & Crafts::Photography and Digital Art - 2D::Adobe - Photoshop / Illustrator.
Product availability: short wait, ships soon
OK Monte is considered one of the deans of wedding & portrait photographers and he has a lot to teach. This DVD however could use a little more editing as it jumps from subject to subject. The valuable information is there, you just have to work to find it. So recommended, but with reservations
I really didn't find it very helpful. It's very basic and good for someone just starting to be interested in portrait photography, in that case it's a good dvd.
Excellent.
Monte goes into good detail about his single lighting setup, two poses, three camera angles. He does cover alot of ground in the short time span of the video, so I found myself pausing and rewinding alot take notes and to absorb all of the information.
The CD-ROM that is included in this set also has some great Photoshop tips, as Monte himself illustrates his method of post production.
Monte is a great teacher, and this set is highly reccommended for anyone starting out in portraiture.
Too bad that this is the only Monte Zucker title available for rent, as I would really like to see more of his teachings.
Thank you for the great service you provide. I was skeptical at first, but now I am so glad that I found you. I just wish I had thought of this before you did! Thanks so much! Teresa
Nice dvd learned a lot!
Wish he went a bit slower regarding the setup of the lights.
Nice instructional CD. Learned a lot! Very helpful!
Simple, straightforward, delightful, information easily understood by all. If you have been doing photography work in the past, this puts lighting on the simple level that it should be. Highly recommended. LZ
Excellent DVD i will recommend it very good dvd be ready to take a lot of notes
The primary benefit from this video is learning standard portrait poses, feminine, masculine, and couples, in either 7/8ths, 2/3rds, or profile. This will aid a beginner with portrait photography, but for professionals and students the posing lessons provides good reinforcement of the basics.
Other than posing, Monte provides technical advice which is contrary to the lessons I learned in photography school, and this leads me to take everything he says with a large grain of salt. For example, in the studio he recommends shooting at high ISOs at wide apertures with modeling lights and a tripod. This is an amateur approach, not a professional one. In the studio, professionals shoot the lowest ISOs (100 whenever possible), use strobes, and work without tripod (at least for portraiture). When working with strobes in a studio you're usually shooting at 1/125th (at F8, F11, or F16) so camera shake isn't a concern when using 70-120mm lenses, and this frees you from the tripod.
Furthering my disappointment, when each mini-lesson on the DVD concludes by displaying the final shots it is consistently clear that much post-processing has been done on them, although he never hints at what processing had been done. My guess is that he performed a lot of extreme light smoothing with Photoshop's Shadow/Highlight filter, and the quality of his results with their hyper processing looks amateurish.
I recommend this DVD for the basics of portrait posing, and I recommend against it because it may send beginners down the wrong technical path.
