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Copyright © 2012 by Lou Szoke.
All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted.
All rights reserved.
Published by:
Amherst Media, Inc.
P.O. Box 586
Buffalo, N.Y. 14226
Fax: 716-874-4508
www.AmherstMedia.com
Publisher: Craig Alesse Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins Assistant Editor: Barbara A.
Lynch-Johnt Editorial assistance provided by John S. Loder.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60895-305-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011904398
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the
publisher.
Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author’s experience and
opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this
book.
Contents
About the Author
Acknowledgments
PART ONE: THE FOIINDATION
INTRODUCTION: A PERSONAL JOURNEY
A Young Man and His Camera
My Career Path
About This Book
1. THE HOLLYWOOD PORTRAIT
The Hollywood Portrait Defined
2. THE CASE FOR HOT LIGHTS
If It Were Easy, Everyone Would Do It
Strobes Versus Hot Lights
Sidebar: The Benefits of Continuous Light
The Required Equipment
Tungsten Spotlights
Bowl Lights
Can Lights
Barn Doors
Snoots
Dimmers
Light Stands and Booms
Lighting Lingo
Sidebar: Caution!
Lighting Examples
Lighting Creates Mood
The Lighting Setup
Metering Light
A Few Words on Lenses and Exposure Settings
Color Temperature
3. THE CAMERA ROOM AND THE CLIENT
The Studio Environment
Breaking the Ice and Observing Body Language
The Eyes Speak Volumes
Real-Life Examples
Homework
4. CAPTURE
Film, Digital, or Both?
Know Your Equipment
5. OUTPUT
High-Quality Printing
A Darkroom, Lab, or Inkjet Printer?
A Darkroom
A Lab
Injet Printers: You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
Sidebar: Leave It to the Pros
6. LEARNING IS AN ONGOING PROCESS
Study Portraits: It’s a Great Way to Learn
Practice, Practice, Practice
PART TWO: THE PORTFOLIO
ABOUT THE IMAGES
FACES ARE LANDSCAPES
LIGHTING FOR DEFINITION
DEPTH OF FIELD
SOFT, SULTRY LIGHTING
ONE SETUP, SEVERAL POSES
INTO THE DARKROOM
DRAMATIC EYES
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
MIRROR, MIRROR
MOTHER-IN-LAW
OLD HOLLYWOOD
A STORYTELLING PROP
A SCULPTED LOOK
BEAUTY AND GRACE
NUDE STUDY
ADDING TEXTURE
CULTIVATING A STYLE
FATHER AND SON
BODY LANGUAGE
DRAMATIC SHADOWS
INTIMACY
LIGHTING RATIOS
LARGER THAN LIFE
REBELLION
A THREE-LIGHT SETUP
CHARACTER
A STARLET IS BORN
THE EYES HAVE IT
BRIDAL PORTRAITS
GLORIOUSLY GLAMOROUS
THE STRENGTH IN A PORTRAIT
CAPTURING ATTITUDE
FINE ART MADE EASY
STRENGTH AND PASSION
ONE LIGHT, ONE BEAUTIFUL CREATION
FOR THOSE WHO GAVE ALL
FROM ONE ARTIST TO ANOTHER
HAVE FUN AND CREATE
HIGH-FASHION GLAMOUR WITH HOT LIGHTS
MOVIE STAR EYES
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
A LITTLE BASHFUL
GLAMOUR 101
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD
GET CLOSE
SHOOT IT AS IT HAPPENS
IT CAN BE SIMPLE OR DIFFICULT— YOU DECIDE
MR. PRESIDENT
SET YOURSELF APART
THE LANGUAGE OF ONE’S EYES
LARGE FORMAT AND LOVING IT
DAPPLED LIGHT
HAVE FUN AND CREATE
SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS— WHAT A TEAM!
A STARLET
Final Thoughts
Index
About the Author
ou Szoke started his photography business in 1980. He earned the Master
LPhotographer designation in 1995 and Craftsman of Photography in 1996.
He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Illinois Top 10
Photographer of the Year, which he won six years in a row, from 2001 to 2006;
several Fuji Masterpiece awards; and Illinois’ Best Black & White Print award,
which he received for five consecutive years. Lou was named Illinois
Photographer of the Year in 2002. He has many National Loan prints and also
has a photograph on rotational display at the Photography Hall of Fame in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Lou has also been a featured speaker at numerous conventions and
workshops throughout the United States and Canada.
He continues to this day to teach his advanced lighting techniques, and his
love of photography continues to grow.
Acknowledgments
any people have touched my life throughout the course of my
Mphotography career. Little did I know that some of my best and most
beloved friends would come from those I met in photography groups. My
comrades with cameras share an overwhelming desire for knowledge; any
information they can use to create their next great portrait or art piece is always
welcomed.
My wife of over thirty years, Theresa, has been my endless support system.
She has kept me motivated and inspires me to keep on going. She is always the
first to offer a kind word about the prints dropped in her lap to look at, even
though I’m sure there are some she doesn’t like, and she probably cannot
understand why I am so excited. I would not be the person I am today without
her always-calm demeanor (well, almost always!) and inspiration. I have learned
more from her than anyone can imagine. Working together for over thirty years
would be impossible for most married couples, but it seems to work fine for us.
(The words “yes dear, you are right” can make for a much happier life!) I want to
thank you, Theresa, from the bottom of my heart, for all the love and support
you have given me. It has made me the person and photographic artist I am
today.
A special thank you goes out to my sister-in-law, Diana Esela, who dedicated
many hours to help me put this book together. You are such a kind person!
To my mom and dad, I miss you both terribly. I wish you were still with us
today. Nothing made me prouder than to show off my prints to the two of you.
Genetics is truly amazing. I believe I got my humor from my mother and my
business and entrepreneurial fortitude from my dad. He was one of the strongest
men, both physically and in regard to his determination, that I have ever known.
He was and still is my hero. He also unknowingly taught me how to cuss. (I’d
best save elaborating on that for another book.)
To my two sons, Brad and Jay—thank you for the countless hours spent
posing, smiling, reposing, being serious, turning left, and turning right. I’m sure
you were bored to death many times over, but you helped me more than you’ll
ever know, and I can’t say thank you enough. I am a proud father. I love you
both. I am so lucky to have the two of you. (Speaking of genetics, my sons seem
to have inherited my artistic tendencies. They are both talented artists!)
I must also thank my sister, Pat. Anyone who knows us will tell you that we
are like night and day in many ways, but we have a brother-sister bond that
many people would be envious of. Thank you for your smile and contagious
laugh. I swear, you can hear this woman for miles when she gets on a roll!
I cannot leave out Vonnie Kerber and Leigh Ann Kerber Hughes, two people
whom I love dearly and who have always been there for me through the good
and bad times. As life goes on, you learn that your true friends are always there
for you when you need them the most. You have both proved that several times
over. Thank you both for your love and support.
Getting to wake up and do what you love everyday is a great joy, but one of
the fringe benefits is the wonderful people in the photographic community that I
have had the privilege of meeting and sharing this journey with. Throughout the
years of seminars, photo schools, PPA functions, etc., I have met some of the
greatest photographers, artists, and visionaries in the industry. Thank you to Pat
and Mary Anne Ricks, Larry Erickson, T. Michael Stanley, Maureen Powers, Pete
Hybben, Gordon Underwood, Jackie Olson, Ron Lemerond, Tim Uphoff, and
Bob Lloyd. To all of my great friends not listed here, forgive me.
Having friends who are great photographic artists and businesspeople has
helped me to learn and explore my vision of what I am photographing. Many
times I went on photo shoots with most or all of the above-mentioned people
and was astounded to see that although we were all photographing the same
basic image setup or person, each of us had a totally different final destination in
mind for the final print. All of you mean so much to me in so many different
ways. Thank you!
Part One
THE FOUNDATION
