Brian Smith Reveals the Secrets of Amazing Portraiture

Experience is a photographer’s greatest asset. Getting it takes time, dedication or just a trip to the bookstore thanks to Artisan of Imagery Brian Smith’s new book, Secrets of Great Portrait Photography: Photographs of the Famous and Infamous.

Secrets’ 264 pages detail Brian’s 30 years of award-winning portraiture through exquisite photos of athletes, celebrities and well-known personalities. Page after page, readers are treated to behind-the-scenes stories and techniques used on each shoot, plus practical tips.

In an exclusive interview with IE, Brian talked about some of his favorite moments from the book.

“Jack LaLanne is a personal hero of mine. I wanted a landmark location for a legend like him and chose the Morro Rock near his home in Morro Bay. We shot at dusk. And it wasn’t until I was shooting that I noticed the rock actually looked like Jack’s bicep. It was one of those lucky extras you hope for.

“Richard Branson just launched the Virgin Galatic, so we decided to shoot him in an astronaut suit. We ordered the suit then took off to his private Caribbean island. We weren’t sure the suit would make it on time. Fortunately, it arrived just when we did and Richard was so great. He even took us out on his boat at 5 A.M. to get first light.”

Brian provides details on these shoots and many more. His advice for planning, lighting and working with subjects make this book a must-read for an aspiring portrait photographer—or any photographer.