The Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Crafting Light and Shadow by Chris Knight – coming soon!

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In The Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Crafting Light and Shadow, photographer and educator Chris Knight provides everything you need to know so that you can improve and elevate your portraiture. Beginning with a discussion of the significance of contrast (i.e., the relationship between light and dark) and how it pertains to a sense of drama in your imagery, Chris discusses the history of portraiture and light, from the early work of Egyptians and Greeks to the sublime treatment of light and subject by artists such as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Vermeer.

Chris then dives into a deep, hands-on exploration of light and portraiture, offering numerous lessons and takeaways that will have you quickly improving your work. Chris covers:
• The qualities of light: hard vs. soft, as well as the spectrum in between
• The relationships between light, subject, and background, and how to control them
• Lighting ratios and how they effect contrast in your image
• Equipment: from big and small modifiers to grids, snoots, barndoors, flags, modifiers, and gels
• Multiple setups for one-light, two-light, and three-light shoots
• How color contributes to drama and mood, eliciting an emotional response from the viewer
• How to approach styling your portrait, from wardrobe to background
• A complete post-processing workflow, including developing the RAW file, maximizing contrast, color grading, retouching, and dodging and burning for heightened drama and effect