Face to Face: Rick Sammons Complete Guide to Photographing People
“Picturing the subject, you are also picturing a part of yourself.” – R. Sammon
I think I got to about page twenty-eight when I broke down. I could not stand the anticipation any more, and quickly flipped through the book and looked at every photograph and read every caption. The images in this book will leave you breathless and wanting more. They will also make you want to take a photography trip to some exotic destination (oh, and if you’re interested in that sort of thing and can actually leave for a week or so, check out: Peter West’s Blog and the Photo Trip To Israel.) Sadly, my circumstances do not permit me to travel at this time, so until then, I’ll enjoy vicariously the images and thoughts of what I could do if I were there after I have read this book.
Personally, I’m absolutely fascinated by faces, so this book was, well, right up my interest.
The writing style is upbeat, energetic and personable.
The book is divided up into sections with ‘lessons’ in each section. The chapters breathe life. I don’t think there is anyway else to describe it. In each section, you can feel the sheer fun the photographer must have had taking these images. A quick introduction to your camera and its equipment is quickly followed by nearly 20 lessons (I think that the best way to think of these ‘lessons’ would be to think of them as morsels of advice) on photo philosophies where the subject matter is understanding the complex relationship of both the picture, the photographer, and the subject. The final section of the book covers how to enhance your pictures in Photoshop.
Each page offers some insight into the creative mind of a talented photographer, and leaves you with practical advice on how to achieve better people photos in a large variety of situations. This book is well suited to the skill level of an intermediate level amateur photographer, though of course it may also provide exceptional inspiration to those just entering into the field.
