Unlock the Secrets of Creating Amazing Headshot Portraits with Headshot: The

Gerald Lachapelle: I'm fortunate in that I have access to many candidates requiring a portrait. On a volunteer basis I photograph new residents in a long term care facility. It is very challenging since many are dealing with physical and mental issues. So giving them direction can at times (most of the time) be very difficult. This book by Peter Hurley proposes a step by step system along with many tools that at least offers me something to aim for. If you're into headshots the book is well worth it.

Canada on Feb 23, 2023

Robert Dennis: Not an easy read

United Kingdom on Dec 21, 2022

MGH: J'ai apprécié l'ensemble des conseils que l'on retrouve dans cet ouvrage.
Très utile pour le setting lumière et la direction du modèle.

France on Dec 17, 2022

Xoan Alfonso San Martín Sáder: A Headshots masterpiece from my "Pana" Peter Hurley; full of info, easy to understand.

Spain on May 04, 2022

Garden Goddess: I would like to thank Peter Hurley for sharing his secrets with the rest of us- he lays it all out in this book, which goes into greater detail than his YouTube videos, which I also highly recommend watching if you want to try Mr. Hurley's technique. I didn't know the first thing about photographing headshots before I got this book, except that I couldn't seem to get any good ones taken. They were so awful that they didn't even remotely resemble how I look in person or in the mirror and frankly I just wanted to cry. I love the conversational tone and humor in the book, and there is no contesting that Mr. Hurley has mastered this type of photography.

I needed headshots for LinkedIn because I just graduated from college and I'm looking for a job, and I need to look professional. I was worried because I have never considered myself to be photogenic- I wouldn't want to scare potential employers off with a horrid pic. You just never know these days... The campus photographer offered to shoot some pics for me, but they came out hideous. I'm not sure what lens he was using but I must have gained fifty pounds in my face alone. He is great at photographing the sports events but not...

United States on Apr 21, 2017

PeteB: As some other reviews indicate, Peter has that American ‘oversell’ style (no offence intended). But then he is American and he is presenting his style (which I chose to learn more about) so he rightly deserves his space on that front. You can get a feel for his presentation style if you put his name in a search engine (and if you watch some of his videos on YouTube – which are very informative).

There is no doubt he has first class technique and professional competence. I learned a lot from the book once I got past the Bio content at the start. When I read this, I was really 'studying' studio based headshots and Peter is a master in this field. From reading the book I adapted my skills and techniques. It is not set out as a training book – you pick things up as you read through (and I took bullet point notes of things I should carefully consider and remember).

The book influenced my buying decisions when choosing a lighting configuration. I can't stretch to the kind of gear he uses – but I am also not using the cheapest either - so I was really picking up on configuration for this. He makes interesting (non sexist) observations about useful differences in...

United Kingdom on Sep 08, 2016

Alan Shi: If you have even a casual interest in headshot photography, you've no doubt come across the work of Peter Hurley. Hurley's signature style is instantly recognizable and he's done a number of videos ("it's all about the jaw", "the squinch", "hold your sub") that describe some of the techniques he uses in his images.

This book was somewhat of a surprise in that it is quite a bit longer, and much more text heavy than you would expect from a typical photography book (and it still has plenty of images throughout the book). However, despite the length, the instructional value is somewhat limited because of the somewhat repetitive and meandering conversational style of the text, making the density of information rather low. Some parts felt a bit drawn out, although there's always a meaningful point that Hurley tries to draw out in every section (even if the point at the end could have been stated in far fewer words, and more concise examples).

"The Headshot" starts out describing how Hurley got started, which is fairly interesting. You get a sense for the hustle he put into trying to establish himself, and how he stayed true to the vision he had for headshots. The second...

United States on Nov 27, 2015