"Portrait photographers are powerful people. For a given period they own their subject and that fact carries great responsibility whether the subjects are VIPs or just regular humans. Brian Smith takes us through the subtleties and on past the hard-core practicalities of portrait photography of the famous and infamous. His observations and instructions in this fine book define and serve the art of the photo portrait. Any photographer who has digested The Secrets of Great Portrait Photography will be sure to wield his or her power with knowledge and judgment." -Elliott Erwitt, Magnum Photographer and Legend "The same humor and enthusiasm that has made Brian Smith a popular speaker can be found here in his insider anecdotes about photographing celebrities on assignment. He gives clear explanations of all the techniques, from the elegantly simple to the technically sophisticated, that have helped him solve the problems every pro encounters: Shy or busy subjects, not so gorgeous locations, less than perfect lighting conditions, the need to tell a big story in a single frame. Alongside each assignment, he provides the definition of each professional tool he uses, and thanks to the book's handy design, these informative details never interrupt the flow of a good story." -Holly Stuart Hughes, Editor in Chief, Photo District News "Brian Smith demonstrates on every page of this terrific book that the real secrets of great portrait photography are the warmth, wit, and skill that he brings to every shot. He laces the stories behind his vibrant portraits with loads of useful tips and easy-to-understand techniques. And he shows you how to create a visible connection with anyone in front of your lens, from movie stars to strangers on the street." -Miriam Leuchter, Editor-in-Chief, Popular Photography

For the past 30 years, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Smith's bold, iconic portraits of famous celebrities, athletes, and executives have appeared in advertising and graced the covers and pages of such magazines as LIFE, Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, Time, Forbes, New York Times Magazine, and British GQ. Smith won the Pulitzer Prize for his photographs of the Los Angeles Olympics and was a Pulitzer finalist for his photographs of Haiti in turmoil. He's a Sony Artisan of Imagery, Lowepro Lowe Professional, X-Rite Coloratti, and he's president of Editorial Photographers, an organization of the top magazine photographers and newspaper photojournalists from around the world.

Chapter 1: Connect with People Chapter 2: Find the Place Chapter 3: Find the Angle Chapter 4: Tell the Story Chapter 5: Sweat the Small Stuff Chapter 6: Don't Mess with a Good Thing Chapter 7: Pose, Gesture, Emotion Chapter 8: Less is More Chapter 9: See the Light Chapter 10: Group Portraits Without Formality Chapter 11: Create the Look Chapter 12: Lights, Camera, Lens Chapter 13: Assignments Chapter 14: Asked and Answered Celebrities include: Venus and Serena Williams, Randy Quaid, Gene Hackman, Cindy Crawford, boxer Christy Martin, Tim Hardaway, Donald Trump, George Hamilton, Bill Gates, Leslie Nielsen, The Bee Gees, Jose Canseco, Antonio Banderas, Shaquille O'Neal, John Turturro, Anne Hathaway, Ben Stiller, Sylvester Stallone, Don King, Jane Krakowski, and Christopher Walken.