This is a fascinating book which has been organized very intelligently. The quick-sketch diagrams displaying the lighting used to create each image not only make it easy to try for a similar look, but also teach the reader how to look at lighting clues in an image in order to reverse-engineer the lighting conditions. While a great many other skills are involved in producing the photos in this book (like how to retouch using a graphite pencil), this is an excellent primer for those already familiar with the basics of studio lighting.

This is a great start for developing a foundation of this kind of lighting.The diagrams are easy to follow and it explains what are some of the pitfalls of certain kind of lightings.This is one of the reference book that I can say worth of what I paid for.

This book is perhaps not the end-all/be-all of Hollywood portraiture, but it is a delight to look at and inspirational for photographers. The steps and insight on how these images were created is both interesting and fun to read. A great book for a great price.

This book, by Roger Hicks, was good in its way. Having recently been required to try to reproduce the style of Hurrell/Bull, I did find it useful. The photographs were well reproduced and the descriptive material, particularly as regards history, was good. I did find it a bit confusing with "camera right" and "subject right" being thrown in willy-nilly. You would think that this would be self explanatory. However, combined with the illustrative drawings which looked at the set from different angles I would often get mixed up as to which light went where.

I am just a little thick, perhaps.

This is an excelent book for the budding portrait photographer, dealing with the various lighting solutions used to produce stuning portraits; I certainly found it to be very informative when undertaking my HND portrait assignment.

This is an excelent book for the budding portrait photographer, dealing with the various lighting solutions used to produce stuning portraits; I certainly found it to be very informative when undertaking my HND portrait assignment.

For many of us, the artistry of Hollywood publicity photographs of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s were the spark that would ignite our passion for photography.

Who can ever forget classic images of Fred Astaire in top hat and tails, Humphrey Bogart with cigarette in hand, any of hundreds of sultry Lauren Bacall photographs?

"Hollywood Portraits" is an unusual book, in that it not only celebrates these great photographs, but dissects them and then shows the lighting setups that were probably used to create them. The book is intelligently written, technically excellent and will definitely get your creative juices flowing.

Each image not only has a lighting diagram, but is rated for difficulty in recreation. The narrative here is very useful, addressing issues as diverse as why today's health conscious models need to act comfortably around cigarettes if you are to recreate these classic images.

What I like about "Hollywood Portraits":

1) GREAT unusual subject, tackled from a photographer's point of view.

2) Written with the aim of re-creation in mind

3) Something for everybody, from simple one and two light setups to complicated recreations.

4) EVERY image is rated for difficulty in recreation.

5) Very little filler or fluff, only one page on 'lighting basics' (essentially a vocabulary) that doesn't seem out of place at all.

6) If you've been searching for a new photographic project for 2005, this one will get you thinking about Tinseltown recreations within fifty pages.

What I don't like about the book:

Nothing.

This one's definitely a keeper. Read it for fun, then recreate magic from Hollywood's golden years.

For many of us, the artistry of Hollywood publicity photographs of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s were the spark that would ignite our passion for photography.

Who can ever forget classic images of Fred Astaire in top hat and tails, Humphrey Bogart with cigarette in hand, any of hundreds of sultry Lauren Bacall photographs?

"Hollywood Portraits" is an unusual book, in that it not only celebrates these great photographs, but dissects them and then shows the lighting setups that were probably used to create them. The book is intelligently written, technically excellent and will definitely get your creative juices flowing.

Each image not only has a lighting diagram, but is rated for difficulty in recreation. The narrative here is very useful, addressing issues as diverse as why today's health conscious models need to act comfortably around cigarettes if you are to recreate these classic images.

What I like about "Hollywood Portraits":

1) GREAT unusual subject, tackled from a photographer's point of view.

2) Written with the aim of re-creation in mind

3) Something for everybody, from simple one and two light setups to complicated recreations.

4) EVERY image is rated for difficulty in recreation.

5) Very little filler or fluff, only one page on 'lighting basics' (essentially a vocabulary) that doesn't seem out of place at all.

6) If you've been searching for a new photographic project for 2005, this one will get you thinking about Tinseltown recreations within fifty pages.

What I don't like about the book:

Nothing.

This one's definitely a keeper. Read it for fun, then recreate magic from Hollywood's golden years.

I was surprised when I recieved this book that it not only had fantastic photographs, but it gave you great detail in how to reproduce the same effect for each photograph. It was rather a nice addition to the fine photography. Stars included are Vivien Leigh, Sophia Loren, James Cagney, Elizabeth Taylor, etc. Photographers included are among the best like C.S. Bull, Lazlo Willinger, George Hurrell, and some anonymous photographers who sadly did not get credit during their time. All in All, this is a nice book printed on high quality paper and bounded in soft cover.

Some else worte that the book is not correct, they had never tried to recreate some of the effects. I have personaly tried recreating some of the lighting and all of the photo's came out great without much make up and no touch ups. Also most all of the photo's I took were worth blowing up to a large photo. The book explains lighting, film types, and how it has changed over time. You can reproduce the hollywood portrait look with very little expense.