The photographs leap off the page. They are stunning and make me want to get out and photograph. I highly recommend this book. It also is of a size that will easily fit in your camera bag.

18 of 20 found the following review helpful:

Compact and Informative  May 07, 2002
By Bukkene Bruse
The People and Portraits Field Guide continues along one branch of the first NGS field guide. Somewhat more advanced composition and technical advice is provided, tailored to the specific art of capturing people in their environment. Caputo writes a book that is not only succinct, but also enjoyable to read.

Continuing with the format of the original are the profiles of National Geographic photographers, each with their own set of advice. This is a primary strength of this set of field guides and something that separates them from other books. The bios are interesting reading in themselves and give a brief glimpse into the work and vision of different artists.

27 of 33 found the following review helpful:

ANOTHER WINNER FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC  Feb 27, 2002
By Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books"
Photography buffs take heed, this is a book you will definitely want to add to your library. While master photographers may not learn anything dramatically new, amateurs and novices will find tons of useful and helpful information among these pages by an expert in the field. Ever wonder how to "freeze frame?" This book will tell you how, along with providing guidance in taking those wonderful family portraits under all types of conditions. The section dealing with various lenses was of particular interest. The book is well organized and the instructions are clear and easy to understand - that in itself is a major plus over other books in the marketplace. If it's National Geographic, it's bound to be good!

15 of 18 found the following review helpful:

Great Overview of Photography with Very Motivating Pictures  Oct 15, 2002
By David Enzel
This book describes what you need to know to make good pictures of people. The book begins by discussing composition and then turns to equipment and lighting. The book then focuses on various types of people photography: street photography; people in action; portraits; familar subjects (family members) and the photographic essay. The book includes a list of useful web sites and explains how three professional photograhers work. They are Cary Wolinsky, Sisse Brimberg and Lynn Johnson. I love these different viewpoints because they provide food for thought.
The photographs leap off the page. They are stunning and make me want to get out and photograph. I highly recommend this book. It also is of a size that will easily fit in your camera bag.

12 of 14 found the following review helpful:

Delivers as advertised, pretty good book  Sep 16, 2002
By tomh
I bought this book along with the companion book on Landscapes. A lot of the same material is covered, and in both cases I think does a pretty good job. The material is dealt with systematically, discussing both machinics, technique and composition.

Like other books that survey a broad subject, I think it tends to miss some specifics that would be necessary to really learn at a detail level. For example, the discussion of flash photography discusses built-in flashes, dedicated flashes, and studio lighting all in one short chapter, but in not enough detail to help you make much progress with any.

I did like the sections by other National Geo photographers who wrote a couple pages describing their thoughts and delivering advice.

So this is a pretty good book and is one of those things you should read even if you know most of what it has to say.

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