The Art of Black & White Portrait Photography: Techniques from a Master Photographer

by Oscar Lozoya

Pairing unique creative vision and exceptional technical artistry, Oscar Lozoya's breathtaking images embody the pinnacle of black-and-white portrait photography. Capturing diverse subjects-from... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1584280832
• ISBN13: 9781584280835
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Amherst Media
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.9" x 10.5"

Customer Reviews

How to combine flash with black & white

The author is an artist of light, tonality, and contrast. This is an excellent how-to for lighting black & white images. The effects he achieves are sometimes mind-boggling. I had no idea that one could do what he does. The examples are drawn from many settings and the lighting used is carefully diagramed. Highly recommended.

The quality is in black and white

A study of the works of Oscar Lozoya and what it takes to create compelling black and white portraits. There is an instant connection to emotion when viewing the images. This dramatic approach gives depth and meaning to an already superb work. Each depiction is thoroughly explained and a lighting schematic simplifies how the end result was obtained. Much can be learned through the abundance of technique and information this book offers.

Highly recommended

I find Lozoya's work to be one of a kind. These are bold photographs that may stop you dead in your tracks. Each piece invites the viewer in, awakening the imagination to take over and tell stories inside the the stunning, suggestive worlds - elusive, rich in mystery, pathos and myth -at times nightmarish, Lozoya creates a dreamy cultural landscape. He has a knack for irony and humor as well as emotionally impactful imagery. I especially enjoy the Muerte series. I highly recommend this book. I go back to it often for inspiration as an actor, writer and photographer. Lozoya captures the inner life of his subjects with compassion. The lighting and composition is alive and resonant. There is much to gain from an immersion in these photographs. The book will make a unique gift for anyone who'll appreciate absorbing story-telling through images.

Stunning Imagery

The images in this book are breathtaking and beautiful. The variety of subjects from classic portraiture to publicity and folklore is impressive. I very much enjoy learning about different cultures and found this book to whet my appetite for the Mexican/American traditions. The text next to each image helped to explain individual photographs as well as why Oscar Lozoya started creating series of works. The homeless series made me look and see that he views the homeless as individuals with their own personalities that show through in the portraits he presents in this book.Having seen original prints at an exhibit I must say that a good deal of tonalities were lost in the reproduction in the book. (As is to be expected when a photograph is copied for mass reproduction.) Mr. Lozoya's mastery of studio lighting in stunning in it's technical precision. As a photographer the lighting diagrams helped considerably to visualize the arrangement and placement of the strobe lights. There is also a good deal of information on how he contacts models and how the concept of each image took shape. The photographs in this book are sometimes classic portraits and there are also images that are strikingly different from the normal and challenge you to think. All of the photos are hard to forget.This book helped to inspire me creatively and challenge the way I see photography as an art form. I would highly recommend it for anyone studying photography or wanting a creative jolt.