The Headshot: The Secrets to Creating Amazing Headshot Portraits from New Riders is an instructional guide on how to produce unique and creative portraits, whether they are assignment-based, for personal projects, or just of family and friends. Authored by notable photographer, Peter Hurley, this publication begins with some of Hurley's classic recipes for producing effective shots, including his trademark "white background, flat light, chopped-off heads" look. Over the course of more than a dozen chapters, the book covers technical topics on lighting, composition, and camera setup, as well as how to establish a rapport with your subjects, how to gain expression from your subjects, and how to direct your subjects, with specific focus given to adjusting jaw, smile, eyes, and eyebrow positioning. This guide serves as an all-around foundation for producing effective portraits of a variety of different subject types.

Author: Peter Hurley

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The headshot recipe that started it all
• Chapter 2: Hitting the technical on the head
• Chapter 3: Lights, camera, action-or not?
• Chapter 4: Establishing a rapport
• Chapter 5: Let's craft what's in your director's toolbox
• Chapter 6: The art of Sherlock Holmesing
• Chapter 7: Breaking the nonverbal two thirds barrier
• Chapter 8: It all starts with the jaw
• Chapter 9: The beauty of the human smile
• Chapter 10: Make em squint
• Chapter 11: It's all about the therapy/direction and the inner dialogue going on between us and our subject
• Chapter 12: Pre-shutter release checklist
• Chapter 13: Don't shoot it if it just ain't right

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. Is there a Level indicator (Vertical/Horizontal shift) in Sony A6000 ?

A: Nope there is not. I personally bought a low profile hot shoe spirit level which gives me some help when needed. It's the only thing I've seen that the nex-6 has over the a6000

Q: 2. does this come with a battery and a charger?

A: This camera includes a rechargeable battery. The battery charges while it is in the camera via the included USB cable and USB AC adapter. An external battery charger can be purchased for $19.95. It is shown here.

Q: 3. How long is the videos that the camera can take?

A: On page 36 of the product manual (Google it to find a PDF copy) there is a table that is supposed to answers your question. They do use a 32-bit file system on the memory card (i.e. FAT32) which allows for larger files, but they claim there is a 2GB file size limit that is in play depending on the quality setting of the video. Now, that said, in his book on the a6000, Gary Friedman (please visit his web site!) indicates he has no problem creating video files larger than 2GB.HOWEVER, there is a design limit of 29 minutes -- actually 29 minutes and 50 seconds -- even if space is not an issue with the settings you choose. This is imposed by European Union import restrictions, not by any technical limitation (per Gary). It is a 'world' camera and has to meet all the rules everywhere I guess. My understanding is the recording will stop at that point and you simply have to hit record again.

Q: 4. If I buy this camera and an adapter for Canon EF lenses, will it auto focus and auto expose? or will it be totally manual?

A: It all comes down to the adapter you use. A cheap mechanical one, as expected, won't provide data communication to the lens (therefore, you won't be able to control any lens features, such as focus, from the camera), whereas a more expensive one, like the mentioned Metabones may allow certain controls - gotta check which ones, it depends on the adapter, the lens and the camera.

Q: 5. Will my Canon 600EX Rt flash work on this camera?

A: I don't know. Ask this question on the Dyxxm or dPreview forums.

Q: 6. Can this camera tolerate humidity and light snow?

A: This camera is not sealed against the elements. Consider : DiCAPac Waterproof Case for Mirrorless CameraB&H # DIWPS3

Q: 7. How is the low light on video? Whats a good ISO range with the included lenses?

A: The A6000 performs well with low light in stills and video shooting. A good ISO range to stick with would be 1600-3200.

Q: 8. Does it have GPS?

A: No.

Q: 9. For the novice, all arounder which kit lense, 1650 or 1855?

A: Unless you will be recording a lot of group shots or wide angle landscape images (or simply want a smaller lens for weight/aesthetic reasons), I would personally recommend the Sony E 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS as the better standard zoom lens for your needs. (Honestly, for group shots and landscape images, I would simply recommend purchasing a dedicated lens for those shooting needs).

Q: 10. How long can this camera record continuously for? Many cameras have a 30-minute record limit before it forces you to start a new clip. Does this restriction apply to the a6000?

A: Steve,The short answer is yes - approximately 29 minutes. *However, the a6000 is equipped with VBR (Variable Bit-Rate). Thus, it will automatically adjust the image quality depending on the shooting scene. If you record a fast moving subject, the image will be more clear but the 'recordable' time gets shorter because more memory is required for recording. Recordable time can also vary depending on shooting conditions, the subject or image quality / size settings. Hope this helps - I took it right from Sony's manual...I do not record much so I wanted to provide the most accurate info. that I could locate. Good Luck!