The Portrait Photographer's Manual by Cian Oba-Smith & Max Ferguson

This comprehensive and insightful guide to portrait photography is an affordable winner

- Amy Davies

£16.99, Thames & Hudson, softcover, 192 pages, ISBN: 9780500297131

Portraiture is one of the most wonderful genres any photographer can hope to tackle. But creating a compelling portrait is arguably much harder than wandering into a landscape that tends to be ever-ready, doesn’t talk back and doesn’t generally require direction.

If you’re not sure where to begin or just want to deepen your existing knowledge, then The Portrait Photographer’s Manual is a fantastic place to start.

Featuring the work of several leading practitioners, both contemporary and historical, you can work your way through projects to improve your own technique, or just learn more about how others have gone about it. Those featured include Hannah Starkey, Juno Calypso, Sian Davey, Gordon Parks, Nadine Ijewere and Dorothea Lange.