Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits

Once upon a time, I was reading Empire magazine and suddenly I saw a promotion of The book Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits. The cover picture was very impressive. I didn't know George Hurrell before. As soon as I saw the picture, I decided to buy this book. So, after buying it and see the pictures inside, I just said: Wow! What a photographer he was. He's a genius. His works are magnificent. Great use of light and remarkable composition are the typical of his works. Definitly he's a master in the art of photography. You can find many fabulouse black & white photoes of your beloved actors and actresses in 30s and 40s as well as an interesting and useful biography of Hurrell. If you love cinema you won't regret after buying it. Your library misses this book.

This book is just filled with gorgeous photographs, in a beautifully dramatic and romantic style that is often missing in the photographs taken in more recent times. A wonderful book for photographers looking for a little inspiration, or those who have had a surfeit of the modern, photojournalistic approach to portraiture. Look at the light, the composition, and the drama! As photographers, we've shown these images to prospective bridal clients, who thought they only wanted "candids" taken at their wedding - "very few posed images" - who summarily changed their minds about "stuffy posed photography." Many of our portrait clients, who came to sessions loathing the idea of having to pose for the camera have found themselves having so much fun they don't want to stop when we've introduced some of the more dramatic poses similar to those used by Hurrell in a session. This book is also a bonanza for movie buffs - to see images of a young Joan Crawford, BEFORE retouching, freckles and all, and then to see the results of Hurrell's handiwork, is fun for fans -and his techniques impress those of us who do this for a living.

After you finish looking at and looking at and looking at the beautifully reproduced Hurrell photos in Mark Vieira's book . . . READ THE BOOK. The writing is excellent. The story he tells is compelling. And Vieira is a first-class film historian. So far as I can tell, and I can usually tell, this is a book without mistakes. His research is meticulous. His passion is evident, and his critical faculties are first-rate. Even without the photos, this would be a great book. The photos are the icing on the cake.

I've acquired a good many Hollywood photo anthologies, but this is the first one that really excited me - because it gets down to the way the photographer accomplished his work. Hurrell's career is considered in phases, and in each his working methods and even his frame of mind are considered. The author is especially astute at this because he is a photographer who chooses to work as Hurrell did, with 8x10 b & w film and incandescent light, with pencil retouching on the film. Shots of Hurrell's studio in action are included, along with examples of before-and-after retouching. This isn't a full-blown how-to-do-glamour book, but it makes me want to stow the strobes and break out the 30-year-old floods and spots. Mark Vieira has added to his rep as a Hollywood historian, and any movie fan would do well to take advantage of this product of his scholarship.

Hurrell's photographs show his brilliance in lighting and composition. These photos should be studied and poured over. An excellent book.