Visual Stories: Behind the Lens with Vincent Laforet

Product Author Bios

A three-time winner at the prestigious 2010 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, Vincent Laforet is a director and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who is known for his forward-thinking approach to image-making and storytelling. He has been commissioned by just about every important international publication–including Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, and Life. He is also known for his work in the field of DSLR video; in fact, his short film Reverie, the first 1080p video shot with a still camera, was seen by more than 2 million times on the first week of its release in 2009.

In 2005, American Photo named him one of the "100 Most Influential People in Photography," and his work has been recognized in the Communication Arts and PDN annuals and by the World Press Photo Awards, the Pictures of the Year Competition, the Overseas Press Club, the National Headliners Awards, and the Pro-Football Hall of Fame.

Vincent’s blog, blog.vincentlaforet.com, has become a must read in the photographic and filmmaking communities. His combination of candor and expertise have made him highly sought after as a consultant (for companies such as Apple, Canon, Manfrotto, Lexar, X-Rite, and Zeiss), a keynote speaker, and an instructor. Vincent, who has been profiled on CNN and Good Morning America and in dozens of publications, has served as an adjunct professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and at the International Center of Photography. View Vincent's portfolio at: http://www.laforetvisuals.com/

There is an art to capturing a photo that tells a story. You need to know what belongs in the frame and what to leave out, what to emphasize in the photo that adds to the story, and how to use light, shape, and color all to express meaning while lending aesthetic value to the image itself. Vincent Laforet–Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and voted one of the "100 Most Influential People in Photography" by American Photo–gives a rare look into the art of photography through his lens as a master editorial and commercial photographer.

This beautiful book contains full-color spreads, with scene details and technical information to help tell the visual stories of larger-than-life life events such as Hurricane Katrina, the Olympic Games, and the war zone of Pakistan. With over 100 photos included, you will gain important insights into how you can achieve similar looks—blending what the camera does with the stories you want to tell.

• Learn how the principles of photojournalism can be applied to telling stories with a single image.

• Use light, shape, and color to create rich photos that tell the story as well as add sensitivity to beauty and emotion.

• Learn how the relationship between foreground and background can be used to creatively produce images with strong impact, and choose lenses based on this discovery.

• Understand the value of an image and convey a more in-depth story of the subject in any genre of photography, including landscapes, close-ups, portraits, action shots, aerials, and more.

• Receive an up-close and personal view of the author and his work by watching over 60 videos on the accompanying DVD.