Below we would like for photographers who have seen this tutorial to write there thoughts/reviews of it. If you have not yet seen it but have something to say please comment here: http://fstoppers.com/fstoppers-original-peter-hurleys-the-art-behind-the-headshot-is-live

Below we would like for photographers who have seen this tutorial to write there thoughts/reviews of it. If you have not yet seen it but have something to say please comment here: http://fstoppers.com/fstoppers-original-peter-hurleys-the-art-behind-the-headshot-is-live

As asked and promised, I have now watched the new Peter Hurley HEADSHOT
DVD twice and want to offer my opinion…publicly. Sorry Peter, you
asked for it!

The “DVD” is actually a two file download so once you order, you can
enjoy instant gratification of watching the four hours of content. It’s
also nice that you can load it on your phone or iPad for viewing on the
run. I don’t personally know Peter, or the people at FStoppers, but I
enjoy what they do and in no way is this review tainted by prior
relationships. Personally, I find unbiased reviews extremely
helpful….just check my Amazon.com account!

Having never
watched anything specific to taking headshots, or having attended any
conferences on it, I thought it would be worth the investment as it’s
something new for me. I wasn’t disappointed.

What’s cool is
that in the video, Peter is very approachable and friendly. It’s as if
you’re sitting there one-on-one with him and he’s talking directly to
you. He’s funny, full of knowledge, and can shoot killer headshots.
What I like best is that content was shot first then it was clearly
reviewed by him and the team, and then they interjected clips into it to
describe what he was doing and why. It’s actually pretty
funny….especially a part where he makes up this BS movie casting to
draw subjects attention away from what he was doing. Queen Latifa in a
lesbian movie role with nudity, requiring flexibility? I was almost
rolling on the floor laughing, watching the woman reaction. I’m still
not convinced she believes he was kidding around….

This is an
excellent “DVD.” Peter explains a lot and does it without holding
back. I learned more than expected as I got to see what he does with
many clients. He doesn’t just shoot one!

So what DON’T I like
about it? Without sounding like too much of an A$$ kisser, there really
wasn’t anything. Yeah, there were places where the video clips weren’t
seemlessly blended and a shot or two of flare from window light, but
Lee Morris and Patrick Hall did an absolutely amazing job. I am simply
nit-picking as I have to say something critical, right? But, it was so jam packed with info that I didn’t notice these things until the second viewing.

All-in-all, I love this purchase. Thank you Peter, Lee, and Patrick. This is an excellent investment.

Kevin

I scribbled a lot of notes down, and as noted above being able to watch on the iPad was great. 

Lots of good info in here (typing this as I squint – watch the DVD to find out why)

There’s one shoot that was harder work for Peter as the model and I loved this for the insight into the way Peter kept working to get useful shots for the model. It was refreshingly honest and real.  Kudos to Peter and his model for putting this into the package – a lot of learning in that alone.

Watching Peter using different sets of lighting and getting amazing shots is great. The dealing with clients tips, the makeup and wardrobe tips, the money tips… and I still have lots of things to decode. 

Maybe the most important is to figure it out what Peter actually see when he look into a picture. Of course, as he mention, there’s the light, background, composition, poses, but most critical in my opinion is the ability to see which shot has gold in it. The shot that actually gets a response from us. 

I do video and work with actress and models. Sometimes it’s hard, in commercials, to have all the acting preparation for somebody to give you a good performance. This video is giving me great tips to add to my toolbox and I can’t wait to use them. As a matter of fact, I already got my SLR, went to shoot some friends and guess what? It works!

This is not the typical classroom video. This is like the having the experience of being there as an apprentice, watching Peter Hurley do it’s magic.

I thought I would add my full review of Peter’s DVD! http://unknownphotographer.net/portrait-photographers/peter-hurley.html
But if you don’t want to read it, just go ahead and buy it, the DVD is amazing!

Andy

Cool. It was like a crash course on photographing people. Many of these techniques can be used on any portrait shoot. Not just headshots.
I shot a medical staff after watching the video and found myself coaching people on how to hold their head, mouth and eyes with more confidence. Some of the things I knew all along were put into simple terms. Communication with subjects is much better.
The smallest movements in the eyes or mouth that can make the biggest difference in a photo. 
This takes it to a new level. Better than a new piece of gear!

Pulled the trigger on this and very happy with it, cheers Peter and Fstoppers :)

Downloading now..  I am pretty picky with this stuff.. so I will be sure to add my review as well  :-)

Peter Hurley is a master people photographer. A live workshop with him is $1,500 and worth every penny. This video has enough material for two or three workshops and is only 1/5 the price.

I’m not a traditional headshot photographer, but I shoot plenty of portraits. After watching Peter’s video, I’m looking at faces differently and also taking a more active role in posing my subjects.

If you photograph people, this video is one of the best investments you can make for your career.

Huge congrats to Lee and Patrick for doing this. I know how much time and effort they put into my fstoppers 11-minute Bon Jovi video. For Peter’s four-hour video, I was expecting two minutes of rolling credits at the end. But it was just Lee, Patrick and the music credit. Amazing.

David Bergman
http://www.DavidBergman.net

Peter Hurley is a master people photographer. A live workshop with him is $1,500 and worth every penny. This video has enough material for two or three workshops and is only 1/5 the price.

I’m not a traditional headshot photographer, but I shoot plenty of portraits. After watching Peter’s video, I’m looking at faces differently and also taking a more active role in posing my subjects.

If you photograph people, this video is one of the best investments you can make for your career.

Huge congrats to Lee and Patrick for doing this. I know how much time and effort they put into my fstoppers 11-minute Bon Jovi video. For Peter’s four-hour video, I was expecting two minutes of rolling credits at the end. But it was just Lee, Patrick and the music credit. Amazing.

David Bergman
http://www.DavidBergman.net

Got it, watched it and guys, this tutorial really well done. Peter rocks, his technique rocks and that was a well spent four hours and $300 bucks. I am ready to sit down and do it again to see what I might have missed the first time. Fortunately, Peter is entertaining to watch. I am even more excited for my next headshot client to see what I can pull out of them. 

Thanks again, for a great tutorial. It was well worth the money.

I just love watching peter talk, he can make everything sound interesting! That’s just his charme i guess.

Love the DVD, and love his facebook page for all the people who bought it!

Thanks for producing the DVD – “The Art Behind the Headshot by Peter Hurley.”   I watched the DVD and the next day had one of my best portrait sessions ever. Peter included so many great tips! I will have to watch several times to absorb it all.  
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.318707561486265.80251.122152467808443&type=1

Peter,
thanks so much for providing the best class on photography I’ve ever
seen! After immediately watching the DVD, I couldn’t wait to put it to practice
and so I pulled my 81-year-old grandad aside for his headshot.

Just finished the DVD.  It’s really great.  I will definitely refer to it again as I move forward and practice what I’ve learned. 

Peter is fantastic.  Really shared valuable lessons from years of experience.  I appreciate that he chose to add value to this video by being extremely open and direct.  That’s what you are paying for with this video, unfiltered Peter Hurley. . If you want to learn much of what makes Peter successful and have a chance of applying that to your work, this is the video for you.  Like the scene in the Matrix where he learns Kung Fu in three seconds.  This is sort of like that… with models.  

I just finished another DVD series that was very technical, so this was a perfect compliment.  On it’s own, it won’t help you very much with strobes and shutter speeds.  It says so very clearly in the trailer. Believe it.  Once you know that, it’s still well worth the money.  Peter teaches you how to look at faces in a new way and work with models to get great results.  

The production values are good.  If I had to nitpick I would say that there are several redundant parts of the video.  It doesn’t necessarily have a ‘beginning-middle-end’ flow.  It’s more of a ‘fly on the wall’ experience of shooting with Peter.  Still, good job on the production.  You guys do good work. 

It’s by far the most I’ve ever paid for something like this, but it’s worth it.  It’s like a four hour hi-def apprenticeship with a master.   

Thanks Peter.  Thanks FS.  

Great job all around.  

This was the best photography resource that I have found in 5 years of looking for ways to improve my photographic eye. Working in the entertainment industry, and specifically in theatre for the past 8 years, I have taken to photography as a side distraction from the art-factory aspect of my career in theatrical lighting.  I come from a background in lighting, mostly for the stage, and have a large knowledge base of light and how light effects an image.  Peter goes beyond the instruction that most books and instructional videos seem to dwell on, and concentrates on what to do once you have an understanding of the fundamentals of photography, and how to work with the subjects of your photo to get the best out of them.  Through this DVD, he has opened up my eyes about how to relate to and coax a better image out of actors and people in general, and I look forward to seeing what I can do with this new skill set.  This is the perfect tool for anyone that wants to be able to improve the quality of their headshot and portrait work, and take it to the level of what is expected in New York or Los Angeles.  Truly a great DVD, and well worth the investment.  
—D
http://www.dswalecphoto.com

Imagine having the ability to pose your clients in such a way that they
look straight through your lens and connect with every person looking at the
image; Pete Hurley does this with his headshots! Whether you are a headshot or
lifestyle photographer, amateur or pro, this DVD will change the way you
approach your subjects. Pete’s style of teaching will mean you walk away from
this DVD with amazing new techniques and the confidence to put them in to
practice. Buy it; you won’t be disappointed!

This guy shares knowledge not just information. It is worth it !

What Peter Hurley does well is take excellent Headshots. We all know this.

I can tell you I was a bit hesitant about spending money on another photography DVD, but am happy to report that The Art Behind the Headshot is well worth every penny you spend, and highly entertaining to boot. This DVD is jam packed with information ranging from equipment, to being a therapist on set, to the business side of photography. Watching this DVD, it was nice to learn how much information I already knew, but what was more impressive was seeing how much I didn’t know. There are so many tips and tricks in here, just one alone is worth the price of admission. 

Peter Hurley teaches you something no one ever has before…the human face, and how to get the best look from your subjects. Imagine being able to convey a powerful expression through a photograph. You’ll learn that here! Pulling a great expression from your subject should not be as painful as pulling teeth. We’re photographers people, not dentists!

As an aspiring headshot photographer, I found the information on this DVD to be absolutely invaluable. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to become a headshot photographer, or just up their game to the next level.

I will be honest, I didn’t know Peter Hurley before purchasing his DVD, or the fstoppers crew before a few months ago. I got a link from fstoppers.com and watched the amazing video they made about Peter’s new DVD. My reaction was instant, the video finished, and I purchased the DVD thinking to myself, this is gold my friend, I need to get this DVD before anyone does, I need to be ahead of the game with my photography and I got a really good vibe from just watching the presentation video. I just learned a few tricks with the promotional DVD! Common! this is a win win situation! Congratulations to the fstoppers guys that put together the promotional video and all the best to Peter Hurley. During 4 hours, he hides nothing, he welcomes you into his studio, he let you see how he works, the amount of information he conveys in 4 hours is so large that you have to watch the DVD over and over to get it! He is 100% legit,  this DVD opened my mind and made me feel more comfortable behind the camera.  Peter Hurley is approachable, a great speaker, goes to the point, enjoys what he does, and makes you build confidence towards obtaining a great headshot. I was so stock after learning from him that I decided to start making more headshots and less family and children photographs. Thanks!

“Peter Hurley:The Art Behind the
Headshot”   …The Review Intensive:

The old saying “Those who can…do
and those who can’t…teach.” was probably first asserted through
sarcastic tones of cavalier-ism by someone threatened by the
willingness of another to explain the tricks of the trade to those
desiring to learn. One thing however, is for sure; whomever it was
that coined that phrase…it wasn’t Peter Hurley.

From the opening minute to the final
minute of this four hour DVD, (and trust me; we’ll get to that
initialism shortly) Peter Hurley dispels that myth by explaining
and/or teaching every aspect of his business and the steps he took to
become one of the leading headshot photographers in the industry.

“The Art Behind the Headshot”
created and produced by Fstoppers.com’s Lee Morris and Patrick Hall,

is an excellent, in-depth and
inspirational video tutorial, designed specifically to help you
create and capture the most compelling and visually interesting,
people-imagery possible. In other words…if you have any interest in
photographing people (for any reason) then this video is for you!

By the way, before I go any further;
allow me to set the record straight for those who insist on
complaining about the fact that this video is not (yet) on a physical
disc despite the other fact that Peter, Lee and Patrick have each
explained in detail why this is the case.

The project was originally intended to
be a physical DVD (Digital Video Disc) with cool graphics on a box
and everything but in an effort to eliminate the extra cost and time
to produce, inventory, handle and ship such a product, it was agreed
that a downloadable version would be best. Additionally, Peter, Lee
and Patrick have also explained (several times) that there may be
future updates with additional information and footage that can be
added to the download and offered for free to those who already
purchased the original. Plus, they have still not completely ruled
out the possibility of producing a physical disc sometime down the
road.

So, why don’t we all refer to this as a
Digital Video Download!! or video for short?

The quality of the video is very high
and the style is almost editorial/documentary at times but the beauty
of their concept is that Peter will stop and speak directly into the
camera whenever he feels there is something of educational value
regardless of how small or even unexpected the point may seem. Doing
this allows him to work as he would on any given day without having
to script or stage a “realistic” scenario thus offering the
viewer better insight into an actual photographer/client experience
or situation. An interesting and much appreciated aspect to this was
the inclusion of a session with a less than natural client. A less
secure photographer would not have included this on his/her video but
I found this particular session to be one of the most educational of
all.

In total, there are 7 actual client
sessions each offering various opportunities for Peter to demonstrate
techniques, tips and work-arounds. In between the actual sessions are
insightful and often humorous monologues of Peter describing the
previous session or preparing you for what to specifically pay
attention to in the upcoming session.

Peter shows you his methods by simply
allowing you to listen-in on his actual conversations with the
clients while watching the evolution of actual photo sessions. This
is where the value of the video becomes impressive. As a professional
photographer and perhaps more importantly, as a value-minded
consumer living through a difficult economy; I am very selective
about where I spend my money. There are many tutorials and workshops
that I have not purchased simply because I can not (at the moment
anyway) justify the price to immediate value ratio for my work/career
but “The Art Behind the Headshot” is education that I can’t
afford to NOT purchase. Workshops range from $99.00 to possibly a few
thousand dollars and almost all of them walk you through rehearsed
and staged situations designed to re-create a photo session and
that’s great but consider this… watching a professional
photographer working with a paying client and actually applying the
techniques they speak of in real time brings a whole new level of
understanding and value to your purchase price!

Peter not only shows you how he works;
he also explains (quite sincerely I may add) what he did in order to
get to that point. He describes how he started with ideas early on in
his career and what he learned from those mistakes or successes that
helped him hone his skills of today. Throughout the video Peter
discusses the details of how he runs his business, client
interaction, makeup, clothing, self promotion, lighting, retouching
and more. Most importantly, he explains why he makes those decisions
and how you can use them to begin or improve your own business. Make
no mistake, this video is geared towards being a better professional
headshot photographer but…the video has as much value for those of
you just starting to work with paying clients as it does for those of
you who are ready to produce your own instructional DVD. The key as
you will see throughout the tutorial is YOU! Not the lens, not the
light, not the model…YOU and your ability to create the dynamics
that produce intriguing imagery. Jay Maisal once answered the
question “How do I take more interesting photographs?” with
his answer…”become a more interesting person”.

I found Peter’s discussions of the
above mentioned topics to be very insightful and genuine and I place
great value on those facts. I also have a tremendous respect for him
being a working pro and still being secure and generous enough to
share his personal tricks. Peter’s style of shooting is very laid
back and he seems to be having a great time while working. So much so
in fact, that you may not realize just how much information he’s
actually giving you until you watch it a second, third or even a
fourth time…and trust me; you will. This video will be one of your
favorite references as well as one of your favorite motivators.

I would give the video top marks in all
categories with very few criticisms. I thoroughly enjoyed the music
of the original Fstopper’s 10 min bio on Peter Hurley and was hoping
there would be a little more of that flavor in the background of
“The Art Behind the Headshot” not continuously of course
but at least a little music during the client sessions. I thought
the clients would bring in there own tunes to help them relax…and
maybe they did but perhaps for production sake, it was turned off.

Also, I think it would have been
interesting to see some of the first minutes of the client’s arrival.
The meet and greet so to speak, hearing some of the initial
discussion of what the client expects and/or wants along with Peter
explaining his wants/needs from them. Hard to find anything negative
to say…other than, it seemed a little too short! I could have
easily enjoyed another 2 hours!

So, if you’re tired of all the angst of
professional photographers claiming to bleed passion for their art
and you’re interested in seeing how someone actually makes all that
work look easy (not to mention fun) then here’s your chance. “The
Art Behind the Headshot” will inspire you and show you the
skills of understanding and directing clients to not only find but
bring out their best expressions and in the process, make you a
better people photographer. No model or peace of equipment will ever
improve your skills. Get educated. Get out and practice. Get this
video.

“Peter Hurley: The Art Behind the
Headshot” ….looks like it really is possible to do…AND
teach!

One final note here:

For those of you concerned about the
price; consider this:

When purchasing the video through
PayPal you can choose the “Bill Me Later” option and “Enjoy
6 months to pay on purchases of $99+ “.

I guess I’ll be in the minority here and make that dreaded flop flop flop of a somewhat flat tire.

I have watched the DVD twice, and it feels to me that the main message here; The method isn’t so much a technique or style really.. It’s just Peter, being Peter.

So unless your able to create and extrovert from an introvert from within, that is to say ‘your style’ isn’t that of an outgoing chatty guy, this isn’t really going to work for you.

Personally, in all my years of shooting, meeting shooters, and working with others. It’s a rare breed that can completely change the actual CORE style in which they appraoch people or their work. In a perfect world, wouldn’t it be great to have some snazzy clientele, in a NY NY studio, getting a pretty good buck for doing what we all love to do…  Shoot.

I know that may change my style a tad !

But reality is that Mr or Mrs. shooter sitting in Rockton Ill. might not be able to actually put into place this high impact energy Peter places into making head shots of John Q Public.

On the other side of the coin, I could relate to him and his methods quite easily. Speaking for myself personally. And in some small way have always used this chatty, no rush, yakky approach to shooting heads and people. But he does have style and a great personality. I found it entertaining and nice to see someone is actually making a living ( and a dam good one ) doing his craft. We should all be as lucky.

For people with little personal skills and have been looking for that ‘extra piece’ of something missing in their work. This just could be that missing slice or pie.

Either way, it was nice work, And as far as a value goes, I would rate it a 5 or 6 out of 10.