When photographers are asked about their greatest challenges in capturing people, two issues frequently come up: lighting and posing. Posing, in particular, presents a significant challenge. Many individuals feel self-conscious about certain aspects of their appearance, believing they have unflattering angles or areas they prefer to conceal. One of the most valuable sources of knowledge comes from a workshop led by acclaimed photographer Roberto Valenzuela. His teaching approach is both relatable and filled with practical advice that can be immediately applied. In this article, we’ll review his Picture Perfect Posing book and showcase a useful video that summarizes some of his primary points.
Picture Perfect Practice by Roberto Valenzuela Review
I like to attend a workshop or watch an online class or buy a book a couple times a year in hopes of picking up some new techniques or ideas for honing my craft. I’ve been wanting to step up my game recently, so, when I read the summary of Roberto Valenzuela’s book, Picture Perfect Practice: A Self-Training Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Taking World-Class Photographs, I was intrigued.
From the book’s cover: “Translating the chaos of the real world into a breathtakingly simple, beautiful photograph can often seem like an impossible task. With busy, cluttered backgrounds and subjects who don’t know how to pose, how can you take control and get a great shot no matter the situation? In Picture Perfect Practice, photographer Roberto Valenzuela breaks down the craft of photography into three key elements–locations, poses, and execution–that you can use to unlock the photographic opportunities lying beneath every challenging situation.”
Named one of the top wedding photographers in the world by Junebug Weddings, Valenzuela perfected his portraiture by applying the same work ethic he used to become a skilled classic guitarist. He writes,
The key to becoming an expert at anything boils down to one thing: practice! And not just practice, but deliberate practice.
In this incredible book, Valenzuela introduces the reader to a system he has developed for creating world class photographs at every shoot, in any situation, and is written with the concept of practice in mind. Each 1 to 2 page section is followed by a hands on assignment for practicing the discussed concept.
Being a super nerd who loved school (and would actually like to go back at some point soon), I love the text book-like format of this book. Specific goals and exercises I can check off a list help motivate me to move forward. Valenzuela suggests the reader keep a camera, lens and flash on hand at all times so they can practice the concepts at any moment. Many of the exercises can be performed at home or in the yard. The point of daily practice is to eventually be able to compose the best shot possible without even thinking.
This book does not teach photography basics like proper exposure or off camera lighting. You should be familiar with those things before reading this book. Valenzuela covers, in great detail, subjects meant to help bring your photography to the next level. Sections include locations, poses, execution and finally, deliberate practice.
21 Points Posing System Recap – 101 Solutions to Common Photography Problems
In the following excerpt from his 101 Solutions to Common Photography Problems class on CreativeLive, Roberto gives a summary of his 21-points of posing system. The 21-points of posing is highlighted in his book, Picture Perfect Posing. The video is 40 minutes long, and he only briefly breaks down the various posing concepts (as it is a recap from a prior day). He talks about the basics – straight spine to collarbones to necks and fingers – in the first half of the video. The second half of the video are images from the day before, and Roberto is able to point out so many various teaching points and problems that he had to solve, as well as the various posing points.
