Picture Perfect Practice: A Self-Training Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Taking World-Class Photographs (Voices That Matter)

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It teaches you plenty of stuff; but, more importantly, it teaches you methods for engaging in photography and for practicing photography so that you can keep on improving and learning on your own. As such, it's invaluable. It starts off a bit slow. I have to admit, it took me a couple of months to get through the first part. It begins with a discussion of the elements of photography, such as geometry, balance, symmetry, patterns, etc. I've read a lot about those before, so it was a bit tough to get through. Even so, it was laying the foundation for what was to come. But, if you haven't read a lot about such topics, then you may not have the problem I had. Part 2 starts getting better. It discusses posing in great detail, and does so extremely well. It covers both broad concepts (such as natural posing) and specific details (such as what to do with hands). And it covers a slew of posing archetypes that can be adapted to different situations. Parts 3 and 4 are a bit short, but they use everything you've learned so far to teach you how to improve generally. Part 3 is about execution, or how to put it all together in the field. And Part 4 is about deliberate practice: he recommends some personal R&D on situations you're likely to encounter so that you'll be able to adapt when you do. What makes this part so great is that he not only gives you a method, but also offers some concrete examples of how practice paid off in a specific way. These two parts are what make the book so incredible for me. They're short, but they don't stand alone: they build on everything you've learned in the first two parts. The author is clearly a master photographer. But he's also an excellent teacher. His book is very accessible, but also incredibly deep. I'm ashamed that it took me so long to realize how great the book really is! Although the book is technically about wedding photography, and plenty of the "detailed stuff" is suited to that type of photography, the broader concepts and methods he teaches can be of great benefit to any type of photographer. I would say that I don't think this book is for beginners. It assumes you have basic technical skills, and doesn't teach them. It's about creativity and execution. You don't have to be a professional to get a lot out of the book -- I'm not! -- but you should be fairly advanced. If you're not yet there, put this book on your wish list for the future and don't forget to come back for it.

I have read a lot of books on Photography and Picture Perfect Practice is exceptional in content, style, and approach. Check out the author's story sometime and you realize this is a truly great book if you didn't already. This book takes a unique approach to photography in general and portrait photography in particular. The fact that it has a lot of wedding photography examples throughout matters NOT A WHIT! All the concepts are valid across all aspects of photography and art. Roberto Valenzuela uses the artistic approach to seeing the best possible photograph in the most difficult situations. The fact that he chooses images from his Wedding Photography to illustrate his concepts and his ability to get great images under challenging situations is just because that is a big chunk of his business. Don't believe (as some reviewers stated) that the concepts he espouses don't apply to all photography because they certainly do. Valenzuela believes that we can train ourselves to take better pictures by practicing out art regularly and in challenging situations we can learn to break a scene down analyze it and still get timeless images. In a unique way at least to me, he breaks portrait photography into three key elements and charts each: location, posing, and execution. Each element has subelements of things to look for and use to create the strongest image possible. He thoroughly describes and illustrates each subelement such as balance, symmetry, lines, depth, textures, patterns, shadows, frames, etc. throughout the book. I found his book easy to understand and most importantly easy to implement in helping me strengthen my portrait images and my images in general photography as well as art. Any photographer will get a lot from this book and I recommend it highly.

I almost didn't create a review for this product because I wanted to keep it as my own little best kept secret but it's just too good not to share. (If nothing else let this be my feeble way of thanking the author for creating it!) My husband and I have this longstanding theory that no artist is every really going to share all of his/her secrets with you in a book, a workshop or otherwise, and based on every book and workshop I've ever taken I've found this theory to be alive and well. They give you just enough information to *think* you're going to learn a ton but you're left feeling like there was something missing--SOMETHING they just didn't share that would make all the puzzle pieces fit. Then in comes Roberto Valenzuela and Picture Perfect Practice. He covers so many aspects of good photography it will literally take me years to master all that he has provided for devouring. That's not to say the concepts he shares are difficult per se, it's simply that there are so many things he covers, that to practice them to a point of mastery is no easy task. The book is organized well, by topic, and he provides key tips for practicing. He's really opened my eyes to the notion that photographers see the world differently. Not just during a session but every day. Every object is transformed by the photographers eye and this is percicely what he helps you to develop: your eye. I can't recommend this book highly enough. I have paid thousands of dollars for workshops that have contained a third of what I've found in this book for under $30. With this workbook and dedicated practice to the craft, I defy you not to become the photographer you are destined to be. Keep on clickin!

An awesome book to de-compose our caotic eye's view into sensitive photos. Roberto uses a direct, easy language to guide you into his world without compromises and a good bunch of smart exercises. A must-read for every photographer, specially wedding/social/documentary one's. Good job, pal!!

This is a great book for learning about photography. Although the Roberto Valenzuela (author) is a wedding photographer, the ideas put forward will be relevant to almost any style of photography. One of the best things about this book is that it is really well structured, starting with some basics of composition, working through lighting and on to posing. It does not feel "thrown together", like a lot of photography books I've come across. Although the approach to learning is very structured, the ultimate goal is to make the knowledge automatic, so that it becomes second nature, enabling you to get good shots more quickly and concentrate more on creativity. This approach may not suit some people, as it involves practice and repetition (and time), but it made perfect sense to me. More experienced photographers may find the information lacking in depth since it seems to be aimed at the less experienced. However, it can be useful to get an overview of how another photographer works, especially when they're able to state it in such clear terms. Overall, I would recommend this book to any beginner/mid-level photographer who wants to cover some of the stuff they missed by not studying photography formally, without being bogged down by detail or wasting their time with filler.

I liked the variety of topics covered and the sharing of his train of thought as he builds a great image. There are many tips here that are easy to remember and should be in every photographers repertoire. The emphasis that practice is what builds talent is spot on. Echoed by The Talent Code, another great book. And this for is the strength of the book, it really teaches you how to practice as a photographer. There isn't a huge focus on technical parameters and camera settings, which encourages you to discover them on your own, through practice. There's not much to criticize here. It isn't perfect but as close as it gets.

Indispensable si quieres tomar fotos de gran calidad.

I am so fortunate to bought this amazing book I hope everyone should read this book once in his photographic career