Picture Perfect Lighting: An Innovative Lighting System for Photographing People Paperback – March 15, 2016

Roberto Valenzuela is to photography what the Masked Magician is to illusion. When in the presence of a stage magician performing tricks, it can be very mind boggling when attempting to comprehend exactly how what one has seen materialize could actually occur in spite of one’s understanding of the laws of physics. So too is the case when viewing photographs created by today’s top photographers of which Mr. Valenzuela is no exception. “How did he do that?” or “How big was the crew?” or even “How much did the lights for that shot cost?” are common thoughts when viewing such photographs. In “Picture Perfect Lighting: An Innovative Lighting System for Photographing People” any cloud of mystery that may have existed is lifted, and the “secrets” are revealed.Over the course of 333+ pages, Mr. Valenzuela reveals several core truths. Not only does he prove that a large crew is NOT needed, nor the most expensive DSLR on the market, or even the most high end lighting equipment, he shows that anyone with a passion for practicing their photographic skills coupled with knowledge of the behavior of light can create professional quality photographs. Early on, he takes the reader through the five behaviors of light with an intuitive explanation of each and easily understood examples. He moves on to explain the process he uses to scout locations with nothing more than a camera and knowledge of light through a system called the “circumstantial light elements.” Through the many behind-the-scenes examples shown in the book and the insistence of the author, it becomes very clear that the quality of the light, not the aesthetics of the location are what make a photograph beautiful.About halfway through the book, he starts to introduce light modifiers and different techniques readers can use to boost the light in their photos. Objects such as reflectors and speed lights are introduced in light of what he calls the “lighting benchmark test.” The basic idea of this philosophy is, in the paraphrased words of the author, “adjusting the light to your camera’s settings, not the other way around.” He first takes the reader through multiple examples of locations that either pass or fail this test with detailed explanations as to why. However, when the natural light is too weak, something more is needed to help boost the light as opposed to raising the camera’s ISO in order to maintain the cleanest possible files. Mr. Valenzuela offers many tips and tricks beyond the conventional for introducing each modifier into the scene. There is even an entire chapter devoted to becoming familiar with one’s flash unit(s) through hands on exercises that readers can practice over and over again.The book concludes with several examples of photographs and why each one is successful. By the time the reader gets to this chapter, all of the previous principles taught in the book will have become so ingrained that he or she will be able to recognize why each location has elicited such beautiful light, hence a successful photograph. Such as in the case of the Masked Magician revealing the secrets of his illusions with relatively simple explanations, the reader of this book will no longer be left asking themselves “how?” but rather, “why didn’t I think of that?”

Excellent book with tons of practical information as well as practical application! Well worth the purchase and effort to learn its principles!

On the premise that good light is the most important element for a photographer, Roberto’s Valenzuela’s photographic philosophy is based on three ideas: A photographer must understand good light’s behavior, recognize its appearance, and keep his/her camera’s ISO as low as possible when capturing it.In his book, Valenzuela has distilled his philosophy into three concepts that define every shooting decision he makes. They are The Five Behaviors of Light, The Ten Circumstantial Light Elements, and Benchmark Settings. These three concepts create a system that any photographer can apply to any portrait scenario under any lighting conditions.In the many color photo examples, detailed with explanation about how these concepts are applied, the results speak for themselves. His photos are remarkable. Valenzuela demonstrates his techniques under natural and flash lighting, and provides a number of practice exercises to help you build your shooting skills and your attention to good light.His writing style is concise, friendly, and in each chapter he focuses precisely on the lesson being taught. Unlike some other authors, Valenzuela doesn’t waste your time with name-dropping or self-promotion. Every page is written for the reader’s benefit.Picture Perfect Lighting is not just another book with a photographer’s pretty pictures and his/her camera settings written in the captions. This book provides a simple system that gives consistent results. It’s a great foundation upon which beginning photographers can build their own unique style, or experienced amateurs can use to reinvent their work.Kindle owners, or those who have downloaded either the desktop or mobile Kindle App, will get the best deal on price.

At last! Here's the missing lighting bible.Most books on lighting provide an introductory chapter on the science and behavior of light and then provide nothing more than a set of recipes that the reader can follow by rote, thereby producing yet more "pro-photographers" who have no, or only a superficial understanding of what they are doing. This book is very different. It provides a treasure trove of information that if studied will allow you to really grasp the mastery of light you need to become a serious photographer. Filled with practical examples of the thinking and planning that the author employs when deciding where to place his portrait subject in a scene, this book provides a rare insight into the intricacies of judgement that produce great portraits. To get the best out of this book you will need to study and practice the suggested steps over an extended period of time. If you are prepared to put in the effort this is the best book available for giving you an in depth understanding of mastering light. If all you are looking for a is casual read, you may certainly gain some superficial insight into the complexities of working with light but will miss out on the in- depth understanding you can gain by really working through this material.As a photographer and educator I can highly recommend this book!

No matter your level of expertise there will be something in it to motivate and educate. One of the few photography books that held my attention troughout.