Wedding Storyteller, Volume 1: Elevating the Approach to Photographing Wedding Stories

BRILLIANT!!! That was my first thought as I began reading Roberto Valenzuela's newest masterfully written book - Wedding Storyteller. As a wedding photographer, I had recently found myself in a rut - taking pretty images of pretty people all smiling at my camera. I knew I was ready to raise the bar, but I just wasn't sure what I was missing. This book came at the perfect time! I couldn't put it down as I read deeper and deeper into the book as Roberto laid out how to capture a true story at a wedding. Not only does he deal with the technological aspects, such as finding and capturing the most beautiful light, but he also deals with effective posing and subject interactions. This book broke down the different types of images to capture and why, giving clear and organized examples. I also appreciated the down-to-earth honesty and humor in his delivery. Light bulbs were going off chapter after chapter as I read through the book. It is a game changer for wedding photographers lucky enough to get their hands on this book! I have read and learned a great deal from the other three books Roberto has published: Picture Perfect Posing, Picture Perfect Lighting, Picture Perfect Practice and greatly look forward to Wedding Storyteller Volume II.

I’m a working wedding photographer and there is no author that comes close to Roberto in terms of their ability to explain as well as the depth covered. Previous wedding books I’ve read from other authors had offered me no new information to take things up another level. In this book Roberto details everything that you can do as a photographer to provide luxurious and artistic photographs in each wedding. I will probably try and read all of his books, including the follow up to this book.

Why do I love this book? Unlike standard photo books, it does not try and milk oft-repeated advice about poses, lenses, composition etc .... or try to show off the writer's photographs. Many photographic writers are guilty of this sin, which is why I am posting this note. This book is worth buying as it feels fresh and authentic. If you shoot weddings (or important events), and if you want to improve your thought process and work-flow, this book could help a lot: * It has some fresh ideas on how to plan and execute the event. * It outlines mistakes made by the writer and how he corrected them (with pictures) * It gives several helpful, somewhat original tips about handling the people and process. * Well written, simple and effective writing style * His passion for wedding photography comes through and I think it will help me improve my results with some practice (Please note I have not finished studying the recommendations, and have not tested at a real wedding as yet). Highly recommended in paperback form (personally I dont e/ Kindle books for this genre of books, though I have several).

Still reading but so far so good.

Roberto is one of those teachers you never forget. His passion for photography and teaching oozes out of this book. This book is worth its weight in gold! He explains everything, including his failures, which many amateur photographers can relate to. He explains why the picture is wrong and the solution. There is an enormous amount of knowledge in this book. I also want to point out that the guy is as humble as they come given his status in the photography realm. He’s a Canon Explorer is Light which is the best of the best in his niche. He has other books as well and they are just as great. If you are just getting into photography, check out Picture Perfect Practice. Although it comes across as a wedding photography book, the principles will apply to many different aspects of photography. I’ve learned more from his books than any other books I’ve read on the subject of photography. Once you start reading it’s hard to stop. Great job Roberto!

I bought this book after reading a previous book written by Roberto Valenzuela and I was not disappointed. While he covers some technical topics, he does it in a way that is understandable. I found one of the most valuable aspects of this book to be his examples he gave of photos that he had shot early in his career when he was still learning his craft. He critiques his own early work and it makes it so much more understandable because there is a visual for you to reference with his explanations......invaluable!! Then he shows more photos he took later in his career and you can see all the elements that makes up a fantastic photo. If you are looking to take your photography to the next level, I would highly recommend his books. I bought this book and also Wedding StoryTeller, Volume Two. I haven't gotten to reading Volume Two yet because I am still digesting all the great info in Volume One. Thank you for sharing your talent and knowledge, Roberto!

I have Roberto’s course on Creative Live, which was amazing. But this book goes even deeper into the mind states and principles, making it a great compliment. Photography is one of those skills that translate REALLY well into a book. He breaks down bad photos of his and compares them to his good ones. REALLY helpful comparisons. It’s also very apparent that he is a master of weddings and has so many under his belt, it’s crazy. Well worth it to get this book. I have the kindle version since I didn’t want to wait for shipping and it translates perfectly with the clickable links that bring to the image that the text is describing.

Let me say.. I'm a fledgling photographer who's addicted to learning. Roberto Valenzuela writes the best books on posing. They're not always the easiest to read, but his explanations are the most thorough and most researched. He shows, gives examples and explains WHY you should direct and the different combinations you can use. Everyone else just say "do this, do that, tell them this." they never go into WHY.. For that reason this is one of the best wedding books I've read.

*****

Great series of books Author justified 100%

Allora, ho letto molti libri di fotografia e su vari temi, ho scelto questo autore che non conoscevo ma che molti suggerivano. Con rammarico il libro è solo in inglese e quindi va letto con piu attenzione (almeno per me) . Ma è davvero illuminante. Nel senso che affronta gli argomenti 'reali', quello che descrie è esattamente ciò che mi capita a questi eventi, ha chiaro il problema di un Fotografo di matrimoni e spiega o ci prova un modo per migliorare (sempre che uno lo desideri). Ben scritto, ben fatto, lo stra consiglio. Tanto che sto comprando su carta questa volta anche gli altri volumi.

This book is amazing! I'm halfway through the book and I've already learned so much! Robert offers a lot of insight on how to stage, plan, and execute wedding photography. I'm looking forward to finishing this book and purchasing more books from the author.

For me a book on Wedding photography is almost as hard as doing the wedding itself. Roberto does it with ease. Teaching by showing his past failings and his new work. Explaining what works and why. I will keep this book for years to come as a reference book to remind me of what works and what doesn’t. Very much looking forward to the next one in the series