Reader Question – Books about posing
Heather wrote in with the following question and we thought it deserved more than just a quick email response.
“Hey Guys,
I got a question for ya. Sorry the answer to this might already be on your site somewhere but I’d just thought I would msg you instead. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for photography books either having to do w/ business or the technical side of things. I’ve read Professional Wedding Photography by damien lovegrove and am in the process of reading understanding exposure bryan peterson. I have fast track photography on order..
Maybe one to do w/ posing??? Its weird I study photography all day long everyday.. but when it comes down to being w/ the couple it’s like I forget everything I ever learned and freeze. Then i want to slap myself because I could have done this or this shot but was having a brief moment of anxiety. I suppose posing and things will come with practice and the more I do it but I really thought I would have the hang of it by now. Any suggestions? ”
Yes Heather, David and I both have a list of suggestions for you.
David’s Picks
- Jerry Ghionis’ Pic Pockets $80
These are small reference cards that show a specific scene, then on the back it goes into detail as to how the shot was taken.
https://www.theicesociety.com/?page=72 - Bambi Cantrell’s Cue Cards $100
These are stacks of cards demonstrating different poses and ideas to give you recommendations for setups.
http://cantrellportrait.com/extra/online_store.php - John Mireles Look Book $75
More like a paint swatch sampler, the look book contains a wide variety of common poses to help you from getting into a rut or just for inspiration if you need some.
http://photographerstoolkit.com/lookbook
Kerry’s Picks
- Photographing People – Rotovision $26.00
Excellent book on posing and lighting setups and each shot includes a 3D drawing showing exactly how the set was designed with the placement of lighting, subject, reflectors, camera, etc.
Photographing People: Portraits, Fashion, Glamour - Posing for Portrait Photography: A Head-to-Toe Guide by Jeff Smith – $21
This isĀ great book that goes through the correct placement of each section of the body from head to toe with plenty of example images to help make the point.
Posing for Portrait Photography - Professional Portrait Posing: Techniques and Images from Master Photographers by Michelle Perkins $23.72
This book goes through the particular styles of a handful of professional photographers to show their distinct styles for posing and lighting subjects.
Professional Portrait Posing: Techniques and Images - The Moment it Clicks – Joe McNally $39.59
Joe is a master of lighting and this book, while designed as a book on lighting, uses almost exclusively human subjects so it also is an excellent book for posing.
The Moment it Clicks
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About the Author: Kerry Garrison is a wedding, portrait, and product photographer living in southern California. With 10 years of experience shooting products and 3 years of experience in the wedding industry, Kerry brings a good deal of technical know-how and can explain topics in easy-to-understand terms. Kerry's work can be found at http://kerrygarrison.com and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/KerryGarrison










I'm in the middle of "Posing for Portrait Photography: A Head-to-Toe Guide" by Jeff Smith and it is well worth the $21.
This is a great blog. Thanks so much for sharing. I really enjoyed reading it!!!
This is a great blog. Thanks so much for sharing. I really enjoyed reading it!!!