The Photographer’s Eye: Composition

 

and design for better digital photos

 Reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher

Author:Michael Freeman Focal Press  30 Corporate Drive Suite 400 Burlington, MA 01803 http://www.focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=602&terms=9780240809342 Released:May 15, 2007 Pages:192  $30 USD ISBN-10: 0-240-80934-3 ISBN-13: 9780240809342 Novice/Intermediate/Advanced   Strengths:Beautiful photographs. Great  layout and good titling next to photographs.   Weaknesses:The  chapters relate to design and composition. Somewhat helpful if the author also focused on the subjects of most photographs as applied to photographs (nature, sports etc).

Introduction

 

This book is all about design, a most important factor in the creation of good photographs. The main focus is the subject of composition and design for digital photographers. The importance of seeing and then shooting your favorite photographs, involving all the dynamics, can be a daunting task. The Photographer’s Eye can be a book that can help you see your visions more clearly.

 

The author is a renown international photographer and writer who specializes in travel, architecture and Asian Art.  The 6 chapters have a multitude of stunning photos that implore you to read further into the insights that went into creating these insightful visuals. The main aim of the book is to show you more about what is behind the author’s eye as he took this photographs.

 

The book covers the essentials of:  image framing ( cropping, stitching and extending, filling the frame); design Basics  involving contrast, texture, pattern, balance, visual weight etc); graphic/ Photographic Elements (horizontal, vertical, diagonal lines, curves, motion, focus, exposure);  light and color composing; focus on the Intent (a great chapter which made me stop and ponder my own internal motivations and intentions in taking images); process (search for order, anticipation, juxtaposition). So while the book is not a lengthy one it covers much within its pages.

 

Conclusion

 

This book is not an easy read, per se. Most of these photos include a title which highlight and critique the the details that produced the idea behind the photograph. This book is definitely not a quick guide or set of easy tutorials. It is more a comprehensive look into many approaches that will help in the taking and later possibly editing your photographs.

 

Normally the procedure of taking a photograph is think of a scene or a photograph you want to take of it and then let your digital camera do its work. However to acquire a better photograph you need more then quick ideas. This book is not about quick ideas to make your photographs quickly. This book is all about absorbing the ideas found in the details of the book. The author really wants you to see into the “minds eye “ involved perceptions. He shows you with brilliant photographs, helpful principals to guide you through taking better photos. He reflects on the dynamics involved and shows the results “that will stand out”.

 

All in all, I like this book. I can’t fault the author for designing a labor intensive reaching. Learning about details and composition and translating these to making your photographs better takes more time then just browsing. There is much to learn from this book and what he has to say. But for me (and possibly others), to really get the most out of the book, I feel like I will  have outline some of  these design aspects and seeing how I can incorporate his ideas and insights into my photographic sessions in the future.

 

The trick will be how and when this book will, to an even greater extent, help me with   the viewing or seeing a scene that can help me visualize and take better notice of opportune moments, reflections or scenes I see through my camera’s viewpoint.

 

Reading this book will help me in the future. It is just a matter of looking through all these “pearls of wisdom” and focusing by better use of opportune times when I hope to make better photographs. While I have done that in the past, the book has helped me realize there is even further “ground for me to break” in the area of capturing better photos using “my mind’s eye”. Take a look at this book and see what it might do for you.