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This is a really good, inspirational description of compositional techniques, with quite a few great pictures demonstrating the principles. Quite a few times I thought, "Wow- that's a cool shot, and a great idea to try". Highly recommended.
The is an excellent refresher for moderately experienced photographers and a great place for beginners to see what a thoughtfully employed camera can do. He covers a range of topics from photojournalistic intent to abstracts in the same way - with brief descriptions of each topic accompanied by excellent illustrations.Freeman is refreshingly modest and matter of fact about his own work.
When it's time to step away from the computer and take some pictures we sometimes need to brush up on the principles of composition, and Michael Freeman's understated book is a great teacher. The book starts with some of the basics - the Rule of Thirds, etc.
People with digital cameras spend a lot of time learning how to use all the technology tools - notably Photoshop. Having gone through elements such as the way to frame an image using these short sections, Freeman goes into a set of short chapters dealing with intent.
Then it goes on to describe the elements that make for interesting photographs, using great economy of text and well-chosen illustrations that are reproduced very well in the book. Each section is a couple of pages with a minimum of words that will put some people off until they read the carefully chosen handful of paragraphs.
He lets the pictures speak for themselves in that regard, just as he lets them teach the reader - subtly and without distracting from the examples he's chosen. When you're done with it, you'll know how to be more thoughtful in your own picture taking.
This book will teach you how to see, compose, and edit for more visual impact. When you get the basics down and you're ready to take your photography to the next level this is the book to get. I've been shooting for a few years now and this is the book I've been needing. After you read it you'll see things a lot differently than you did before. This is a must have for the serious amateur.
I will return to this book periodically for inspiration. Digital SLR photography is a relatively new hobby for me, so in the past year or so I have bought a number of photography books, and this is my favorite. It introduced new concepts to me and explained them well and with excellent examples. So it will not gather much dust. I am keeping this short because there are already excellent reviews which explain why you will want this book in your hands.
I really don't know what the contents of this book are, though we can probably assume they are rooted in sound technical advice, and perhaps some good aesthetic tips.That said, as a photographer myself, I am not inclined to buy this book, given its cover.The photo on the cover is made simply by the shopworn and hackneyed practice of photographing a crowd of Third World women dressed in colorful garb.Let us assume, then, that these people were dressed in workaday jeans and nondescript shirts. This brings us to the $64,000 question: Would the picture be anywhere nearly as interesting.The answer to that question depends upon your artistic premises, but here's a clue: The reason Weegee is a superior photographer to Steve McCurry is because Weegee takes the commonplace and ephemeral and elevates it to something deeply moving and beautiful. Steve McCurry finds "exotic" looking Third Worlders and photographs them for the smug satisfaction and edification of Western liberals.If you really want to become a great photographer of people, do this: Dress (and smell) like a homeless person in the subways of New York, armed with a couple dozen disposable cameras. You're already alienating people anyways with your grime and crazy demeanor, thus you can truly catch people unawares and off-guard.Everything else is showing off.
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