I cannot give this book and its author enough praise. This book is outstanding in its breadth of coverage of the many components of composition. The author is extraordinarily articulate, without being verbose or too wordy in his delivery. He is also not overly "artsy" and very pragmatic.

He writes clearly and logically of the visual and resulting psychological impact of various elements of design, such as the image frame, contrast, balance, rhythm, pattern, visual weight, content, single vs multiple points, horizontal/vertical/diagonal lines, curves, triangles, circles, rectangles, vectors, focus, motion, moment, optics, exposure, perspective, composing with light and color, understanding various types of "intent", and the process of composing. He accomplishes all of this in a very organized and concise manner. He is also not just an academic, but a real photographer and so each point is relevant and practical.

The book is filled with wonderful photos (mostly from the author) that do a superb job of exemplifying each of the author's points. The book is well organized into 6 logical chapters with many short sections within each chapter.

I recommend this book not only for photographers, but for anybody who is interested in what types of visual stimuli and elements would cause certain somewhat predictable emotional responses from viewers. This would be useful for anybody interested in design.

This is a great book...But if you already have Freeman's "the image" you might expect more from this one.

This book is excellent for introducing a large number of Composition theories and providing a large variety of examples. This book would not address the needs many new photographers have such as digital work flow, equipment selection, etc.

I always believed that the only effective way to teach/learn photographic composition was to share a viewfinder with a student/teacher. But this book has taken a very effective step away from that dependency.

The Photographer's Eye, which is full of comparative photographs, carefully backward engineers the image-making process and shows the reader what he/she can do to radically improve their photo-taking.

I recommend this book for my BFA and MFA students.

I own a fair number of photography books and have become a it jadded: I no longer expect much from the books I order; a few nice pictures (maybe) and perhaps one or two useful points. But this book is not like that: It is a well-written gem with many, many useful points that, for me at least, helped to clarify many concepts. It is among one of the best photography books I own.

This book is not a collection of recipes or "how to" guides designed to get your shots hanging on a museum wall. Rather, it examines core design principles from a photographic perspective: Composition, balance, contrast, and more. It is not a book by a designer about photography, but a book by a photographer who understands design, how it impacts our photographs, and knows how to clearly convey the implications.

I heartily recommend this book.

At once, The Photographer's Eye, grips you, beckons one to get your camera, and use your eyes differently, to take in what's there and not, and know when to do what. Michael Freeman is a master tutor, communicator.

This large sized book from Focal Press, a company that truly values it's readers and authors with high quality binding, paper, and print, has another winner with this book, that truly led me to reevaluate my sense of design, ways of approaching a photograph, and ponder. The book starts out like it should from the beginning of what an image is, what your eye sees, and slowly educates, showing vivid images, with notes, so I grasped what was to do and to follow. It's 180 pages, 6 chapters cover it all, left me feeling much more confident about why, what, and when. Knowing most work in digital domain now, additional skill building is brought forth on how before and after the image is taken, and what can be created.

Chapter 1 begins with the frame and image, from how to start to a sense of just how one can see what's there, and how to get it.
Chapter 2 gets into Design Basics, a topic not covered by many, but so necessary to accomplish Gestalt perception with balance, dynamic tension, patterns, visual weight, and content.
Chapter 3 covers Graphic and Photographic Elements, illustrating the two dimensional forms that show up in the picture frame.
Chapter 4 really showed me a new way of composing with light and color, using tone and color.
Chapter 5 on Intent had me examine what I was attempting to show in my composition and why, yes, answer why. Freeman has a gift in talking to the reader.
Chapter 6 is Process, brings about how design, art, and other media work together, and I found that my eye, and intuition was sharpened, more aware of this process.

A great book, just long enough to cover design, a well organized book, images that work, support what the author posits, and again, a quality book,that Focal Press brings us, a welcome git.

I am so delighted I bought this book. It's beautifully illustrated, well-written and practical! Mr. Freeman steps you through the key steps of composition that can be taught (then it's up to you to have the 'eye' to be able to capture what he's suggested!); framing images, design basics, photographic elements, using light & color, intent and the process of composing a shot. The photos Freeman's presented provide great examples of what he's suggesting we, as readers do. And the accompanying text offers a mix of factual and insightful, experiential information. The length in each section is just right. Sort of Goldilocksian, not too much, not too little. It's a nice complement to the photo Composition book by David Prakel (which I also think is very well done).

I had been looking for a book on design for ages, since they tend to be expensive, I looked in second-hand book stores first, but it seems that all I found there was way too boring and tedious for me: starting with basic shapes only to build up to how to incorporate them into photography half way through the book at best. That could very well be the way to go for serious design/photography students, but I do not have time or interest in something that detailed and technical. I wanted a nice overview of the techniques that are available to a photographer, and not just a "follow the rule of thirds" kind of advice that you get from most online photography tips, but a more profound discussion on why the rule of thirds is even important, how it tends to affect the viewer, and when is it appropriate to break it.
And this book provides exactly that - a brief but concise overview of the most prominent design theories, based on the research on the way we see/interpret things. I am definitely not a design expert after having read this book, but I know as much about it as I need/can afford to learn at this point, being an amateur with no ambition to go pro in the observable future.
To me, it's like learning the grammar in a foreign language. Sure, you can probably survive in a country for a week by using words and verbs, but you will not be able to carry on a meaningful discussion with anyone without knowing how to string those words and verbs together. This book might not have taught me every tense and rule there is in the language of photography, but it gave me a better understanding of the logic behind them and cemented my knowledge of rudimentary structures.
The illustrations in the book ARE extremely well-chosen and beautifully reproduced, which is not always the case in photography books, alas. They are a treat to look at.

To address some of the critiques voices here in the respect to this book:
1) No, it does not cover ISO, shutter speed and aperture, and you are better off buying the book by Peterson if that is what you need. I read Peterson first, about a year ago, and it felt right to read this book second, they are not in any way complementary, their focus is totally different, but combined, they provide you with a deeper understanding of what you do when you look through the viewfinder.
2) I find the book very well written. It's concise, clear and well-illustrated and I even found it a pleasurable read. I would definitely not say it is hard to read, it is not the most fun and light-hearted thing you'll ever read, but it's not fiction, it is technical writing, so it will hardly come as a surprise to you. It is definitely among the least convoluted technical books I've ever read.
3) As to "it adds nothing new to the matter"... Well, first of all, it IS a book that basically summarizes the last 100 years of research in the design and its perception, so it does not claim that it is ground-breaking and new!
Second of all, this is a valid criticism only for those who already have dozens of photography books and are looking for more (but then again, if that is the case, why are you even looking into Freeman? he is clearly not geared towards a seasoned pro). If this is your first book on design, as it was for me, pretty much EVERYTHING in this book is going to be new for you to a degree (yeah, I've heard of the rule of thirds before, but never read a detailed overview of how it came about and why).

This book sets out the principles for composition and visual construction of photos brilliantly. A variety of shots for each topic are shown, explaining why the 'bad' ones don't look quite right and for the 'good' photos the secret to the composition is explained.

The book starts out with the basics of composition. Each subsequent chapter builds on previous chapters; capitalizing on the lessons learned. The sample pictures are excellent and clearly demonstrate the chapter's lesson. Whether you're an amateur or a professional, as I am, you will learn from this book. It has become a permanent part of my library and will be something I refer back to over and over again. There are not that many good books about composition and this one stands head and shoulders above the others.

This is the photography book I've been hunting for on the shelves all these years! It pairs the much broader area of Art Composition down the essentials that apply to photography. It returns to the theme of photography's inherint compositional constraints. No hyper-facination with equipment or equipment settings. I know I don't think like an artist, but I've always wanted the photography specific aspects of composition made accessible to me - in that respect this book knocked my socks off.

This was a great read for anyone interested in what makes powerful pictures. This is an organized discussion on the elements that make people take interest in a photo.

There is very little discussion of the technical aspects of photography and no discussion of megapixels or anything like that.

I had to give this book 5 stars if only for the photos. This is a visually stunning book, especially from a photographer's perspective. The author tells you how he achieved each photograph both technically and asthetically (he explains why this makes a good photograph). He really teaches you by showing you and does not assume you know a lot about photography, which is perfect for me. He also gives you extensive lessons on using Photo Shop to enhance or even completely alter your photographs.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in getting the most out of their camera and learning some digital editing skills.

This is an instructional book that makes no pretense of being the last or only word on the subject. The author does a good job of illustrating the techniques and values involved in creating good photography according to established practice. At the same time you are reminded that the subject is artistry and that no rules exist.

What I like most about the book, even more than the attractive layout, is the clear relationship between the written descriptions of ideas and the examples shown. I've been an amateur photographer for decades and have "learned" most of the concepts in the past but I find this book a fresh look with new ways of viewing most of the basics upon which good pictures are made.

I had seen this book's pictures and notes on the photos it has before I bought it, now Im happy to find out that this guy writes very well and clear. The book is based on desing principles and theory more than other things. It helps the photographer to have a better idea of why and how images work and how they impact. The book its packed with info on all pages.

I highly recomend it

If I were putting together a recommended list for a photographer with any ambition of going beyond vacation snapshots, this book would be on it. After you've acquired a good grasp of the basics -- aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and so forth -- and you've become familiar with the essential post-processing tools available in Photoshop; its powerful but much less expensive offspring Photoshop Express; or Apple's cool new Aperture application, you'll want to begin to incorporate design principles into your shooting and post-processing. Freeman's book does a great job of explaining these principles clearly and simply, so that you'll begin to think in design terms before you push the shutter release and again when you're deciding how to crop, etc., during post-processing. And the book itself is beautifully designed.

Great book! Loved the simplicity and extremely educative for novice photographers like me. Loved the clean and crisp language, very well composed book, just like the concepts it talks about.

Love it!

Strengths: Beautiful photographs. Great layout and good titling next to photographs.
Weaknesses: The chapters relate to design and composition. The somewhat helpful if the author also focused on the subjects of most photographs as applied to photographs (nature, sports etc).
Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Rating: 5/5

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 the n 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 sey. 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 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.

Freeman's journey through the the principles of photographic composition is eye-opening, eloquent, and beautifully published.

This is not a book on the basics of taking "better photos," so those who seek information on exposure, cameras, lenses will not find it here. Nor is such shooting information for any photographs included. In a general book on photography, this would be a major defect, but here such information would only distract from the book's primary subject: the composition of a visual image.

On the surface, photographic composition may seem to be a very subjective and idiosyncratic topic: you may like one thing, I may like something else. And if it's all subjective, merely a matter of personal preferences, tastes, and opinions, why bother writing a book about it? Most books on photography thread gently on this shaky, insecure ground, and their authors usually limit themselves to a few simple, predictable pointers: the rule of thirds, and golden section, with a particular emphasis on golden rectangle.

But Freeman quite clearly believes that, although ultimately each photographer makes their own choice about what composition works best for their photograph, good choices are those that are deliberate (not accidental), and informed by being aware of ALL the possibilities that are available. The Photographer's Eye will give any intermediate or advanced photographer a better awareness and grasp of choices that are to be made.

Freeman starts at the edge of the image (chapters about the frame) and moves inwards. Available formats, for example (4:3, 3:2, square, horizontal vs. vertical, etc.) are all carefully explored through numerous, and well-chosen examples. Unlike many books that show different images as examples of different formats, Freeman often selects one, single image and shows how its perception will change, depending on the selected format or compositional principle at play. In the chapters on framing I enjoyed particularly the sections focused on "going against the grain" or against the "natural direction" of an image, i.e., shooting typically "vertical" topics (e.g., a standing man) as horizontal frame, or the other way round (e.g., a sleeping man on a bench shot in a vertical format Freeman uses).

Gradually, the author moves inwards, discussing the content of photographs in the context of forms (curves, lines, etc.) and compositional principles (e.g., symmetry, or a very complete discussion and listing of types of contrast). The closing chapters go totally "outside" of the single image, considering the impact of external framing and space around the photograph (e.g., matting), as well as multi-image compositions (such as book or magazine spreads).

As some readers have correctly pointed out, some of the information has been published before in the author's own previous books, and in other sources; but here, all the observations have been systematically, and very elegantly brought together, in one comprehensive and complete volume.

This book doesn't read easily, or fast. It forces the readers to engage both sides of their brain, since paying close attention to the images is as important here as carefully reading the words. But it is well worth the effort, and the reward, in addition to access to the authors' extensive knowledge, is a new, different way of seeing things which in themselves are not new. For me, this is the function, and definition, of a master-class, and this book certainly deserves to be called that.

great book, easy to skim through or read in detail, clear concepts with great pictures to illustrate, keeping it at the amateur/enthusiast level - a book that will make you shoot better with whatever you have available!

recommended++++

Uno de los mejores libros que he tenido ocasión de leer. Realmente te inspira y te invita a reflexionar sobre los tantos y tantos errores que como fotografo aficionado cometes, sobre todo cuando no estando especialmente inspirado, te olvidas que lo importante es saber mirar, ver y entender lo que tratas de fotografiar y no simplemente querer hacer una buena foto porque si.
Reconozco que me gusta este libro. Lo recomiendo.

High quality productions, great color, easy to read and you simply enjoy the guidance offered through the wonderful examples, tips, and points of view.

There are six chapters with over 50 topics, that make you think through the photographer's decision process.

I am a hobbyist photographer of over 30 years and of all the books I have purchased this one is by far the most outstanding. However, my biggest challenge since getting the book is containing my enthusiasm. I want all the info presented in this book in my brain now, but alas I have a memory like a sieve. So I'm trying to figure out how to absord it all. I find I need to take baby steps, practice, review the photos in context of the points made from the book and continue to the next challenge. You do improve and its amazing! Next, I thought I might try a topic from the book and practice it, this has become my biggest challenge.

Very informative, great reference guide to be read time and time again.

PS: You may also want to check out this book on a different topic that I found quite good Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers Only (For Only)

I am writing this review to rest the minds of many posts I have found on forums asking if 'anyone knows where to buy the no longer published book "The Image ..." by Michael Freeman'. I am here to tell you that it is here and now called "The Photographer's Eye". If you are buying The Image just to say you have it and are willing to pay the upwards of $275.00 to the used sellers then that is a different story. If you want the book for the content you can get it right here on Amazon in the form of The Photographer's Eye. I own both books. I recently ordered the image and paid $21.00 including shipping for a slightly highlighted edition because I had heard so much about the book. Although different (not by much concerning the important information) the Photographer's Eye is basically the same book in new packaging and obviously now referencing some digital techniques. Now I must admit I have not actually read the entire book "The Image" and I have about 20 more pages in "The Photographer's Eye" but I have flipped through "The Image" and there is quite a bit of the same information. That is a good thing as far as I am concerned. For those of you wanted Freeman's original, I suggest TPE if you truly want it for content. The book/books are phenomenal as they have been in the past. Definitely a worthwhile purchase.

Simply the best resource design and composition for those of us who did not attend design classes in College. Or for those who didn't major in design, it lays out the concepts and makes a valiant attempt at explaining what makes great photographs. From this, we are extrapolate the skills needed to take great compositional shots. Draws heavily on Bauhaus design concepts.

If you're trying to learn how to "see" better photographic opportunities, this book will certainly inspire you. While there could be more technical instructions included, the author does a great job of outlining the things that you should be looking for in your composition. In fact, the only reason this book didn't get the fifth star is because of the lack of more instructions on how to actually practice getting some of the results featured in the book. Nonetheless, this is a good companion book to something like "Understanding Exposure."

Pocos libros abarcan tanto en el tema de composición, y dejan el aspecto de la libertad como parte esencial del libro..
Recomiendo su compra, leerlo y aplicarlo paso a paso..
Suerte :)

I found this book to be of absolutely no help. I was intrigued by the title but there is nothing in it of any value.

I am fed up with beginners guides about photohraphy that says pretty much the same you can read on any free photo-tutorial on the net. I am fed up with standardized discussions about how the exposure is calculated by the shutter-aperture-iso trinity. I want to learn about photography, not how to handle hardware. So I put my hope into this book, and I am not disapointed.

For me who has not read any artschool pretty mush all was new or rather new to me, about composition and how an image is built up graphicaly. I guess if you have taken classes in traditional art (painting etc) this might be a bit basic but not to me.

Therefore: a great book!

As a DSLR and photography newbie, I absolutely loved this book. This book gives one a solid foundation on "what works and why in composition" - something one can build on depending on style/artistic preferences. I will be reading this book again and again.

I only wish the author provided detailed information on each shot - lens used, camera settings, overall how the shot was achieved from purely technical perspective for us, newbies.

I was led to this book via The Digital Photography School website and having bought many good photographic technique books, this is the first to explain why and what to do. It covers every aspect of the subject in a positively illuminating way. It doesn't just talk about the "Law of Thirds" it explains and shows why this rule helps your photography; it gives specific examples of everything it mentions and also what you can do about breaking the rules. It is highly readable, is not patronising, it is totally expanding. If you want to get the best results, get this.

An excellent book for the intermediate and advanced photographer. And I'm sure the experts will enjoy this as a 'refresher' course!

Concise and with very good example photos, easy to read and definitely one of those books you will revisit several times.

Michael Freeman's books are all a joy and a real education to read.

Let me start by saying that even though I write photo books for a living (including The Joy of Digital Photography (Lark Photography Book), I don't know Michael Freeman and have never communicated with him. That said, this is easily the best composition and design book that you'll find--and that goes for professionals as well as hobbyists. This is the first book, in fact, that I can recall that covers these topics with such depth and clarity of thought.

Freeman has long been one of my favorite photo book writers and this book continues his long streak of great reads (his other recent book, The Complete Guide to Digital Photography is also worth owning).I sometimes laugh at how extremely British his writing is, but it's just amusing, not distracting.

The main thing that I like about The Photographer's Eye is that Freeman approaches the subject from a very thoughtful perspective. While the book covers the basic elements (lines, shapes, dynamic tension, balance, etc.) he also talks at length about more emotionally-related issues: chiaroscuro and key, the search for order, reactive thought, etc. These are the concepts that more experienced photographers (and artists) find themselves confronting once they have a solid feel for design elements and construction.

I often find myself wondering if design is more of a thoughtful process or an instinctive one--and I think it's a combination of the two. In reading this book, in fact, I can see better the value in taking an objective and analytical look a how great compositions are made and how we can take scenes that we react to instinctively and find quick and useful ways to turn them into dynamic photos. Very often when you find a great subject you don't have the luxury of time to decide how to construct the image to "get" what you see.

That is the value of studying composition and image design: to prepare you to make fast decisions. If you are hiking in the deserts outside of Tucson, for example, and you come across a great potential silhouette of a saguaro cactus at sunset, you have only two or three minutes to organize the elments, choose the best viewpoint, the best lens and then make the exposure. It's tragic to spend day after day exploring for powerful images and then only come close.

Freeman's book is crammed with an extraordinary number of great photos with a vast emotional and geographic diversity. These are world-class images, not just "how-to" examples and it's hard to imagine one photographer coming up with all of these great photos. As I said, I write and illustrate photo books myself and I am awed at times by Freeman's proflific work.

If you're looking for a book on design, don't let $20 stand between you and all of this great knowledge and hundreds of fine examples (something I might say of my own book, as well!). Just buy the book--or ask you library to order it.

I have attended school and read many books on visual arts and photography. This book by far was one of my favorites. Although this topic has been done so many times before, this book in particular tends to be reader friendly and interesting. The chapters are rich with text, yet not overly written as to create reading bordum. The photo examples are clear and very easy to understand. When I purchased this book I was looking for something different than the usual redundant photography jargon manuals. I found myself reading slower and completely concentrating on the detailed concepts Mr. Freeman writes about. This is not a book you read with a camera in your hand, instead this is a book to help you understand the visual concept of design and composition when dealing with an empty rectangle (or square} to your eye. This book is for anyone that knows their camera, yet wishes to know more about what the thought process is before pressing the shutter release.Beware! You will find yourself reading this book twice.

This book presents just the kind of thing I was wanting to find in a book (or books). I've started to delve into digital photography, and had recently read a couple books on lighting, and wanted to study more about composition as well. This is the first one I've bought and read so far, and I find it very informative and helpful. Definitely no buyer's remorse... I'll keep it for reference and occasional perusing.

Admittedly, I found this book by accident at a bookseller when I was in Chicago on business and not at Amazon, but have been incredibly impressed. I have recently reactivated an old interest in photography with the purchase of a DSLR, having spent years as an active 35mm addict but with a several year hiatus. This book is bringing back to me many basics of composition in a fashion that I wished I had when I was first starting out. I think this would be a wonderful addition to any photographer's library who wants to understand the elements of composition and how they function to affect the human psyche and ultimately how they make the viewer react emotionally to the photograph.

I read most of this book on a flight to England. I found the book contained many examples that demostrated the text. Following the examples will improve the subject. This book is much better than the others I have looked at.

Outstanding read for anyone into photography. This book teaches you to look at things with different views to pull the best shots out of every scene.

I purchased "The Photographer's Eye" because of T. Campbell's review - was he right! Although I have many books on the subject, this is by far the best.

Thanks, T. Campbell. I might have missed a great book were it not for your review.

Unfortunately, as with all art, this has been done before. What contemporary artists must do is make that clichéd art his own. Michael Freeman tries to do that here in his book but fails to make the comparison. Yes, his pictures are pretty but the depth of this tome is quite shallow. I get the feeling he is bored with his subject--during those moments he quickly refers back to his previous book on Light & Lighting. There is no new information here that cannot be found in the following links. The Photographer's Eye by John Szarkowski,Charles H. Traub's The Education of a Photographer, and The Elements of Drawing by John Ruskin. If you want the real McCoy, buy John Szarkowski's tome by the same name. Hmmm...Perhaps we should look for new and refreshing material instead of trying to expand titles of previously published works. Nice try but done before...

Good pictures but waste of my money.

I bought this book because I wanted to find a book which explains the thought process when taking pictures and to understand why certain pictures are composed in a certain way. I instead got a useless technical manual.

Here's why:

Good points:
(1) The pictures in this book are very very good.
(2) Nice paperweight.

Bad points:
(1) For a book which talks about a subjective topic like photo composition, I find this book is very very very difficult to read.

The author may be a good photographer but the author tends to over-complicate the concepts. It is like reading a technical manual. The author also introduces a lot of made-up "technical" jargons. There are some sentences where I have to read it several times and I still don't understand.

(2) The pictures in this book does not contain information on the settings like ISO, shutter speed, etc... The author explains how he composed the shot, but does not explain why he decided to use this aperture or shutter speed.

(3) The topics are not logically organized or does not make sense. Just looking at the table of contents just gives me a headache.

Save your money and buy something else. I learned more helpful photographic advise from the following books:
"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson
"Lighting Photo Workshop" by Chris Bucher

Good pictures but waste of my money.



I bought this book because I wanted to find a book which explains the thought process when taking pictures and to understand why certain pictures are composed in a certain way. I instead got a useless technical manual.



Here's why:



Good points:

(1) The pictures in this book are very very good.

(2) Nice paperweight.



Bad points:

(1) For a book which talks about a subjective topic like photo composition, I find this book is very very very difficult to read.



The author may be a good photographer but the author tends to over-complicate the concepts. It is like reading a technical manual. The author also introduces a lot of made-up "technical" jargons. There are some sentences where I have to read it several times and I still don't understand.



(2) The pictures in this book does not contain information on the settings like ISO, shutter speed, etc... The author explains how he composed the shot, but does not explain why he decided to use this aperture or shutter speed.



(3) The topics are not logically organized or does not make sense. Just looking at the table of contents just gives me a headache.



Save your money and buy something else. I learned more helpful photographic advise from the following books:

"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson

"Lighting Photo Workshop" by Chris Bucher

Good pictures but waste of my money.

I bought this book because I wanted to find a book which explains the thought process when taking pictures and to understand why certain pictures are composed in a certain way. I instead got a useless technical manual.

Here's why:

Good points:
(1) The pictures in this book are very very good.
(2) Nice paperweight.

Bad points:
(1) For a book which talks about a subjective topic like photo composition, I find this book is very very very difficult to read.

The author may be a good photographer but the author tends to over-complicate the concepts. It is like reading a technical manual. The author also introduces a lot of made-up "technical" jargons. There are some sentences where I have to read it several times and I still don't understand.

(2) The pictures in this book does not contain information on the settings like ISO, shutter speed, etc... The author explains how he composed the shot, but does not explain why he decided to use this aperture or shutter speed.

(3) The topics are not logically organized or does not make sense. Just looking at the table of contents just gives me a headache.

Save your money and buy something else. I learned more helpful photographic advise from the following books:
"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson
"Lighting Photo Workshop" by Chris Bucher

You should NOT buy this book, because I want to dominate the Photographic Art world by myself! It is a straightforward treatment of compositional principles as they apply to Photography. The book was cheap, the knowledge priceless. It would be nice if there was a workbook along with it, though. I will have to reread this book several times because the book is thick with rich content. Ever read a book that had only one or two concepts to contribute? This guy covers a lot of ground - and he does it effectively.

If I were to keep only one book on teaching photography, it is Michael Freeman's "The Photographer's Eye" that I would choose. Nothing much has to be added to what he teaches in there, most of the other things are easier to learn than the art of composition. So this is the natural choice. Highly recommended!

Ok anytime you talk aboutPhotographic composition and rules for it, you get into a grey area since art is subjective by nature. What the author does here is show his photos and explain what composition techniques he used and why he thinks they work. The book is very comprehensive and offers numerous example. The print quality is excellent as it is in most Focal press book. If you want a book that explains photographic compositional theory and offers great examples to demonstrate the concepts, then this is the book you need.

This books describes in detail the steps to make a good picture. The book is divided in a number of sections. Al the sections are relatively short (up to 2-3 pages). Within each sections examples of different points of view for taking the pictures are showed. In a small copy 'lining'and focus of the pictures are indicated. Example pictures are at times stunning. Sections are written well and clearly described.

This is the best single volume on visual design and composition in years. Painters need a book this good. Freeman's earlier book from the 1980s, "Image," had long held the status, IMHO, of being the best single volume. His new book surpasses the older one by a significant margin.

Freeman is one of very few photographers, or artists of any ilk, who can articulate their art-related thoughts in concrete, accurate, analytical ways, and not in the jargon of so much of what is written about art that lacks any actual content. Not only is he an outstandingly gifted photographer, with dozens of books to his credit, but one who has mastered the grammar of images and is one of the few who can describe how and why visual phenomena work.

This is the most complete volume on this subject out there in terms of numbers of topics introduced and discussed at a reasonable length. It is also the most effective melding of the insights of current Gestalt perception theory with traditional design elements/principles in print. The first 60% of the book deals with the more concrete aspects of designing an image.

The last two chapters marry the other part of composing that is harder to articulate well: the message in a image, or the photographer's intent. Only in this book has an author attempted to define major categories of intent in making an image. And then categorizes the physical and mental aspects of how a photographer goes after, constructs, or recognizes an image - the process.

Throughout the discussions he introduces those aspects of digital imaging that a photographer can use to influence a picture's design. Perhaps the most powerful development is that digital in-camera and post processing technologies allow the photographer to apply to color images all those image control aspects formerly available only in the wet chemistry darkroom to monochrome images, as well as many more.

Make no mistake.... This is a book for readers. One cannot get all of this book's benefit from the illustrations alone, in the manner of so many "how-to" art and photography books these days that have pictures, but little text. But this is the book to which thoughtful photographers will return over and over for many years.

The only way it can be significantly better would be to have twice as many pages. It would make a wonderful textbook for any studio art, photography, art history, or art appreciation course in high school or college/university.