This is a book about how to communicate your heart's passion photographically. It gets you thinking about what you want to share graphically, with whom you want to share it and why. Next it introduces you to the visual language that will best help you communicate this message to the prospective viewers of your images. Only then does it discuss the techniques in areas such as lighting, exposure and composition that will refine your visual grammar and vocabulary. Though equipment is not a major focus of the book as such, there are helpful suggestions as to which features of certain lenses and cameras will help you achieve your aim. The attractive, and often times powerful, photographs that accompany the text are annotated with camera model and basic settings that serve to illustrate this (a kind of `visual spelling bee'). There is also a downloadable bonus chapter (pdf format) where the author briefly introduces the equipment he was using and explains the rationale behind choosing it in the light of his own photographic vision. But, as I mentioned, that really isn't the heart of the author's message.

Many photography books spend a lot of time focusing on equipment and technique, some of them do so very well. Only a handful successfully link these to the photographer's vision and purpose. David duChemin's first book is one of these and as such I wholeheartedly recommend it.

This book has been great and a very informative. One of the best i have read in a very very long time, if your looking for some good ideas and techniques, or even to improve upon where your at now, then get this book!

Unlike a lot of other photography books, this doesn't just tell you how to improve your technique, it gets at why we take photos in the first place.

I really liked the author's vision for how and why to interact with your subjects, bring humans into your photos and make the process and the results engaging.

If you are looking for in-depth technical information, don't read this book. But if you want to be inspired and to gain greater insight into what photography is really all about (how to 'see' and visualise a composition), you will not be disappointed. Never mind that the subject matter is rather esoteric and not likely to be the focus of most of us; the lessons are in those all-important areas BEFORE we press the shutter: not least the often sensitive issue of how best to handle the human element. The author works in a genre where photographic riches abound, but the core elements of his experience and advice are pertinent to us all - even old bird and landscape snappers like me.

This was the first book I've read by David DuChemin, and I must say that it won't be the last (I can't wait to read VisionMongers: Making a Life and a Living in Photography!). His beautiful photographs accompany practical information about the spirit of photographic vision. He has many great pointers, ranging from how to capture a person's soul in a photograph to what to take on a photography-based trip. Although this book isn't highly technical (look elsewhere for basics on apertures and etc.), it has a conversational quality about topics in photography that are often harder to convey and contribute to what makes photography art. One can perceive through reading this book that the author is a humanitarian and decent human being as well as being a photographer. Even though it covers some basic topics, I feel that it could be helpful for anyone from novice to experienced photographers, and I would highly recommend this book to help tailor your photographic vision. I'm sure I will refer back to this book often as I progress in photography.

Exceptionally well-written, beautiful photos, and quite inspiring! I loved this book, will re-read it, and will look up more of DuChemin's works.

Majority of the photos in this book are taken in 3rd-world countries. In my opinion, these photos stand out, not because they are meaningful or full of vision, but because they are different. Anyone who came from a similar background would immediately recognize certain photos as blank stares by weathered, aged, and wrinkled people. They are different and might evoke certain emotions from people who are so far removed from certain parts of the world. Local photographers with vision and understanding take far more interesting and emotional photos of the same people. The author's style of photography would have never stood out had the subjects been in North America or Europe.

The author repeatedly painted himself as a respectable worldly photographer with vision and humility. However, below are his own words:
"She (a Hindu woman) graciously allowed me to photograph her for five minutes, then invited me in for chai. Fearful that she'd marry me off to her daughter, I declined. In retrospect, I wish I'd accepted(the chia, not the daughter)."

I find this statement utterly degrading and demeaning to a different culture. The author effectively took the photo for his own benefit, and smeared an entire population sector with his insensitive and presumptuous words.

Overall, I find this book self-promoting and un-interesting. Then again, the author's got Joe McNally for foreword, Vincent Versace for afterword, and Scott Kelby for a few words.

Sigh!

I purchased this book for my nephew, who is an aspiring photographer. He absolutely loved it! He's read it from cover to cover and as found so much help and information. He came across pictures and information that he had never even considered. Kudos! If he's happy, I'm happy! Thanks!

The book is written for people who already have a grasp on basic photographic principles, i.e. composition, aperture, lighting, etc. Although the author does go into some depth in utilizing these principles in the develpment of one's own photographic vision, that is, the message or story he is trying to convey through the photograph. The book goes well beyond the "basics" and attempts to demonstrate how to how to express one's "feeling" or "impression" through the photographic medium.

In my opinion, this book succeeds in two valuable aspects. The autor clears out and persuade us about the necesity and obligation of the photographer to search for a personal vision and interpretaion of reality before shooting at anything. Also, the structure of the book and the narrative is so well concieved that manages to motivate the reader to stop the lecture and go grab the camera and go out to take some pictures. But not everything in the book is a bed of roses. The autor relies too much in his own concept of culture, and maybe culture is the second most used word inside the book, second just after the word vision. The problem arouses in the theoretical framework that sustains his concept of culture, beeing religion, religious festivals, the food, the villians and heroes of a country and things as such the main expressions of a culture. But those things fall more in the category of folklore and not on the actual concept of culture. So his insights about the photographer and the need to understanding "culture" are misleading. To understand the "otherness culture" and our own whe should be looking for power relations and the way hegemony and geopolitics acts on a particular local context. So in resume, we should pay atention to his method of taking photos, but we should disscard his personal vision for the sake of the people we photograph.

I think the title of the first chapter "It's All About Vision" attracted me to buy this book. But I am sorry to say that my vision isn't the same as duChemin"s. His book is about taking images in many places of the world, and of primarily either old or young people. That is his thing and I respect him for it. So if that is your thing "go for it".

I have read many photographic books over many years and this is this first one that didn't "turn me on" in any way. Just to check myself I leafed through the book to take another look at the images. I found only two that somewhat appealed to me. I am primarily a landscape photographer, always looking for some new scene, some new challenge of light, some new technique to work with.

I agree with the opinion that Freeman Patterson's books are really good. They were all published some time ago, from 1977 to 1985, before the digital age. But they are well worth reading. The titles are

"Photography for the Joy Of It"
"Photography of Natural Things"
"Photography & The Art of Seeing"

Sincerely,

Jack Porter

David du Chemin has a unique way of not only inspiring you to "get out there" and play, but also draws you unselfishly into his world of photography.

Someone who has never held a camera in their hands before could pick up this book to read and not want to put it down. It is a book about life, about love, about humility, but most of all about the vision of a man and his passion for life and people, which he expresses through the lens of a camera.

A brilliant read!

This ia a great book for learning Photography !! Shows wounderful pictures of different subjects, and will give you all the exposure information on how each was taken so you can really try it for yourself !!

Great book great price !

I love photography and shoot great pictures!

I know everything about my digital camera and wanted a book to go - deep - inside my " photographic soul ".

After lots of search, I found this one.

It is perfect to me!

So: if you love photos, take great ones, and want to undestand your internal process of creation, this is your book!

There are tons of books that talk about technique, like exposure, composition, post processing and so forth. As far as I know there are only a handful of good books that tell about how to get the secret ingredient. This book is one of them.

David's approach is an interesting and compelling way of thinking about photography, especially because most of us don't tend to think like an artist. This book will help you become a better photographer even if you still tend heavily toward the logical and analytical. This book will certainly cause you to seriously think about the issues of photographically conveying the essence of a person, place, or culture.

Can't recommend this book highly enough! All too many times other books and magazines have taught on "HOW" to take a photograph (i.e composition, lighting, technique etc etc), but David tell you exactly the reason "WHY"s and "HOW"s and goes beyond that. If ever any photography enthusiast, hobbyist, student or professional were to invest in a single book, you must make this the ONE book! Highly Recommended!!!

David presents all of his thoughts in a wonderful and inspiring way.

I find, personally, that the typical photography book is predictable and obvious. I like thinkers that challenge the status-quo, and David certainly falls in that realm. This book will inspire you because he'll give you new ways to think about stuff you've been thinking about for years. If you are the kind of person that just wants old tired dictums being reinforced, then this isn't the book for you. It's full of new, fresh thought, smart conclusions, and, of course, beautiful photographs.

The world of Photography is changing, and David is one of the great flag bearers of the new age.

This is a book primarily about travel photography. We are treated to great shots that are explained. The advice is practical, non-technical and hands-on.

I like books about composition and I have found that the best approach is to buy books from different authors. Many authors have multiple books, but they all tend to be kind of similar. So my key advice is to go for diversity.

I've bought my first DSLR and also bought 15 photography books on amazon. I'm evaluating the books from the perspective of a somewhat knowledgeable amateur.

This is my first book ever on photography, after I'm so get used to taking bad photos.

Many friends suggest other books. I borrowed some after reading Within the Frame, but only to find that I essentially get nothing as important as I get from David duChemin.

I'm not saying I understand most of the things of digital photography, in fact, many times I still need to readjust the camera again and again, but I can really feel that I'm taking serious photos now after reading Within the Frame, and now I'm adjusting the camera for a good reason: "the way I think when taking photos really matches the results the camera produced", and I get the joy of that.

As a newcomer to DSLR photography, I have read quite a few books on technical issues on how to use DSLR specific functions, which I didn't have in my previous point and shoot cameras. Now I felt I was ready to digest books in the field of composition. When reading "Whithin the Frame" I fell in love with the way the author, David duChemin, passionately writes how to get the feeling and essence of what you are photographing and try to translate this into a picture that hopefully viewers later can get a taste of.

This is the real craft of photographing. Stop taking photographs and start creating photographs. Stop looking and start seeing. I found this book to be so much more than composition.

It's a book about photographic vision. It's a book about caring and feeling for what you photograph. It is highly recommended.

This is an excellent book which will get you thinking about your photography in a way you probably never thought about

It does not talk in technical terms, but in terms of exanding and improving your photographic vision. It is well laid out with great examples of what the author discusses in his book

I have read many photographic books, but this is one that I couldn't put down as I found it enlightening, evocative and thought provoking.

A book any budding photographer should have in his reference library.

Your book has tremendously helped me to not only get started, but also naturally brought me to a new insight to understanding story telling within the frame. The flow of content is gradual and easy to follow through. It's awesome that this book is not too technically inclined. I get hands-on immediately to taking better photos. Thank you so much!

I finished the book, and purchased all eBooks that David Duchemin has published on his site [...]
he asks himself the right questions anybody interested in photography should ask himself while shooting.
The pictures are awsome, really nice colors, beautifull shoots.
But while finishing the book, I realise that most of his portraits are about smiling people, and beautifull images done with an incredible Canon 85mm 1.2 lens. This finaly became a bit boring

Perhaps it's me, but I purchased this book with the idea that it would reveal the artist's thoughts on composition and technique, and in this regard, I found it disappointing. Although it includes plenty of wonderful and well composed photographs, there's very little accompanying dialog explaining the thought process behind the technique. Nothing really wrong with that, but I suppose if I wanted a coffee table book of photographs, this wouldn't have been my first choice.

Es un libro de fácil lectura con un enfoque diferente que a partir de experiencias personales, generosamente compartidas por el autor, nos llevan a aprender mucho más que simplemente las mejores técnicas para capturar fotografías.
Este libro nos invita a incorporar de manera indeleble, lo que realmente hace a alguien que toma fotos un FOTOGRAFO. Y a la fotografía un medio mucho más efectivo y cautivante para transmitir nuestra visión única del mundo.

I've read a lot of photography books and this one is one of the best. It is not a book about travel photography and it is not for beginers as it does not teach you about exposure or light, not it gives you any tips or tell you any tricks. It thought me though something that no other book did. If you don't take pictures with your heart is all for nothing, expecially when you shoot portraits. Technically, it can be a very good photo but it won't say anything, it won't send a message...

It's not a book about nuts and bolts (although there's some of that in here when it relates to the topic at hand). It's a book about the creative journey of photography. Very inspiring, very thought provoking. If you enjoy thinking about photography and thinking about the creative process behind doing it well, this is a fine treatise on the subject and a pleasure to read, and re-read. Plus most of the images are gorgeous and wonderful examples of the concepts taught.

This is the book I had looking for many years...
I love photography. I tried to find a book that will help me to create better photos.
I have very good books but they are almost purely technical.
This book gives me lots of joy because it inspires me. I will probably reread this book.
If you want great technical book I will recommend " The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman " .
If you want & can go beyond that I recommend this wonderful book.
May I suggest a different name for this book: "Journey to photographer soul"
Gil
Israel

I'm not a huge reader and this book is hard to put down. The author's style is very engaging. The photos are nice. The ideas and spirit of the book is practical. I've appreciated what I've learned so far.

I've read lots of how-to books on photography, many of them quite good. While there's always more to learn when it comes to HOW to create a great photo, too many of us ignore the WHY. This is where David duChemin's book comes in. Yes, he covers technique and gear, but the focus of this book is on creativity and vision. It's probably been said before in other reviews, but I'm going to say it as well: This book inspires creativity in the reader. The book is filled with beautiful photos and stories from David's travels around the world that any photographer, in any place can learn from.

More important than changing how I work, this book changed how I see. After reading this book, when I go out and shoot, I find myself thinking about and interacting with my subjects differently and not coincidentally, bringing home better photos. That makes it worth far more than any other photography book I've read recently.

If you are a professional photographer that has much experience shooting overseas already, you won't learn much from this book. The author gives solid advice, but it is mostly aimed at those with little to no experience abroad. The book will seem condecending for any pro that has much international experience. Your money would be better spent examing the work of the great photojounrnalists.

This is an excellent book, if you know what to expect. It is probably not for beginners (although I probably qualify as a beginner). It does not teach very much about the science of photography or technical skills. Rather, it inspires you to think like a photographer. It guides you in thinking about photography, about the world, and about the frame. Along the way, it does give some helpful tips. But that's not what the book is about. It is about vision.

The author's passion is for people, places, and culture. You won't learn much about landscapes here, or macro or product photography. In fact, there are plenty of things you won't learn about. But it doesn't really matter. People, places, and culture are just the medium he uses to discuss broader concepts.

The book reads extremely easily, and is enjoyable. It never gets bogged down in jargon because it's speaking to the artist in you.

Not much to say, I don't really review products but this book was great. David really walks you through is thought process and he is very informative. I must read.

If you are a mid-level photographer who knows how to take a technically good image and are now wondering what to photograph and why, this is the book for you. I usually use small sticky notes to mark the especially interesting pages of a book and when I finished my first read of this book there were at least 30 yellow notes sticking out of it. I am now back into the book and finding even more thoughts and ideas I will be referencing again later. I have a shelf of very good "how too" books including most of Joe McNally's and Scott Kelby's books. This one is of that quality plus the author tries to help you take that next step. I highly recommend this book.

David DuChemin, no escribe un libro como cualquier otro, ni repetido, ni un complemeto a algún otro, simplemente este libro es una colección de ideas para construir una composición impecable, con un lenguaje fresco, se siente uno constantemente conversando con el autor, una conversacieon cruda y realista que es lo que uno como fotografo amateur o fotografo profesional esta buscando en un libro de este estilo.

Personalmente el mejor libro de fotografía que he comprado.

Yep. I'm ambivalent about this book. No question that David DuChemin is a very gifted photographer, but this isn't a coffee table book. It's about vision, but what the other reviews don't seem to mention is that his vision is not about photography in North America or the west in general, but Kathmandu, Havana, Cairo and the banks of the Ganges. The advice he gives appears very sound, but approaching somebody in Kathmandu and somebody in Des Moines strike me as quite a different tasks. Most of us are far more limited in creating our vision than the author and I'm sure I'd have enjoyed it and gained much more from it if he had shot more in his hometown of Vancouver.

His vision is beautifully executed, but I'd have liked an indication before I bought this book that it was more about travel photography.

After I have read so many positive reviews of this book, I decided to order it. What struck me is the fact that not many photography books have rating that high at Amazon, and most of them have valid criticism. DuChemin's books seemed like an exception to the trend. I cannot tell you how much my expectorations went up but I was very eager to get it.

Let me first say that I'm new to photography and as many others looking for things that are most valuable to get started and continuously improve, that is- train my eye, search for vision, get inspired whenever I grab my camera and go out. Under these circumstances you have to consider things how much you travel and what you like to photograph. David DuChemin is inspired by visiting new places and meeting new people, he is inspired by sacred houses of worship, new cultures etc. The title itself contains the main theme of the book: journey of photographic vision.

However, after one reads the reviews, one gets the feeling that it does not matter if the book talks so much about travelling, it is all about bringing out your vision. The only question I have how? The book does give you some valuable tips like what accessories you should take with you, how to interact with people from different cultures, should you pay people for photographing them etc. Do these things really help you to bring out your vision?

Moreover, I was not impressed with the photos in the book, but I like examples how light influences the portraits. The lighting tips were the most useful even though they are thrown here and there.

Now my advice for potential buyers and beginners in photography would be omitting this book and buying Photography and the Art of Seeing by Freeman Patterson and The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman. The former has very valuable tips that could help to improve your creativity, inspire you and most importantly it's very practical. The latter will show you what to look for in photographs and teach you many valuable things about composition and design.

I found this book extremely helpful and was a great tool in opening my eyes when looking through the frame. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a photography book which is less of a how-to and more of an expression of art. In fact if you don't read this book you will be missing out on some very good insight!

I've bought many photography books over the years but this one tops them all. It's the first "why to" book rather than a "how to" book that I've read. Well worth it. It has connected many of the missing dots for me. It's an easy read and the author does an excellent job of explaining his thoughts of why he photographs his subjects. If you are into photography, buy this book.

I purchased this book with the recommendations of David Hobby and Joe McNally, both of which I admire is style and thought. I opened the book the day before I traveled on a work vacation to the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, near Glacier National Park. Each night I read about 20 pages, being careful to digest each page. I've never been a fan of "how to" books, but a huge fan of "why to" books. This books tickles my fancy. The content alone in the book was worth a workshop value of at least $1000 in my budget, aside from not being able to meet the author is person. I was inspired to shoot a week's worth of photos and posted them here:

[...]

Highlight, re-read, and enjoy this book. I won't be lending it to a friend in the near future, because I want to keep this on my small shelf of books to re-read in the near future!Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision

I have been taking photo's for over 50 years. Today and tomorrow I hope to be making photographs that as Vincent Versace said in David's "Within the Frame" book, will allow me to "create images that change the world of those who view them". Buy this book. There are 241 pages packed with brilliant, priceless suggestions for opening up your mind and eyes to seeing "picture taking" in a whole new way. For example, page 150, "make it about something, so people who see your image feel something", and page 185, become more patient, intentional, passionate about making photographs and push beyond the "shoot-and-run or minute effort". After reading David duChemin's book, I feel better equipped, not just having the best and latest camera technology, but the correct "vision" to shoot photographs like never before. I am a richer photographer today following David's enlightments in this excellent book. I will not regret or bemoan my earlier 50 years of missing opportunities taking pictures, but as he said in the book "just chase new ones" going forward.

This book came at a perfect time for me. I've read tons that were technique oriented from a gear perspective. Within The Frame, while giving the technical details of the shots, is about vision. It's about learning to see better, learning how to find your inner vision, and realize it in photos. This is a book you will read more than once, and like Joe McNally's books, you'll just pick it up and read a section at random, and you'll be inspired every time.

Every page of WITHIN THE FRAME teaches you something new about creating compelling images. It names features your equipment needs. It tells what you need to learn about using your equipment. It tasks you with simple photo-assignments that open your creative inner eyes. And it reminds you the image isn't done 'til you've applied creative editing touches in your computer's "digital darkroom."

NOT JUST ANOTHER MOTIVATIONAL BOOK:
Motivational books usually say everything they have to say in the first 50 pages, then beat you to death with grinding repetition for another 200 pages. This book breaks the mold and goes on giving you new ideas, new creative approaches and new mind-expanding photo-assignments to the very last page.

Author David duChemin's images are on every open pair of pages. They're gorgeous, and poignant, and educational, AND David tells you what makes them that way--Composition tips, isolation with shallow depth of field, how to lead the viewers eye into a scene, intentional motion blur, color treatment, qualities of light, and on and on).

IF YOU HAD TO READ JUST ONE BOOK TO LEARN PHOTO ARTISTRY--THIS IS THAT BOOK.

I like this book, bottom line. It reads like a relaxing discussion with a trusted mentor. I find the insights to be valuable.

This is not a "tell you what to do" book. If you are looking for a book with detailed step-by-step instructions on how to approach a particular subject to create a marketable image, this is not it.

This is a book that challenges you to think what you have not thought before, and to see what you have not seen before. It will open your eyes to see subjects in a whole new light. It will challenge you to embrace the world, photographically, in a whole new way. It will challenge you to elevate your vision to a higher plateau, and to create images with life and meaning.

This is a book for the advanced photographer, the artist, the person who has a deep passion for photography. This is a book that inspires. It inspires you to communicate a message to the world, one photo at a time.

I've got many how-to books on digital photography. I skim through, look at the pictures and maybe read a chapter or two. I started reading David's book and was quickly engrossed and amazed by his communication skills- visual and written. What I found fascinating was the discussion about overall thought process of capturing the "vision" not just taking pictures. I also appreciate the details about each photo to understand the technique. If you want to learn basic how-to then you have other choices. If you want to understand how you can take your skills to the next level then this book will provide both vision and inspiration.

Great book on inspiration and vision. Not so much technical, although the images do include the shooting data, camera, FL etc.

I was not sure what to expect when this book arrived, but 4 pages into it, I could not put it down. FINALLY a book about the thought process rather than 'how-to-take pictures'. So this book is not for beginners, but more for folks who have been shooting a bit and what a new perspective--who want to crawl into a shooters head. Who want to know what's zipping around a photographers noggin' as they work. I read this in 2 days, highlighter pen in hand. Highly recommended.

WITHIN THE FRAME: JOURNEY OF PHOTOGRAPHIC VISION is about finding a photographic vision and cultivating it, offering a personal book packed with inspiring images and offering a photograph's survey of expressing that vision with a camera. From the basics of building a photo essay to directing the viewer through the photographer's choice of images, it's a key to using photos to their best advantage, and comes packed with color photo examples throughout.

So many books on photography a re-written camera manuals. "Within The Frame" is a unique book. It is much more about "what to do with your camera" than "how to use it".

DuChemin spends a bunch of time talking about different situations and how to engage with them to tell a story. There are many great photographs and a solid amount of technical content is included. The real soul of the book, however, is about vision - developing "who you are as a photographer". This is the first book I have found that really does a good job of this.

Thoroughly recommend the book. I have my own copy and I always keep a couple handy to give away as gifts.

I finally broke down and spent the $$$ on this book, and I am so glad I did!
David does what most photographers refuse (or don't know how) to do by giving us reasons WHY rather than HOW. That alone makes the book worth reading, but going through and seeing pictures that he has so masterfully put together are what really make this book stand out. It isn't every day you travel all over the world, though this book allows the reader to do that without leaving the comfort of the hammock or couch. The phenominal pictures and outstanding wording of the book make it a must-have for any photographer's shelf.

Make sure to look out for his upcoming book: "Vision Mongers"