The Unforgettable Photograph: 228 Ideas, Tips, and Secrets for Taking the Best Pictures of Your Life

by George Lange, Scott Mowbray (contributor)

Renowned photographer George Lange's work is guided by one simple truth: An unforgettable photograph is not about what the subject looks like, but what it feels like. In this entirely new kind of photography guide, written by Mr. Lange and Scott Mowbray, magazine editor and longtime amateur photographer, the rest of us will learn how to take photographs that don't just document life but celebrate it. No fancy equipment required. Just hundreds of simple, inspiring ideas and lessons-each one illustrated with a photograph-organized around the six essential principles of seeing like a photographer.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Art, Reference, Design, Crafts

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2013

About the author

George Lange is a photographer whose pictures have appeared in almost all major magazines, ranging from Entertainment Weekly to Esquire. George has shot advertising photos for many movies and TV shows including Seinfeld, The Today Show, Cake Boss, and many of Jim Carrey’s movies. Most recently, he has worked with Norwest Venture Partners, Twilio, RK Mellon Foundation and the Grammy Award winning Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. George is known for his ability to see everyone - from celebrities to people in all walks of life - in an honest and joyful way.

George's new book, Picturing Joy: Stories of Connection, is a lively guide to George’s approach to life, as well as the highlights of his career. This book captures his curiosity, energy, and enthusiasm for people and photography. It also distills wisdom gleaned from a lifelong search for everyday beauty that might otherwise go unnoticed. Through more than 80 photos and intimate stories, Picturing Joy invites readers to appreciate life with all of their senses and to change their perspective by being open to new things.

Reviews

[Fred Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a semi-professional photographer with more than 50 years experience, I have read a lot of books on photography - technique, technical and artistic issues - but stumbled upon this one in an independent bookstore in Central Florida. Since I try to help the endangered independent with a purchase if I have spent much time browsing I was scanning the shelves and came across this one in a "featured" section. (Only later did I discover it had been signed. Evidently the reason it was in that area.)

Not often that one encounters suggestions in this type of book like "cut the heads off", "submit to the chaos", "shoot the quiet", "keep shooting after you have the picture" "get in the rhythm of light and lines, repetition, light and shadow,etc." Great examples throughout and speaking of rhythm, ever seen a photography book with playlists of songs to keep a session moving? Me neither.

For someone new to photography, the book is easy to handle since it is light on technical details except for tips on how to expose difficult situations like back-lighting or the role of depth of field and even those comments are fairly straightforward. For the experienced shooter, this book can be the kick needed to get out of a creative rut. I know I certainly am looking forward to trying some of the techniques outlined.

Well done and a pleasure to award it 5 stars!

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may not be exactly what most people would expect when they read the title. Tips and tricks to take great pictures? Yes, there were some. There was also an appendix at the end that gives advice on what to consider when buying a camera and accessories.
What I got out of reading this book? A deep yearning to go out and find the opportunities for - and an encouragement to not hold back but to take - those great pictures!

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one (and most likely only) book about photography I read from cover to cover. A handful of tips to add variety to your day-to-day photos.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and memorable

[Jamie Belanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed a copy of this book because I have been trying to find a new, more exciting approach to my photography hobby. While flipping through the pages of this book at my local store, I stumbled upon many pictures that made me pause. There are quite a few photos in here that truly are unforgettable--haunting, beautiful images that stir something inside. After a few minutes, I had seen enough, and purchased a copy so I could read it cover to cover.

All art is subjective, and many of the photos just did nothing for me, even after reading the analysis of why they are "unforgettable." Perhaps a third of the book contained photographs I understood with only a glance. Some required a lot more staring and analysis. That's certainly not something bad to say against the book; there are just some photos I didn't "get" in the same way the photographer did. Still, I found myself analyzing those pictures I didn't quite agree with more than the others, trying to figure out why they did nothing for me. The descriptions and images certainly did a lot to make me think about my own photos in more emotional terms.

Overall, this book is full of large images and suggestions for taking a different, more emotional approach to photography. I definitely think all aspiring photographers should flip through this. If nothing else, it's full of interesting ideas and suggestions that encourage you to mix things up a bit... and not to be so eager to delete "bad" pictures just because they are out of focus or have some other imperfection. Life is not perfect, so why should every photograph be perfectly composed and focused? Take a more playful approach to your photos and you just might stumble on something amazing. If nothing else, this book succeeded in motivating me to grab my camera and go out and play a little.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I'm not a professional or even posted photographer. I just take pictures for myself. The copy of my book is subtitled "...for Taking the Best Pictures of Your Life." It was a smart move to change this to People and Things You Love. There are lots of good examples and explanations about the images, but they all include people. But if you're looking to take better family pics or portraits, there are a lot of good examples. Landscapes and wildlife not included. Also short sections about displaying images and buying/ using digital cameras.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a different kind of photography book. It is not bogged down with technical information, and pages and pages of boring text. It is full of photographs. The kind you would love to have in your albums. This book is about inspiring you to take better photos, ones with emotion, ones that mean something to you. Each photo comes with a tip or two about something to try. A fun and inspiring read.

[Bryan Whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Photographer George Lange is a genuine master of “buttery” light. Though this range of hues and shadows isn’t exactly my cup of tea, I did enjoy seeing the impressive variety a good photographer can capture starting with a particular visual mindset. Even the chapter on photographing kids – which I nearly skipped as I don’t have any – suggested new ways to look at a familiar subject. This book should appeal to anyone in search of possibilities for adding fresh perspectives to her work.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool tips!
Notes so I don’t need to bring the physical book with me to AZ:
Move the camera from where you think it ought to be.
There’s almost always enough light/ find a patch of light/ get to know the light in house and yard.
Keep an eye on shadows.
MUSIC.
Walk with subject in time. Rhythm of light and shadows.
Isolate a single moment/ action.
Embrace the blur!! (Masks?)
Push lens out of focus (masks?)
Crop while you shoot.
Shoot against backlight.

[Ben Graber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the range of ideas for my own use as a serious hobbyist photographer but being that it’s mainly a list of over 200 ideas, it gives you more of a feel of a magazine that you’re flipping through, or even fingering through Flicker photos albeit with a little more insight in the form of blurbs from professional photographer George Lange.

[Hedy Harper (Erin Hanton) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, specifically because it was so different from the usual “cookbook” and “textbook” photography books that I usually see. There are some genuinely good prompt ideas in here to take and run with. That said, I would say it is intermediate level, not beginner, and definitely more for people looking to up their candid/snapshot/portrait game than for general photography.

[Leah Waggoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book. Reinforced thoughts I have and provided new ideas. Seize the moment. Don’t sweat it. Perfection isn’t the goal. Shoot the moment, not the subject, use props.

And I see ideas Eva and Hope naturally do- perspective, blur, zoom, into and away from light….fun. Enjoy capturing an unforced moment.

[Teague · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photographs in this book are beautiful, but I would’ve much preferred more detailed explanations of how to capture the photos rather than this listsicle of a book. It’s too bad, because I think the author/photographer has so much to teach on the subject, but either he or his editor needed to provide more technicality rather than the shortlists.

[jimtown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good photography book for me. Not too technical, but full of ideas, photos and a simple explanation as to how they were accomplished. This is one I would keep on my shelf or read again. The authors talked a lot about natural lighting, and I like this easier, not so technical technique. Most of the photos were of family and friends and just things they happened upon. Nicely done.

[JournalsTLY]

The unforgettable photograph - 228 ideas, tips, and ideas . Some are conventional ( still very useful) and some are innovative .

2 good basic tips
- focus on eyes
- shoot the moment not the subject

One more : Allow light from different angles to shine into intimate moments

Enjoyed this book several times over.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed some photography inspiration and instruction for my upcoming Paris holiday, and this book fulfilled it. Sure, there is technical language (as there should be) but mainly there are photographs on every page - along with the why it works - and hints for how to achieve a photograph like it.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one sitting and a as inspired to get up and take pics. I found that even though there is little credence given my camera that is always with me (my phone), I was able to immediately experiment with the wonderful suggestions Lange makes for camera play !

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little book—lots of easy to understand, concrete suggestions as well as thoughtful ideas. I read it straight through on kindle but it would be great to have a physical copy to open at random for inspiration.

[John-Paul Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not some technical manual on photography but instead a compilation of suggestions to spark your photo creativity.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars A fun book to read for the loosening up of one's ideas of what a photo can be, but not quite the beginner guide I was looking for.

[Laura Forner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread

[Marina Kalleny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best thing about the book is that it's not just about photography.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every photo includes Metadata 👏

[Krista Westmaas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a technical guide, but some great ideas!

[Chris Yarrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Lange is another photographer whose work I admire. I stumbled across his website after a short video he put out in 2008 got some attention in the photographic community. You can check out that video here - you should because his work is amazing.

Unfortunately for me, that video and George's website set the bar pretty high and this book just doesn't deliver for me. It's aimed squarely at people that own a camera but know very little, if anything about the craft of photography. Don't get me wrong. That's fine; just disappointing as hell.

Cover to cover this book took me about six hours to read - it's almost 300 pages, but at most you're looking at a paragraph for each page. You could take more time over it or dip in and out of it as you try each of his suggestions for an unforgettable photograph. The latter is probably a useful technique and will definitely extend the life of this book if you're just starting out.

If you're looking for insight into George's editorial practice then you should probably steer clear of this, because that's not what this book is (nor, in it's defence, does it ever claim to be). There's insight here, but it comes across as a bit preachy, showy and sometimes condescending - repeated mentions of his 'pro camera' just made me roll my eyes.

There are some great tips but there's a lot of repetition and far too many friends and family photographs for me. I was hoping to see more of George's commercial work, and read more about sustaining a practice over the years.

I really enjoy George's work and I consider him one of the best editorial photographers alive, but I'll stick to reading his blog and hoping he'll put out a book that I can get my teeth into.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Play music, shoot often, try a variety of places and poses, look for light, be goofy sometimes, be serious other times, change your perspective, get in close, etc. These are the types of tips Lange shares in his book. What I like is that with almost every photo in the book he provides the settings. You know what the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture was at the time the shot was taken, and he also tells you the focal length of the lens used.

I've taken a couple of classes from Zeb Andrews and he has a considered approach to shooting so the repeated message of Lange's to keep shooting repeatedly didn't resonate with me. Sure, there are times when blind shooting will likely render something of interest, but that is leaving too much to chance. Whereas if you are more thoughtful with how you set up a shot, you're more likely to get the type of shot you were hoping for.

I'm sure I'll continue to use this book as a reference and for inspiration. Hen is going to like me telling him to jump on the hotel bed, for sure.

[Nemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for my birthday last year but only just finally got around to reading it. Like most books, even technical manuals, I like to read cover to cover, which I'm sure is not how this book is meant to be read.

It's a good book, I thought it was going to be more a book about composition but it's more a book about how to be a photographer, less technical, more personal and subject based. Still, that's not a bad thing and I learned quite a bit from it. It's fully of really great examples of how to get creative when shooting and there is some technical advise laced into the descriptions.

It's definitely a book I will keep and refer back to for ideas on how to shoot and how to become a better photographer over time.

[Suelibevg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Techniques for better pictures, with your point and shoot camera, smartphone, and/or expensive digital camera.. Great ideas for focusing close and far away and how to play! The idea that is mentioned several times, and one I've heard before, is to not stop taking photos. Do your review of the photo shoot after it's over, not during! Do some advance preparation as to setup and just keep shooting. Don't be afraid to experiment, do something unexpected, like taking pictures of someone in their pajamas in an outdoor cafe in Paris. Recommended. Would be a great holiday gift for those photographers on your list.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers excellent tips for amateur photographers as well as professional. Lange gives easy-to-understand and -use hints, provides full-color examples of photographs illustrating his ideas, and elaborates on what he means. For the more serious photographer, Lange gives shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and lens length for every photograph included. The book is well beyond what I would use or need, but I still took away many ideas for better photographs. I think the book would be an excellent reference for more serious photographers.

[Nancym · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book by George Lange takes a different approach to most photography books. The book focuses on ways to capture emotion and feelings. The book focuses an capturing people and moments focused around people. It suggests methods for interacting with people, using props and natural light. The book is aimed at the photographer who primarily shoots people.

The book was given to me as a gift and it is lovely book but since my photographic focus is not people, it will not be a book that I will frequently use. I would recommend it for people who do focus on their families and children.