It's Not About the F-Stop

by Jay Maisel

Jay Maisel has been hailed as one of the most brilliant and gifted photographers of all time. But he is also much more than that–he is a mentor, teacher, and trailblazer to many photographers, and a hero to those who feel Jay’s teaching has changed the way they see and create their own photography. He is a living legend whose work is studied around the world, and whose teaching style and presentation garner standing ovations and critical acclaim every time he takes the stage.In his first educational book, Light, Gesture, and Color, Jay put his amazing insights and learning moments from a lifetime behind the lens into a book that communicated the three most important aspects of street light, gesture, and color. Here, in It’s Not About the F-Stop, Jay builds on that success to take you beyond the buttons and dials on your camera to continue to teach you how to “see” like a photographer, and how to capture the world around you in a way that delights, intrigues, and challenges the viewer. Each page unveils something new and inspires you to rethink everything you know about the bigger picture of photography. This isn’t a book about f-stops or ISOs. It’s about seeing. And nobody communicates this, visually or through the written word, like Jay Maisel.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2015

Reviews

[Jason Machinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book is advice from a master photographer it is best read a bit at a time then walk away and come back and read a few more pages. The images are great the essays are insidious as the messages is subtle and written in a conversational style. As such they are best left to blossom in the mind a bit, so read bits at a time and you will get the most out of this book.

[Kristie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I am new to photography, and this book was freeing and inspiring as well as serving as a great tutorial. The pictures were a treat, and encouraged me to see past borders and be creative. The writing was a fun surprise! Each little tidbit felt genuine and personable. I really enjoyed seeing pictures that were thought provoking, clever, creative, simple and even humorous.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about how to find the image - how to see. Nearly 200 pages, so nearly 100 essays. Check the preview above to read a few. The essays include stories about how the images came about. Interesting stuff.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

makes me want to get out and shoot more. its all about the feeling, not technical per say

[Bhuvan N · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 Stars)

Not as good as his previous book Light, Gesture, and Color.

[Vitali Prokopenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jay Maisel is my hero in photography. Enough said.

[Chester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and the instruction. The unique point of view in Jay Maisel’s photos is inspiring. I’ll be looking for tear in fabric more often.

[Joe Spoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each page has a photo and then the facing page has a narrative about the photo along with words of wisdom from Jay. His philosophy in photography sometimes goes against the grain and he has some very profound thoughts to share. I bought this book in order to share some of his thoughts with my students and it was worth the price.

[Patrick Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book on how to see. The lack of technical info at first seemed like a negative. But it made it possible for the subject to shine through. I highly recommend this book you will come away with a whole new perspective. And hopefully some new skills.

[Teri Temme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Very inspirational. Learned a lot more than I expected. Thank you Jay! And Scott Kelby for introducing me to Jay's work.

[Sankul Mandavia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super super book!! I love the way one page has a picture and then a story behind it. Very inspiring!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is always interested to see other photographer's work, and their thought process behind their work, especially from someone like Jay Maisel, who has been in the game a long time.

[David Welfelt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book by Jay. Inspiring text and images.