What do you think?
Rate this book
The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos
Design is the single most important factor in creating a successful photograph. The ability to see the potential for a strong picture and then organize the graphic elements into an effective, compelling composition has always been one of the key skills in making photographs.
Digital photography has brought a new, exciting aspect to design - first because the instant feedback from a digital camera allows immediate appraisal and improvement; and second because image-editing tools make it possible to alter and enhance the design after the shutter has been pressed. This has had a profound effect on the way digital photographers take pictures.
Now published in sixteen languages, The Photographer's Eye continues to speak to photographers everywhere. Reaching 100,000 copies in print in the US alone, and 300,000+ worldwide, it shows how anyone can develop the ability to see and shoot great digital photographs. The book explores all the traditional approaches to composition and design, but crucially, it also addresses the new digital technique of shooting in the knowledge that a picture will later be edited, manipulated, or montaged to result in a final image that may be very different from the one seen in the viewfinder.
Digital photography has brought a new, exciting aspect to design - first because the instant feedback from a digital camera allows immediate appraisal and improvement; and second because image-editing tools make it possible to alter and enhance the design after the shutter has been pressed. This has had a profound effect on the way digital photographers take pictures.
Now published in sixteen languages, The Photographer's Eye continues to speak to photographers everywhere. Reaching 100,000 copies in print in the US alone, and 300,000+ worldwide, it shows how anyone can develop the ability to see and shoot great digital photographs. The book explores all the traditional approaches to composition and design, but crucially, it also addresses the new digital technique of shooting in the knowledge that a picture will later be edited, manipulated, or montaged to result in a final image that may be very different from the one seen in the viewfinder.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
713 people are currently reading
4936 people want to read
About the author
Michael Freeman
309 books127 followersLibrarian note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Michael Freeman is a professional photographer and author. He wrote more than 100 book titles. He was born in England in 1945, took a Masters in geography at Brasenose College, Oxford University, and then worked in advertising in London for six years. He made the break from there in 1971 to travel up the Amazon with two secondhand cameras, and when Time-Life used many of the pictures extensively in the Amazon volume of their World's Wild Places series, including the cover, they encouraged him to begin a full-time photographic career.
Since then, working for editorial clients that include all the world's major magazines, and notably the Smithsonian Magazine (with which he has had a 30-year association, shooting more than 40 stories), Freeman's reputation has resulted in more than 100 books published. Of these, he is author as well as photographer, and they include more than 40 books on the practice of photography - for this photographic educational work he was awarded the Prix Louis Philippe Clerc by the French Ministry of Culture. He is also responsible for the distance-learning courses on photography at the UK's Open College of the Arts.
Michael Freeman is a professional photographer and author. He wrote more than 100 book titles. He was born in England in 1945, took a Masters in geography at Brasenose College, Oxford University, and then worked in advertising in London for six years. He made the break from there in 1971 to travel up the Amazon with two secondhand cameras, and when Time-Life used many of the pictures extensively in the Amazon volume of their World's Wild Places series, including the cover, they encouraged him to begin a full-time photographic career.
Since then, working for editorial clients that include all the world's major magazines, and notably the Smithsonian Magazine (with which he has had a 30-year association, shooting more than 40 stories), Freeman's reputation has resulted in more than 100 books published. Of these, he is author as well as photographer, and they include more than 40 books on the practice of photography - for this photographic educational work he was awarded the Prix Louis Philippe Clerc by the French Ministry of Culture. He is also responsible for the distance-learning courses on photography at the UK's Open College of the Arts.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
March 25, 2011
Another book read in my bid to quit academia and do photography forever (could my money be spent buying better equipment? shhh), but I think any book attempting to "teach" composition will have trouble. I found his last chapter on Process very useful, especially his rundowns on what he was thinking during specific shots. But everything else? It's all useful to keep in mind, but at the same time, for a hands on person such as myself, I don't think there's any way to keep all these good ideas in your head all the time with your camera. There is no real shortcut, just practice, for good composition.
Freeman's attempt is a good one, but if you're like me, you're just going to throw this out while shooting on the fly anyway. However, using these techniques to analyze your own work AFTER is definitely something I highly recommend to remember for the next time you go out.
Freeman's attempt is a good one, but if you're like me, you're just going to throw this out while shooting on the fly anyway. However, using these techniques to analyze your own work AFTER is definitely something I highly recommend to remember for the next time you go out.
January 20, 2011
I think this is the *first* photography book you should ever read.
Before reading anything about the mechanics, physics or anything else.
Before having a fancy camera, if you're not too late for that already.
See what another photographer thinks of it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/polvero/...
Before reading anything about the mechanics, physics or anything else.
Before having a fancy camera, if you're not too late for that already.
See what another photographer thinks of it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/polvero/...
November 28, 2017
{No esperaba marcar este libro como leído, porque prefiero libros tipo novela... Pero como veo que cada vez es más difícil cumplir mi reto, lo marco porque lo he leído este año).
Me ha gustado, pero esperaba más fotografías dentro de él. Después de todo, es lo que inspira. Tengo muchas páginas marcadas para poner en práctica, así que no es uno de esos libros que te lees y ya está, sino que es de los que vuelves a él con frecuencia.
Me ha gustado, pero esperaba más fotografías dentro de él. Después de todo, es lo que inspira. Tengo muchas páginas marcadas para poner en práctica, así que no es uno de esos libros que te lees y ya está, sino que es de los que vuelves a él con frecuencia.
July 16, 2021
"Per me non esiste niente di più bello di prendere un album dalla libreria o una scatola piena di foto e far passare a una a una tutte le stampe. Girare le pagine di un album permette di percepirne il valore e di sentire tutto il peso della storia. La copertina poi trasmette un senso di protezione dei meravigliosi ricordi che sono custoditi al suo interno. Ogni volta che apro una scatola piena di foto sento una sensazione di eccitazione indescrivibile. È la stessa sensazione che provavo da bambino quando scartavo i regali la mattina di Natale."
Jeff Ascough
Nell'era dei social, del digitale e degli smartphone si va perdendo la magia di foto stampate. È un peccato enorme.
Questo libro del fotografo Freeman va proprio a sottolineare l'importanza di fare belle foto: inquadrare e comporre, posizionare e inquadrare, suddividere e cercare i giusti punti di ripresa.
Perché scattare è un arte e ogni movimento, da un battito di ciglia al galoppo di un cavallo richiede un particolare tempo di esposizione.
"La fotografia è di per sé un'esperienza esclusivamente visiva, quindi ogni descrizione di cosa sia accaduto al momento dello scatto, una volta tradotta in parole, è una ricostruzione."
Jeff Ascough
Nell'era dei social, del digitale e degli smartphone si va perdendo la magia di foto stampate. È un peccato enorme.
Questo libro del fotografo Freeman va proprio a sottolineare l'importanza di fare belle foto: inquadrare e comporre, posizionare e inquadrare, suddividere e cercare i giusti punti di ripresa.
Perché scattare è un arte e ogni movimento, da un battito di ciglia al galoppo di un cavallo richiede un particolare tempo di esposizione.
"La fotografia è di per sé un'esperienza esclusivamente visiva, quindi ogni descrizione di cosa sia accaduto al momento dello scatto, una volta tradotta in parole, è una ricostruzione."
August 22, 2011
This is an excellent photography book. But I did find times when my attention began to wonder as I read it. It took me a lot longer to finish it than it should have due to this. I did learn a lot about composition from this book though and I tend to see more style and techniques that I had not before reading it. It just seems like there could have been a more simple way to explain some of the techniques he was trying to get across to the readers. The photos were beautiful and illustrated his points well. However, the text would often refer to photos many pages back or forward in the book and I had to keep flipping around to see them.
April 30, 2016
Sadece fotoğrafçının değil herkesin göz gelişimi için gerekli bir kitap.
March 20, 2023
Decent book for beginners. I wish the rule of thirds were explored in greater detail. The last two chapters are filler material and I am somewhat skeptical that composition is something we can [fully] control and that it's not something one does intuitively and IF the circumstances present themselves, though; to me, a large portion of it has to do with luck. You can write books like this all you want and fill them with examples of shots that made it to the pages of a serious publication, and analyze them in great detail, but these will still be the lucky few shots out of thousands of discarded ones. Carefully staged composition where one is 100% in control is actually rare and difficult to pull off. A good photographer is good precisely because he is good at showing you only his best work.
November 26, 2010
It's one thing to teach the technical side of photography. It is true that shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings are important. It is however, considerably more difficult to teach the artistic side, to help the photographer see things a certain way. The ambition of the book is high, and reaches for it well. The pictures are inspiring and the thought process behind them is enough to help you starting seeing with a photographer's eye. That is just the beginning.
March 25, 2021
So instructive and well written. Teaches not only basic design elements in photography, but also how to apply them with real world examples and tips. Lots of photos with schematics explaining why they work. Highly recommended.
August 12, 2018
Note: My review is of "The Photographer's Eye: the Graphic Guide" by this author (this book appears to have several editions which vary significantly from each other in format, though probably similar in content), but I didn't see it listed on Goodreads.
A really well-done explanation of composition in photography. The format, which uses the author’s own photographs to illustate different techniques, works extremely well. Overall this book is excellent for making you think critically about the way shapes interact, what the most interesting part of a photo really is, and how to capture it in such a way that the viewer’s eye is draw to it.
A lot of it makes great intuitive sense, but may not have occurred to you before. Putting a subject in the center of a consistent background (i.e. a person in a green rice field), the background is diminished. Putting them off-center allows the eye to see both the background and the subject together. But where there is something that suggests centrality (i.e. a bright red elephant eye, with the elephant’s skin in wrinkles around it like ripples), don’t be afraid to put it in the center. Makes complete sense.
The composite photograph, done to resemble the Chinese “mountain-water” scroll painting style, was probably my favourite. Inspired, creative, skillfully done.
A really well-done explanation of composition in photography. The format, which uses the author’s own photographs to illustate different techniques, works extremely well. Overall this book is excellent for making you think critically about the way shapes interact, what the most interesting part of a photo really is, and how to capture it in such a way that the viewer’s eye is draw to it.
A lot of it makes great intuitive sense, but may not have occurred to you before. Putting a subject in the center of a consistent background (i.e. a person in a green rice field), the background is diminished. Putting them off-center allows the eye to see both the background and the subject together. But where there is something that suggests centrality (i.e. a bright red elephant eye, with the elephant’s skin in wrinkles around it like ripples), don’t be afraid to put it in the center. Makes complete sense.
The composite photograph, done to resemble the Chinese “mountain-water” scroll painting style, was probably my favourite. Inspired, creative, skillfully done.
August 8, 2022
Probably the best book I have read on composition till now.
November 2, 2017
Took a while to get through the book. Tried to take notes and go out and practice it after reading but it was hard to digest all at once. The structure of the book is laid out such that photography tools are introduced then the process is described. Tools include colour, lines and shapes, and Gestalt principles. Although useful, most photographers should have these in mind already so it wasn't very thought provoking. It came down to contrast, contrast, contrast. However, Freeman does discuss different intents for photographs that did open my eyes to different possibilities.
The real meat of the book is the plethora of examples Freeman provides for each chapter and the Process chapter. With case studies and second by second photograph examples, you truly do learn about how a photographer's sees.
The real meat of the book is the plethora of examples Freeman provides for each chapter and the Process chapter. With case studies and second by second photograph examples, you truly do learn about how a photographer's sees.
May 18, 2016
One of the best rare photography books focusing on the craft
The age of consumer electronics has reduced photography to contests of camera specs. Most photography books then are just digests of gadget manuals. This book offers true contents and knowledges about the craft of photography.
The book lays down the commonly accepted basic concepts of visual art as the foundation for discussion about how to think about making photographs. Something that most serious hobbyists and amateurs struggle to make sense of systematically. Conflicting ideas, confusing jargons, and myths going around photography equipment websites are addressed properly with reference and history of the craft.
The age of consumer electronics has reduced photography to contests of camera specs. Most photography books then are just digests of gadget manuals. This book offers true contents and knowledges about the craft of photography.
The book lays down the commonly accepted basic concepts of visual art as the foundation for discussion about how to think about making photographs. Something that most serious hobbyists and amateurs struggle to make sense of systematically. Conflicting ideas, confusing jargons, and myths going around photography equipment websites are addressed properly with reference and history of the craft.
October 16, 2012
The example pictures were interesting but the accompanying text was laborious to read. Instead of practical tips and straight-forward pointers, the talk revolved around the abstract theory and philosophy of photography and composition and I really didn't feel like it was adding anything to my skills or knowledge. Eventually I just started skipping all the ramblings and concentrated on the example photos instead. Truly, a single picture is worth a thousand photos and this book is a good example of that.
December 10, 2020
I have never read a book this extraordinarily dull, it bored me out of my wits. The information presented is valuable to new photographers, and the examples are great, but the writing is garbage. The whole textbook feels like a sixth grader's ramblings in an exam, trying to meet the word count requirements while forcing in all of the big words they know, and cite the only two books they have read at every opportunity. These picture filled 200 pages took more effort to read than a 1500 page engineering textbook.
Jesus christ, I wish I had read something else.
Jesus christ, I wish I had read something else.
August 17, 2024
Thorough and comprehensive look at the design and composition of photographs, and beautifully illustrated with his photographs from throughout the world. (I read the revised edition, which has a different cover image.) One of the biggest strengths of Freeman's books is they are wonderfully concise and to the point. The Eye book also has software generated graphic illustrations which diagram how the design elements of each image come together. There are a few minor drawbacks: the book is somewhat beyond the beginner or advanced beginner level. Second, the locations are throughout the world, including the US, but some of us will not make it to India or Thailand any time soon. (4.7-5.0/5.0 stars).
September 6, 2020
Ottimo manuale, ricco di esempi e immagini che ben illustrano gli argomenti di ciascun capitolo. Sarebbe da leggere prima di qualunque altro libro, pure prima di quello sul funzionamento della propria macchina fotografica. In teoria. Perché purtroppo nella mia testolina, pur volenterosa di ricordare le tante utili nozioni sulla composizione fotografica, sono andate velocemente perdute. Temo che ci voglia soprattutto esperienza,. Quindi scattare, scattare, scattare.
October 13, 2021
I was excited about this until I started reading it. It is quite disappointing to find out that the contents are pretty much about the ramblings of the author of what makes an image "good" and almost nothing about the "why" behind the compositional elements and rule of photography and art. I take that this book covers much more of the design encapsulating the image than the composition itself. lol ok.
September 24, 2022
This is probably the best book I've read on photography so far. While other books focus on the technicalities of photography e.g. (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, flash, ...), this book looks at what makes photographs compelling and decomposes them into its raw ingredients. I've read other books attempting to do the same, but this one stands far above the crowd.
February 17, 2021
High-Level Thoughts
An #extremely useful book for the beginning photographer, full of heuristics for better photo taking. It was fun reading it then going through the National Geographic award-winning photos, since I could pick out some of the elements discussed in the book and how they helped make the photos work.
#refer
An #extremely useful book for the beginning photographer, full of heuristics for better photo taking. It was fun reading it then going through the National Geographic award-winning photos, since I could pick out some of the elements discussed in the book and how they helped make the photos work.
#refer
February 28, 2021
Even if you're not into photography, it's a great read for any artist, especially when it comes to understanding composition ect.
October 12, 2023
Great guide. Lots of exercises. Someday I will finish them all.
June 5, 2017
با تشابهی که نویسنده کتاب بین عکاسی و زبان به کار برده، این کتاب به بررسی
-محتوا (فریم عکاسی): نحوه انتخاب قاب
-گرامر (اصول طراحی): کنتراست، بالانس، ریتم، دینامیک، الگو و بافت، پرسپکتیو و عمق و مهم از همه اصل گشتالت در عکاسی
-لغات (اجزا سازنده تصویر): نقطه، خط، منحنی، شکل، حرکت و زمان
-مفهوم (پروسس ): فرآیند ذهنی و عملی تولید عکس
در عکاسی میپردازد. واضح است که تکنیکهای کنترل دوبین مانند سرعت شاتر و غیره در این کتاب آموزش داده نمیشود. در واقع هدف اصلی این کتاب همان رسیدن به بخش آخر یعنی تولید یک عکس است. برای این کار با الهام از آیین ذن در بودا باید: اصول را یاد گرفت، آنها را کنار گذاشت و بعد عمل کرد…
-محتوا (فریم عکاسی): نحوه انتخاب قاب
-گرامر (اصول طراحی): کنتراست، بالانس، ریتم، دینامیک، الگو و بافت، پرسپکتیو و عمق و مهم از همه اصل گشتالت در عکاسی
-لغات (اجزا سازنده تصویر): نقطه، خط، منحنی، شکل، حرکت و زمان
-مفهوم (پروسس ): فرآیند ذهنی و عملی تولید عکس
در عکاسی میپردازد. واضح است که تکنیکهای کنترل دوبین مانند سرعت شاتر و غیره در این کتاب آموزش داده نمیشود. در واقع هدف اصلی این کتاب همان رسیدن به بخش آخر یعنی تولید یک عکس است. برای این کار با الهام از آیین ذن در بودا باید: اصول را یاد گرفت، آنها را کنار گذاشت و بعد عمل کرد…
December 4, 2024
An insightful slog.
August 29, 2020
I read The Photographer's Eye as a long time photo enthusiast who also uses photography as meditation. I have a strong technical background but no formal training in art, so I enjoyed approaching photography from the aspect I am less familiar with.
Learning about design and composition may help us become better photographers, but I recommend Michael Freeman’s book for a different reason. Photography is the art of seeing. Even taking pictures only to capture family moments, looking for photo opportunities and capturing our story in pictures helps us see the world in a more subtle way.
The Photographer’s Eye, in return, helps us develop our eyes further. It helps us see photos from angles we may have not even thought before. By introducing the tools and language of visual design and composition, the book helps us contemplate photos mindfully. The effort to apply what we learn in our own photography then helps us see aspects and angles we have never seen before.
A special strength of the book lies in the beautiful photos illustrating the concepts. The collection of images accompanying the text let us immerse in visual exploration and transform reading into a meditative journey.
Learning about design and composition may help us become better photographers, but I recommend Michael Freeman’s book for a different reason. Photography is the art of seeing. Even taking pictures only to capture family moments, looking for photo opportunities and capturing our story in pictures helps us see the world in a more subtle way.
The Photographer’s Eye, in return, helps us develop our eyes further. It helps us see photos from angles we may have not even thought before. By introducing the tools and language of visual design and composition, the book helps us contemplate photos mindfully. The effort to apply what we learn in our own photography then helps us see aspects and angles we have never seen before.
A special strength of the book lies in the beautiful photos illustrating the concepts. The collection of images accompanying the text let us immerse in visual exploration and transform reading into a meditative journey.
May 19, 2017
I took my time reading through this book. As the subtitle says, it is all about composing and designing better pictures. The author introduces a lot of technical aspects of photographing which, when you see them in a picture you know it's a good photo without being able to say why. He teaches you things such vectors, using circles and rectangles, dynamic tension, filling the frame, and color in composition, just to name a few. I took a long time reading this book as it has a LOT of information and I found I wanted to look up examples of the techniques on the internet and try to think of how to use what he was teaching in photography. Reading through this book made me realize how much there is to learn about photography and how far I still need to go! The author does assume you know your camera well and that you know basic photographer terminology, but you don't need to be a professional to understand the book.
April 28, 2013
+++ Excellent introduction to digital photography
++ Discusses image composition for various purposes
+ A primer on the process of taking photos
+ Discusses art and amateur photography
+ Discusses ethics in photography: what should be captured vs what should be reported.
+ Good selection of main topics: frame (dynamics, aspect ratio, horizon and framing), abstract design elements (contrast, balance, rhythm, perspective), graphic elements (lines, curves, shapes), photographic elements (focus, motion, optics, exposure). light and color (chiaroscuro, color wheel, black and white)
+/- Short. Too short?
+/- Not much on art photography (also, not an introductory topic).
- Not much on postprocessing---what kinds of filters are most used? on which photos? etc.
- Not much on high dynamic range imaging (HDRI).
++ Discusses image composition for various purposes
+ A primer on the process of taking photos
+ Discusses art and amateur photography
+ Discusses ethics in photography: what should be captured vs what should be reported.
+ Good selection of main topics: frame (dynamics, aspect ratio, horizon and framing), abstract design elements (contrast, balance, rhythm, perspective), graphic elements (lines, curves, shapes), photographic elements (focus, motion, optics, exposure). light and color (chiaroscuro, color wheel, black and white)
+/- Short. Too short?
+/- Not much on art photography (also, not an introductory topic).
- Not much on postprocessing---what kinds of filters are most used? on which photos? etc.
- Not much on high dynamic range imaging (HDRI).
December 8, 2017
Es una lectura interesante. Esperaba encontrarme una colección de reglas y consejos para componer mejor, pero en lugar de eso predominan los casos prácticos donde se muestra con ejemplos qué tipo de composiciones causan más interés y por qué. Esto, aunque interesante, es un arma de doble filo, ya que algunos de los casos presentados no me parece que tengan calidad suficiente para estar en un libro de este tipo, y menos para servir de ejemplo didáctico.
Sería ideal si dejase atrás todas las menciones que hace a fotografía con película, donde a veces repasa técnicas de décadas anteriores. Aunque alguna de ellas es interesante, entiendo que se alejan del propósito del libro y no aportan nada al respecto.
Sería ideal si dejase atrás todas las menciones que hace a fotografía con película, donde a veces repasa técnicas de décadas anteriores. Aunque alguna de ellas es interesante, entiendo que se alejan del propósito del libro y no aportan nada al respecto.
May 11, 2021
Freeman writes that those who look at photos and those who take pictures categorize a photo as like/dislike without thinking much about why this might be so. He doesn’t dismiss those categorizations. He just digs deeper into what is a good or bad photo from the perspective of a photographer: using the vertical - horizontal lines of the picture frame, the use of frames within frames, balance, composition, color, contrast, etc. This is a book mainly on photographic technique.
Many photographers “photograph intuitively,” Freeman elaborates. They like or dislike “what they see without stopping to think why” and they frame their shots in the same way. “Anyone who does it well is a natural photographer. But knowing in advance why some compositions or certain combinations of colors seem to work better than others better equips any photographer.” For the best photographers, Freeman writes that “a great deal goes on in the process of making an exposure that is not at all obvious to someone else seeing the result later." He adds that “This will never prevent art critics and historians from supplying their own interpretations, which may be extremely interesting but not necessarily have anything to do with the circumstances and intentions of the photographer.”
I didn’t understand Freeman’s discussion of gestalt theory. It was too abstract, versus some sort of overarching intuition about a good shot that only later can be parsed into the individual elements not consciously seen at the time. The author repeatedly makes a big point about how the mind’s eye works as if there is a universal law that applies, as opposed to the preferences of the photographer and the viewer. For example, he references “design” theory that looks for patterns or series of elements that the eye wants to extend beyond the photo frame. That to me is a non-relevant point and it even works against the focal point(s) in the photo, particularly as framing encapsulates and doesn’t allow straying. Freeman talks about the“eye travel” phenomenon that directs the eye toward the intended focal point, but in many gestalt-like photos a focal point is superficial: it’s a point yes, but really the richness of a photo is in the background, as elements waiting to be discovered. They have their own independent standing and in some cases, singly or collectively, they and not the focal point are what make a photo great. As another universal, Freeman says viewers are especially drawn to the face. Here again, I’d say that this is a matter of personal taste, especially in this era of selfies, fake smiles and marketing when it’s a relief to get non-peopled shots.
The author discusses vectors that establish direction in a photo. In one shot, he waits for workmen on a dry docked ship’s propeller to rotate in such a way as to mirror the propeller’s direction as if it were in water. That’s technique that adds nothing. It even detracts. Workmen do their work without, presumably, trying to align themselves with the propeller’s movement in water. Interestingly, in the one photo the author uses to demonstrate faces as vectors, Freeman comments on the two faces in the foreground that are looking at a focal point, but he says nothing about two easily missed, shadowy faces, deep in the background, doing the same. These, not the obvious faces, make the picture interesting. In another example, Freeman uses a bull’s horns to frame cow herder in the Sudan to illustrate both the use of the horns to frame his shot to demonstrate anticipation, waiting for a perfect alignment. My reaction, though, was that this kind of framing was technique, that imposes itself on what was otherwise an interesting shot.
As in other discussions of photographic technique, the photos the author uses to illustrate design principles are ho hum and prompt a certain yawning about why a viewer should even bother with viewing these photos at all. Later in the book, though, Freeman digs into the content aspect of photo taking and this leads to the observation that capturing good content with good technique, though secondary and contributory, is the objective. This leads to a broader conclusion, at least for me, that a great content photo captured somewhat poorly is much preferred to boring content captured with excellent technique.
As to what constitutes good content, Freeman notes seeing the unusual, or seeing the usual in unusual ways. These capture provocative moments. I would add that historic photos evoke a freshness that captures a long-gone time or event. Some pictures illustrate a larger point or an underlying form amid the noise. Some photos stand alone in their evocative power. Others need a caption or a fuller description to explain the “why” of the photograph. But there’s also this issue of beauty of what pleases the eye. This is content too. It is color and color combinations for sure, but those pleasing or oddly contrasting juxtapositions also reveal the photographer’s sense of irony or humor.
In capturing good content, Freeman references Cartier-Bresson who spoke of “a creative fraction of a second” for the right moment to capture a photo - a second sooner or later would be too early or too late. I also like his advice that a photographer’s mission is to explore the world and to explore one’s imagination about how one sees the world. A good photographer, he says, hunts for prey - for the desired image, which he says “is creative perception...with a photographic end result.”
Many photographers “photograph intuitively,” Freeman elaborates. They like or dislike “what they see without stopping to think why” and they frame their shots in the same way. “Anyone who does it well is a natural photographer. But knowing in advance why some compositions or certain combinations of colors seem to work better than others better equips any photographer.” For the best photographers, Freeman writes that “a great deal goes on in the process of making an exposure that is not at all obvious to someone else seeing the result later." He adds that “This will never prevent art critics and historians from supplying their own interpretations, which may be extremely interesting but not necessarily have anything to do with the circumstances and intentions of the photographer.”
I didn’t understand Freeman’s discussion of gestalt theory. It was too abstract, versus some sort of overarching intuition about a good shot that only later can be parsed into the individual elements not consciously seen at the time. The author repeatedly makes a big point about how the mind’s eye works as if there is a universal law that applies, as opposed to the preferences of the photographer and the viewer. For example, he references “design” theory that looks for patterns or series of elements that the eye wants to extend beyond the photo frame. That to me is a non-relevant point and it even works against the focal point(s) in the photo, particularly as framing encapsulates and doesn’t allow straying. Freeman talks about the“eye travel” phenomenon that directs the eye toward the intended focal point, but in many gestalt-like photos a focal point is superficial: it’s a point yes, but really the richness of a photo is in the background, as elements waiting to be discovered. They have their own independent standing and in some cases, singly or collectively, they and not the focal point are what make a photo great. As another universal, Freeman says viewers are especially drawn to the face. Here again, I’d say that this is a matter of personal taste, especially in this era of selfies, fake smiles and marketing when it’s a relief to get non-peopled shots.
The author discusses vectors that establish direction in a photo. In one shot, he waits for workmen on a dry docked ship’s propeller to rotate in such a way as to mirror the propeller’s direction as if it were in water. That’s technique that adds nothing. It even detracts. Workmen do their work without, presumably, trying to align themselves with the propeller’s movement in water. Interestingly, in the one photo the author uses to demonstrate faces as vectors, Freeman comments on the two faces in the foreground that are looking at a focal point, but he says nothing about two easily missed, shadowy faces, deep in the background, doing the same. These, not the obvious faces, make the picture interesting. In another example, Freeman uses a bull’s horns to frame cow herder in the Sudan to illustrate both the use of the horns to frame his shot to demonstrate anticipation, waiting for a perfect alignment. My reaction, though, was that this kind of framing was technique, that imposes itself on what was otherwise an interesting shot.
As in other discussions of photographic technique, the photos the author uses to illustrate design principles are ho hum and prompt a certain yawning about why a viewer should even bother with viewing these photos at all. Later in the book, though, Freeman digs into the content aspect of photo taking and this leads to the observation that capturing good content with good technique, though secondary and contributory, is the objective. This leads to a broader conclusion, at least for me, that a great content photo captured somewhat poorly is much preferred to boring content captured with excellent technique.
As to what constitutes good content, Freeman notes seeing the unusual, or seeing the usual in unusual ways. These capture provocative moments. I would add that historic photos evoke a freshness that captures a long-gone time or event. Some pictures illustrate a larger point or an underlying form amid the noise. Some photos stand alone in their evocative power. Others need a caption or a fuller description to explain the “why” of the photograph. But there’s also this issue of beauty of what pleases the eye. This is content too. It is color and color combinations for sure, but those pleasing or oddly contrasting juxtapositions also reveal the photographer’s sense of irony or humor.
In capturing good content, Freeman references Cartier-Bresson who spoke of “a creative fraction of a second” for the right moment to capture a photo - a second sooner or later would be too early or too late. I also like his advice that a photographer’s mission is to explore the world and to explore one’s imagination about how one sees the world. A good photographer, he says, hunts for prey - for the desired image, which he says “is creative perception...with a photographic end result.”
April 26, 2019
Super technical, not from a camera perspective, but in setting up a shot. Some great photos, but I kinda think putting too much thought into why and how the shot works takes all the fun out of photography and the spontaneity of it. When you look at a photo, I can see why all the 'rules' make it a good shot, but to think of all that upfront... is way beyond my sights, although it helps to know the basics.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews