The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos | 
| Author: Michael Freeman
Publisher: Focal Press
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $19.77
You Save: $10.18 (34%)
New (32) Used (12) from $18.77
Rating:  45 reviews
Sales Rank: 611
Media: Paperback
Pages: 192
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 10 x 9.3 x 0.8
ISBN: 0240809343
Dewey Decimal Number: 770
EAN: 9780240809342
ASIN: 0240809343
Publication Date: June 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
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.
The Photographer's Eye 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.
Features
*Covers both traditional in-camera composition and the new opportunities for picture-making made possible by digital imaging editing
*Shows how to explore situations and locations in order to find the best possible photographic possibilities
*Uses clear examples from real photographic assignments, with schematic illustrations of how and why the pictures work
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| Customer Reviews: Read 40 more reviews...
 A Guide to Artistic Instinct November 30, 2008
James A. Brewer (OH)
Composition. In the eye of the beholder or the artist, or quick rules like thirds or golden mean... Unteachable, you either have it or you don't.
Nope, the author shows it to be more than just that eye of self-expression. The principals can be learned, reinforced, and communicated. Who said, "Once you know the rules, you can break them?" I don't know, but I do know that this book helped me be a better photographer.
 Outstanding, easily readable book from a very insightful and articulate writer! November 26, 2008
E. Kim
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
The Eye October 31, 2008
Sasa Prostran (Akron, OH)
This is a great book...But if you already have Freeman's "the image" you might expect more from this one.
Best book on Composition I have read October 16, 2008
David D. Wang (South Beach, Florida USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
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.
Wonderfully clear, helpful advice, and well written October 9, 2008
Brendan Dixon (Seattle, WA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
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