While many books address the equipment, techniques, and compositional approaches to image creation, few describe the steps involved in the creation of the picture idea. This book is a passport to the creative process of professional artists. The context is photography but the ideas can be applied across the board. This book emphasizes working out how to achieve the end result before we begin. A key question is what do we have to get right as we shoot and what can we achieve later in post-processing? The correct answer will drive the quality of our imagery and extend our careers.
This book is not a how-to book on making photographs. Rather, this book is about the creative process of conceptualizing ideas and executing those ideas to make a photograph. How do artists conceptualize? Where do they get their ideas? How do they incorporate those ideas into their work?
Compositing and storytelling abilities have never been easier and more difficult to achieve. Sound contradictory? It is. Illogical? It is. We will journey together to solve the many whys and hows so that the technology does not get in the way of image content and story.
As it relates to a particular topic in the text, there are discussions about photographic theory, lighting, composition, color and, of course, Photoshop. Included are examples of my work, each with a detailed examination of my creative process for that particular photograph. Again the idea here is to examine creativity in a way that demystifies the process.
Artists create. Good artists have a process. Great artists have discipline. This book is about all three.
Michael E. Stern is a veteran photographic presence who has been practicing the discipline of photography since he was twelve years old. Born the last of three sons, Michael was a bit different than his older brothers. "I was always questioning why, rather than accepting what was."
This curiosity drove him to explore his thought process and feelings through the magic of photography. Beginning in junior high and continuing past his college years, (BFA from Art Center College of Design) and into a successful thirty year career in the field, Michael has photographed products, buildings, documents, people and created special visual effects.
During this varied and interesting career Michael set up commercial studios in ten different locations, from the heart of Hollywood to the San Fernando Valley and finally to a mid-sized studio in Burbank where he stayed put for sixteen years providing photography and related lab products for the entertainment industry.
In the late 1980's Michael got involved with teaching. "I always wanted to give back to the industry that gave me so much and teaching seemed like a good solution." Since that time he has taught at a variety of private and public educational institutions throughout southern California and to this day also provides private tutoring services to a select group of aspiring talent.
After writing dozens of Photoshop tutorials and photography related lesson plans and assignments, his first book is the natural outgrowth of this writing experience. His book takes a practical look at how one particular commercial artist successfully combined being a creative soul and a commercially viable artist for over thirty years.
February 4th Build A Better Photograph an online radio show about photography debuted. The show features interviews, tech-talk tips, new product showcase online crits and the 5 minute mailbag. This show is dedicated to learning the craft of photography from a community of like-minded people. Come join us at toginet.com.
