Photography and the Art of Seeing: A Visual Perception Workshop for Film and Digital Photography (Paperback)

by Freeman Patterson (Author) "On those frosty mornings when I grab my camera and tripod, and head out into the meadow behind my house, I quickly forgot about me..." (more)
Key Phrases: thinking sideways, subject matter express, good visual design, Breaking Rule (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
This book covers visual design, it will help you to "see" and photograph the world around you. (Garry Black Garry Black Photography (GarryBlack.com) )

Product Description
A practical and inspiring guide.

This Third Edition familiarizes readers with the traditional principles of composition and visual design. The jargon-free text provides practical techniques and innovative exercises for breaking with traditional concepts of design to enable the photographer to develop a keen awareness of subject matter and a personal direction.

Topics include: - Barriers to seeing - Learning to observe: rethinking the familiar - Learning to imagine: abstracting and selecting - Learning to express: Subject matter and the photographer - Elements and principles of visual design and more.

This edition of Photography and the Art of Seeing is updated to include technical guidelines adapted for both digital and film photographers and includes photographs from Freeman Patterson's personal collection. Extended captions include valuable technical information and personal commentary reflective of the superb craftsmanship and stunning photography from one of the most highly acclaimed and celebrated photographers worldwide.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Key Porter Books; 3rd edition (October 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552636143
• ISBN-13: 978-1552636145
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,280 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #34 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Reference
  #42 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Design & Decorative Arts > Graphic Design > Commercial
  #57 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Digital Photography

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

171 of 175 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical book on photography, May 12, 2005

By	D. Booth "digitographer" (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought "Photography and the Art of Seeing" knowing nothing about it. I had not even heard of the author, Freeman Patterson. I had a certain expectation based on current photography books of the same genre, but what I found is a book beyond compare.

I would recommend this book to any level of photographer with a desire to truly express themselves through their photography. You won't come away with a list of rules and instructions about when to apply them. Nor will you end up with a cheat sheet of camera settings that achieve particular effects. If you are open to it, however, you will learn new ways to look at, think about, understand, and portray the world you see through the lens of your camera; you will become more empowered to express yourself in your photography.

I was happily surprised that this book is more about photography than it is about the author. Certainly he includes many personal experiences to explain himself and his work, but he does so without the self-aggrandizing rhetoric of similar books. You really begin to feel as if you are part of his process, rather than someone he is trying to impress, as he describes his approach to his work.

And the photos! While they are exceptional, this is not a book to flip through, pause for the pictures, and then put on a shelf. Instead, it lives up to an important word in the subtitle, "workshop." You may never attend an expensive workshop with an accomplished photographer. But Patterson generously provides a workshop that includes intriguing, mind-expanding exercises all for the cost of this book.

Yes, I love this book! So much so that I've ordered two more of Patterson's books, and I can hardly wait to get started on them.

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this book - PLEASE!, November 29, 2006

By	KiwiExpat (Amsterdam, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

Please don't buy this book. It will change your photography. I bought it, and now I have an advantage, and I want to keep it!

Seriously, this is probably the most disturbing photography book I have found. It will challenge everything you do in photography, and that is unsettling.

If you follow the exercises properly, you will develop a whole new way of seeing and taking photos.

Sure, if you want to, you can read it from cover to cover and go "Ho, hum, very nice." and take it no further. But if you want to improve your photography, take your time, and do the exercises carefully. You will be surprised at the results.

I especially like the one where you lock yourself in a small room (bathroom) and have to take 20 images. "If you don't feel desperation before you finish this exercise, then you have to take another 20 photos."

Don't buy this book! Run away and hide. Keep taking boring photos.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, October 25, 2005

By	TheGonz (Lima, Peru) - See all my reviews

This book is full of exercises targeted to open your mind to new ways to see and new ways to make a picture too. You have to have some spare time and patience to spend on some of these exercises, I have just made two of them with great results! This book is totally different to what you normally expect from a photo book as you don't only get some technical details but also the author's philosophy which reveals his passion for photography.