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Jason Fulford

The Photographer's Playbook: 307 Assignments and Ideas Paperback – Illustrated, June 30, 2014

by Jason Fulford (Editor), Gregory Halpern (Editor), Mike Slack (Photographer)

930 ratings

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The best way to learn is by doing. The Photographer's Playbook features photography assignments, as well as ideas, stories and anecdotes from many of the world's most talented photographers and photography professionals. Whether you're looking for exercises to improve your craft—alone or in a group—or you're interested in learning more about the medium, this playful collection will inspire fresh ways of engaging with photographic process. Inside you will find advice for better shooting and editing, creative ways to start new projects, games and activities and insight into the practices of those responsible for our most iconic photographs—John Baldessari, Tina Barney, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Jim Goldberg, Miranda July, Susan Meiselas, Stephen Shore, Alec Soth, Tim Walker and many more. The book also features a Polaroid alphabet by Mike Slack, which divides each chapter, and a handy subject guide. Edited by acclaimed photographers Jason Fulford and Gregory Halpern, the assignments and project ideas in this book are indispensable for teachers and students, and great fun for everyone fascinated by taking pictures.

Print length

427 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Aperture
Publication date

June 30, 2014
Dimensions

6.03 x 1.22 x 9.15 inches
ISBN-10

159711247X
ISBN-13

978-1597112475
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Examines how the photograph can be animated through composition, engagement and passion; Fulford and Halpern’s The Photographer’s Playbook contains 307 assignments designed to inspire, enlighten and educate students, teachers and photographers. –British Journal of Photography
Just what the doctor ordered for amateur photographers looking to educate themselves by immersing their imaginative gifts into the works of some of today’s successful photographers. –Resource Magazine
The idea is that photography is nothing if it stays in a little box, that there is a big wide world out there and photography needs to engage with it. –British Journal of Photography
An invaluable resource of perceptive information on all things photography…Inside is a treasure trove of advice… &ndashJuxtapoz, August 2014 issue
The Photographer’s Playbook is a slap in the face for the obvious, the hackneyed, the over-familiar. –British Journal of Photography

About the Author

Jason Fulford is a photographer and cofounder of the non-profit publisher J&L Books. He has lectured at more than a dozen art schools and universities and is a contributing editor to Blind Spot magazine. Fulford’s photographs have been featured in Harper’s, the New York Times Magazine, Time, Blind Spot, Aperture, and on book jackets for Don DeLillo, John Updike, Bertrand Russell, Jorge Luis Borges, Terry Eagleton, Ernest Hemingway, and Richard Ford. He is a 2014 Guggenheim fellow, and his published books include Sunbird (2000), Crushed (2003), Raising Frogs for $$$ (2006), The Mushroom Collector (2010) and Hotel Oracle (2013).

Gregory Halpern received a BA in history and literature from Harvard University and an MFA from California College of the Arts. His third book of photographs, entitled A, is a photographic ramble through the streets of the American Rust Belt. His other books include Omaha Sketchbook and Harvard Works Because We Do. In 2014 he was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. He currently teaches at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aperture; Illustrated edition (June 30, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 427 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 159711247X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1597112475
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.74 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.03 x 1.22 x 9.15 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #31,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Photography Criticism & Essays (Books)
- #9 in Photography Reference (Books)

Customer Reviews:
930 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Sakura

warning not your typical photographer's book.....

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 7, 2015

Verified Purchase

So yes it's a little bit condescending but aren't most photographers? People may find this book not helpful. But I think for a little inspriration and some unconventional ideas this book is great and helpful. This book reminds me a little bit of art school. Warning it's not your typical photography book. If your looking for typical then this is not your book (although some may need a book like this). I gave this book 4 stars because I love that this book is non traditional and kooky at times. We need kooky in our creative lives, no? I do know some of the photographers but not all. I do wish I saw some ideas for example from Diane Arbus herself (sorry Amy). In Diane Arbus's bio there is an assignment for her students. It's a wonderful assignment. I only wish this book was a little more like that. But I think it's good for what it is. There are no photographs and I agree with that decision. I will assume the creator of the book didn't want the reader to get too influenced by the photographers. This allows the reader to come up with their own interpretation of the assignments. Ok so it means we have to read without pictures, oh well. Some of you may get annoyed at the tone and the unconventional ideas / assignments. Dearest "pro" photographer humble yourself the fact is you don't know it all. Lov your fellow photographer. :/

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Carl O'DayTop Contributor: Photography

Get Ready to Stretch Your Creative Muscles

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 7, 2017

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This is a great book for someone stuck in a photographic rut… The 300+ exercises are all different and designed to challenge you creatively. One of the things I really enjoyed is that net every assignment involves a camera. Several of the exercises are writing or drawing based. While they won’t directly improve your camera skills, they will stretch your creative muscles in interesting ways.

Other good things about the book:
Every exercise comes from an artist – this contributes heavily to the variety of content.
The artists featured provide valuable input and insight – they don’t just rattle off something to go do
The exercises are meant to be done one off – one is not dependent on another
You will learn as much about the craft of photography as you will improve your photographic skills

The only improvement (IMO) is that the exercises could have been organized by topic. Instead, the table of contents is ordered alphabetically by artist last name. Great if you are looking for someone specific, but not as helpful if you are looking to flex a particular creative muscle.

If this review was helpful to you, please click the "yes" button below - it helps Amazon (and those of us who write reviews) know if the information provided is of value to others.

116 people found this helpful

Helpful

Paige Elizabeth

Use your creative mind

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

I have read some of these reviews and decided I needed to add my input because let’s face it the world is full of people who take things too literal. This book says right off the bat not to take it to literal. Seriously if you read the “About This Book” page it says it. Now some people think it is full of useless rambling and people who don’t know what they are talking about. I bought this book to push myself into a new direction with my photography and this book has done just that. Now it may not help commercial photographers or photographers who have been in the trade for 40+ years but it has helped me. Some of the “assignments” I decided to start right away were on Pages 3, 6, 15, 59, 244, 381 And 383 now these aren’t all considered “assignments but they helped me get started. I feel people bought this blindly, didn’t research it and assumed it to be like any other photography book with photos and explanations and so on but it isn’t. This isn’t a book you open and just read through. I like to open it to random pages and that is how I decide what “assignment” I am doing next. This isn’t a novel or a how-to book you don’t read it cover to cover.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

ERP

My friend will love it

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 9, 2022

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The compilation is well organized and each idea/page offers valuable assignments, inspiration, and just thought-provoking material in general.

Helpful

Tone P.

Great ideas for photographers

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 14, 2020

Verified Purchase

In this era where we are under house arrest (COVID-19), the authors have good points of interest for the budding picture taker. Since it had several contributors, there is no real order to follow. I pick one as an assignment.

Helpful

Dana B

great way to challenge yourself

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 18, 2015

Verified Purchase

What a fascinating book. This is not really designed to be worked through cover to cover, but more looked at when you're in a slump. Some of the assignments are really more words of wisdom than assignments. However, this book is full of great challenges to really help your creative juices flow. I'm in a small group of photographer who challenge each other and when we need new ideas, we pull from this book. One challenge, for example, is to shoot a sheet of white paper on a white background only in 36 unique ways. Sounds horrible right? but we were thrilled with our results and really got into it. My favorite so far has been to shoot an excerpt from a book, shoot the book as a prop or metaphor, and do something to the book and shoot it. I certainly haven't made it through yet, but I'm pleased with the purchase.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Asia Lewis

Makes you want to try something different.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 9, 2019

Verified Purchase

I intended to give this book as a gift to a relative keen on photography but ended up keeping it myself (will need to order another copy!) as this photographers playbook is packed full of useful assignments and ideas (307) to help improve my own photography skills. Really love the simplicity of the exercises and how the book is set out making it a book you can dip into at any page. For example page 123 provides just one line “photograph who you are” whereas other exercises provide more detail running over two or three pages but most are covered just on one page making it a quick reference guide. The only criticism I’d have is the narrative content could have done with more visual supporting content. If you want to try something different next time you’ve got the camera out, get some inspiration from this book.

3 people found this helpful

Michael Tarrant Eldicott

If your an Arty type you will love this if you think Photography is fun then you probably won’t

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 18, 2018

Verified Purchase

Probably the worst book on photography I have ever read, it actually makes you want to put the camera down rather that pick pick it up. Each page gives you an idea from an arty person, that has his or hers head stuck up where the sun doesn’t shine. Each page seems to be more about them, and how they can portray how arty they are than inspiring you to pick up your camera and go an enjoy taking photographs.

9 people found this helpful

Kate 8767

Great book if you enjoy creativity but probably not for everyone.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 17, 2020

Verified Purchase

I LOVE this book!
It has some really different ideas. I can see it wouldn't be everyone's choice especially if you are looking for a standard "learn photography" book.
I have been into photography for a long time and have a lot of books on photography, art, photographers, etc. but nothing like this one. Parts of it remind me of Jim Morrison's (The Doors) "take" on art.
I can't wait to try some of the ideas. I highly recommend this book it's very different and will certainly fire your imagination if you like this kind of thing!

Diana

Amazing inspiration

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 28, 2018

Verified Purchase

Such a wonderful book. Any creative has a moment when the muse is just gone. It's frustrating. That's where the book comes handy, after reading a couple of pages all i want to do is run outside and shoot.

3 people found this helpful

Marco Cuttin

Very interesting book to learn to think visually and express ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 27, 2016

Verified Purchase

Very interesting book to learn to think visually and express an idea or a story.
Plenty of excercises to practice this language without shooting always the same images everyone does...

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