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.

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

"Beautifully presented with generous and helpful color illustrations, this book is a very affordable addition to the library of the serious photographer."

-Candian Camera (Feb. 08)

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.

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

Michael Freeman is a renowned international photographer and writer who specializes in travel, architecture, and Asian art. He is particularly well known for his expertise in special effects. He has been a leading photographer for the Smithsonian magazine for many years, and has worked for Time-Life Books and Reader’s Digest. Michael is the author of more than 40 photographic books, including the hugely successful Complete Guide to Digital Photography and The Photographer's Eye. For his 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.

Author of The Photographer’s Eye, which has reached 100,000 copies in print in the US alone, and 300,000+ worldwide, Michael Freeman has been a leading photographer for the Smithsonian magazine for many years, and has worked for Time-Life Books and Reader’s Digest.

The Image Frame; Design Basics; Graphic Elements; Composing with Color; Using Design