Synopses & Reviews
Alain Briot states that, "The personality of the photographer must be present in the image for an artistic photograph to have value." And in this book he sets out to teach the things that are essential in achieving this goal.
Following his successful first book, Mastering Landscape Photography, Briot goes beyond the conventional rules of composition and takes on a fresh, new approach to teaching the art of photography. Based upon his personal experiences as an artist, teacher, and photographer, he opens new doors to the reader-doors leading to new ways of seeing and composing images.
Briot approaches fine art photography as being a combination of art and technique. In this new book he addresses both of these by presenting artistic and technical information. On the artistic side, Briot introduces artistic concepts that have been rarely, if ever, associated with photography. On the technical side, he presents numerous tools that can help you learn how to create better photographs and provides technical solutions to common photographic problems.
The author practices photography as a fine art. What matters most to him is how photography can be used to express feelings and emotions. For Briot, a good photograph must be both artistically inspired and technically excellent. To have just one of these two elements is not enough for a fine art photograph to be successful.
Topics include:- How to compose with color, with black and white, and with light- Why you need to consider your audience while composing a photograph- Recreate the emotions you felt when you captured your photographs- How the elements of color-hue, contrast, and saturation-work in your images- How to control the elements that have a visual effect in your photographs- How to draw upon your personal way of seeing and then share your vision- How to diagnose image maladies and apply the proper remedies- How to define a color palette for a specific photograph- How to use compositional elements to develop a personal style
Forweword by Tony Sweet
Synopsis
Following his successful first book, "Mastering Landscape Photography," Briot goes beyond the conventional rules of composition and takes on a fresh, new approach to teaching the art of photography.
Synopsis
This is an updated and newly revised edition of the classic book The Art of Photography (originally published in 1994), which has often been described as the most readable, understandable, and complete textbook on photography. With well over 100 beautiful photographic illustrations in both black-and-white and color, as well as numerous charts, graphs, and tables, this book presents the world of photography to beginner, intermediate, and advanced photographers seeking to make a personal statement through the medium of photography. Without talking down to anyone, or talking over anyone's head, Barnbaum presents "how to" techniques for both traditional and digital approaches. Yet he goes well beyond the technical, as he delves deeply into the philosophical, expressive, and creative aspects of photography so often avoided in other books.
Bruce Barnbaum is recognized as one of the world's finest landscape and architectural photographers, and for decades has been considered one of the best instructors in the field of photography. This latest incarnation of his textbook, which has evolved, grown, and been refined over the past 35 years, will prove to be an ongoing, invaluable photographic reference for years to come. It is truly the resource of choice for the thinking photographer.
About the Author
Bruce Barnbaum, of Granite Falls, WA, entered photography as a hobbyist in the 1960s, and after four decades, it is still his hobby. It has also been his life's work for the past 30 years.
Bruce's educational background includes Bachelor's and Master's degrees in mathematics from UCLA. After working for several years as a mathematical analyst and computer programmer for missile guidance systems, he abruptly left the field and turned to photography.
Bruce has authored several books, some of which have become classics. The Art of Photography was first published in 1994 and remained in print until 2007. Bruce has been self-publishing the book ever since, but with limited distribution (until now).
Bruce is a frequent contributor to several photography magazines. His series "The Master Printing Class" is featured in each issue of Photo Techniques, and his articles are published regularly in LensWork. Through his workshops, articles, lectures, books, and innovative photography, Bruce has become a well-known and highly-respected photographer, educator, and pioneer.
Bruce is recognized as one of the finest darkroom printers on this planet, both for his exceptional black and white work, as well as for his color imagery. He understands light to an extent rarely found, and combines this understanding with a mastery of composition, applying his knowledge to an extraordinarily wide range of subject matter. His work is represented by more than ten galleries throughout the United States and Canada, and is in the collections of museums and private collectors worldwide.
Bruce has been an active environmental advocate for more than three decades, both independently and through his involvement and leadership with organizations such as the Sierra Club, the National Audubon Society, the Stillaguamish Citizens' Alliance, 1000 Friends of Washington, and the North Cascades Conservation Council.
Table of Contents
Foreword; Preface; Chapter 1: About Composition; 1.1 Art, Facts, and Landscape Photography; 1.2 The Differences Between Composing Factual and Artistic Photographs; 1.3 Photography is Not Dead; The Differences Between What We See and What the Camera Sees; Chapter 2: Learning to See Like a Camera; 2.1 Of Cameras and Art; 2.2 Good Cameras Equal Good Photographs; 2.3 A Matter of Filters; 2.4 Modifying What the Camera Captures; 2.5 Differences in Print Quality; 2.6 It's the Print, Silly; 2.7 I Should Have Known; 2.8 The Artist and His Tools; 2.9 It's Only a Matter of Time; Chapter 3: The Eye and the Camera; 3.1 The Difference Between Photography and Reality; 3.2 Two Categories of Differences; 3.3 What the Camera Captures that the Eye Never Sees; 3.4 The Soul of Photography; 3.5 Conclusion; New Rules of Composition; Chapter 4: Composing with Light; 4.1 Essential Elements; 4.2 Light and Composition; 4.3 Finding the Best Light; 4.4 Finding Sunrise and Sunset Times; 4.5 Using Natural Light; 4.6 Changing Light Quality; 4.7 Skill Enhancement Exercises; 4.8 Conclusion; Chapter 5: Composing with Color; 5.1 Color Vision; 5.2 The Three Variables of Color; 5.3 The Munsell Color System; 5.4 Controlling Color in Photoshop; 5.5 Color Balance; 5.6 Color Palette; 5.7 Saturation; 5.8 Color Seeing Aides; 5.9 Taking Notes in the Field; 5.10 Composing with Color: Examples; 5.11 Skills Enhancement Exercises; 5.12 Conclusion; Chapter 6: Composing in Black and White; 6.1 Introduction; 6.2 Black and White Is Color with One Variable; 6.3 Seeing the World without Color; 6.4 Black and White and Art; 6.5 Black and White and Manipulation; 6.6 Color vs. Black and White; 6.7 Seeing in Black and White; 6.8 Examples of Composing in Black and White; 6.9 Skills Enhancement Exercises; 6.10 Conclusion; Chapter 7: Important Elements of a Strong Composition; 7.1 Introduction; 7.2 Part 1 - The Checklist; 7.3 Part 2 - Seven Examples; The Creative Process; Chapter 8: Finding Inspiration; 8.1 Introduction; 8.2 Inspiration, Creativity, Vision, and Personal Style; 8.3 Example 1: Location as a Source of Inspiration; 8.4 The Muses; 8.5 A Lifestyle; 8.6 Example 2: Remoteness as Source of Inspiration; 8.7 New Equipment, Supplies, and Software: New Possibilities; 8.8 Example 3: Mood as a Source of Inspiration; 8.9 Become an Expert; 8.10 External and Internal Inspiration; 8.11 Inspiration Is Asking Why not How; 8.12 Example 4: Repeat Visits to Favorite Places for Inspiration; 8.13 Memories of What I Have Seen and Experienced; 8.14 Skills Enhancement Exercises: How to Invite the Muses and Bring Out Your Creativity; 8.15 Conclusion; Chapter 9: Exercising Creativity; 9.1 Introduction; 9.2 The Difference Between Inspiration and Creativity; 9.3 Do Not Delay Creativity; 9.4 We All Have the Potential to Be Creative; 9.5 Liberating Our Creativity; 9.6 Fear of Failure; 9.7 Moving Out of Your Comfort Zone; 9.8 Overcoming Creative Fear; 9.9 Fear of Critique; 9.10 Everything Has Already Been Done; 9.11 Nobody Cares About Your Work; 9.12 Skills Enhancement Exercises; 9.13 Conclusion; Chapter 10: Developing Your Vision; 10.1 Introduction; 10.2 What Is Vision?; 10.3 Making Your Vision Reality; 10.4 Critical Thinking; 10.5 Going Back; 10.6 Your Personality; 10.7 Making Your Vision Reality; 10.8 Doing the Work; 10.9 Do Not Lose Your Vision; 10.10 Skills Enhancement Exercises; 10.11 Conclusion; Chapter 11: Achieving Your Personal Style; 11.1 Introduction; 11.2 What is a Personal Style?; 11.3 Finding Your Own Way of Seeing; 11.4 Style Develops through Work; 11.5 Your Personal Style Filter; 11.6 Show Your Personal Style throughout Your Work; 11.7 The Coherence of a Style; 11.8 Projects, Goals, and Deadlines; 11.9 Expect Ebb and Flow; 11.10 Unlearning the Rules; 11.11 Changing the Rules; 11.12 Be Bold and Audacious; 11.13 Don't Sell Your Soul; 11.14 Don't Worry about Creating Masterpieces; 11.15 Moving Out of Your Comfort Zone; 11.16 Don't Try to Please Everyone; 11.17 Expect Detractors; 11.18 Skills Enhancement Exercises; 11.19 Conclusion; You and Your Audience; Chapter 12: Just Say Yes; 12.1 Introduction; 12.2 A Little Bit of History; 12.3 The Art of Saying Yes; 12.4 Drama; 12.5 Technique Is Meant to Be Seen; 12.6 Audience; 12.7 In Closing; Chapter 13: Of Audiences and Bestsellers; 13.1 Introduction; 13.2 Who Is Your Audience?; 13.3 The Concept of Audience; 13.4 Selling Out; 13.5 Artists Seek a Response from and a Dialogue with the Audience; 13.6 Of Bestsellers and Art; 13.7 How to Create a Bestseller; 13.8 Start a Discussion with Your Audience; 13.9 How to Find an Audience; 13.10 Skills Enhancement Exercises; 13.11 Conclusion; Chapter 14: The Numbering Affair; 14.1 Introduction; 14.2 Manipulation and Art; 14.3 A Short History of Numbering in Photography; 14.4 Of Quality and Quantity; 14.5 The Problem; 14.6 The Conflict; 14.7 The Art Show Conundrum; 14.8 To Limit or Not to Limit?; 14.9 Conclusion; The Relationship Between the Technical and Artistic Aspects of Photography; Chapter 15: Technical and Creative Field Checklist for Fine Art Photography; 15.1 Introduction; 15.2 A Few Notes about this Checklist; 15.3 Field Checklist; Chapter 16: Image Maladies; 16.1 Introduction; 16.2 Heavily Cropping Images; 16.3 Images Affected by Edge Maladies; 16.4 Globally Oversaturated Images; 16.5 Locally Oversaturated Images; 16.6 Images with a Global Color Cast; 16.7 Images with a Local Color Cast; 16.8 Images without Black and White Points; 16.9 Images without a Gray Point; 16.10 Images with Clipped Black and White Points; 16.11 Images with Too Much Global Contrast; 16.12 Images without Enough Global Contrast; 16.13 Images with Too Much Local Contrast; 16.14 Images Converted (or Saved) to a Small Color Space; 16.15 Image Density; 16.16 Land and Sky; 16.17 A Challenging Endeavor; 16.18 Skills Enhancement Exercises; 16.19 Conclusion; Chapter 17: Memories of What I Have Seen; 17.1 Introduction; 17.2 Reality?; 17.3 Five Senses; 17.4 Conclusion; Chapter 18: Conclusion; 18.1 Art and Technique; 18.2 The Creative and Critical Modes; 18.3 Vision and Composition; 18.4 Your Journey; 18.5 Briot Workshops; 18.6 A New Beginning; Prologue;