Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography (Updated Edition)

Having taken a "beginning photography" class at least four separate times, I can testify to the fact that most beginners want to cover the type of material covered in this book: how to compose a quality photograph. Composition, framing, line, color, texture, pattern, form, shape, etc. What they don't want to cover is f-stops, shutter speeds and ISO settings. The problem, though, is that if the beginner composes a nice shot but doesn't know how to control the exposure, s/he will be very unhappy with the results. S/he will also be very unhappy if s/he is forced to sit or read through the intricacies of the aperture and the sensor. What a world we live in!

This was a great book to help me think about ways to improve my photography. The author covers each aspect of photography in appropriate detail, providing example and exercises to make sure the concept is understood. I found it easy to remember many of the concepts each time I went on a shoot and it shows in the results.

I worked through this book like a textbook. Yes, it taught me other ways to see design/composition. I read it because it was recommended by a photographer friend of mine who said that it could improve my art. It did.

Though I'm very new to photography and am looking for any help I can get making my pictures better, this one just didn't do it for me. I read Understanding Photography by the same author right before I picked this one up, which may have colored my view. A lot of this book is taken straight from Understanding Photography, so I felt that it was a waste of my time.

That being said, it may work better for you. Give it a shot. If nothing else, the photos inside are gorgeous.

will check out again