The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos

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This is the best single volume on visual design and composition in years. Painters need a book this good. Freeman's earlier book from the 1980s, "Image," had long held the status, IMHO, of being the best single volume. His new book surpasses the older one by a significant margin.

Freeman is one of very few photographers, or artists of any ilk, who can articulate their art-related thoughts in concrete, accurate, analytical ways, and not in the jargon of so much of what is written about art that lacks any actual content. Not only is he an outstandingly gifted photographer, with dozens of books to his credit, but one who has mastered the grammar of images and is one of the few who can describe how and why visual phenomena work.

This is the most complete volume on this subject out there in terms of numbers of topics introduced and discussed at a reasonable length. It is also the most effective melding of the insights of current Gestalt perception theory with traditional design elements/principles in print. The first 60% of the book deals with the more concrete aspects of designing an image.

The last two chapters marry the other part of composing that is harder to articulate well: the message in a image, or the photographer's intent. Only in this book has an author attempted to define major categories of intent in making an image. And then categorizes the physical and mental aspects of how a photographer goes after, constructs, or recognizes an image - the process.

Throughout the discussions he introduces those aspects of digital imaging that a photographer can use to influence a picture's design. Perhaps the most powerful development is that digital in-camera and post processing technologies allow the photographer to apply to color images all those image control aspects formerly available only in the wet chemistry darkroom to monochrome images, as well as many more.

Make no mistake.... This is a book for readers. One cannot get all of this book's benefit from the illustrations alone, in the manner of so many "how-to" art and photography books these days that have pictures, but little text. But this is the book to which thoughtful photographers will return over and over for many years.

The only way it can be significantly better would be to have twice as many pages. It would make a wonderful textbook for any studio art, photography, art history, or art appreciation course in high school or college/university.

5 May 2009, update. The number of reviews, number of responses to reviews, and other sources of information indicate that this book is a certifiable best-seller among photography books. The response to this book indicates that there is a large market for information about the structure of images and for effective writing on that difficult, intangible interplay between design and content, or of structure and expression/message.

My hope is that Freeman and other capable author/photographers will publish books delving further into the composition problem. To date, the in-print situation is grim. This one, Mante's, and Hoffmann's books are about the only ones yet in English that deal with composing photographs at higher than the most elementary levels. Together these three books comprise quite a strong presentation at the intermediate level of image structure and of various approaches to imparting meaning and expression in one's images.

There is more, though, that can be said. To date there is no thorough look at the role of similarity and proportion in causing a viewer's eye to move through an image. That is to say, which characteristics among, shape, size, tone, color, direction, etc., assume priority in one's eye in which combinations, and how does proportionality, or violations thereof, work?

To date, this reviewer cannot find any published research that updates Alfred Yarbis's ground breaking insights into eye movement in images from the 1950s and 1960s. His work is quoted to this day as the definitive study in this field. His results seem to imply that many artists' assertions about the role of "leading lines" may be nothing but bunk.

Do light tones and bright colors really appear to project toward a viewer and darks recede? A Russian scientist has a considerable argument that, in fact, darks are what appears to "project" and lights recede. His work is not available in English.

Is the success or failure of an image still articulable only at the level of intangibles? At this point in the history of the arts and contributions from visual psychology and brain studies, one should be able to make specific assertions about structure and its role in the success or failure of carrying the artist's expression or meaning.

Unfortunately, there are very few artists or photographers who also write who can focus clearly enough on these nitty-gritty issues to make statements that have actual meaning. An inordinate percentage of writing about the arts still reduces to hand waving and ranting: always has, always will, it seems.

It is one of Freeman's gifts that he can write analytically and be a very successful, versatile artist. This book's success indicates that the demand is there for hard-hitting information on images. Three authors does not amount to much of a supply.

Let me start by saying that even though I write photo books for a living (including The Joy of Digital Photography (Lark Photography Book) and Exposure Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent, I don't know Michael Freeman and have never communicated with him. That said, this is easily the best composition and design book that you'll find--and that goes for professionals as well as hobbyists. This is the first book, in fact, that I can recall that covers these topics with such depth and clarity of thought.

Freeman has long been one of my favorite photo book writers and this book continues his long streak of great reads (his other recent book, The Complete Guide to Digital Photography is also worth owning).I sometimes laugh at how extremely British his writing is, but it's just amusing, not distracting.

The main thing that I like about The Photographer's Eye is that Freeman approaches the subject from a very thoughtful perspective. While the book covers the basic elements (lines, shapes, dynamic tension, balance, etc.) he also talks at length about more emotionally-related issues: chiaroscuro and key, the search for order, reactive thought, etc. These are the concepts that more experienced photographers (and artists) find themselves confronting once they have a solid feel for design elements and construction.

I often find myself wondering if design is more of a thoughtful process or an instinctive one--and I think it's a combination of the two. In reading this book, in fact, I can see better the value in taking an objective and analytical look a how great compositions are made and how we can take scenes that we react to instinctively and find quick and useful ways to turn them into dynamic photos. Very often when you find a great subject you don't have the luxury of time to decide how to construct the image to "get" what you see.

That is the value of studying composition and image design: to prepare you to make fast decisions. If you are hiking in the deserts outside of Tucson, for example, and you come across a great potential silhouette of a saguaro cactus at sunset, you have only two or three minutes to organize the elments, choose the best viewpoint, the best lens and then make the exposure. It's tragic to spend day after day exploring for powerful images and then only come close.

Freeman's book is crammed with an extraordinary number of great photos with a vast emotional and geographic diversity. These are world-class images, not just "how-to" examples and it's hard to imagine one photographer coming up with all of these great photos. As I said, I write and illustrate photo books myself and I am awed at times by Freeman's proflific work.

If you're looking for a book on design, don't let $20 stand between you and all of this great knowledge and hundreds of fine examples (something I might say of my own book, as well!). Just buy the book--or ask you library to order it.

This is a good book for someone looking for a guide to composition theory in photography. It covers a lot of ground and actually teaches you compositional principles, however it's also really hampered by the mediocre writing style. The language just isn't very concise/clear, and at times you are wishing the author would get to the point instead of writing 10 convoluted sentences, which essentially say one thing. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be anything else close to this book available, so if you want to learn composition and design, this is probably your best bet at the moment despite the writing style.

Ok anytime you talk aboutPhotographic composition and rules for it, you get into a grey area since art is subjective by nature. What the author does here is show his photos and explain what composition techniques he used and why he thinks they work. The book is very comprehensive and offers numerous example. The print quality is excellent as it is in most Focal press book. If you want a book that explains photographic compositional theory and offers great examples to demonstrate the concepts, then this is the book you need.

Freeman's journey through the the principles of photographic composition is eye-opening, eloquent, and beautifully published.

This is not a book on the basics of taking "better photos," so those who seek information on exposure, cameras, lenses will not find it here. Nor is such shooting information for any photographs included. In a general book on photography, this would be a major defect, but here such information would only distract from the book's primary subject: the composition of a visual image.

On the surface, photographic composition may seem to be a very subjective and idiosyncratic topic: you may like one thing, I may like something else. And if it's all subjective, merely a matter of personal preferences, tastes, and opinions, why bother writing a book about it? Most books on photography thread gently on this shaky, insecure ground, and their authors usually limit themselves to a few simple, predictable pointers: the rule of thirds, and golden section, with a particular emphasis on golden rectangle.

But Freeman quite clearly believes that, although ultimately each photographer makes their own choice about what composition works best for their photograph, good choices are those that are deliberate (not accidental), and informed by being aware of ALL the possibilities that are available. The Photographer's Eye will give any intermediate or advanced photographer a better awareness and grasp of choices that are to be made.

Freeman starts at the edge of the image (chapters about the frame) and moves inwards. Available formats, for example (4:3, 3:2, square, horizontal vs. vertical, etc.) are all carefully explored through numerous, and well-chosen examples. Unlike many books that show different images as examples of different formats, Freeman often selects one, single image and shows how its perception will change, depending on the selected format or compositional principle at play. In the chapters on framing I enjoyed particularly the sections focused on "going against the grain" or against the "natural direction" of an image, i.e., shooting typically "vertical" topics (e.g., a standing man) as horizontal frame, or the other way round (e.g., a sleeping man on a bench shot in a vertical format Freeman uses).

Gradually, the author moves inwards, discussing the content of photographs in the context of forms (curves, lines, etc.) and compositional principles (e.g., symmetry, or a very complete discussion and listing of types of contrast). The closing chapters go totally "outside" of the single image, considering the impact of external framing and space around the photograph (e.g., matting), as well as multi-image compositions (such as book or magazine spreads).

As some readers have correctly pointed out, some of the information has been published before in the author's own previous books, and in other sources; but here, all the observations have been systematically, and very elegantly brought together, in one comprehensive and complete volume.

This book doesn't read easily, or fast. It forces the readers to engage both sides of their brain, since paying close attention to the images is as important here as carefully reading the words. But it is well worth the effort, and the reward, in addition to access to the authors' extensive knowledge, is a new, different way of seeing things which in themselves are not new. For me, this is the function, and definition, of a master-class, and this book certainly deserves to be called that.

Unfortunately, as with all art, this has been done before. What contemporary artists must do is make that clichéd art his own. Michael Freeman tries to do that here in his book but fails to make the comparison. Yes, his pictures are pretty but the depth of this tome is quite shallow. I get the feeling he is bored with his subject--during those moments he quickly refers back to his previous book on Light & Lighting. There is no new information here that cannot be found in the following links. The Photographer's Eye by John Szarkowski,Charles H. Traub's The Education of a Photographer, and The Elements of Drawing by John Ruskin. If you want the real McCoy, buy John Szarkowski's tome by the same name. Hmmm...Perhaps we should look for new and refreshing material instead of trying to expand titles of previously published works. Nice try but done before...

You should NOT buy this book, because I want to dominate the Photographic Art world by myself! It is a straightforward treatment of compositional principles as they apply to Photography. The book was cheap, the knowledge priceless. It would be nice if there was a workbook along with it, though. I will have to reread this book several times because the book is thick with rich content. Ever read a book that had only one or two concepts to contribute? This guy covers a lot of ground - and he does it effectively.

Good pictures but waste of my money.

I bought this book because I wanted to find a book which explains the thought process when taking pictures and to understand why certain pictures are composed in a certain way. I instead got a useless technical manual.

Here's why:

Good points:
(1) The pictures in this book are very very good.
(2) Nice paperweight.

Bad points:
(1) For a book which talks about a subjective topic like photo composition, I find this book is very very very difficult to read.

The author may be a good photographer but the author tends to over-complicate the concepts. It is like reading a technical manual. The author also introduces a lot of made-up "technical" jargons. There are some sentences where I have to read it several times and I still don't understand.

(2) The pictures in this book does not contain information on the settings like ISO, shutter speed, etc... The author explains how he composed the shot, but does not explain why he decided to use this aperture or shutter speed.

(3) The topics are not logically organized or does not make sense. Just looking at the table of contents just gives me a headache.

Save your money and buy something else. I learned more helpful photographic advise from the following books:
"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson
"Lighting Photo Workshop" by Chris Bucher

I had been looking for a book on design for ages, since they tend to be expensive, I looked in second-hand book stores first, but it seems that all I found there was way too boring and tedious for me: starting with basic shapes only to build up to how to incorporate them into photography half way through the book at best. That could very well be the way to go for serious design/photography students, but I do not have time or interest in something that detailed and technical. I wanted a nice overview of the techniques that are available to a photographer, and not just a "follow the rule of thirds" kind of advice that you get from most online photography tips, but a more profound discussion on why the rule of thirds is even important, how it tends to affect the viewer, and when is it appropriate to break it.
And this book provides exactly that - a brief but concise overview of the most prominent design theories, based on the research on the way we see/interpret things. I am definitely not a design expert after having read this book, but I know as much about it as I need/can afford to learn at this point, being an amateur with no ambition to go pro in the observable future.
The illustrations in the book ARE extremely well-chosen and beautifully reproduced, which is not always the case in photography books, alas. They are a treat to look at.

To address some of the critiques voices here in the respect to this book:
1) No, it does not cover ISO, shutter speed and aperture, and you are better off buying the book by Peterson if that is what you need. I read Peterson first, about a year ago, and it felt right to read this book second, they are not in any way complementary, their focus is totally different, but combined, they provide you with a deeper understanding of what you do when you look through the viewfinder.
2) I find the book very well written. It's concise, clear and well-illustrated and I even found it a pleasurable read. I would definitely not say it is hard to read, it is not the most fun and light-hearted thing you'll ever read, but it's not fiction, it is technical writing, so it will hardly come as a surprise to you. It is definitely among the least convoluted technical books I've ever read.
3) As to "it adds nothing new to the matter"... Well, first of all, it IS a book that basically summarizes the last 100 years of research in the design and its perception, so it does not claim that it is ground-breaking and new!
Second of all, this is a valid criticism only for those who already have dozens of photography books and are looking for more (but then again, if that is the case, why are you even looking into Freeman? he is clearly not geared towards a seasoned pro). If this is your first book on design, as it was for me, pretty much EVERYTHING in this book is going to be new for you to a degree (yeah, I've heard of the rule of thirds before, but never read a detailed overview of how it came about and why).

I was led to this book via The Digital Photography School website and having bought many good photographic technique books, this is the first to explain why and what to do. It covers every aspect of the subject in a positively illuminating way. It doesn't just talk about the "Law of Thirds" it explains and shows why this rule helps your photography; it gives specific examples of everything it mentions and also what you can do about breaking the rules. It is highly readable, is not patronising, it is totally expanding. If you want to get the best results, get this.

I have attended school and read many books on visual arts and photography. This book by far was one of my favorites. Although this topic has been done so many times before, this book in particular tends to be reader friendly and interesting. The chapters are rich with text, yet not overly written as to create reading bordum. The photo examples are clear and very easy to understand. When I purchased this book I was looking for something different than the usual redundant photography jargon manuals. I found myself reading slower and completely concentrating on the detailed concepts Mr. Freeman writes about. This is not a book you read with a camera in your hand, instead this is a book to help you understand the visual concept of design and composition when dealing with an empty rectangle (or square} to your eye. This book is for anyone that knows their camera, yet wishes to know more about what the thought process is before pressing the shutter release.Beware! You will find yourself reading this book twice.

If I were to keep only one book on teaching photography, it is Michael Freeman's "The Photographer's Eye" that I would choose. Nothing much has to be added to what he teaches in there, most of the other things are easier to learn than the art of composition. So this is the natural choice. Highly recommended!

This books describes in detail the steps to make a good picture. The book is divided in a number of sections. Al the sections are relatively short (up to 2-3 pages). Within each sections examples of different points of view for taking the pictures are showed. In a small copy 'lining'and focus of the pictures are indicated. Example pictures are at times stunning. Sections are written well and clearly described.

When I saw this book available through Kindle, I downloaded both immediately. BIG MISTAKE. At the very beginning I thought the book was terrible, so I went with the person who recommended it to me and he was petrified regarding my complains, so he let me have his book for three days. What a difference! The Kindle version is a crime. You will find the main paragraphs mixed with comments and the comments are quite often misplaced, so it makes the book unintelligible. Besides, when it references some page, there are no pages in Kindle, at least in the pc version, so it is impossible to follow the author's references. And even worse: As any book about Photography, you are expecting to see beautiful pictures tack sharp, but what you see is a very compressed image, of course with a terrible quality. Not even one image is good! So, if you are thinking about buying this book in Kindle format, please do not. Choose the paperback version instead and be happy.

Admittedly, I found this book by accident at a bookseller when I was in Chicago on business and not at Amazon, but have been incredibly impressed. I have recently reactivated an old interest in photography with the purchase of a DSLR, having spent years as an active 35mm addict but with a several year hiatus. This book is bringing back to me many basics of composition in a fashion that I wished I had when I was first starting out. I think this would be a wonderful addition to any photographer's library who wants to understand the elements of composition and how they function to affect the human psyche and ultimately how they make the viewer react emotionally to the photograph.

I have read a lot of photography books, so I have to agree with a few other reviewers who found "The Photographer's Eye" hard to digest. The organization of the subject matter is brilliant and covers all the compositional bases. Where this book falls flat is in the writing itself. At times, I almost felt like I was back in college studying for an exam. I even found myself falling asleep at times. It's a shame, because the concept behind the book really is impressive and so are Michael Freeman's photographs. Regrettably, he is not a good writer and should stick to photography. I think he knows what he wants to say, but just has a difficult time doing so concisely. In the end, the book comes off as being more academic than inspirational.

If you're looking for a fantastic book on landscape photography that is a compelling read, you are better served with Brenda Tharp's masterpiece, "Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography," which essentially covers the same ground--but in a way that makes sense and is an easy read.

Regardless, there are still some very good concepts to absorb in Freeman's book--so long as you are able to read in-between the lines.

I tend to think of photography as being composed of 2 things - the technical basis of photography and the art of photography.

The technical basis consists of all the equipment/technical things that are involved in making a picture. Things like f-stops, shutter speeds, ISO, aperture priority, etc.

The art of photography is all the other stuff. The stuff that isn't technical - things like the qualities of light falling on a given subject, the color of light on a subject, composition, picture elements, etc. Art is the stuff that is the most important for great photography, IMO.

The technical basis of photography is fairly straightforward to teach (and to learn), which explains why almost all photography books focus on that aspect of photography. It seems to me the art of photography is much more difficult to teach (or to learn), which is why there are so few books centered on this topic.

Michael Freeman's book is clearly centered on the art of photography. And while I love the content, his writing style often failed to adequately convey to me the meaning he was trying to express. I bought this book to help me better understand the art part of photography. I have struggled with this goal because Michael's writing style was difficult for me to read.

I've been doing extremely close up, what most people these days would call macro, and a lot of microphotography for many years, both professionally for my work and as a hobby but I never really cared much about my travel shots. Recently, however, I started to notice that among tons of uninspiring photos, I manage to capture some really stunning images... National Geographic stunning if you know what I mean. I started to wonder then, what made these shots so special, and more importantly, how could I increase their frequency, from 1:5000 to let's say 1:500 (I am not overly ambitious here). Because of my job I know about lenses, apertures, DOF, exposition, etc, but after talking to a friend who studied photojournalism it became clear that what I was missing was a serious look into what goes into photographic composition. Enters Freeman's book.

The book covers the basics of composition, that is the study of how the objects in front of a camera melt into a 2D image -my poor definition-, from the beginning. The book does not require previous knowledge of composition theory, but I think the reader may benefit from a prior understanding of some basic photography topics (knowing the difference between a wide angle and a telephoto lens for example). Freeman's book will show you how to use the geometrical forms within a frame to convey information, how to take advantage of shapes and color to suggest different things to the viewer, as well as discuss what makes a shot "pleasant to the eyes". This book certainly gave me many hints about why my good photos are good and the bad ones are bad and as a result I notice the quality of my travel photography has really improved (I have friends asking me for copies of some photos... this is a first!).

Also, and unexpectedly I must add, I found myself applying what I learned here to my macro and micro-photography with very good results. It turns out you can -albeit often in a very limited way- compose in the micro world also and it makes a difference!

In summary... if you know the technical aspects of photography, you know what every control and menu item in your camera does, and now you want to put that knowledge to work and take better photos, then you are likely going to benefit from checking out this book.

IT IS A FULL 5-STAR MASTERPIECE
I reviewed this book for the first time on January 26, 2009. Today, May 18, I feel like improving my ranking from 4 to 5 stars (although the system does not allow me to do it). I still think that the book is not an easy reading, but it's the subject that is truly a difficult mission: HELP PEOPLE THINKING. Now, after having ground in my mind Michael's tips for several weeks, I have to admit that he mastered the topics with rare ability and profoundness. "The Photographer's Eye" is an endless source of sheer inspiration and a genuine spur to a different way of thinking, more comprehensive and thorough approach to photography. Believe it or not, my friends tell me that my pictures improved. I'm a better photographer, a deeper thinker, a more complete artist. To me, this book lives up to his title......
Max
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First review on Jan 26, 2009
After a few weeks spent reading this book, I cannot help but giving only four stars, in open disagreement with many other reviewers. To me, the title is deceiving; by any means do not expect to find an easy-to-read check list of what to do or how to do it, nor a list of recommendations or tricks. Moreover, as far as the "composition and design" is concerned, the organization of the arguments and paragraphs doesn't give a proper flow of information and easiness to grab the messages. Bottom line: the book is not for beginners.
Having said that, I would strongly recommend this book to a number of persons. I would recommend it to those experienced photographers that have lost their compass. To those that got stuck with and endless repetition of every day boring shots. To those that are forgetting to think before pressing the black button. To those that need to step back from their first, used reaction to shoot like a machine gun.
The book is in fact a challenging journey to the inner self of any photographer. Mr. Freeman did write it not for pure business, but really to help any willing reader to grow. The Photographer's eye takes your hand through the most recessed convolution of your brain in a page-after-page involvement in a process that ultimately leads you to think to the way you take pictures compared to the way you want to take pictures. It's kind of father asking you what you would like to do when you become a grown up person (or photographer in this case). I really don't know whether I'll take any better photo after reading this book, but I'll for sure be a better photographer. Thanks Michael.
Max

At once, The Photographer's Eye, grips you, beckons one to get your camera, and use your eyes differently, to take in what's there and not, and know when to do what. Michael Freeman is a master tutor, communicator.

This large sized book from Focal Press, a company that truly values it's readers and authors with high quality binding, paper, and print, has another winner with this book, that truly led me to reevaluate my sense of design, ways of approaching a photograph, and ponder. The book starts out like it should from the beginning of what an image is, what your eye sees, and slowly educates, showing vivid images, with notes, so I grasped what was to do and to follow. It's 180 pages, 6 chapters cover it all, left me feeling much more confident about why, what, and when. Knowing most work in digital domain now, additional skill building is brought forth on how before and after the image is taken, and what can be created.

Chapter 1 begins with the frame and image, from how to start to a sense of just how one can see what's there, and how to get it.
Chapter 2 gets into Design Basics, a topic not covered by many, but so necessary to accomplish Gestalt perception with balance, dynamic tension, patterns, visual weight, and content.
Chapter 3 covers Graphic and Photographic Elements, illustrating the two dimensional forms that show up in the picture frame.
Chapter 4 really showed me a new way of composing with light and color, using tone and color.
Chapter 5 on Intent had me examine what I was attempting to show in my composition and why, yes, answer why. Freeman has a gift in talking to the reader.
Chapter 6 is Process, brings about how design, art, and other media work together, and I found that my eye, and intuition was sharpened, more aware of this process.

A great book, just long enough to cover design, a well organized book, images that work, support what the author posits, and again, a quality book,that Focal Press brings us, a welcome git.

High quality productions, great color, easy to read and you simply enjoy the guidance offered through the wonderful examples, tips, and points of view.

There are six chapters with over 50 topics, that make you think through the photographer's decision process.

I am a hobbyist photographer of over 30 years and of all the books I have purchased this one is by far the most outstanding. However, my biggest challenge since getting the book is containing my enthusiasm. I want all the info presented in this book in my brain now, but alas I have a memory like a sieve. So I'm trying to figure out how to absord it all. I find I need to take baby steps, practice, review the photos in context of the points made from the book and continue to the next challenge. You do improve and its amazing! Next, I thought I might try a topic from the book and practice it, this has become my biggest challenge.

Very informative, great reference guide to be read time and time again.

PS: You may also want to check out this book on a different topic that I found quite good Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers Only (For Only)

So far this seems to be a wonderful book, but the Kindle version is awful! Most of the images are so low res and pixelated that they look horrible even on my iPhone. I stopped reading it after a few pages.

So the 1 star is for the Kindle version! The book I would probably give 4-5 stars.

I am going to try to get my money back for the Kindle version and then buy the book. The label "Optimized for lagre screens" is definitely misleading for this product.

This is the second book by Michael Freeman I have read -- third if you count The Image, which was published many years ago. This book is an update of that book for the digital age and, like its predecessor, is destined to become an instant classic.

I, too, was led to this book via The Digital Photography School website and I also found this to be the first to explain why and what to do when creating compositions and perfecting design. Like an earlier reviewer, I love how this book doesn't just talk about the "Rule of Thirds." It explains and shows why this concept helps your photography; it gives specific examples of everything it mentions and also what you can do about breaking the rules. It is highly readable. If you want to get the best results, buy this book.

I am fed up with beginners guides about photohraphy that says pretty much the same you can read on any free photo-tutorial on the net. I am fed up with standardized discussions about how the exposure is calculated by the shutter-aperture-iso trinity. I want to learn about photography, not how to handle hardware. So I put my hope into this book, and I am not disapointed.

For me who has not read any artschool pretty mush all was new or rather new to me, about composition and how an image is built up graphicaly. I guess if you have taken classes in traditional art (painting etc) this might be a bit basic but not to me.

Therefore: a great book!

Anyone who's into photography knows how important it is to be able to see a good quality of the image that is being discussed. The Kindle edition of this book robbed me from that particular side of the learning process: most of the pictures are such poor quality, I have hard time making sence of them.

Someone might tell me, "That's what samples are for". Yes, I did get the sample first but thought, "Well, it's a sample; the real thing will have proper picture quality". Wrong!

Great disappointment, Kindle team.

I've read a bunch of photography books (we can see my other reviews) this book is different (not in a good or a bad way), it tries to shift from the technicality and the technology of photography and focus and the rules or the lack there of for composition, in theory it is a fantastic idea; however reading the book is a different story, for me the writing style was uninviting and the flow interrupted, also I didn't retain much information when I was done with the book partly cause the reading didn't flow. others liked it so there must be more in it than I got out.
My Advice; if you are a beginner then just skip it for now, come back once you finished other basic books and there are tons of good ones out there, you can see my other reviews for the ones I liked. if you finish them and find out that you are hungry for more reading and your passion for photography is craving more hopefully this book will give you more than it did me.

After nearly avoiding this book because of all the comments about the "poor writing" I have to say that I am completely confused as to where those opinions originate. I find Freeman's writing to be very intelligent and clear with the added bonus of not coming across as snobbish or opinionated. I am very impressed by the book and while I am really enjoying reading the detailed discussion of each of the compositional elements I see already that the design of the book makes for an easily accessible reference in the future (as I know I will be reviewing these topics over and over again). The "poor writing" is also backed up with solid photographic examples to help drive the points home. I recommend this book highly and is already helping me to "see" a great deal that I have been missing so far.

photography, like the rest of arts, is based on artistic bases. it took already a long time to formalize such bases while mainly based on senses.
the book provides the elements a photographer needs to:
* be able to get better pictures
* be able to judge his own photos

serious photographers need to stop staring at their own photos with that impression in their eyes between self admiration and fearing to face the truth.

I gave it 4 stars for:
* nothing perfect
* it would have better if supported by training challenges
* supportive web site for book images for better viewing

The visual content and the bottom line analysis are great.
But the text is written in philosophical and historical way that is hard to follow.
Therefore you will find yourself extracting value in the midst of a very intellectual monologue.

I cannot give this book and its author enough praise. This book is outstanding in its breadth of coverage of the many components of composition. The author is extraordinarily articulate, without being verbose or too wordy in his delivery. He is also not overly "artsy" and very pragmatic.

He writes clearly and logically of the visual and resulting psychological impact of various elements of design, such as the image frame, contrast, balance, rhythm, pattern, visual weight, content, single vs multiple points, horizontal/vertical/diagonal lines, curves, triangles, circles, rectangles, vectors, focus, motion, moment, optics, exposure, perspective, composing with light and color, understanding various types of "intent", and the process of composing. He accomplishes all of this in a very organized and concise manner. He is also not just an academic, but a real photographer and so each point is relevant and practical.

The book is filled with wonderful photos (mostly from the author) that do a superb job of exemplifying each of the author's points. The book is well organized into 6 logical chapters with many short sections within each chapter.

I recommend this book not only for photographers, but for anybody who is interested in what types of visual stimuli and elements would cause certain somewhat predictable emotional responses from viewers. This would be useful for anybody interested in design.

This is the photography book I've been hunting for on the shelves all these years! It pairs the much broader area of Art Composition down the essentials that apply to photography. It returns to the theme of photography's inherint compositional constraints. No hyper-facination with equipment or equipment settings. I know I don't think like an artist, but I've always wanted the photography specific aspects of composition made accessible to me - in that respect this book knocked my socks off.

If I were putting together a recommended list for a photographer with any ambition of going beyond vacation snapshots, this book would be on it. After you've acquired a good grasp of the basics -- aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and so forth -- and you've become familiar with the essential post-processing tools available in Photoshop; its powerful but much less expensive offspring Photoshop Express; or Apple's cool new Aperture application, you'll want to begin to incorporate design principles into your shooting and post-processing. Freeman's book does a great job of explaining these principles clearly and simply, so that you'll begin to think in design terms before you push the shutter release and again when you're deciding how to crop, etc., during post-processing. And the book itself is beautifully designed.

Strengths: Beautiful photographs. Great layout and good titling next to photographs.
Weaknesses: The chapters relate to design and composition. The somewhat helpful if the author also focused on the subjects of most photographs as applied to photographs (nature, sports etc).
Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Rating: 5/5

Introduction

This book is all about design, a most important factor in the creation of good photographs. The main focus is the subject of composition and design for digital photographers. The importance of seeing and the n shooting your favorite photographs, involving all the dynamics, can be a daunting task. The Photographer's Eye can be a book that can help you see your visions more clearly.

The author is a renown international photographer and writer who specializes in travel, architecture and Asian Art. The 6 chapters have a multitude of stunning photos that implore you to read further into the insights that went into creating these insightful visuals. The main aim of the book is to show you more about what is behind the author's eye as he took this photographs.

The book covers the essentials of: image framing ( cropping, stitching and extending, filling the frame); design Basics involving contrast, texture, pattern, balance, visual weight etc); graphic/ Photographic Elements (horizontal, vertical, diagonal lines, curves, motion, focus, exposure); light and color composing; focus on the Intent (a great chapter which made me stop and ponder my own internal motivations and intentions in taking images); process (search for order, anticipation, juxtaposition). So while the book is not a lengthy one it covers much within its pages.



Conclusion

This book is not an easy read per sey. Most of these photos include a title which highlight and critique the the details that produced the idea behind the photograph. This book is definitely not a quick guide or set of easy tutorials. It is more a comprehensive look into many approaches that will help in the taking and later possibly editing your photographs.

Normally the procedure of taking a photograph is think of a scene or a photograph you want to take of it and then let your digital camera do its work. However to acquire a better photograph you need more then quick ideas. This book is not about quick ideas to make your photographs quickly. This book is all about absorbing the ideas found in the details of the book. The author really wants you to see into the "minds eye " involved perceptions. He shows you with brilliant photographs, helpful principals to guide you through taking better photos. He reflects on the dynamics involved and shows the results "that will stand out".

All in all, I like this book. I can't fault the author for designing a labor intensive reaching. Learning about details and composition and translating these to making your photographs better takes more time then just browsing. There is much to learn from this book and what he has to say. But for me (and possibly others), to really get the most out of the book, I feel like I will have outline some of these design aspects and seeing how I can incorporate his ideas and insights into my photographic sessions in the future.

The trick will be how and when this book will, to even greater extent, help me with the viewing or seeing a scene that can help me visualize and take better notice of opportune moments, reflections or scenes I see through my camera's viewpoint. Reading this book will help me in the future. It is just a matter of looking through all these "pearls of wisdom" and focusing by better use of opportune times when I hope to make better photographs. While I have done that in the past, the book has helped me realize there is even further "ground for me to break" in the area of capturing better photos using "my mind's eye". Take a look at this book and see what it might do for you.

I am writing this review to rest the minds of many posts I have found on forums asking if 'anyone knows where to buy the no longer published book "The Image ..." by Michael Freeman'. I am here to tell you that it is here and now called "The Photographer's Eye". If you are buying The Image just to say you have it and are willing to pay the upwards of $275.00 to the used sellers then that is a different story. If you want the book for the content you can get it right here on Amazon in the form of The Photographer's Eye. I own both books. I recently ordered the image and paid $21.00 including shipping for a slightly highlighted edition because I had heard so much about the book. Although different (not by much concerning the important information) the Photographer's Eye is basically the same book in new packaging and obviously now referencing some digital techniques. Now I must admit I have not actually read the entire book "The Image" and I have about 20 more pages in "The Photographer's Eye" but I have flipped through "The Image" and there is quite a bit of the same information. That is a good thing as far as I am concerned. For those of you wanted Freeman's original, I suggest TPE if you truly want it for content. The book/books are phenomenal as they have been in the past. Definitely a worthwhile purchase.

This book presents just the kind of thing I was wanting to find in a book (or books). I've started to delve into digital photography, and had recently read a couple books on lighting, and wanted to study more about composition as well. This is the first one I've bought and read so far, and I find it very informative and helpful. Definitely no buyer's remorse... I'll keep it for reference and occasional perusing.

I've been a professional photographer for 40 years and even though I graduated from photography school and still have my books, I have purchased literally hundreds of books on photography since 1970... yet I have NEVER seen a book on artistic composition that even pretends to approach this fine book! Okay, you already know about the Rule of Thirds, using leading lines, using color, framing, etc. to draw attention to your subject. This book goes far FAR beyond the aforementioned basic "laws" of art and photography!! This book EXPANDS on them!... like the Big Bang Theory of Photography. What truly amazes me is that the photographs extend the text in the book a hundred times! Do you want to truly get into the mind of an absolute Master of Photography? Want to know the thought processes he goes through before clicking the shutter? My only complaint is that the book isn't ten times as big! That doesn't mean his coverage is inadequate... far from it!

In case you are relatively new to photography, please don't interpret the above to mean that this book is only for extremely advanced amateurs or top notch professionals, you are WRONG. What separates this book from the "chaff" is that he DOES explain why he does what he does! :) Photographers at every level of photography will find this book hard to put down! I DO recommend though that you become intimately familiar with operating your camera first!... and that you understand the very basic concepts of photography. Someone who just picked up a camera today for the first time will learn something, but might be frustrated in understanding some of the concepts brought up in this book.

You will look at the images in this book first! No doubt about it! You will say to yourself, "I wish I could take photographs like these". Read the book word for word and learn!

My highest rating, 10 stars!

When you get the basics down and you're ready to take your photography to the next level this is the book to get! I've been shooting for a few years now and this is the book I've been needing. This book will teach you how to see, compose, and edit for more visual impact. After you read it you'll see things a lot differently than you did before. This is a must have for the serious amateur.

I received this book as a gift, and I could not have asked for a more perfect book! I was tired of seeing the same old photography books with intro to digital photography, I already understand shutter speed and rule of thirds and all that. This book explains why composition works (or doesn't work)- for example, what your composition says about the subject, the story it is telling, how the viewer will perceive it, etc. It also gives examples of what to do and what not to do, and tells you WHY something works or doesn't. I took a film class a few years ago, and this is the next best instructional tool I have encountered thus far. Really gets you thinking about composition when you are in the moment, looking through the viewfinder.

The Photographer's eye is a little jewel about composition by combining well-structured and focused explanations with clear photograph examples. In it you will learn how to make eye catching images by knowing how to place the elements on the camera.

Further, the author masters very well different disciplines of photography, from photojournalism to landscape and architecture photography and the hints he gives are from a real professional who lives with a camera between his hands. He also compares film photography with the new possibilities of digital and offers good situations to use one or the other.

Finally, the book is not only a manual about how to take eye/heart catching images, it is also a gallery of breathtaking images, an excerpt of the work of an outstanding photographer who brings us a flavor of great inspiration.

My first criteria for rating a book is whether I'd buy another by the same author. In this case, I would probably seek out another author due to the writing style in "The Photographer's Eye." Michael Freeman makes the concepts of composition a little too abstract and "artsy." And, to be honest, his style doesn't capture my attention. I've found myself having read passages of text where I had just glossed over it without really taking in the meaning. As a comparison, I read Stephen Johnson's "On Digital Photography" right before this book, and found it much more engaging.

I recently purchased this book and while the content of the book is very good, the writing style of the author leaves much to be desired. His sentences are full of clutter which forces the reader to weave through his sentences to find the point he is making.

Covering 60 topics, divided into 6 major groups, I have found Freeman's book an invaluable introduction to image design and production. The topics include basics for photographs such as Cropping, Balance, Focus, Motion, etc., and more advanced such as Anticipation, Syntax, and Gestalt Perception. I consider myself an advanced amateur, the level I think this book is well suited to. The breadth of Freeman's topics has expanded my visual vocabulary and my "photographer's eye". I would assume most professionals already know the majority of what's in here, if not more, but for my current level of skill this book has been well worth the price. Most of all, I appreciate that each topic is self-contained, clearly and concisely written, and accompanied by plenty of visual examples.

I'm a veteran journalist and serious amateur photographer who has taken several week long workshops with professionals. For years, I've searched for a book on composition that was both practical and inspiring. This book is it.
Freeman starts with the most basic concepts, such as the image frame and how to use it. He moves on to design basics, such as rhythm, pattern, texture, which you need in your basic toolkit for creating a compelling image. Then he moves on to higher-level constructs, such as color relationships and ambiguity. Everything is clearly explained and beautifully illustrated with prints of Freeman's own images.
You can pick up insights in the first 30 to 50 pages that will immediately improve your work. I did and they did. And I have not yet finished the book; I may never do so. There is so much to work with here that I'd rather integrate ideas and develop my work than spend weeks poring over a book. And the book will always be there to go back to, like a well from which to draw. What else can I say? Bravo, Michael Freeman!

To maximize the quality / visual impact of a photograph, solid composition is essential. The figure I uploaded, "composition triangle", illustrates my understanding to major aspects of a solid photo composition after reading Michael Freeman's book "The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos". Three vertexes are tool, skill, and intent. To maximize the area of the composition triangle, all three vertexes need to be well positioned.

Three essentials of the tool are camera body, optics and lighting (for GIMP wizards, certain effects of optics and/or lighting condition can be well simulated). A small part of Chapter 3, 4 and 6 does discuss the impacts of different tools (optics, exposures, light, post-processing software) to composition and proper situations for employing them.

"Skill" comprises the following aspects:
* High familiarity of the mechanic control of the tools.
* The ability of _swiftly_ executing all necessary procedures for making a photograph that expresses/translates clearly defined intent. Be the intent is from oneself or directed/instructed by others. This ability comes from compositional knowledge and photo-shooting experiences.

A great part of this book elaborates design principles in art with many picture examples. It is very well organized educational text on both gestalt theory (frame proportion, visual balance, visual rhythm, visual contrast, etc) and photographic elements (point, line, motion, etc.).

The intent is the most elusive part of the "composition triangle". It is what the photographer wants to express/translate in his/her photographs. It might have nothing directly to do with one's photographing experience, sophistication of one's mind and purity of one's heart are what really matter here. However elusive this part is, the author tried to categorize some common intents and approached this topic in considerable clarity and fluency, in chapter 5.

This book has systematically addressed compositional techniques and philosophy in a focused, no-fluff-just-stuff writing style. The author's text is as beautiful and intelligent as his photographs. My high admiration and respect to the author Mr. Michael Freeman.

This is among the most useful of the photography books I have read lately. It does NOT contain the basics like aperture, shutter speed, ISO etc.; and, this is a good thing! There is a wealth of info on the Internet and in the books for those topics. This is for "advanced amateurs" and above ;).
The author certainly knows what he is writing about and also knows for whom he is writing. References to the history of visual arts are abound. The scope of the book is large and it only touches most of the subjects. One has to use this book as the starting point. This is not meant to be a rule-book or a guide. It justs opens up doors and points to paths you might consider taking. The journey is yours!

This is the best photography book I own. This book can be useful for any level photographer, but certainly is tailored to someone who has a good feel for the basics, and wishes to begin to understand how to compose great pictures. Explanations are detailed and thorough, illustrative pictures are well chosen. Buy this this book; you will not be disappointed.

This is fantastic book. Let me tell you where I stand in photography and then you could make your mind regarding this book. I am an enthusiast photographer who will be taking next Spring a one year photography program after shooting for pleasure since 2002. I do a lot of traveling and portraits of family and pets. But now that I know all the nuts and bolts of digital cameras and Photoshop, I felt I wanted to improve my composition. You have no idea how many books are out there offering to teach you photographic composition! For my level of photographic expertise, this book has been a blessing. It is elegantly written and has diagrams and pictures to show you what he means. It is also a finely edited and published book, strong but beautiful. If you happen to be at my level, buying this book will be the best dollars you'll put into your photos.

Currently, I am reading this book and find it wonderful. So many insights into composition. The author uses lots of theories that I would have never known about unless I was an Art Major. This would make a great semester college class for a photography student. It's teaching me that there is so much more to photography composition beyond the Rule of Thirds. My goal this year was to study photography and this has been a perfect companion to my studies. I like how each aspect of composition is discussed in 1 or 2 pages. There is a brief description under each picture relating to the type of composition the author is discussing. I usually read the descriptions about the pictures first, then read the section discussing that type of composition. This gives me a better understanding of the design theory the author is discussing. A definate winner in my photography library.

This was a great read for anyone interested in what makes powerful pictures. This is an organized discussion on the elements that make people take interest in a photo.

There is very little discussion of the technical aspects of photography and no discussion of megapixels or anything like that.

This is an instructional book that makes no pretense of being the last or only word on the subject. The author does a good job of illustrating the techniques and values involved in creating good photography according to established practice. At the same time you are reminded that the subject is artistry and that no rules exist.

What I like most about the book, even more than the attractive layout, is the clear relationship between the written descriptions of ideas and the examples shown. I've been an amateur photographer for decades and have "learned" most of the concepts in the past but I find this book a fresh look with new ways of viewing most of the basics upon which good pictures are made.

Pocos libros abarcan tanto en el tema de composición, y dejan el aspecto de la libertad como parte esencial del libro..
Recomiendo su compra, leerlo y aplicarlo paso a paso..
Suerte :)

I read most of this book on a flight to England. I found the book contained many examples that demostrated the text. Following the examples will improve the subject. This book is much better than the others I have looked at.

Outstanding read for anyone into photography. This book teaches you to look at things with different views to pull the best shots out of every scene.

I purchased "The Photographer's Eye" because of T. Campbell's review - was he right! Although I have many books on the subject, this is by far the best.

Thanks, T. Campbell. I might have missed a great book were it not for your review.

This book offers some good detailed information on the subject, and I believe the author is competent in his field, but the teaching style is overly abstract, with a confusing material flow, plus there are some opaque statements that need re-wording. Also, the print is just too small to read and relax with.

I rarely review items, but have to recommend this one. I have studied composition online, by looking at other photographs I like and even purchased some books on composition, but was still not getting what I knew I needed. This book had what I was looking for and much more! If you want to learn composition don't hesitate to buy it.

James

In the past few months I have purchased and read around 12 books on both photography and photoshop/lightroom. This book is my favorite out of all of them. In the book Freeman lays out the basics of composition with detailed examples. It reads easy but explains CONCEPTS not PROCESSES. If you are new to photography or considering getting into it then read this book before any other. It will not teach you how to use your camera's functions (although it does in spots), but instead teaches you how to use your camera to capture the image that you want. If you've read other books on technique and function, then come back to this book to learn to maximize what you see in the viewfinder. Worth every penny.

"The Photographer's Eye" is a rare book that has a lot to say of value to amateur photographers, and that also probably appeals to pros as well. (I'm just an amateur with a digital SLR.) Rather than getting caught up in ivory-tower academic analysis, or just showing off the author's favorite photos with a few unhelpful anecdotes, as too many photography books do, "The Photographer's Eye" clearly and expertly gives the photographer information about virtually every aspect of composition. Even practicing the ideas on a handful of pages on this book would result in substantially better photographs for virtually every amateur snapshot shooter. "The Photographer's Eye" also educates the reader in a subtle manner as to what aspects of artistry result in a "good" image, without being didactic about it. The writing is easy to understand and casual, and the accompanying images really show the point being made in each section.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in taking better photos, whether with a cheap point and shoot digital camera or a top of the line SLR.

I have more photo books than I care to count. The beginner books tend to be about getting exposure correct, say, or perhaps introductory digital photography.

A second level is more subject related: I have many books on nature, landscape and portrait photography. These tend to be a mixture of technical and mechanical. A growing part of my library is on photoshop related books.

This book is at the third level, one that I am trying to explore more. It is talking about the construction of an image, what makes it work from a design point of view. It does this by deconstructing existing sample images into their components. It talks about what is going on in the head of the viewer as their eyes encounter and explore the image, what makes for a satisfied viewer. As such this is the sort of book that could be just as useful to any visual artist, not just photographers. It is reminiscent of art courses I have taken in the past.

As such it is close to being a classic; the reason for the holding back one star is that I find it is a little hard going. It is almost a text book. A book that needs to be read over a period of time. Then reread. Of course that is not necessarily a bad thing.

I am a starting photographer, but have read several books of photography so far.
I have to say that this one, as soon as I opened the pages I loved it, it explains
all the variables of composition and how they work in a very explicit way, even
using diagrams to show exactly what the author means!

I find myself taking into consideration the things that I read and remembering
the diagrams and how they work. I certainly recommend this books to ANYONE who
would like to know more about the elements of composition.

People with digital cameras spend a lot of time learning how to use all the technology tools - notably Photoshop. When it's time to step away from the computer and take some pictures we sometimes need to brush up on the principles of composition, and Michael Freeman's understated book is a great teacher. The book starts with some of the basics - the Rule of Thirds, etc. Then it goes on to describe the elements that make for interesting photographs, using great economy of text and well-chosen illustrations that are reproduced very well in the book.

Each section is a couple of pages with a minimum of words that will put some people off until they read the carefully chosen handful of paragraphs. Having gone through elements such as the way to frame an image using these short sections, Freeman goes into a set of short chapters dealing with intent. He covers a range of topics from photojournalistic intent to abstracts in the same way - with brief descriptions of each topic accompanied by excellent illustrations.

Freeman is refreshingly modest and matter of fact about his own work. He lets the pictures speak for themselves in that regard, just as he lets them teach the reader - subtly and without distracting from the examples he's chosen.

The is an excellent refresher for moderately experienced photographers and a great place for beginners to see what a thoughtfully employed camera can do. When you're done with it, you'll know how to be more thoughtful in your own picture taking.

The content is extremely helpful and thorough. I own a Kindle DX and my only regret is how terrible the photographs look...poor poor resolution. I would recommend this book in print...

Michael may not cover every aspect of composition but he covers 90% more than any other book I have read.

Many photographers (some great ones) use phrases like "Tension", "Balance", "Delay" etc. but when questioned can barely (if at all) explain what they mean, let alone give you insight into how to acomplish it.

I wish Michael had expanded on some of the concepts, I think he knows exactly how to use them but more images and a bit more text would have been appreciated.

If I come away with one new concept after reading a book on composition I am happy, I came away with 3 from his, and better understanding of some others (relationship between repetition, rythm and pattern, similar greatly helped me clarify my thinking)

Well worth the read, wish he would do an expanded version with more examples and text.

There are a lot of photography how-to books published today that have lots of nice looking photographs but very little in the way of written advice. This book combines both very well - photos and diagrams to demonstrate concepts, but with sufficient explanation to back them up. Other reviewers complained about the writing style - I didn't have a problem with it at all, but I did have to spend some time carefully reading some sections because the concepts were new.. and that in itself was great, because two out of three photography books these days don't tell you anything new.. I also appreciated the case studies at the end, and it is great to know that I am not the only one who struggles to take a good photo sometimes. Great book and highly recommended.

When you look at photographs by great photographs do you look in awe and wish you could take photos like that? Do you find the journey from snapshots to stunning photos unchartable? This book will help you to understand what makes a photo work, how to create photos of which you can be proud. Freeman presents various aspects of photography theory and art is simple ways for any photographer to understand. It's a book to which you'll refer and reread many times.

The thing that is so great about this book is not only the depth it brings to important topics, but the breadth of topics as well. All the different things -the little details- that can make or break an image, are right here to be studied and understood in the context of image making. Also the format of the book really allows justice to be done to the photos, while not skimping on important text / information.

I do like newer works such as Within the Frame, but the thing this book has that the others lack as a nice mix of the technical concepts and the emotional concepts. Both are equally important to good photography. If i had to choose only one book on composition, this would be it. This will be a go-to reference for many years IMO.

It was to basic for me, common knowledge. Most of it was similar to what I learned in intro to art. Didn't help me make better compositions.

I own a fair number of photography books and have become a it jadded: I no longer expect much from the books I order; a few nice pictures (maybe) and perhaps one or two useful points. But this book is not like that: It is a well-written gem with many, many useful points that, for me at least, helped to clarify many concepts. It is among one of the best photography books I own.

This book is not a collection of recipes or "how to" guides designed to get your shots hanging on a museum wall. Rather, it examines core design principles from a photographic perspective: Composition, balance, contrast, and more. It is not a book by a designer about photography, but a book by a photographer who understands design, how it impacts our photographs, and knows how to clearly convey the implications.

I heartily recommend this book.

I always believed that the only effective way to teach/learn photographic composition was to share a viewfinder with a student/teacher. But this book has taken a very effective step away from that dependency.

The Photographer's Eye, which is full of comparative photographs, carefully backward engineers the image-making process and shows the reader what he/she can do to radically improve their photo-taking.

I recommend this book for my BFA and MFA students.

The book starts out with the basics of composition. Each subsequent chapter builds on previous chapters; capitalizing on the lessons learned. The sample pictures are excellent and clearly demonstrate the chapter's lesson. Whether you're an amateur or a professional, as I am, you will learn from this book. It has become a permanent part of my library and will be something I refer back to over and over again. There are not that many good books about composition and this one stands head and shoulders above the others.

I had seen this book's pictures and notes on the photos it has before I bought it, now Im happy to find out that this guy writes very well and clear. The book is based on desing principles and theory more than other things. It helps the photographer to have a better idea of why and how images work and how they impact. The book its packed with info on all pages.

I highly recomend it

Great book! Loved the simplicity and extremely educative for novice photographers like me. Loved the clean and crisp language, very well composed book, just like the concepts it talks about.

Love it!

Uno de los mejores libros que he tenido ocasión de leer. Realmente te inspira y te invita a reflexionar sobre los tantos y tantos errores que como fotografo aficionado cometes, sobre todo cuando no estando especialmente inspirado, te olvidas que lo importante es saber mirar, ver y entender lo que tratas de fotografiar y no simplemente querer hacer una buena foto porque si.
Reconozco que me gusta este libro. Lo recomiendo.

Simply the best resource design and composition for those of us who did not attend design classes in College. Or for those who didn't major in design, it lays out the concepts and makes a valiant attempt at explaining what makes great photographs. From this, we are extrapolate the skills needed to take great compositional shots. Draws heavily on Bauhaus design concepts.

If you're trying to learn how to "see" better photographic opportunities, this book will certainly inspire you. While there could be more technical instructions included, the author does a great job of outlining the things that you should be looking for in your composition. In fact, the only reason this book didn't get the fifth star is because of the lack of more instructions on how to actually practice getting some of the results featured in the book. Nonetheless, this is a good companion book to something like "Understanding Exposure."

As a DSLR and photography newbie, I absolutely loved this book. This book gives one a solid foundation on "what works and why in composition" - something one can build on depending on style/artistic preferences. I will be reading this book again and again.

I only wish the author provided detailed information on each shot - lens used, camera settings, overall how the shot was achieved from purely technical perspective for us, newbies.

An excellent book for the intermediate and advanced photographer. And I'm sure the experts will enjoy this as a 'refresher' course!

Concise and with very good example photos, easy to read and definitely one of those books you will revisit several times.

Michael Freeman's books are all a joy and a real education to read.

I found it difficult to keep in this book. There is a sentence or two with very useful information if you can find those gems within the vast sea of art history and famous quotes. One random example from the book (p86) "Under what circumstances is it useful to try to impose a triangular structure? It is important to see implied triangles as one of a few devices for bringing order to an image, or of arranging the things being photographed. The occasions when such organization is needed are usually those when there is a need for clarity. This is a common in still life photography and in various forms of reportage when the most important thing is to make a clear representation of something, often in a visually untidy setting. As this is a common condition in professional photography, the idea of structuring an image in a simple graphic arrangement is principally professional." ....the preceding represents one of easier paragraphs to read in the book. I found myself skipping many paragraphs due to the abstract thoughts that didn't seem to pertain, quotes or the history lesson on the particular topic at hand.

Given that, there is still good information if you can stick with it long enough to glean some of the knowledge. This is my second book (purchased simultaneously) by Mr. Freeman and I might be hard pressed to purchase another- simply due to his presentation of the material.

KINDLE REVIEW: The writing style is somewhat drawn-out, but OK once you get use to his style. However the graphic elements are dreadful on a Kindle 2. I was ready to see if I could return it, until I viewed in on Kindle for PC. It turns out the graphics are in COLOR and of reasonable quality. Much is lost with the Kindle grayscale conversion.
I'll keep the e-book, but only view it on a PC. The Kindle DX may display better.

Basically, the information here is presented in a abstract way. I do not understand a word I am reading. It feels like I am reading blue prints for a house.

I find this book hard to comprehend. I have tried to take my time reading this but have to continuously put it down. I have read three other photo books and have gotten more from them individually than this book could ever give. It is just too hard for me to understand. I would not recommend this for others personally.

Digital SLR photography is a relatively new hobby for me, so in the past year or so I have bought a number of photography books, and this is my favorite. It introduced new concepts to me and explained them well and with excellent examples. I will return to this book periodically for inspiration. So it will not gather much dust. I am keeping this short because there are already excellent reviews which explain why you will want this book in your hands.

I really don't know what the contents of this book are, though we can probably assume they are rooted in sound technical advice, and perhaps some good aesthetic tips.

That said, as a photographer myself, I am not inclined to buy this book, given its cover.

The photo on the cover is made simply by the shopworn and hackneyed practice of photographing a crowd of Third World women dressed in colorful garb.

Let us assume, then, that these people were dressed in workaday jeans and nondescript shirts. This brings us to the $64,000 question: Would the picture be anywhere nearly as interesting?

The answer to that question depends upon your artistic premises, but here's a clue: The reason Weegee is a superior photographer to Steve McCurry is because Weegee takes the commonplace and ephemeral and elevates it to something deeply moving and beautiful. Steve McCurry finds "exotic" looking Third Worlders and photographs them for the smug satisfaction and edification of Western liberals.

If you really want to become a great photographer of people, do this: Dress (and smell) like a homeless person in the subways of New York, armed with a couple dozen disposable cameras. You're already alienating people anyways with your grime and crazy demeanor, thus you can truly catch people unawares and off-guard.

Everything else is showing off.

I received this book for Christmas and read through it over the weekend. First thing to note is that it is not a "basic" intro guide to digital photography. It is, however a very well structured tome on the use of design principles in composition and construction of an image. When I started I began thinking of David DuChemin's "Within the Frame", another great book on photographic vision. One of the differences is that "The Photographer's Eye" is more of a textbook / course book. In fact I could see structuring a course around this. As each design principle is explained, images are presented and analyzed. I believe this book requires a couple of reads as the material is dense and the concepts important to internalize. Highly recommended for amateurs and professionals alike, particularly if you find many of your images beginning to look the same. I also believe this book would please photographers with some formal science, engineering or financial training.

This is probably my favorite photography book to date. I've read well over a dozen, most in the past two months.

This is not a book for beginners. There are no "how to" tips here. It doesn't tell you how to use a camera, or even how to compose a picture. Rather, it semi-philosophically breaks down the elements of composition and discusses them individually. Sections on things like the point, the vertical line, the curve; contrast, tension, balance; reaction, exploration; etc. (Check "inside" for the table of contents.) Many people might find this unbearable, but for a logical mind like mine, it works exceedingly well. I expect to re-read this book many times.

Very good book. It has really help me to take better photos. I keep reading it again and again, it is great!

Composition is a complicated concept, and this is the best book I've ever read on the subject. There are a lot of beautiful, thought-provoking photographs in the book, but the genius is in the writing, because the author delves very deeply into the science and psychology of composition, and how the eye sees, and how the brain and emotions process, images.

You'll need to be prepared to spend some time reading the whole book from beginning to end, and taking time to digest each concept, because if you just thumb through the pictures and captions, you'll be missing the best part. The book is very well-written, and Michael Freeman has an excellent vocabulary and command of the language. This puts some very complicated concepts within reach of anyone willing to spend the time reading. The pictures and captions are well-chosen and illustrate the text perfectly.

I recommend this book for painters, too. I've read a lot of wonderful books by painters dealing with composition, and I thought I sort of "got" it. But this book gave me a much better grasp of the art of composition, and I'm sure what I learned from it will make me a better painter, as well as photographer.

I also can't wait to read Michael Freeman's new book, "Perfect Exposure", which I just bought the other day. I'm sure it will improve my exposure decision-making just as "The Photographer's Eye" improved my compositional skills.

Simple, clear, straight to the point and easy to understand language with well presented with illustrated photos. It is a very instructive and easy reading. Not that I remember all I read but it was exactly what I was looking for. It's a must read for those venturing into photography.

The way it lays out the arrows and shows the shapes and directions your eyes flow over the picture is perfect. It really communicates what it intends in a way you can understand.

The Photographer's Eye is impressive. It zeroes in on the aesthetics of photography but in a practical, hands-on way that I am finding extremely helpful. I've beeN using a digital camera seriously for a few years now and am (almost!) beyond the basics of mystifying mechanics, so I was looking for a book or manual that focuses on suggestions for training my eye and the art of composing an image.

I purchased this book about 6 weeks ago and I am only about one-third of the way through it. Obviously, this is because it comprehensively provides valuable suggestions and much food for thought. I'm certain that I will be using this book over and over for many years.

You will be very happy you have acquired this book!

A gorgeous book beginning to end gift worthy and definitely great for hobbyists and beginners too

I have another book by this author. It was flawed by editorial errors and having photos too small or divided by page breaks to be useful. "The Photographer's Eye" does not suffer from these flaws. This book tackles a difficult topic and, in my opinion, does a great job. Freeman breaks composition and design into elements like delay, color, framing etc. Several times he shows alternate views of a photo and how they give a different impression or message. Each element is boiled down to 2 to 4 pages or so. As a result, the book is easy to follow and can help the photographer develop his or her own creativity. Additionally, I found that I can now look at photos and have new insight into what makes them "work." This is a very good book on a difficult topic to teach.

Awesome book. I'm a beginner photographer but this was really easy to understand. Showed the book to a college student who has taken photography classes and he said the book covered everything that was in his class, he said it was a really good book.

This is the first photography book i bought on composition. The author really goes deep into how to creating the perfect picture in terms of composing it. The pictures are fantastic, but the literature is a tough read. I found myself having to reread most of the book to really grasp what the author was trying to explain. Some parts of the book are just flat out confusing and you begin to wonder what it is you are even reading. However, the illustrations make up for it in some way. I would reccommend this book for anyone wanting to learn more about composition, but don't expect to understand it the first time.

..the best book about composition I've seen. Though it mainly deals with elements of composition and not with interactions of those elements (which is a more advanced level), the illustrations and the text both present a shining top-rate educational content.
Still I would dream to see a second volume of the same amazing quality, dealing with a deeper subject study, which the book touches only.

Though a promising book on composition/design, it requires the reader to be careful and not take the author's views at face. The reader needs to keep a critical eye on what she reads. Examples:

On page 18, Freeman argues that "distorting" the image taken may be problematic due to ethical considerations (such as extending the sky or the background of the subject) because "the final image is not necessarily as it was seen." Interestingly enough, Ansel Adams would probably disagree, arguing that "printing" is an essential part of image-making procedure where the photographer is actually trying to produce what she *saw* ("visualization", see Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs, "seen in the mind's eye before taking the photo" according to Wikipedia) that led her to take the shot in the first place.

Or on page 20, talking about a photograph of an abandoned Thai temple besides a larger tree, a large foreground, and an elongated sky, he suggests that if the image were to be cropped, the temple should be the subject because "there is nothing else," demonstrating a problematic limit in imagination as he misses the possible significance of other numerous subjects, such as the crop in the foreground, the elongated sky, the larger tree (which I would use as my primary subject), the panorama in the background behind the haze, and so on...

Composition. In the eye of the beholder or the artist, or quick rules like thirds or golden mean... Unteachable, you either have it or you don't.

Nope, the author shows it to be more than just that eye of self-expression. The principals can be learned, reinforced, and communicated. Who said, "Once you know the rules, you can break them?" I don't know, but I do know that this book helped me be a better photographer.

This is a great book...But if you already have Freeman's "the image" you might expect more from this one.

This book is excellent for introducing a large number of Composition theories and providing a large variety of examples. This book would not address the needs many new photographers have such as digital work flow, equipment selection, etc.

I am so delighted I bought this book. It's beautifully illustrated, well-written and practical! Mr. Freeman steps you through the key steps of composition that can be taught (then it's up to you to have the 'eye' to be able to capture what he's suggested!); framing images, design basics, photographic elements, using light & color, intent and the process of composing a shot. The photos Freeman's presented provide great examples of what he's suggesting we, as readers do. And the accompanying text offers a mix of factual and insightful, experiential information. The length in each section is just right. Sort of Goldilocksian, not too much, not too little. It's a nice complement to the photo Composition book by David Prakel (which I also think is very well done).

This book sets out the principles for composition and visual construction of photos brilliantly. A variety of shots for each topic are shown, explaining why the 'bad' ones don't look quite right and for the 'good' photos the secret to the composition is explained.

I had to give this book 5 stars if only for the photos. This is a visually stunning book, especially from a photographer's perspective. The author tells you how he achieved each photograph both technically and asthetically (he explains why this makes a good photograph). He really teaches you by showing you and does not assume you know a lot about photography, which is perfect for me. He also gives you extensive lessons on using Photo Shop to enhance or even completely alter your photographs.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in getting the most out of their camera and learning some digital editing skills.

A main theme of the reviews, both positive and negative, seemed to point out that Freeman is a difficult read. But if you are really interested in composition from the photographer's perspective and push onward, you will begin to pay more attention to the content and less to the author's tone.
Some of the sections are very technical, like the "Golden Section" and "Fibonacci Series". But photography is a visual art and most of the book is about general artistic principles and design with exampled photos. I think people will get the most from the book by reading a few sections, then going out and taking a LOT of pictures to put the newly learned principle into practice. Just read and shoot....read and shoot.

But terrible writer. Treat this book as a photo book and ignore the writing. Some of these pictures are genuinely amazing but the same can't be said for his writing.

I have no background in the field of Art, but I want to advance myself in the art of photography. I'm a developing photographer with a past life as an electrical engineer, and I'm striving to get beyond just the technical aspect of making quality visual recordings of the world around me.

This book was a real eye opener for me. The author offers his experience in photography along with an unusual mix of rigorous theory. He helped me realize how the human minds sees, not just how the camera and lens can capture a clear image of objects. The book deals with the psychology of the human mind as it relates to visual impact and how to get beyond producing mundane images.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240809343/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240809343/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_img

Hey, you write like you speak.. as do most good authors. I like your style... and of course your wonderful photography!

I recommend your book to many of my students - who can't here you speak in person :-)

Rick

This book was what I was looking for to take my photography to the next level. This is a great book on composition and design. I will no doubt be reading it again and again with the important thought provoking information it contains. Well written and interesting. A must have for serious photographers!

Anyone can take a picture but this book shows people how to develop an "eye" for great photographs which is applicable for many artists as well.

Some say that composition cannot be taught or learned, which is true to certain extend. I don't expect to turn into an artist after reading this book. However, it is possible to improve my not so artistic pictures by learning some basic principles. This is the reason I purchased the book, and so far it at least gave me some ideas why some photos look better than mine.

This is a really good, inspirational description of compositional techniques, with quite a few great pictures demonstrating the principles. Quite a few times I thought, "Wow- that's a cool shot, and a great idea to try". Highly recommended!

Absolutely brilliantly written and illustrated book. An absolute gem for photographers of all experience levels, from point n shoot hobbyists, to pro's looking for a quick tip, or to bask in the experience of a well seasoned photographer.

This is going to be a must-have for anyone interested in digital photography.

I haven't finished reading it yet, so I'll post an update as soon as I finish, but up until now, it is exactly what I was looking for, not a technical manual on how to use a camera features, but more, the way a professional amazing photographer thinks while capturing amazing images.

Very nice book on composing pictures. This author tends to focus too much on technical things (shutter speed, focal length, etc.), but in this book he strikes a good balance.

There are many books about composition out there. I would recommend that you buy 3-4 different books on the same theme by different authors. You will then be exposed to different styles and ideas, and you will get the basics repeated. All good things :)

I just bought my first DSLR camera. I bought ten photography books on amazon. I'm evaluating these books from the perspective of a semi-advanced amateur. (On things I've learnt is that book by the same author tends to be very similar. So make sure you vary your authors when buying more than one book. Rather than saying this author is good, let me buy more from him/her.)

I HAVE NOT MANAGED TO READ THROUGH THE WHOLE BOOK JUST YET, BUT BASED ON WHAT I DID READ IT EXPLAINS IN A VERY NICE WAY COMPOSITION IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND AS SUCH WITH GREAT ILLUSTRATIONS.

Can't recommend highly enough! The only one of its kind that is different than any other book. A must read!

This book deals with a tough topic because art is subjective and composition can relate to personal preference. With that understood, the author has provided one of the best books on composition that I have read. The explanations of concepts are made clear through the use of relevant examples. This is a must read book for anyone that is serious about fine art photography. It would also make a great gift for someone who is an aspiring photographer.

Fantastic! L love it. It really lays out the concepts in a simple way. A real eye opener. But it!

If you've ever wondered how the beautiful scene before you should be captured with the most interesting composition.. how elements should be arranged and how they should look like inside a photo.. then this is the right book for you. Highly recommended.

If you are a consumed photography amateur, always in search to understand more what is behind great photography, I would say, this is a must have in your collection of photography books.

I'm only half-way through, but this is a great, but challenging book. Challenging only at times with mathematical formulas, but much insight can be learned apart from those. I think it is giving me lots to pack away in the back of my mind as I go out shooting. I recommend it.

I loved this book from the very first page.
Although i was shooting family and landscapes for years with my compact camera, photography is a totally new experience for me now that i 've got my first dslr. This book opened my mind and helped me see what is it that worths when shooting.

At some point as a photographer, I became aware that I wanted photos to convey something to the viewer. I wanted them to see what I had seen or learned. And I wanted the viewer to enjoy looking at my photos enough that they would see what I was showing them. In a word, I needed to learn composition.

This book, The Photographer's Eye, explains composition in a way I can understand. The concepts are explained well and build on each other. I have to agree with all the other positive reviewers. This is a far cry from my looking through the view finder and thinking to myself, get the subject out of the center dummy.

The reason I wanted to add my small voice to all the great reviews on this book was to mention why I was glad that Freeman didn't give us the technical details on his photos. I don't want to take his photos, I want to take my photos in the best way possible.

This is a difficult subject and I don't think anyone can teach me composition unless I go half way and do the work to learn the subject. By this I mean that I work at understanding what the author is saying and I learn to look for these elements in photos and in subjects to photograph. I look at photos, both mine and others, and ask, is there contrast? What contrast? Where is the focus? How are things position within the frame? What is the content? I go back and read again. Then I go out and take more photos.

I recommend this book to photographers, who know their equipment, who want their photographs to communicate with viewers.

Its a good book, what else can I say. Well worth the price. Its not fluff pictures like some books, its not dense textbook like others, it balances well "pictures" with text. It works as a "coffee table" book of pretty "pictures" to look at. It also works as tutorial-like textbook.

I like the book - even have two copies of it (to be honest that was accidently as happens with those who buy books first then ask questions later, like the basic one "do I alredy have it?")

In short, a must have book (or duplicate).

Good book, it gave some good insight into what is inside of your photograph. The reading doesn't grab you and make you want to read more like Understanding Exposure, but I think it is just as usefull of a book. This book would be best suited for someone who already has a good working knowledge of their camera and a general knowledge of composition.

This is the first book on photography I have seen in a long time that I have actually read every word! It's a very instructional and inspiring look at how to use composition to make your photographs say what you intend them to say. The writing is terrific, and the accompanying photos are excellent illustrations of the concepts. I will look for other titles by this author and hope they are as good as this one!

great book, easy to skim through or read in detail, clear concepts with great pictures to illustrate, keeping it at the amateur/enthusiast level - a book that will make you shoot better with whatever you have available!

recommended++++