Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
 Recommended for all Photographers October 8, 2008
Carlo B. Carlos (Paranaque, Metro Manila Philippines)
I like this book its easy to understand. Recommended for all photographers from beginner to advance or professional level.
It brought my photography to a new level of seeing. My experience now in creating images is more enjoyable.
 An excellent source to learn to see again February 15, 2008
Paul Wood
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is not a basic how-to book for beginning photographers. It doesn't teach you about f-stops, shutter speeds, or the rule of thirds. What it does do is try to teach you new ways of looking at things, and how to actually see what you're looking at.
I've been a photographer for many years, and I found my inspiration and creativity fading. I picked up this book as a reference for a seminar I was giving and fell in love with photography all over again. I feel excited again while I'm taking photos, and I feel that I'm creating art for me, not for others, and I love it.
I highly recommend this book for experienced photographers and beginners alike. Don't buy it for the photography lessons, buy it for the inspiration.
Obviously a master, a philosopher, and... December 18, 2007
Crabby Guy (Orange County, CA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I expect that many people will want a book that has nice photos and a couple of dozen rules to follow to improve their photos and even to make photography easier. This is *not* such a book.
Instead, Patterson explains many, many visual relationships and perhaps surprises you by writing that by following strict rules of composition you will *not* take better photos. Regardless, he gives you many insights that, with a lot of observation and practice, will lead you in the right direction.
If you are prepared to start a significant journey toward improving your photography, this is a great book. It will help you toward achieving visual harmony in your work. If you want to hear "the rule of thirds" repeated and the merits of hyperfocal distances discussed, something else will suit you much better.
An author comfortable with his subject December 9, 2007
Henry Shannon (Ballina Australia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book has given me the opportunity and the means to change a bad habit, and hopefully begin to see without labels. Had a lot of fun studying childrens art, an eye opener.
Breaking the photographical routine March 24, 2007
Pflugshaupt Kaspar (Switzerland)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Freeman tries to get photographers to break out of their ways, to look at the world with different eyes, to question old habits. This is a good thing, in my opinion. But does he succeed?
I can only answer this from my own perspective: Yes, the book gives me impulses to try out different perspectives than the ones I'm used to.
The writing is fluent and to the point. The images underline the points in the text. I like many of them, even though they seem unspectacular at first. The printing quality could be better, though. I ordered the book together with two volumes by John Shaw ("Focus on Nature" and "The Field Book to Nature Photography", both Amphoto Books), and those are printed much better, with more contrast and color saturation.
Still, a recommended book for anyone who likes taking photos and would like to explore new grounds.
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