Book review – Take Your Photography to the Next Level
While waiting for my 5D Mark II to arrive, I have been reading a number of books. I have also been learning Turkish, but that is the subject of another conversation. In particular, I have been trying to learn how to better compose my pictures. I noticed this book in the library and decided to take a look.
In general, I found this to be an outstanding book for learning composition and how to inspire yourself to take better pictures. A lot of the advice here are things that make sense and should be intuitive, but still ring a bell when reading.
Ironically, I do not really like the author’s own pictures. In fact, I was almost ready to bring the book back after reading the first chapter. The author seems to imply that he is a great master and is quite full of himself. He then states that one should be greatly impressed with another’s photos before taking his advice, and follows with his portfolio.
I’m sure some people may like these photos, but I found many of them to be ‘forced’. Most of the shots are abstract, and I do like some abstract photography, but I got the feeling that many shots were there due to the geometry and placement of objects within the scene, but the shots didn’t have the symbolism and subtexts that are evident in the best abstract works.
Amazingly though, that did not make this a less useful book. Because he comes from an analytical background, the author explains artistic concepts in words that technical people like myself can understand. The book goes into depth on how to use the edges of the shot, what types of angles work and which ones do not, and to frame a shot and how not to.
Interestingly, the author is strongly against many of the concepts that we learn early on in photography. For instance, I have read on many websites that it is a good idea to frame a shot using a tree. The author states that this is the mark of an amateur photo and doesn’t really look good and after thinking about it I concur.
Other useful sections discuss what to do when you find yourself in a ‘photographers cramp’. He talks about shooting other things than what you came for and has a tremendous number of good ideas on how to restart the creative juices.
At some point, I do think I will buy a copy of this book even though I have already read it. Many of the bullet points he provides are worth going back to for further inspiration. Although I am currently without a camera at the moment, I do think I have noticed an improvement in my photos from the few times I have borrowed a camera.
Therefore I think this is one of the stranger reviews I have done recently. I really hated the book when I started it, but as I progressed I found a great number of really helpful tidbits that will help me take my photography to the next level. I don’t agree with all points – for instance I did not find his section on photography levels very useful – but this book is well worth it for those looking into how to improve their photography.
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Tags: book, level, photography, review, take your photography to the next level