Mastering Photographic Composition, Creativity, and Personal Style

by Alain Briot

Alain Briot states that, "The personality of the photographer must be present in the image for an artistic photograph to have value." And in this book he sets out to teach the things that are essential in achieving this goal.

Following his successful first book, Mastering Landscape Photography, Briot goes beyond the conventional rules of composition and takes on a fresh, new approach to teaching the art of photography. Based upon his personal experiences as an artist, teacher, and photographer, he opens new doors to the reader-doors leading to new ways of seeing and composing images.

Briot approaches fine art photography as being a combination of art and technique. In this new book he addresses both of these by presenting artistic and technical information. On the artistic side, Briot introduces artistic concepts that have been rarely, if ever, associated with photography. On the technical side, he presents numerous tools that can help you learn how to create better photographs and provides technical solutions to common photographic problems.

The author practices photography as a fine art. What matters most to him is how photography can be used to express feelings and emotions. For Briot, a good photograph must be both artistically inspired and technically excellent. To have just one of these two elements is not enough for a fine art photograph to be successful.

Topics How to compose with color, with black and white, and with light- Why you need to consider your audience while composing a photograph- Recreate the emotions you felt when you captured your photographs- How the elements of color-hue, contrast, and saturation-work in your images- How to control the elements that have a visual effect in your photographs- How to draw upon your personal way of seeing and then share your vision- How to diagnose image maladies and apply the proper remedies- How to define a color palette for a specific photograph- How to use compositional elements to develop a personal style

Forweword by Tony Sweet

Genres: Photography

352 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2009

Reviews

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reasonable book but not up to what I had hoped for. High points are a few checklists for composition and honesty about the degree of manipulation he uses to meet his vision. Low points are redundant messages and overly worded descriptions.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so I didn't actually finish this book. It's great, and I learned a lot from what I read, but it is so dry and so much like a text book, that I just couldn't make myself read it. It doesn't help that I have been so tired lately, that every time I sit down to read it, I doze off. I think I will need to save this for later. I have definitely learned a lot from this book, and it has changed my outlook on photography.

[Milan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well structured, good tips, nice photos. Lots of examples of different techniques. Useful for anyone who's serious about photography.

[Chris Hlady · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some great shots in this book, but I didn't find the tips all that useful.