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Expressive Photography: The Shutter Sisters' Guide to Shooting from the Heart
When a photograph captivates you and stirs your soul, you know it instinctively. You not only see the image, you feel it. But how do you capture shots like that with your own camera? How do you make your photographs worth the proverbial thousand words? From portraits to landscapes, still-lifes to documentary shots, Expressive Photography will not only show you why certain images sing, it will also teach you how to create your own compelling photographic images--one click at a time. Visually stunning and unique in its collaborative approach, this book brings the spirit of the immensely popular Shutter Sisters' blog to the printed page through the voice and photography of its founding members.
176 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 13, 2010
This is more of an idea book for intermediate photographers than an how-two book for beginning photographers. Don’t expect step-by-step instructions for how to use your camera or post-process photos. “Expressive Photography“ is more about capturing what’s around you. It’s about capturing candid moments of the most everyday life experiences and things we interact with and admire.
If you actually read the book, you will discover nuggets of inspiration, insight about capturing images, and a few techniques for shooting. I do however wish the authors had spent some time writing about post-processing, for though none of photographs in this collection have been deceptively manipulated by Photoshop, post-processing seems to have been done on nearly all the images—just as you would in a film-based photos. So it would have been useful if more detailed instructions about post-processing techniques. The end of the book includes a glossary of photography terms which seems like kinda of perfunctory. It would have been better to use that section to write more about camera techniques and processing.
Nevertheless, I like “Expressive Photography,” and I will be referencing it from time to time to remind me of the importance of capturing those everyday moments in my life.
If you actually read the book, you will discover nuggets of inspiration, insight about capturing images, and a few techniques for shooting. I do however wish the authors had spent some time writing about post-processing, for though none of photographs in this collection have been deceptively manipulated by Photoshop, post-processing seems to have been done on nearly all the images—just as you would in a film-based photos. So it would have been useful if more detailed instructions about post-processing techniques. The end of the book includes a glossary of photography terms which seems like kinda of perfunctory. It would have been better to use that section to write more about camera techniques and processing.
Nevertheless, I like “Expressive Photography,” and I will be referencing it from time to time to remind me of the importance of capturing those everyday moments in my life.
October 29, 2012
When first flipping through the photos in "Expressive Photography," I was not really looking at them. I thought, "There's nothing special about most of these pictures. This book is going to be boring." But when I began to read the text, it dawned on me that my initial reaction is exactly why I have not been able to take good pictures: My old tired eyes have been closed. I've also been too stuck in a dry analysis of photography to access the intuitive side of myself—what the Shutter Sisters refer to as "shooting from the heart." Why did I ever think I could take good pictures while stuck in the left hemisphere of my brain where the thousand words reside?
As a newbie photographer, I've been very frustrated with books teaching the technical side of photography. I've felt like I used to feel when I was trying to learn how to drive a straight-shift car: completely overwhelmed, choking down, and doing damage to my psyche (not to mention the gears). Photography, like driving a "stick," felt too impossible, too dangerous for me to ever get good at it. But for me—just like the guy who left me in a parking lot with the instructions to just "put it into first, drive, stop; put it into reverse, drive, stop; and keep doing it until I come back"—this book is getting me through the hardest part of building the fundamental skill and confidence I've needed before shifting into the higher gears of photography.
The book first awakened in me an "I can do this!" aha when I read Stephanie's sidebar on page 13, as she speaks of photographing a weather-devastated small rural town:
"...I realized that much of my joy in photography is capturing the beauty of Mother Nature and her precious doings (and sometimes undoings) that pave the way for new life. New blooms. Plump raindrops. Aging leaves drenched with color. Thick blades of grass. I like the way she sprinkles light like gems on water, how she breathes life into leaves as they whisper in her wind. And I love that she restores peace to the sky without fail and sets the sun to rest."
Reading these words, I saw for the first time the poetic sensibility underlying the shots. It was so like the eye-opening experience I had more than 40 years ago when I worked through Laurence Perrine's brilliant text, "Sound and Sense," which taught me how to recognize the POETRY underlying and pervading the words of good poems. Perrine invited me to open my eyes and see more deeply, both analytically at the level of craft and intuitively at the level of insight, heart, and connection.
I am subsequently approaching "Expressive Photography" in the same way as I did "Sound and Sense": Slowly, absorbing each small chunk of commentary, then lingering over its attendant photographic example until I understand not just with my mind but with my heart just how it conveys its meaning.
Forgive me for mixing my metaphors here, but I now see that my path will be like switching from learning a foreign language to learning a computer language: I already have the basic skill-set and vision. It's now just a matter of transferring what I already know about poetry to a new medium. And once I start carrying my camera and using it as if it were my own mind, then I can speed up and shift up into the fourth and fifth gears.
I recommend this book, as well as Laurence Perrine's (older editions are fine), as a starting point for anyone wishing to unleash their own creativity and build a solid foundation for building their craft.
As a newbie photographer, I've been very frustrated with books teaching the technical side of photography. I've felt like I used to feel when I was trying to learn how to drive a straight-shift car: completely overwhelmed, choking down, and doing damage to my psyche (not to mention the gears). Photography, like driving a "stick," felt too impossible, too dangerous for me to ever get good at it. But for me—just like the guy who left me in a parking lot with the instructions to just "put it into first, drive, stop; put it into reverse, drive, stop; and keep doing it until I come back"—this book is getting me through the hardest part of building the fundamental skill and confidence I've needed before shifting into the higher gears of photography.
The book first awakened in me an "I can do this!" aha when I read Stephanie's sidebar on page 13, as she speaks of photographing a weather-devastated small rural town:
"...I realized that much of my joy in photography is capturing the beauty of Mother Nature and her precious doings (and sometimes undoings) that pave the way for new life. New blooms. Plump raindrops. Aging leaves drenched with color. Thick blades of grass. I like the way she sprinkles light like gems on water, how she breathes life into leaves as they whisper in her wind. And I love that she restores peace to the sky without fail and sets the sun to rest."
Reading these words, I saw for the first time the poetic sensibility underlying the shots. It was so like the eye-opening experience I had more than 40 years ago when I worked through Laurence Perrine's brilliant text, "Sound and Sense," which taught me how to recognize the POETRY underlying and pervading the words of good poems. Perrine invited me to open my eyes and see more deeply, both analytically at the level of craft and intuitively at the level of insight, heart, and connection.
I am subsequently approaching "Expressive Photography" in the same way as I did "Sound and Sense": Slowly, absorbing each small chunk of commentary, then lingering over its attendant photographic example until I understand not just with my mind but with my heart just how it conveys its meaning.
Forgive me for mixing my metaphors here, but I now see that my path will be like switching from learning a foreign language to learning a computer language: I already have the basic skill-set and vision. It's now just a matter of transferring what I already know about poetry to a new medium. And once I start carrying my camera and using it as if it were my own mind, then I can speed up and shift up into the fourth and fifth gears.
I recommend this book, as well as Laurence Perrine's (older editions are fine), as a starting point for anyone wishing to unleash their own creativity and build a solid foundation for building their craft.
November 21, 2010
This book was written by the Blogger's Choice Award nomiees - the Shutter Sisters. After reading this amazing book of photography, I immediately had to check out their website. The book and the website are gorgeous and so inspiring. I already have some great ideas for photos that I want to take of my cats and people around me - if only I had a digital SLR camera... well my cheapo digital will have to do for now - at least I learned a lot about composition which will make my photography even better.
The lovely blend of unique styles combined from the Shutter Sisters makes for a very stunning and passionate collection of imagery. From the boisertous imagery of children at play to the simple and touching photo of a couples' hands to the black and white detail of an elephant's face, this collection is an extraoridinary reference for all aspiring photographers out there.
The book is laid out with themed chapters all containing the same sections including approach, perspective, composition, lighting, details, and processing. The chapters range from portraiture and still photography to nature and creatures. There are little blurbs from their blog spread throughout the book as well as tips on how to get the same effect shown in the book on select photos and exact directions to achieve it.
I would highly suggest this book to intermediate photographers who have the main skills down pat as there are only a few samples where they guide you through taking an exact style of photo (which ISO, exposure, aperture setting etc) - a lot of it is up to the photographer to figure out. I will however be using this as a reference as I slowly get back into photography.
The lovely blend of unique styles combined from the Shutter Sisters makes for a very stunning and passionate collection of imagery. From the boisertous imagery of children at play to the simple and touching photo of a couples' hands to the black and white detail of an elephant's face, this collection is an extraoridinary reference for all aspiring photographers out there.
The book is laid out with themed chapters all containing the same sections including approach, perspective, composition, lighting, details, and processing. The chapters range from portraiture and still photography to nature and creatures. There are little blurbs from their blog spread throughout the book as well as tips on how to get the same effect shown in the book on select photos and exact directions to achieve it.
I would highly suggest this book to intermediate photographers who have the main skills down pat as there are only a few samples where they guide you through taking an exact style of photo (which ISO, exposure, aperture setting etc) - a lot of it is up to the photographer to figure out. I will however be using this as a reference as I slowly get back into photography.
April 27, 2012
The Shutter Sisters produced an incredibly vivid guide for creating expressive, interesting photographs that imply stories, share information, and even imply mystery about the subject. Each 'sister' wrote a vignette for the ten chapters in the book; each chapter covers a another possible subject for photography, such as nature, creatures, togetherness, children, portraits, and stillness. Each chapter is then broken into headings, including the vignette, an introduction,, approach, perspective, composition, lighting, details and processing. Unlike other photography guides I have read over the past few months, Expressive Photography does not get much into the mechanics of the camera, although aperture, ISO and shutter speed and focal distance are discussed throughout. If you are a new photographer and are looking for inspiration, creative ideas, and wonderful examples, then this book is phenomenal. I enjoyed reading through it, leaving post-it notes on different pages. When I ran out of pages, I was disappointed. I would have loved more.
May 14, 2012
Had this book for a while now, but just recently read it. Not really a "how to book" has great eye candy though. It's more for inspiration than anything. I think I gave it four stars because I like the cover... actually I bought it for the same reason!
May 4, 2015
An art book that encourages the photographer to see their world on both a macro and micro level. I carry it with me in my camera bag.
May 9, 2017
Sadly I was quite disappointed by this book.
January 12, 2015
Just got it today and loving every page of it. Eye candy!!
March 14, 2018
Not what I was expecting
Not so much a guide but flows more like a presentation of images at a local photography club or meet up. I didn't feel the presentation lent itself well to teaching how to shoot expressive photography. There are probably some nuggets of inspiration to be found but you have to sift through a lot of randomness to get to it and you better be awake and ready to parse it out when you do stumble across it.
Not so much a guide but flows more like a presentation of images at a local photography club or meet up. I didn't feel the presentation lent itself well to teaching how to shoot expressive photography. There are probably some nuggets of inspiration to be found but you have to sift through a lot of randomness to get to it and you better be awake and ready to parse it out when you do stumble across it.
March 19, 2012
I have mixed thoughts on this book, depending on what you're looking for in a photography book. For something more technical, it definitely lacks. However, I know the ins and outs of my camera (7D) and shoot exclusively manual, so I wasn't going into this book for the technical aspects. I just think others who may want more of an instructional manual for shooting should look into the book Understanding Exposure, because they won't get that from Expressive Photography (not that this book pretends to be a technical manual, as it says in the title that it's a guide to shooting from the heart).
But aside from that, I do like this book a lot. It offers insight into the creative side of photography and using your feelings and emotions to capture a moment in time. Lots of inspirational images - no, they may not all be technically "great" images, and there are a few images that I didn't like at all, but I think that's beyond the point of this book. The point is to learn to capture images based on, as I said before, your emotions. Who cares if an image is perfect if it is of a special moment in your life? You're taking it to remember the moment. It doesn't matter if I like the picture, as long as it means something to the photographer. So many of us get caught up in trying to take the 'perfect' shot. Nailing the exposure, composition, et cetera. This book made me remember that in our everyday lives, it's important to use our cameras, even the ones built into our smartphones, to capture images of our lives as we live them. Drinking my morning tea in my chair by the window while I read the paper on Sundays may not seem all that important, until the days come that I have kids and no longer get that quiet time on weekends. If I snap a photo of it today, I'll have a visual memory of it for years to come.
Definitely a fun read, and it gave me lots of inspiration for my own personal photography to capture my life. The writing in the book is wonderful as well. I recommend it with the disclaimer that this is not an instructional manual on how to shoot, but rather an inspirational book to guide you to shooting from your heart.
But aside from that, I do like this book a lot. It offers insight into the creative side of photography and using your feelings and emotions to capture a moment in time. Lots of inspirational images - no, they may not all be technically "great" images, and there are a few images that I didn't like at all, but I think that's beyond the point of this book. The point is to learn to capture images based on, as I said before, your emotions. Who cares if an image is perfect if it is of a special moment in your life? You're taking it to remember the moment. It doesn't matter if I like the picture, as long as it means something to the photographer. So many of us get caught up in trying to take the 'perfect' shot. Nailing the exposure, composition, et cetera. This book made me remember that in our everyday lives, it's important to use our cameras, even the ones built into our smartphones, to capture images of our lives as we live them. Drinking my morning tea in my chair by the window while I read the paper on Sundays may not seem all that important, until the days come that I have kids and no longer get that quiet time on weekends. If I snap a photo of it today, I'll have a visual memory of it for years to come.
Definitely a fun read, and it gave me lots of inspiration for my own personal photography to capture my life. The writing in the book is wonderful as well. I recommend it with the disclaimer that this is not an instructional manual on how to shoot, but rather an inspirational book to guide you to shooting from your heart.
October 27, 2012
Eines meiner liebsten Hobbies, neben dem Lesen, ist das Fotografieren. Den Shutter Sisters folge ich schon lange auf ihrem Blog und vor einiger Zeit haben sie ihr erstes Buch herausgebracht.
Es ist ein Fotoratgeber bei dem es nicht nur um Technik geht, sondern viel mehr um Gefühl und Emotionen. Es zeigt einem, wie man die Welt durch den Sucher der Kamera ganz anders wahrnehmen und festhalten kann. Fotografien sind unsere Geschichten, Momente, die wir erleben, an die wir uns erinnern wollen und genau so sollten sie auch gemacht werden, mit diesem Blick sollten sie festgehalten werden. Was nutzt einem die beste Kameraeinstellung, wenn die Geschichte und das Gefühl dahinter fehlt?
Aufgeteilt ist das Buch in zehn interessante Kapitel: Horizonte, Portraits, Natur, Kindheit, Tafeln, Stille und noch einige mehr. Vorneweg werden die Shutter Sisters vorgestellt, jede mit einer Kurzbiographie, Foto und der Angabe ihrer Website – sehr praktisch, um sich auch online neue Ideen zu holen. Jede dieser Frauen betreut nun ein Kapitel im Buch. Es geht um die Annäherung an ein Thema, den Blickwinkel, die Komposition eines Bildes und mit das Wichtigste: Licht. Auch für Details und die nachträgliche Bearbeitung am Computer gibt es Platz.
Zwischen dem Text veranschaulichen viele Fotos die facettenreichen Themen und Tipps. Zu sehr vielen Fotos werden auch die Kameraeinstellungen angegeben ��� ISO, Belichtung, Blende und Brennweite. Und so macht es nicht nur Spaß, in diesem Buch zu lesen, sondern auch einfach nur so zu blättern. Man nimmt es immer wieder mal in die Hand, um sich inspirieren zu lassen, denn die Fotos der Sisters sind wirklich besonders, alltäglich eigentlich, aber doch immer mit einem bestimmten Twist.
Besonders gut gefällt mir, dass man kein Profi sein muss, um dieses Buch zu verstehen. Die Autorinnen haben es nicht nötig, mit ihrem Fachwissen anzugeben und so kommt dieser Ratgeber ganz ohne Fachchinesisch aus. Jeder Hobbyknipser kann es lesen und die Ideen quasi sofort umsetzen.
Gestaltung, Stil, Ideen – all das hat mich überzeugt und so gibt es von mir 5 Fotosternchen für die Foto Schwestern!
Es ist ein Fotoratgeber bei dem es nicht nur um Technik geht, sondern viel mehr um Gefühl und Emotionen. Es zeigt einem, wie man die Welt durch den Sucher der Kamera ganz anders wahrnehmen und festhalten kann. Fotografien sind unsere Geschichten, Momente, die wir erleben, an die wir uns erinnern wollen und genau so sollten sie auch gemacht werden, mit diesem Blick sollten sie festgehalten werden. Was nutzt einem die beste Kameraeinstellung, wenn die Geschichte und das Gefühl dahinter fehlt?
Aufgeteilt ist das Buch in zehn interessante Kapitel: Horizonte, Portraits, Natur, Kindheit, Tafeln, Stille und noch einige mehr. Vorneweg werden die Shutter Sisters vorgestellt, jede mit einer Kurzbiographie, Foto und der Angabe ihrer Website – sehr praktisch, um sich auch online neue Ideen zu holen. Jede dieser Frauen betreut nun ein Kapitel im Buch. Es geht um die Annäherung an ein Thema, den Blickwinkel, die Komposition eines Bildes und mit das Wichtigste: Licht. Auch für Details und die nachträgliche Bearbeitung am Computer gibt es Platz.
Zwischen dem Text veranschaulichen viele Fotos die facettenreichen Themen und Tipps. Zu sehr vielen Fotos werden auch die Kameraeinstellungen angegeben ��� ISO, Belichtung, Blende und Brennweite. Und so macht es nicht nur Spaß, in diesem Buch zu lesen, sondern auch einfach nur so zu blättern. Man nimmt es immer wieder mal in die Hand, um sich inspirieren zu lassen, denn die Fotos der Sisters sind wirklich besonders, alltäglich eigentlich, aber doch immer mit einem bestimmten Twist.
Besonders gut gefällt mir, dass man kein Profi sein muss, um dieses Buch zu verstehen. Die Autorinnen haben es nicht nötig, mit ihrem Fachwissen anzugeben und so kommt dieser Ratgeber ganz ohne Fachchinesisch aus. Jeder Hobbyknipser kann es lesen und die Ideen quasi sofort umsetzen.
Gestaltung, Stil, Ideen – all das hat mich überzeugt und so gibt es von mir 5 Fotosternchen für die Foto Schwestern!
December 29, 2014
I have three cameras ... a Canon point-and-shoot that is usually in my purse, a Nikon D5100 DSLR along with some lenses, and a Nikon CoolPix (that's in between the two) that I use often. Needless to say, I take a lot of pictures.
I'm still an amateur and like reading photography books to see what professionals take pictures of and how they do it.
Shutter Sisters began in January 2008 as a collaborative photo blog - written for women, by women - which quickly grew into a trusted source of photographic inspiration. Shutter Sisters has, over the years, been cultivated by a handful of extraordinary women; storytellers who through images and words have helped build a warm, welcoming, and inclusive global community. Through this collaborative spirit, Shutter Sisters has gathered and connected women with a passion for photography, creating an authentic and true sisterhood that transcends even the expansive borders of the web.
This book had ten chapters with different focuses:
* Horizons
* Portraiture
* Nature
* Spaces
* Childhood
* Stillness
* Documentary
* Creatures
* Table
* Togetherness
In each chapter, there is an introduction, blog posts by a couple of the authors, approach, perspective, composition, lighting, details and processing.
The pictures for the most part were inspiring and helped me look at different ways to take photographs (angles, content, etc). Some of the pictures, though, looked like ones I've taken and trashed (not my style, I guess). I'm a fan of playing around with aperture and there were a lot of pictures with a shallow depth of field which I like. Though some photos had the details (shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc.), it would have been nice if more did. So it's not a book if you are looking to learn how to technically take photos ... more to give you some creative ideas.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2014/12...
I'm still an amateur and like reading photography books to see what professionals take pictures of and how they do it.
Shutter Sisters began in January 2008 as a collaborative photo blog - written for women, by women - which quickly grew into a trusted source of photographic inspiration. Shutter Sisters has, over the years, been cultivated by a handful of extraordinary women; storytellers who through images and words have helped build a warm, welcoming, and inclusive global community. Through this collaborative spirit, Shutter Sisters has gathered and connected women with a passion for photography, creating an authentic and true sisterhood that transcends even the expansive borders of the web.
This book had ten chapters with different focuses:
* Horizons
* Portraiture
* Nature
* Spaces
* Childhood
* Stillness
* Documentary
* Creatures
* Table
* Togetherness
In each chapter, there is an introduction, blog posts by a couple of the authors, approach, perspective, composition, lighting, details and processing.
The pictures for the most part were inspiring and helped me look at different ways to take photographs (angles, content, etc). Some of the pictures, though, looked like ones I've taken and trashed (not my style, I guess). I'm a fan of playing around with aperture and there were a lot of pictures with a shallow depth of field which I like. Though some photos had the details (shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc.), it would have been nice if more did. So it's not a book if you are looking to learn how to technically take photos ... more to give you some creative ideas.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2014/12...
March 25, 2012
My review is so wildly different from the others that I actually picked the book back up and leafed through it again to make sure I was reviewing the right book. I am, so here goes.
To me, this book was a complete bore. The pictures weren't amazing, the shooting info wasn't helpful and the ideas weren't moving. I thought the strongest section was of plants but I can't pinpoint a weakest. I can say that pictures of people without heads is reminiscent of bad photography taken in the days before digital cameras and preview screens. To intentionally take and rationalize lists of reasons why you can express things with headless pictures is beyond my comprehension. Perhaps other reviewers are simply more enlightened than me. There are so many great photography books for various levels of photography and this simply wasn't one of the greats. I suggest you try other books first and come to this one if you don't like faces or you want to feel that your 8,000 images of your baby are professional quality.
To me, this book was a complete bore. The pictures weren't amazing, the shooting info wasn't helpful and the ideas weren't moving. I thought the strongest section was of plants but I can't pinpoint a weakest. I can say that pictures of people without heads is reminiscent of bad photography taken in the days before digital cameras and preview screens. To intentionally take and rationalize lists of reasons why you can express things with headless pictures is beyond my comprehension. Perhaps other reviewers are simply more enlightened than me. There are so many great photography books for various levels of photography and this simply wasn't one of the greats. I suggest you try other books first and come to this one if you don't like faces or you want to feel that your 8,000 images of your baby are professional quality.
Read
April 26, 2016I really liked this look at the art of photography. This isn't about the science side -- almost nothing on the mechanics of it or the tools of it -- rather, this is about finding the stories, finding your perspective, and sharing those moments of magic. I liked the breakdown of different "types" of photography, from portraiture to children to animals and quiet moments. The images in here are gorgeous, and the inspiration is hard to ignore.
Not for those who want to know how to, but rather, this is for people like me who prefer to learn with their own tools and develop their voices and perspectives. I didn't feel like there was anything here I couldn't replicate or use as a jumping off point with just my iPhone camera (and it made me break out the lenses I bought earlier this year to play with).
Not for those who want to know how to, but rather, this is for people like me who prefer to learn with their own tools and develop their voices and perspectives. I didn't feel like there was anything here I couldn't replicate or use as a jumping off point with just my iPhone camera (and it made me break out the lenses I bought earlier this year to play with).
June 2, 2011
Not just for technical photography information. This authors of this book have a huge focus on documenting your lives. (www.shuttersisters.com) It gives so much inspiration through every page, and every image. There are some technical information in it, but it is in terms that an amatuer can understand. After reading this book, I have referred back to it several times as I am learning how to produce images that "capture" the reader and even the one being photographed. I highly recommend this book to anyone is even slightly interested in photography, documentation, or acquiring more inspiration!
September 12, 2013
Great introduction to what a fancy DSLR can do without getting too technical. The snippets of the photographers' real life intertwined with the example photos was nice too. I've started to read another photography book and am now wishing I had saved Expressive Photography to read when I complete the one I'm currently reading. Neither reads like a textbook, but some of the terms used in Expressive Photography are broken down better in this other intro book. Despite that, I really enjoyed Expressive Photography and would suggest it to anyone interested in photography enough to get a book, but not looking for hardcore technical info.
December 26, 2013
This is an odd photo book. You would think that the point of the photo book would be the, you know, photos, but I spent more time reading the captions. Each photo is accompanied by a description of the emotion the photographer was trying to capture or the technical approach they used.
I don't think they were always completely successful. I think quite a few of the photos weren't even very good, let alone emotional expressive or technically proficient. But it was still really fascinating to read what they were trying to accomplish at the moment they snapped the shutter. And some of the photos really were beautiful and interesting.
I don't think they were always completely successful. I think quite a few of the photos weren't even very good, let alone emotional expressive or technically proficient. But it was still really fascinating to read what they were trying to accomplish at the moment they snapped the shutter. And some of the photos really were beautiful and interesting.
November 22, 2013
"What we are really looking for when we take portraits is a connection. We are watching and waiting for something to happen. Like hunters, we are stalking beauty. We are looking for aliveness. We are waiting for that spark. Seeing things in the right light is an old-age expression, but it holds true for photography, literally and figuratively. As photographers, we are light seekers; we want to see something extraordinary through our lens and we usually do. Our job is to notice, to see so deeply into the moment that we don't miss a thing."
April 14, 2011
This was cute.
It wasn't what I was expecting at all.
I am not sure I know what I thought this book was going to be like... but it wasn't what it was.
I liked it tho, I mean it was a cute book. But it reminded me to much of another book that I LOVE. And I think I was wanting something different.
So I am going to return this to the library, and check it back out again later.
This way I will be able to go through it and get what I SHOULD get out of it opposed to being tainted.
It wasn't what I was expecting at all.
I am not sure I know what I thought this book was going to be like... but it wasn't what it was.
I liked it tho, I mean it was a cute book. But it reminded me to much of another book that I LOVE. And I think I was wanting something different.
So I am going to return this to the library, and check it back out again later.
This way I will be able to go through it and get what I SHOULD get out of it opposed to being tainted.
September 15, 2010
The pictures in this book are great. I would recommend this book for someone who has a background in photography. In a select group of the prints the setting for the camera were listed. This really made no sense to me because I am just getting into photography as a hobby. It would have been nice if there was a short introduction explaining the different settings they were referencing.
All in all a good book.
All in all a good book.
May 4, 2019
Though I've signed up for one and attempted to sign up for another, I haven't actually attended a photography class yet. It will happen one of these days. In the meantime, I'll focus on reading wonderful photography books like the two I've read in the last few weeks. These books are filled with great ideas for great picture taking; I probably could just skip the photography class and try out ideas from these books.
July 9, 2011
A good book for looking at photography from a different angle. It was helpful and gave me some good ideas--not always getting everybody or everybody part in the shot (like the front cover of the little girl's tube socks and sparkly shoes) so that you hone in on one particular aspect. Or using the flash outdoors on a sunny day when the sun is behind your subject and their face would otherwise be underexposed, etc.
December 27, 2011
I found this book's unusual approach inspiring and, in particular, found it interesting to learn the particular approach of each "shutter sister." (Also, I was tickled by the idea of gaining entry into the sisterhood simply by having a penchant for photographing.) Although I did try a few of the "shoot it!" exercises, I can't say if I successfully interpreted the directions, which was somewhat vague/too open ended for a complete novice like myself.
November 16, 2015
This was a beautiful and thoughtful book about capturing the little moments in our lives, the tiny bits of life that later, become the strongest memories. While it was inspiring and motivating, I was surprised that so many of the images had such subdued colors and tones. Still a great book to look back at again and again.
December 14, 2010
I just received this "eye candy" book of amazing photography by a group of women penned the Shutter Sisters. If you want to take better photos, each page is crammed with beautiful photos and pertinent information on how to better your own results. Very inspirational for mom's who want to take more unusual photos of their family.
May 9, 2011
This book is as great as the Shutter Sisters blog:
http://shuttersisters.com/
Until I started following their blog, I did not know that the type of photos I like to take are considered "expressive photography." This book speaks to such types of photos. Loved it. Loved them. LOVE expressive photography.
http://shuttersisters.com/
Until I started following their blog, I did not know that the type of photos I like to take are considered "expressive photography." This book speaks to such types of photos. Loved it. Loved them. LOVE expressive photography.
June 22, 2011
I don't know... I feel like under other circumstances I might have really liked this book, but I got it from the library and only had two weeks, and had a hard time reading it in that time frame. I maybe only read about 1/4 of it before I had to take it back. I would rather own this book as a reference than actually read it from cover to cover in one sitting.
October 12, 2011
I LOVED this book! These ladies know their stuff. They not only take great photographs but they write really well too. I found some new inspirational people in this book. The photography tips they've mentioned are not new stuff but the way they describe the emotions behind each picture is amazing. I now look through my lens in a totally different way.
July 15, 2012
Three stars only because I think it could have been even better than it was with more info about how all of the beautiful shots in this book were taken (settings), and before and afters for the processing sections. Other than that, this is a lovely book that I'm sure I'll flip through for inspiration over and over.
January 23, 2011
I have a feeling I'll be coming back to this book frequently. I picked it up because I felt lacking in photographic inspiration, and I found it here. There are some technical tips, but the focus lies mainly on the art behind the photographs. A nice change of perspective.
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