Photographically Speaking A Deeper Look at Creating Stronger Images by duChemin, David [New Riders,2011]

by David duChemin

Photographically Speaking A Deeper Look at Creating Stronger Images by duChemin, David. Published by New Riders,2011, Paperback

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Art, Business, Art and Photography

Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

David duChemin is a world & humanitarian photographer, best-selling author, and international workshop leader.

Reviews

[Paul Deveaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about how to critique photographs. Although not as extensive as other works on the subject it presents a sound methodology and vocabulary for talking about images. This is. Of meant to be the only source for photographic criticism but merely one voice that will be a guide on the journey. David talks about lens choice, point of view, light, and moment as elements that convey the photographer's vision. Written in a very approachable style the casual photographer will easily glean a great deal from this book. Conversely those that have been formally trained and more familiar with art history and the elements and principles of design may find it wanting. I for one enjoyed reading David's methodology and find it extremely useful.

[Barbara Lifland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Within the Frame was such a strong book that my expectations were high for this one. First, this book needed far, far better editing. Regarding one photograph he said "there's hardly a horizontal line" and two paragraphs later, he notes, "there are plenty of horizontal lines." While I can certainly see for myself it's an error, paying $45 for a book with as many errors as this one has is simply unacceptable. My frustration peaked at the end. I don't have the patience to go back and quote what he noted was important at the beginning, but in the conclusion he writes that whether something is an element or a decision is 'totally irrelevant." OK, so why did he waste the time with that vehicle to teach and I waste my time trying to understand and incorporate it in working to advance my ability level? That said, I still love his photography and learned from the book. It just won't become a recommendation or a gift from me.

[Natasha VanHeel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book about taking great photos. I think that as a result of reading this book my photos will get better because I will be more mindful of the meaning and story I am trying to express and convey w/my photos as opposed to just shooting something because I think it looks cool. I will pay more attention to the aspects of a scene and how the lighting, lines, POV and balance can help or hurt what I want to say with my pictures. The author and photographer also has many amazing photos that he shares in this book, so along w/getting to read and learn there is also a large variety of photos to enjoy that were taken from around the world. I would recommend to those that have an interest in the art of photography!

[Tevis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Photographically Speaking, written by David duChemin, is a book written toward photographers that focuses on the art behind the camera, not as much on the technique, but on the meaning and philosophy centered on the intent of the person creating the image in the first place.
Photographically Speaking does a great job of appealing to the reader in a way that is interesting but still beneficial as a learning tool. It brings in concepts that photographers of all skill ranges may not always consider.
David duChemin does a great job of balancing on the line between practice and philosophy in Photographically Speaking; focusing less on purely the technique and composition of a photograph, but commenting and speaking about the photographers intent and purpose. Its a refreshing perspective to any photographer that has been so stuck in the design and craft that they have lost the meaning behind their own photographs.
This book is definitely a must read for those who have seen their photos as lackluster or disappointing even after their continuous efforts for a "perfect photo." There are parts of photography that can only be successful if the photographer has a message they are trying to convey, and this book gives everything you need to find what you want to tell people through your photos.
I would recommend this book to any photographer looking to improve their photos, and those who are looking to find the meaning behind everything they do, regardless of whether they shoot professionally, or as a hobbyist. This book can change the way you think about your work in an amazing way. If you would like to pursue other books, duChemin has a series tied with this book, so you can look for Withing The Frame, and Vision & Voice.

[Rajiv Chopra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book, but not for one who is setting out in the world of photography for the first time. Some knowledge of photography is required to understand what he is talking about, else much of what he says will indeed fly over the reader's head.

Having said that, there is good material in the book, to make a person think while taking photographs. Discussions around elements of composition, and thoughts around them are well thought through, and the exercises at the end of the chapters are good

I like that he analyses 20 photographs at the end of the book. This is indeed interesting indeed.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite David duChemin book to date.

The book explains the idea of an image using elements and decisions as a language to visually communicate with the reader (aka viewer) of an image. This was a useful way of explaining the concepts, and finishing off the book with an indepth analysis of 20 of his images helped put these concepts into practice. It helped me understand some of the choices I've had available to me but haven't been consciously making. Hopefully this will help me strengthen my images in future.

Good job David, and it helped reinforce and extend some of the concepts from a recent Bryan Peterson book I'd read.

[Unique KSA · Rating 2 out of 5]

in my opinion, its more suitable for beginners.
I found the information to be very basic.

[Howard Frisk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I have read a zillion books on photography. Most of them dealt with equipment or technique. What I found useful in this book is the author delves into a deeper meaning of photography. The author states that photography is a language, and "greater awareness of the language leads to an expanded and refined ability to use that language to express ourselves." He also says, "Vision isn't the goal. Expression is the goal." I like that way of thinking. Learning how to refine your ability to express yourself through your photographs is the main objective of the book.

The book is more than insightful ideas and compelling imagery, it also includes numerous creative exercises, giving you a chance to exercise your vision and expression.

Overall, this is a very helpful book.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fantastic concepts to think about and put more effort into practicing. I do enjoy the idea of approaching your photography through the same lens of storytelling elements.

I think had I read this and rated it 5-10 years ago my rating would have been much higher. Now I'm further along in my photography life and while I'm certainly no expert, I feel there's only so many times you can read about someone else's approach vs just getting out with your camera and putting in the work.

It's well worth a read and the space on your bookshelf if you are a photographer or visual artist, a good reference to refer back to now and then on your journey, but ultimately if you have been a photographer that has been putting in the work for years you may find it to get a bit repetitious after a while. But there are still some great concepts in the first sections talking about storytelling that are well worth thinking about in your work.

Worth a read but not a favorite. But that may be mostly due to "creativity/photography advice book" fatigue.

[Deigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall I think this book could use some serious editing. If you have read any of his previous books or follow the postings on his blog this book will seem like a repeat. He makes good points that all photographers should keep aware of and then instead of a simple example and a short sentence he goes on and on page after page repeating what he said at the beginning and often times things from a previous example. Very tiresome and it felt like he was padding the writing so he could get a book out of it and charge more. Sorry to be negative because I normally really like the author but this book failed to do much for me.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've read The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman, you will probably not find too much more here that will improve your composition skills. If you only want to read one book on composition I'd go with Freeman's volume.

If you want a general intro to photography plus some composition tips this is an ok book. But for anyone with more working knowledge of photography this book is highly skippable.

[Steve]

I really like this author. This book has some great ideas for how to improve your photos. He talks about having vision and feeling as guides to what you shoot. He also covers techniques that are just right for what I am interested in learning. I renewed it twice until I had to return it to the library.

[Jessica Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really like the book. I scanned and skimmed most of the time as there aren't many useful things for my improvement. Or is it because of my limited ability of understanding of what the author is trying to say?

[Osner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't pay $45 for it because this book is more words than facts. I think it's too fat for teaching you how to speak through a photography and I'm no saying that it doesn't have good points but I think I needs deeper information.

[Irene B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The images presented in this book are useful for stimulating the photographic imagination.

[Charles Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but not great writing is compensated for by the excellent photographic sample and the fact he is writing on a topic that needed this book.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book aesthetically. Instruction was written in a way that was very useful to me (as an amateur photographer).

[Bill Bangham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as good as his previous books, but still a very good read and worth perusing.

[Jaden_J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent. great exercises and fascinating exploration of composition. while this is a text book style read the prose was never boring. tons of example images in full color.