Photographically Speaking: A Deeper Look at Creating Stronger Images [Paperback]

This is the fourth book of David's that I have purchased (not counting his ebooks over at craft and vision), and it is probably my favorite. I have been teaching an intro to photography course using his within the frame book, but next time I teach this class, I'll be using this book instead. It does a great job of focusing on a something that matters more than f/stops and shutter speeds---the vision of the artist and the grammar to talk about it with others.

On of my biggest frustrations as a photographer when talking to others about their work is how little they are able to discuss why they like certain photographs and what it is about those photos that make them unique to their vision. With so many people creating and showing great images, it is not enough to just be a good photographer. You have to be a creative photographer whose work stands out as different from others. I have found that to understand how your work is different and what your sense of aesthetics are requires a vocabulary/grammar to discuss the work so that you can continue to push those elements in your work that are unique to your vision.

David does a good job in this book by helping the visual artist begin this process. The book starts with some background on how David came to this book and what to expect. He spends some time discussing vision and intention in photography; and how vision is often times lost in conversations of gear, technique and tangible skills. In these early pages, much of the conversation is about the nature and intention required in the building of a "good photograph"

The second part of the book looks at two critical components of a photograph. The first is the elements within the image and their impact on the viewer. Elements such as lines, color, repetition and light are discussed in-depth as a language to discuss images rather than as a set of rules that need to be followed to create a good image. The second component is the decisions that are made when the camera is pointed at the subject and the shutter clicks. From lens choice, focus points, to framing and exposure; all these critical decisions are often made very quickly with little thought while shooting. David provides a chance to look at the impact of these decisions, and how we can use our awareness of these components to make more interesting photos.

The third part of the book is a collection of David's images where he spends a lot of time looking at the application of the conversations in the earlier chapters of the book. We get to look at not only a variety of photographs and subjects, but also exactly how David uses these concepts in the creation and post-production of his own images. I found David's openness and honesty refreshing. He is willing to talk about what worked and didn't work for him and things he might change in the future. Having 20 examples of David's work builds a great foundation to start with before taking on your own work.

As I said, I am a fan of David's work; and I think he has an amazing gift to write so that you feel as if you are talking over a cup of coffee. He finds a way to make the conversation seem to be both educational and conversational at the same time. I have found him to be great mentor over the years and look forward to continuing to use his guidance to improve my own art for many more years.

Anyone who has read David duChemin's other books will know why I regard him as a thoughtful photographer. In this book he returns to the starting place, discussing composition.

The beginning of the book talks about photography as a means of communication of the photographer's vision, and defines a few concepts that the author uses throughout the remainder of the book, particularly "Message, Elements and Decisions". The selection of an Element or Decision should enhance the Message. Next he discusses what he calls Elements, like line, light and moment. For Decisions he considers topics like framing, placement and exposure. Finally he presents twenty of his own photographs, explaining how the Elements and Decisions explicate the Message.

Early in the book the author discusses photographers who say they don't need to understand what he means by Message, Elements and Decisions because they say they shoot intuitively. DuChemin charitably suggests that the best of these have probably internalized those elements. The remainder are probably just lazy photographers who would probably most benefit from duChemin's analysis but are those most unlikely to try to understand it. (This harsh conclusion is mine, not duChemin's.)

This is an excellent book and the author's analysis of his photographs will prove useful to readers in trying to internalize the concepts of Message, Elements and Decisions. Sometimes I disagreed with the author's conclusion that a particular technique had enhanced the meaning of an image, but even in those cases, I believed the examination of the technique would ultimately improve my own photography.

The concepts presented are not new and have been presented in many other photography books. In fact as I read, I wondered why he had not stuck to the traditional terms of description and analysis of the arts, like form and content, or technique and product. Although the author does not explain the advantage of a new taxonomy, he obviously feels that it will help the reader to get a better grasp on the underlying concepts. I'm not certain that it does, but on the other hand, it certainly is no worse than the more traditional form. In any event, my own belief is that multiple approaches to concepts help us to get a better grasp, and reading duChemin can only help, even if you are an experienced photographer.

It seems to me that the author's earlier works, like "Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision" served to develop concepts that had not been emphasized enough to photographers. This book covers ground that studious photographers will be familiar with, but the path may be more attractive.

David DuChemin doesn't write about photography so much as he does the philosophy, the soul, the love, and the power of photography. His commitment isn't to the mechanics of the craft so much as it is to the link between photography and its impact on the world. All of David's books are inspiring and powerful, but this one goes to another level. Reading the book is like having a conversation with the author, a conversation that leads the reader to a new level of thinking about what it means to be a photographer. As someone who travels to 70 countries every year, I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. Run, don't walk, to buy it. You will NOT be disappointed.