Product Description

Photography and the Art of Seeing, familiarizes readers with the traditional principles of composition and visual design. However, Patterson provides technique & exercises for breaking with traditional concepts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #551575 in Books
• Published on: 1989-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 156 pages

About the Author

Freeman Patterson began to work in photography in 1965. He co-founded the Namaqualand Photographic Workshops in southern Africa and has given numerous workshops in the United States, Israel, England, New Zealand, and Australia. He has published eleven books and has written for many national magazines. In 2001, Patterson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Nature Photography Association.

Customer Reviews

An excellent source to learn to see again
This is not a basic how-to book for beginning photographers. It doesn't teach you about f-stops, shutter speeds, or the rule of thirds. What it does do is try to teach you new ways of looking at things, and how to actually see what you're looking at.

I've been a photographer for many years, and I found my inspiration and creativity fading. I picked up this book as a reference for a seminar I was giving and fell in love with photography all over again. I feel excited again while I'm taking photos, and I feel that I'm creating art for me, not for others, and I love it.

I highly recommend this book for experienced photographers and beginners alike. Don't buy it for the photography lessons, buy it for the inspiration.

Obviously a master, a philosopher, and...
I expect that many people will want a book that has nice photos and a couple of dozen rules to follow to improve their photos and even to make photography easier. This is *not* such a book.

Instead, Patterson explains many, many visual relationships and perhaps surprises you by writing that by following strict rules of composition you will *not* take better photos. Regardless, he gives you many insights that, with a lot of observation and practice, will lead you in the right direction.

If you are prepared to start a significant journey toward improving your photography, this is a great book. It will help you toward achieving visual harmony in your work. If you want to hear "the rule of thirds" repeated and the merits of hyperfocal distances discussed, something else will suit you much better.

An author comfortable with his subject
This book has given me the opportunity and the means to change a bad habit, and hopefully begin to see without labels. Had a lot of fun studying childrens art, an eye opener.