Having stepped on the brakes of my "learn-by-doing" method, I've been power-housing through a multitude of photography books as quickly as possible. Most recently, I picked up the book 'Composition - From Snapshots to Great Shots', by Laurie Excell, with chapter contributions by various other author/photographers.
Suffice to say this book was an excellent breakdown of the art. Good for both beginners, or 3-year veterans like myself with no book-knowledge about the subject. The first six chapters are written by Excell, and we jump right in with a chapter on equipment & gear. Mainly focused on what she carries and why - the author provides excellent examples of the different lenses and how they work. Included is a full > cropped sensor comparison image for those interested in knowing the difference.
Chapters 2 and 3 focus on the components that make up exposure, which she refers to as an "exposure triangle", and then light itself. Obvious talk of quality and quantity, this chapter is rather straightforward for anyone who has read about light before. Descriptions of the different kinds of light provided by nature are dominant, with excellent examples of each.
Chapters 4 and 5 get into the nitty-gritty of composition - focusing on lines, shapes, patterns, and all of chapter 5 being dedicated to color. These chapters were exactly what I was looking for in a book, and easily convey what draws the eye in a photos. Leading lines, patterns and framing, as well as orientation of the camera are just some of the topics expertly covered in this section.
After a brief chapter on spatial relations including scale, perspective and depth - we begin our guest-author chapters. Covering the topics of B&W, Sports, "Beyond" the rule of thirds and a so-called compositional dance, these chapters really bring the book home. Each author spends a chapter talking about their topic, with excellent storytelling and visual content.
Included at the end of each chapter are exercises to get your mind in place to understand the concepts and hone your technique. Of the ideas, keeping a camera with you from start to finish and detailing your day is one of the projects I think I'll be working on quite soon!
In a nutshell, for anyone interested in learning some of the basics of composing an image, this book is perfect. I felt the book really enforced the idea of "waiting" for that perfect shot. Oh-so-often I find myself yearning to make a photo quickly and expecting it to be the stuff of legends. Just to come home and reveal poorly-timed, shaky, out-of-focus and boring photos.
Added to the collection, this is definitely a book I will be reading again.
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