Designing a Photograph

by Bill Smith

Book Overview

New edition! Filled with real-life examples and hands on exercises, this photographer's bible demonstrates composition, colour, lighting, perspective and more. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0817437762
• ISBN13: 9780817437763
• Release Date: April 1985
• Publisher: Amphoto Books
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.3" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Learn How To See a Photograph!

Designing a Photograph isn't going to spoon feed you information and teach you technical skills. The emphasis of the book is to teach you how to see when you're photographing. The idea is to explain the different aspects of a photograph to you, visually show you with an example, and then have you explore using a "visual exercise" (a shooting assignment). One previous reviewer was unsatisfied with the book, claiming "We apparently must figure out the results for ourselves." Well that is the whole idea of the book. You will never learn how if someone always tells you what to do and you never learn the process. As a photographer myself who has worked for other photographers, I learned much by listening to their advice and watching how they worked. I truly learned by using what I heard and saw and keeping that it mind while I was shooting on my own.For those interested in photography, the Applied Design section gives you a glimpse of what's involved in being a professional photographer. When you work in photography for a living, not everything you shoot is what you would choose to shoot for yourself. Many of the photographs are from jobs, especially in this section. They are there to illustrate a point. If you find them boring, I suggest you avoid photography as a career because you would most likely not enjoy it. It's not all as glamourous as most people believe. In short, if you are looking for a book to give you rules to follow like a Kodak guide to taking better pictures, this is not for you. It is not a technical guide that will teach you how to operate your camera. There are plenty of books out there to do that. The focus of this book is to teach you the process of designing a photograph and to learn to see on your own.

LESSONS FROM A REAL PRO--From Newark Star-Ledger 5/1/01

When you shoot a photograph, whether it be a person, still life or scenic, what goes through your mind? How much thought do you give to the process of creating the image before pressing the shutter?These questions occured to Bill Smith of Freehold, a commercial photographer who realized that some people don't give these aspects of creativity much thought. His book, "Designing a Photograph: Visual Techniques for Making Your Photographs Work," was created to impart the experience gathered as a working professional, presenting the neophyte with some common-sense advice garnered from trial and error.Smith's 1985 work has just been re-issued in a revised editiion, updated to include changes in technology that have occured in the last 16 years, as well as more photographs by the author.Smith said he tackled the project because he felt there was a void in the market for books that can explain the process of designing photographs "in a way which is not only palatable but digestible."The book is peppered with small text boxes that feature "assignments" for the reader to try in an effort to develop a more studied eye. "All those assignments are what a photographer does unconsciously anyway, but unless you really have an awareness of what you do when you shoot, you don't necessarily think about it. I'm sure when you're taking a picture, you don't think, 'Well, maybe I should move in a little closer' or 'Maybe I should change my camera angle,' you just do it," he said.

One of the best!

As a consultant to professional photographers I highly recommend Designing a Photograph. Bill Smith speaks clearly to all of the different options that photographers have when creating an image.All too often, amateur and pros alike will click the shutter before a unique perspective is in their viewfinder.Smith encourages all lensfolk to develop their vision and he gives real life examples of how to improve your images. Illustrated with beautiful images that are direct examples of the text, this book is a must have for any serious amateur or pro.Selina Oppenheim

Completely revised edition of the best-selling classic

During the 15 years since the first edition of Designing a Photograph was published, the field of photography has become more competitive, with much more sophisticated standards.This revised and updated edition of the classic manual provides all the information photographers need to bring their art to the next level. Filled with practical, real-life examples and excellent step-by-step exercises, this valuable illustrated reference demonstrates techniques of composition, color, lighting, perspective, and much more.With completely updated information and more than 150 brand-new photographs, Desiging a Photograph is easily one of the most important additions to every photographer's library.The perfect resource for amateurs, students, and professional photographers, Desiging a Photograph is filled with outstanding step-by-step illustrations and clear, informative text.

Insights to the design process

Too many photography books consist of the photographer spouting off about what lens was used and how they lucked out on being in the right place at the right time.This book is different. The author walks through the design process, talking about what to think about and how it applied to a particular shot. What is even better is he isn't afraid to show the shots that almost work but don't quite. You can see the results of several attempts and make up your mind for yourself as to whether the shot he likes best is the same one you'd pick.Very thought provocative with lots of self assignments to help you try out the concepts.