Published: 2012-01-03
Total Pages: 192
Learn to ask better, more helpful questions of your work so that you can create stronger and more powerful photographs.
Photographers often look at an image—one they’ve either already created or are in the process of making—and ask themselves a simple question: “Is this a good photograph?” It’s an understandable question, but it’s really not very helpful. How are you supposed to answer that? What does “good” even mean? Is it the same for everyone?
What if you were equipped to ask better, more constructive questions of your work so that you could think more intentionally and creatively, and in doing so, bring more specific action and vision to the act of creating photographs? What if asking stronger questions allowed you to establish a more effective approach to your image-making? In The Heart of the Photograph: 100 Questions for Making Stronger, More Expressive Photographs, photographer and author David duChemin helps you learn to ask better questions of your work in order to craft more successful photographs—photographs that express and connect, photographs that are strong and, above all, photographs that are truly yours.
From the big-picture questions—What do I want this image to accomplish?—to the more detail-oriented questions that help you get there—What is the light doing? Where do the lines lead? What can I do about it?—David walks you through his thought process so that you can establish your own. Along the way, he discusses the building blocks from which compelling photographs are made, such as gesture, balance, scale, contrast, perspective, story, memory, symbolism, and much more. The Heart of the Photograph is not a theoretical book. It is a practical and useful book that equips you to think more intentionally as a photographer and empowers you to ask more helpful questions of you and your work, so that you can produce images that are not only better than “good,” but as powerful and authentic as you hope them to be.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Better Questions
PART ONE: A GOOD PHOTOGRAPH?
Is It Good?
The Audience's Good
The Photographer's Good
PART TWO: BETTER THAN GOOD
Better Subjects
PART THREE: BETTER EXPRESSION
Exploration and Expression
What Is the Light Doing?
What Does Colour Contribute?
What Role Do the Lines and Shapes Play?
What's Your Point of View?
What Is the Quality of the Moment?
Where Is the Story?
Where Is the Contrast?
What About Balance and Tension?
What Is the Energy?
How Can I Use Space and Scale?
Can I Go Deeper?
What About the Frame?
Do the Elements Repeat?
Harmony
Can I Exclude More?
Where Does the Eye Go?
How Does It Feel?
Where's the Mystery?
Remember When?
Can I Use Symbols?
Am I Being Too Literal?
PART FOUR: BETTER PHOTOGRAPHS
The Heart of the Photograph
Index
Learn to use a one-light approach for recreating the look of beautiful, natural window light for portraiture!
At its best, natural light is magical for portraiture. The quality of natural light streaming through a window can be extraordinary—gorgeous, wrapping light that flatters your subject and can be used to create multiple looks. For years, photographer Sandra Coan exclusively used natural light in her portraiture work. And while the results could be magnificent, she also learned that she could not rely on it to build a business and create consistently great photographs. That’s because natural light is frustratingly unpredictable: sometimes it rains, sometimes the light is too harsh when your clients are available, and sometimes—depending on the time of year—it’s just too dark.
In order to grow her business with dependably great results and a high level of professionalism, Sandra finally decided to tackle artificial light. She spent years honing her ability to use artificial light to recreate the look of beautiful, natural light. And now, with a simple one-light approach, she produces “natural” light whenever and wherever she likes, creating great portraits in any situation, at any time of day or night. It’s an approach that has led to a successful career spanning two decades and a signature look to her work. Here, in Crafting the Natural Light Look, Sandra shares her knowledge and techniques so that you, too, can learn to quickly and dependably create the look of natural light in your own portraiture. Unlike other books that address artificial light, Sandra’s tone is conversational and easygoing, and she does not cover everything there is to know about artificial light. In fact, there are no two- or three-light setups here. Instead, Sandra’s method is straightforward and easily actionable. She covers:
Finally, in a series of case studies, she brings it all together and shares her thought process as she works through a number of real-world portrait shoots from start to finish. If you’re a “natural light photographer” who’s been either struggling with flash or reluctant to learn it at all, Crafting the Natural Light Look is exactly the book you need to improve the quality and consistency of your portraiture.