Description
Price: $24.95 - $22.32
(as of Mar 14, 2025 15:38:05 UTC – Details)
“Patterson’s superb color shots, as well as his explanation of his unique approach to picture-taking, are sure to inspire you to explore fresh avenues in your own photography.”
— The Globe and Mail
The second book in Freeman Patterson’s internationally acclaimed series of instructional books on photography and visual design, Photography and the Art of Seeing has now been updated and expanded to include technical guidelines adapted for both digital and film photographers. The jargon-free text provides techniques and innovative exercises for breaking with traditional concepts of design, enabling the photographer to develop a keen awareness of subject matter and a direction for composing the picture.
Photography and the Art of Seeing also offers a workshop for all visual artists that includes lessons on the fundamentals of perception and overcoming obstacles in their work.
This edition features several never-before-published photographs from Freeman Patterson’s personal collection and extended captions that include valuable technical information and personal commentary.
Publisher : Firefly Books; Fourth edition (October 27, 2011)
Language : English
Paperback : 156 pages
ISBN-10 : 1554079802
ISBN-13 : 978-1554079803
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 8.25 x 0.44 x 8.25 inches
Customers say
Customers find this book provides practical techniques to improve creativity and expand their photographic eye. They say it helps them improve the way images are captured and frees them from the rules of photography. The book is well-written and easy to read, providing good ideas quickly.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
RF –
Best edition yet!
I prefer this 4th edition over the 1st edition, which I bought some years ago, and which set me on a course not only of making pictures but also of enlarging my world and calming my soul. I know that attribution of so many lessons to one book is quite generous,yet it is a remarkable book.PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE ART OF SEEING remains, in my experience, the book most worthwhile for anyone who wants to appreciate the world and his or her place in it. It is a wonderful book about perception and creativity, cooperative study, and learning. It is effective because it is clear and its discussion is simple without being simplistic. It offers effectively organized activities to help improve various aspects of seeing, and incidentally, to help one understand the aesthetics of imagery, description, and photography.This edition really has been revised so that people who are picking up a DSLR, but have not used a film SLR, can benefit from it. Such was really not true of the first and second editions of the book, since Freeman Patterson photographed with film long before changing to digital. (I admit that I appreciated his books at first because of my heritage as a film photographer.) In revising PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE ART OF SEEING, Mr. Patterson has widely avoided discussion of technology. Rather, he has dealt with the philosophy, psychology, activity of creative image-making. As a result, one can use the book’s exercises whether one works with digital or film media.As a bonus, one gets Mr. Patterson’s genial prose and some of his wonderful photographs. He seems to be a kind artist, and that is a real compliment, I believe.
GMAB –
Very insightful book for the photographer that wants to truly improve
This book is about practical techniques to improve your creativity by allowing yourself to actually see what is in front of you.It is about the very essence of the creativity that many of us have but relatively few actually free up and use.
Read&Sell –
Mint condition. early arrival.
5 pages in to “Photography and the Art of Seeing”, I can tell this book will change how I take pictures.
Susan P. –
True to the title
I enjoyed the author’s approach, zeroing in on the side of photography that is often ignored in favor of the technical aspects. I felt that the photographs themselves could have been better chosen to demonstrate a wider range of approaches. Overall, though, an excellent and useful book.
Ted –
With every book he rights, Freeman Patterson sets the bar higher and higher, but always gives the tools to follow him.
I’ve been reading Freeman’s books for decades and have learned a great deal and been inspired to follow my dream further with every book. This book is simply ‘a must read’ book for any photographer who wants to do more than documentary work. While this is an easy read in the sense of language used, it is very challenging. You can read it quickly and get lots of good ideas and move on or you can read it carefully, study and practice what Freeman is giving us, and become much more adept at engaging your audience.
Eugene –
Invaluable resource!
I’d always been looking for a photography book that teaches the core principles of visualising in photography. This book does that really well! Even my cousin who is a professional photographer said the book was well worth reading. It tries to lead the reader to think about non-technical aspects of photography. The book is divided into 3 main sections: 1) observation, 2)imagination and 3)expression. Patterson talks about these key topics in detail, and gives simple exercises to lead the reader to follow his train of thought. Essentially, the book teaches us to let go of ourselves, and think out of the ‘box’ that we have set for ourselves, with regards to the subject of photography.
Tolstoy –
its ok
its ok
R. Robillard –
A Real Difference Maker!
It’s as if Patterson wrote this book with me in mind. I’m a whiz when it comes to understanding technical things and probably know as much about how to work a camera as anyone but when it came to “seeing” the shot it just wasn’t there for me. So armed with expensive gear and knowing how to use it I was able to take what amounted to pretty snap shots. This book has started me down the path of seeing and feeling the shot and the results are already evident. My images already get more likes and thumbs up than ever before. I shoot fewer shots but have more keepers and my confidence is growing.To anyone considering this book I say buy it, read it and do the exercises he recommends. It’s a real difference maker!
Sandra –
Great book with some interesting tips as to how to take photos creatively and to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary!
Elaine –
I would thoroughly recommend this book. It is full of useful and unusual information and interesting photos. well worth while buying
Souvik –
For a passionate learner of photography nothing can be better than this book! A must must must buy for learner as well as advanced photographers.
Cari Hislop –
I bought this as a Christmas gift. The photographs are gorgeous and there’s lots of good photography ideas. As the title states; it’s about learning to perceive the photos we might otherwise be missing. My husband loved it and I enjoyed it too.
Deepak Kumar –
This book by Freeman Petterson is all about art of seeing then photography.There are many greats gems in this book but you really have to work hard toget those. I have been trying to understand the concept in this book and butit is a difficult read. You really need to concentrate your 100% for understandingand imbibe its idea. You must be really motivated to learn something out of it,only then it can change the way you see and shoot.