Wiley Publications Book: Composition Photo Workshop by Blue Fier

Comments about Wiley Publications Book: Composition Photo Workshop:

I have been looking for a book to help me with composition and as the title says, it has really helped me to understand composition. It is wrtiien in down to earth English too. Great book!

Comments about Wiley Publications Book: Composition Photo Workshop:

Today’s digital cameras are programmed so “anyone” can take well exposed pictures of most anything. But “exceptional” photos require good composition – and composition, contrary to what many books seem obsessed with, isn’t just the “rule-of-thirds” and avoiding distracting backgrounds. This book covers much more – with clear explanations and illustrations, and a photo assignment exercise at the end of each chapter to actually train that brain – with a website to post the results. Ever wondered why you like some photos so much more than others? Just the insights into how light and different colors affect balance and mood explain a lot.
Topics beyond the usuals of subject placement and leading lines and framing include: perspective and how our eyes see; depth of field and how to control it with focal length, F-stop and ISO and why; shutter speed - to stop motion or blur and when; light – quality vs. time of day and direction and intensity; color – its science and control and balance; black and white; portraits – framing and posing; and improving travel, still-life and macro photography.
All topics are so clearly explained and illustrated that the brain behind the camera, if willing, can be trained to make a difference.

Comments about Wiley Publications Book: Composition Photo Workshop:

Three GREAT reasons to buy this book!, July 19, 2008
By S. Marrugi "Digital Fanatic" (Surprise, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews


I was quite impressed with this book. I've been very actively taking digital photos for 4 years now and am reaching for the intermediate level of proficiency. The first reason I would recommend this book is that it went far beyond the "Rule of Thirds" and leading lines on into color, framing, lighting, placement, etc., etc. There's a wealth of good information and ideas supported by beautifully composed photo examples. Secondly,staying in keeping with the "Workshop" portion of the book's title, at the end of every chapter is an assignment the reader can embark on to REALLY learn what he/she has just read. The assignments are highly creative and fun. And finally, taking this learning experience yet one step further, the reader is directed to send the results of the assignments to a website where other readers are sharing as well. A great deal can be learned from looking at their submissions and reading reviews. I also discovered other links in this website that take you into a very exciting world of sharing and learning more about digital photography. This book is a keeper!

Comments about Wiley Publications Book: Composition Photo Workshop:

This is a wonderful book that will give you a wealth of knowledge on composing your photographs. The author goes over tons of ways to set your pictures up.

I really enjoyed the chapter on color. The author teaches you how to use color to compose your photograph. I loved this chapter!

I also liked the chapter on shutter speeds. Using different shutter speeds to compose your image can really make it pop!

The chapter on composing portraits was helpful, too. Portraits can be a lot of fun to take, but if they're not composed right, they can fall flat. Blue Fier tells you how to make sure they're all just right.

I thought including a chapter on how to improve your images after you take them was a good idea, too. I know I'll be using those suggestions!

All in all, this was an extremely helpful book that I would recommend to anyone and everyone!

Comments about Wiley Publications Book: Composition Photo Workshop:

As an online photography instructor at The Academy of Art University, I am often looking for resources to help my students with their understanding of photography and its concepts. Blue Fier's book on composition is exactly this kind of book. The book contains comprehensive chapters on all aspects of photography with in depth explanations and examples for each section. I highly recommend this book for my students and for all levels of photo enthusiasts.

Comments about Wiley Publications Book: Composition Photo Workshop:

Even after reading this book in a linear fashion, you will come back to it often, pick it up in the middle, flip pages at random, use it for reference and to solve problems, or look at the photographs. It just gets more valuable to anyone interested in photography; pros and students alike. Blue Fier's book is practical and ethereal at the same time -- kind of like Zen and the art of composition.

Comments about Wiley Publications Book: Composition Photo Workshop:

I teach photography at the college level and this is the first book on composition that I feel I can recommend to all my students, whether advanced or beginners. The information is concise and the examples are dead on. This book is written as if you and the author are just a couple of friends out on a shoot together. He doesn't hold anything back. But, the best part is the "assignments" which answer the age old question, "what do I shoot next". Something all photographers need answered. This is a book you can go back to over and over and it will still seem fresh.