Mastering Photographic Composition, Creativity, and Personal Style

I bought this book to add to my collection of books that offer bothoutstanding images and a variety of interesting insights by the photographer -and perhaps for more inspiration to go out and create more images.As a person with a lifelong passion to create compelling images Iam interested in hearing the motivations & operating philosophiesof other photographers and artists.I'm pleased to report that Briot delivers great images and some insights into his ownperceptions and style. I feel that sometimes he stretches a bit to try to capture in wordswhat he "states" quite convincinly with great images, but most photographers do that.Check out the Edward Weston "Daybooks" -- which I think are some of the bestworks related to this field. Photographers like to poke around in the ditch of meaning - not often adding much if anything to the greater impact of the image itself...but it's a pleasant exercise thatreminds me of discusing golf over a beer on the 19th hole. It adds nothing to the game itself, but there's plenty of pleasure in the analysis and it pumps up the urge to go out and play the game some more.It's well worth the cost.

Alain, if your reading this review, I am going to start with what dosnt work first. Your writing style has WAY too much filler. You seem to write 2 pages of text to get an idea across when one paragraph should suffice.Have you ever watched the movie "A River Runs Through It"? The part where the young son submits his paper to his father, who edits it and hands it back to him saying "Again, Half as long".This would be the only area I would reccomend improvment.As for the information contained, very through, an while wordy, very well explained.I think any person looking to dive seriously into their landscape work could benifit in reading the concepts in this book.Definitly worth the price of admission.Roman Johnston

It's too bad that the editing is substandard for this title. Missing phrases, mislabeled illustrations and even missing illustrations make it difficult to follow at times. The writing is awkward at times as well. All that being said, it's worth the slog if you are looking for some serious inspiration and insight into creative photography.Briot may not be the best of writers, but his understanding of creative processes and style development are excellent. The reader who toughs it out will be well-rewarded for the effort. When you are ready to move beyond the basics of composition and into the ether of developing your own personal style, this book is ready to serve as as a guide. Recommended for mature audiences (those who can get beyond being judgmental).

You won't be disappointed! This book is the best "how-to" book I've read in over 30 years of doing landscape photography.Each chapter gets you to thinking about what you are doing out there and why you are doing it. The book clears up a bunch of false and erroneous data that most photographers have heard or experienced. In it's place Mr. Briot gives the correct data based on his many years of experience. He writes about things that WORK! Most of the chapters in the book end with a "skills enhancement exercise" that give the reader practice in what he has just learned.This book is for the novice, advanced amateur and professional photographer. His other two books, "Mastering Landscape Photography" and "Marketing Fine Art Photography" are gems in their own right.Save yourself time and money by getting Mr. Briot's books. You may never need to buy another photographic "how-to" book again.

As a professional photographer and a relatively new Digital Photography Faculty member in a private high school, I found "Mastering Photographic Composition, Creativity, and Personal Style" to be incredibly insightful and helpful. The author does a FABULOUS job of providing a wealth of technical information...WITHOUT sounding 'techie'. The emphasis on developing one's own personal style, based upon inner vision I found to be both edifying and inspiring! As a combat Chaplain in IRAQ, we knew the importance of having a Pre-combat Inventory (PCI), and a Pre-combat Checklist (PCC). Author Dr. Alain Briot does a brilliant job of providing both for his readers! The rockynook publishers continue to attract first rate authors and provide a tremendous resource for both professional and aspiring photographers. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading each book from cover to cover, before attempting to pass on some of those insights to students in my digital photography classes.

Not a terrible book, but it starts with the author's rant about why he gets pissed when people tell him that his great photographs are because he uses great camera equipment. More stream of consciousness than is needed.Since the book is not about "rules" of composition, but more about developing a creative style, it is understood that it is more subjective than objective in tone. But there is a time to draw the line ...The book could have spent more time with an editor. Typos abound.

This is a great book. It's 350 pages, but I read it in a weekend. The subjects range from the artistic to the technical and is jammed packed with good stuff. He talks about things I never even thought about when it comes to landscape photography. I would highly recommend this book to everyone interested in photography. I have read quite a number of photography books and this is by far the best one I have read (so much so that emailed him a Thank You). Check it out you won't be sorry.

Rocky Nook produce high quality books and this is beautifully printed with excellent illustrations. There's a lot here and it's good value. While Alain Briot is a landscape photographer living in the American West - and all the photographs are from his own backyard - his reflections on issues like photographic vision and personal style are relevant to any photographer in any genre - I'm a documentary and street photographer but found much of interest here. The book combines philosophical musings, practical advice on looking, seeing, taking, processing, marketing etc - it adds up to an extensive insight into the mind and working methods of an accomplished and passionate photographer. It is certainly a bit rambling as other reviewers point out but the author has a clear written style and the different chapters are extremely well laid out and split into small sections to enable the reader to read the book in bit-sized 'chunks'. I found myself returning to little sections of the book to read them again and again. Although there is little here that I haven't read elsewhere, the author often says things in memorable phrases that stick - for example, his explanation/definition of photographic vision is excellent.The central idea running through the book is that of developing a personal style - why it is important, what it means, how the author has developed his own style, how readers might go about developing theirs. The extent to which Alain Briot himself has a distinctive personal approach might be questioned by many as his images look pretty much the same as the multitude of photographers who have 'worked' Briot's territory and the vast majority of his advice and observations - wise as it is - hardly breaks new ground. As someone who makes his living selling prints and running workshops an element of self- promotion can be understood and I suspect that he is an engaging and inspiring workshop leader.

This is a generous book which will repay careful reading. It is neither repetitive nor rambling. It is coherent, detailed and well structured. The author puts himself in the place of his students and takes them imperceptibly from basic photographic concepts that need to be internalised as second nature through to a deceptively simple exposition of what in the hands of a lesser writer are difficult ideas. This is a hard thing to do and I doubt whether any one paying attention will get left behind. Mr Briot is a rare teacher. This book should be read as much for the philosophy it contains as for its practical advice on how to get better photographic results. It is not often that a second volume from a master builds upon the first - but this does brilliantly.

It has helped me no end

The other reviews are correct, this is a book with a great many words. It's also a book with a great many pages. If you're looking for instant gratification, this is not the book for you.I like to think of this book as a rambling fireside chat with an old master. If you have some time on your hands you can get some first class advice, presented with good humour and in a conversational writing style. Like many old masters, Alain Briot can tend to go on a bit, but I find that this adds to the charm.His chapters on developing vision and personal style are particularly good for people who, like me, enjoy to reflecting on the nature of their art/hobby as well as just practising it.A perfect book for the landscape photographer to take on holiday for relaxed reading during the day as you wait for the morning's "golden light" to turn into the evening's sunset.

da considerare che la qualità delle immagini in questa edizione non è buonail testo è probabilmente lo stesso dell'edizione originale