Tag Archives: David DuChemin

Visual toolbox for photographers

Sharpen up your creative photography…

It’s easy when starting photography to over emphasis the importance of gear. In fact it’s ‘photographers eye’ that really makes the difference. Your vision and insight into a scene are critical to producing a wonderful image.

Sage advice from a world master

The Visual Tool Box by David duChemin is all about the skills of composition. He goes into depth around the background ideas which help you look at a scene. The ultimate success in photography is to make your image a pleasure to view. Aesthetics rule – it’s as simple as that. This book is dedicated to teaching you the tools you need to develop the ‘eye’.

David duChemin says,

These are the lessons I wish I’d learned when I was starting out.
The Visual Tool Box by David duChemin

This is my kind of book. He writes superbly, in simple, readable form. His examples are excellent and the pictures are just amazing. But most of all the book is organised for learners to extend their knowledge in easy, well structured steps. This book is all about putting new tools in your photographic tool box and it achieves that with an ease that any beginner will find a joy.

Composition

The book is packed with examples of the sort of compositional ideas that really work – for anyone. Just look at some of the topics covered…

  • Manual
  • Optimize Your Exposures
  • Master the Triangle
  • Slower Shutter Speed
  • Learn to Pan
  • Use Intentional Camera Movement
  • Use Wide Lenses to Create a Sense of Inclusion
  • Learn to Isolate
  • Use Tighter Apertures to Deepen Focus
  • Use Bokeh to Abstract
  • Consider Your Colour Palette
  • Lines: Use Diagonals to Create Energy
  • Lines: Patterns, Lead my Eye, Horizons
  • See the Direction of Light
  • Light: Front Light, Side Light, and Back Light
  • Quality of Light: Further Consideration
  • White Balance for Mood
  • Light: Reflections, Shadow, Silhouettes, Lens Flare
  • People
  • Experiment with Balance and Tension
  • Use Your Negative Space
  • Juxtapositions: Find Conceptual Contrasts
  • Orientation of Frame
  • Choose Your Aspect Ratio
  • Use Scale
  • Simplify
  • Shoot from the Heart
  • Listen to Other Voices (Very Carefully)

And there is plenty more content to complement and extends these ideas. What’s not shown in a list is the excellent and sage advice throughout the book. I will let David duChemin have the last word…

Pace your-self. Anyone can master a camera; that just comes with time. It’s the other stuff — learning to think like a photographer — that takes so much work and allows this craft to become the means by which you create art.
The Visual Tool Box by David duChemin

And it is thinking like a photographer that you will quickly learn from reading this book.

How to buy this great book

This book was originally published as an ebook. However, it is no longer available in that form. The book has moved into the real world. It will be available on Amazon as a Paperback From 31 Mar 2015.
The Visual Toolbox: 60 Lessons for Stronger Photographs (Voices That Matter)You can per-order the book from Amazon.

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Damon Guy - Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photographer and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photogs.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.
By Damon Guy see his profile on Google+.

Two great gift ideas for photographers

Christmas Bonanza

Gift Bonanza


 

Love and friendship is about giving!

The lead up to any major festival is always a bit frenetic. So you can use these ideas to take the pressure off. See what you think. I can recommend these things from my own personal use. I think you will find they will make great gifts.

 

 

 

 

Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision (Voices That Matter)
David DuChemin is not only a great photographer he is also a visionary. In this book he speaks about his vision and how it relates to his photography. It is much more than a personal journey however.

DuChemin is a talented and sensitive photographer who has a compelling vision passionately expressed in every photograph. His book is aimed at helping the reader to understand what photographic vision is and how it relates to the photograph. He looks carefully at the way each of his images is created and provides some excellent photographic tips and his professional advice too.

The essence of the book is aimed at helping the reader get past the purely technical aspects of photography. His main point is that any photographer can learn to visualise great images and then go on to create them. DuChemin is giving away a gift in this book – how to see your photograph with a passion and create it with a passion and vision of your own.

The book is a pleasure to read and is filled with many of his wonderful images. His emphasis on street and travel photography makes the book all the more colourful. The current interest in street photography also helps make the book a relevant buy.

The book was published in 2009 and it has already become a classic. He has written a number of other books which follow on from this one. All are worth reading. The book provides a great grounding for beginner and expert alike. Great tips, great photographs and wonderful insights make this book the perfect gift for a photographer. Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision (Voices That Matter)

Rogue large Flashbender
I just love this great flash diffuser. If you have an off-camera flash this is the best. It is the most adaptable diffuser I have ever used. You attach it to the flash with a wrap around grip. The big diffuser stands up above the lens of the flash.

The white fabric diffusion surface is used to reflect the light where you want it to go. It is really controllable. The fabric is reinforced with very versatile but highly bendable backbones. These can be bent to give any shape of deflection so you can point your diffused light almost anywhere. It will allow you to point the deflection up, down or to either side. More to the point you can control the light intensity because you can wrap the sides in a bit to control how much light can get out of the gap. You can even roll it up and make it a snoot, a really directional focus for your flash.

While this diffuser is only of use for off-camera flash, it is very simple to use. It is a great way to prevent those nasty highlights that spoil flash shots. It is also a daylight matched colour so the diffused light will not have any colour cast.

I have used this in many different types of portrait and group shots. I have also used it in studio and still life situations. The material is very robust and resistant to damage. The white diffusion surface can be wiped clean and is very durable too. The whole thing is extremely light and I keep it rolled up in my camera bag ready for any time I need it. I would not be without this diffuser now. Another great gift for a photographer. Rogue large Flashbender

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy - Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photog and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photographers.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.