Well the truth is, I think I may have mastered the theory…just not its application. For those of you who were kind enough to read my previous posts on the outcome of my review with Ami Vitale, you could say I have mastered the science of panning, just not the art. But since photogrpahy is all about applying the science to create the art, I thought I would continue my trend of sharing the nuggets of advice that I am given as I journey to become a more competent photographer, but also in the hope that it might prove useful information for you and others.

When I was doing some research online, I found lots of information about the basics of panning spread over a wide range of sources, but no concise or easily digestible set of tips – no “a-ha” ideas that would be some secret sauce to successful panning. In fact the most useful tip I got was not from the web at all, but from Matt Brandon (aka The Digital Trekker), who was humble enough to admit that it was Gavin Gough whom had given him the idea!

So as I researched, I jotted down a quick checklist to help improve my chances, because the one thing that all the different sources agreed on was that getting panning right was definitely an art and required lots of practice. So here is the list I collated, pompously entitled “10 tips for mastering panning”, in the vein hope that it might help with my SEO ranking!

1. Go on a 1 day workshop with “Mr Panning”, Gavin Gough. Okay so not all of us can get to Bangkok in the next few months to be able to make this happen, but I did run my checklist by Gavin, and with his blessing, I have included much of his wisdom in this post.
2. Camera Setting: Set the camera to shutter priority mode: TV mode (Canon) or S (Nikon).
3. Shutter Speed: Use the following starting shutter speeds as a guide for different types of panning:

People running – about 1/15th sec.
People walking – about 1/8th sec (NB watch out for increased camera shake!)
Horses/donkey/animals/bicycles etc about 1/15th sec -1/25th sec depending on speed
Motorbikes/Tuk-Tuks/Scooters/Camels about 1/30th sec

4. Drive Mode: Set to multiple exposure if you have it (like a motor-wind). This will allow you to not “lock-up” at the critical moment of pressing the shutter, although you will end up with 20-30 frames – which if you are anything like me, you then can delete about 20-30 of them immediately – but it will increase your chances of getting a great shot especially early on in your panning experience.
5. Stance: This was the tip that Matt Brandon/Gavin Gough shared. Stand at 90 degrees to the line the subject will travel along, with your feet firm. Then rotate your upper body around to where the subject will start from. It feels a little awkward, but as you pan with the subject, so the arc of travel is smooth all the way through the panning, without an awkward twist midway through.
6. Composition: The subject can either be in the centre of frame , although off-centre can work just as well with panning, but then you need to adjust the focusing point to ensure that it’s going to fall over the subject as you’re panning. So move it to the left or the right of the frame, depending on where you think the subject will be. It’s often easier to get the subject in the centre though.
7. Background selection. Choose an interesting background with good colors that will create a nice blurred effect in te final image to help re-inforce the motion in your shot. If you look at my two camel pictures, the image with the red truck is more interesting, but unfortunately the focus is not as good as the second image.
8. Exposure: If you’re shooting against a pre-defined background with consistent lighting then switch to Manual and get the exposure correct by just pointing the camera at the scene where you want to catch the panned object and taking a meter reading. Take a frame, check histogram and adjust manual exposure. Otherwise adjust your exposure as normal after taking some test shots.
9 Focus. If you set the exposure manually, pre-focus and switch to manual focus then all you have to worry about is getting the person/camel/scooter in the frame. Otherwise use the AI servo mode on Canon or the continuous servo AF on a Nikon.
10.Dry Run. Do a couple of dry runs without actually taking a shot. Gavin told me that  ”It’s that “click” that makes people stop moving the camera. Think back to cricket nets, golf driving-range or tennis coaching, it’s all in the follow-through.” This is where the stance and the drive mode can really help, as you can swing through in a smooth arc and not worry about judging the critical moment.

The other piece of wisdom which you will recognise as soon as you go and try is that panning is REALLY HARD! So it does require lots and lots of practise.

So how did I get on?

Well you can see from the images included in this post that I had mixed results. Whilst sometimes I got my panning or my shutter speed right, I then forgot about my composition! The subject is either too early in the frame, there are other distracting elements or the background does not really work or I needed to crop more tightly to get a sense of more involvement.

I did learn that camels bob up and down as they run forwards, which make great panning shots almost impossible as you have two axis of motion to contend with! Secondly the faster a subject is moving (and I am not suggesting that Formula 1 racing cars are therefore the easiest thing to shoot!), the smoother my panning was. For example, the motorbike shots seem to be consistently better in terms of focus and panning effect, whereas the one of the camel herder running is less compelling as there is some camera shake involved too. Whilst the red truck in the second shot of the camel make a much more dynamic picture, the people in the foreground left distract and the camel needs sharper focus. In the first camel picture the sense of motion is there, but now the background is wrong and perhaps the point of focus should have been more on the camel rider rather than the camel.

Ho hum! It’s all part of the learning experience.

The best outcome  though of this was that my confidence increased enormously.  If ever you needed proof that obsessing about technique does not lead to great photographs then my morning session doing panning is living proof! Whilst understanding the “science” or theory helped to ensure the “mystique” of great panning was removed, it reinforced the realization that to get really good at this was going to require practice. A lot of practice!

If you haven’t read the others, please do check out: Slowing down with Ami Vitale, Being there with Ami Vitale and The science and art of photography with Ami Vitale. I have tried to keep the feedback pertinent to anyone interested in photography, rather than a personal soapbox for my meager talents!

This last post is the advice I received about how to make my images – predominately travel reportage – more compelling, by recognizing my strengths and using them to differentiate my work. I am going to jump right in and share two final images that Ami and I discussed during the review and use them to illustrate the advice she gave me.

The first is the Man in the Barbershop. If you have read the 3 previous posts then this image was one of the rare occasions where I had managed to combine these 3 concepts – albeit unknowingly! But the result is pleasing. Of all the images, this was the one that Ami got really excited about, because she immediately saw a story being told. As a picture it was well composed, well lit, but the subject matter is unusual and also lighthearted so grabs your attention. It is a compelling image because it has highlighted the unusual in the usual. It has presented a different side to Cairo than seen by most tourists. It has also played to my strengths (Ami’s perspective, not mine!) of looking for light and strong composition, getting in close, forming a relationship with the subject all of which allows a more personal dimension to be shown in the final image.

It is not unique a situation – you will find other barber shops in other parts of the world where a similar story can be told. But it works because it has the marriage of the science and art of photography. It works because there is a mixture of observation and communication and lastly it  is an image that stands alone, but also could be part of a wider story and encourages you to find out about more of that story.

In fact we talked about this image quite a lot in the review, and ended up agreeing that I should look at the whole subject of how traditional barber shops play a role in Egyptian community life as a photo essay project. Oddly for a culture so masculine and traditional, there is an interesting bridge to the more “metro-sexual” western world where this sort of male grooming is seen as a modern phenomenon, yet here we have proof that it is part of a traditional culture.

This success in creating this compelling image is in contrast to the second image – Shepherd in Sakara. This was – is – one of my favorite images because it represents Egyptian daily life to me and the combination of light, subject matter and composition give it an almost biblical quality. I had deliberately shot these shepherds heading home at the end of the day, knowing that the sun would be low, the dust cloud prominent and by shooting the subjects going away from me, I though this re-enforced the story of the end of the day.

Ami’s perspective was different, and surprised me a little. Whilst she acknowledged the great light, and understood the composition, she felt the image could have been better. As a travel image it was not iconic because it was not complete – it didn’t provide the viewer with a complete story. You are left with questions, rather than insight. Travel photography she reminded me is not about the location, but in seeing whichever location you are in with fresh eyes. It is about being intimate with the culture, the people and the environment. It is about seeing beyond the surface to the real story underneath. Travel photography is as much about humanity as it is about location.

Of course she was viewing this image with objective and fresh eyes, and not perhaps the blind conviction and attachment that I had formed around it. As she talked my perception of the “quality” of the image began to unravel! Perhaps  if I had included less of the green bush, or waited for the concrete slab in the bottom centre to be out of shot, then this would have made that particular composition more compelling. But Ami suggested also that to really tell this story, to really capture the location, the humanity and the environment,  that perhaps I should be taking an entirely different image.

If the story was about the unchanged tradition of the shepherd in Egypt, or the return home after a long day out with the sheep, or the “biblical” aspect of daily life, then this image only told part of the story. Perhaps, she offered, a shot of them coming towards me might suggest more of a welcome home after a long day or even to take a shot in the morning when they are going out. Whilst the image is good, there is an opportunity to tell a more complete story and create a more compelling image. Ami’s ability to immerse herself in her subject’s environment, to find the unusual in the usual, to tell the story with compassion and insight is what marks her out as one of the truly great modern photographers. Her suggestion then to return to the same place, perhaps with a translator, and getting introduced to the shepherds, spending a day with them, has to be taken seriously. As soon as she said it my mind raced with ideas and concepts, of opportunities and potential stories. So simple an idea, but potentially so profound and impact.

What this review process has done for me is open my eyes to how I approach photography and what I look for. Ami has helped me see past the perceived barriers of technique or experience; she has motivated me to get out there, experiment, have fun and to relax. Bu she has also really inspired me to think about what the story is I want to tell and to go and create photo essays that really tell those stories.

Everyone that I have talked to about Ami has the same opinion. She is the real deal. A compassionate big-hearted individual, with a capacity to relate to people and their lives. As a photojournalist and now multimedia journalist she is the master of her craft. The very high regard that photo editors, fellow professional humanitarian,freelance photographers, as well as her clients and students, hold her in is a reflection of who she is and how she goes about creating compelling and memorable images. Without trying to be overly sycophantic, It has been a true and rare privilege to have such dedicated feedback from someone whom I hold in very high regard and who has truly inspired me.

If you want to undergo a similar experience to me, then Ami still has some vacancies for personal one on one reviews available through The Compelling Image Website. I suspect though that the vacancies won’t be there for long!

This post is all about how she advised me to overcome the technical frustrations and lack of experience that I believed were holding me back.

Books such as Within the Frame by David duChemin, have helped people like me – hobbyists, amateurs, semi-pros whatever label you choose – to understand the criticality of the right blend of technical mastery (the craft) and vision – the ability to use that craft visually to express a compelling story. This mix of craft and vision is David’s sweet-spot, but I also find it helpful to think of it in a slightly different way – the science and art of photography respectively.

For me, the science of photography is the tools, techniques and rules of photography. This might be the film speed, the aperture, the lens selected, the shutter-speed chosen or the camera body used, for example. It might be the use of hot shoe flash to enhance a light source or knowing that selecting f2.8 over f16 will have an immediate effect on depth of field, color tone, the available shutter speed and the ISO required to ensure the correct exposure. Other examples might include: understanding how to meter correctly, or how to do panning shots, or what the rule of thirds is. They are all important because they allow you to execute the image technically. And there is a fairly exhaustive list that covers “how” to take the picture.

The art of photography though is the “Why to” take the picture. What aesthetic am I trying to convey with this image? What is the story we are telling and what is the right context to show? Once these are clear then you work on the “how to” – the science of executing that vision. Having mastery over the science allows you the freedom and confidence to experiment, to break the rules, to innovate. Photographers are creative by nature and use different visual effects to tell their story. They use light, contrast, color, pattern, motion, stability; They capture emotion, sentiment, empathy, compassion, humanity. They achieve this by having the skill, experience and confidence that mastery of the craft allows them. But it is the “why” they are taking that picture that will be differentiating.

In my review with Ami, we spent over 50% of our time exploring the “why” – what aesthetic was a I creating? what story was I telling? why was I there? Why had I composed the shot in that way, or selected that lens? Only towards the end of our time together did we explore where I thought my technique was holding me back or frustrating me. As I began to discuss this with her,  I realized that I was being very “left brain” about how I took my images. I kept looking at everything from a very logical, procedural approach, worrying about technique. It was limiting me. For example I would think that when I had mastered metering complex lighting, only then could I advance to take shots that could utilize this technique or when I had mastered the technical aspects of panning, only then I could focus on getting great dynamic or motion shots. Ami helped me to reverse that perspective and see the technical challenges in the context of the artistic need. Most of my barriers, I realized were self-imposed. Whilst I thought I was squandering the great photographic opportunities provided to me by living in Cairo because technically I was not competent enough, ironically the reality was that I was squandering them because I was not thinking artistically. I wasn’t focused on the humanity, the story telling, the environment or the aesthetics. Until I do that, my images would not be differentiating.

If we look at the image of the young boy in a mosque (above left), you can see that the highlights are a little blown out on his shirt. It spoils what otherwise would be a very powerful image. I let the excitement of the moment – discovering this boy sitting in a shaft of light with all the others around him focusing on getting to evening prayers – get the better of me. Although I bracketed and tried different types of metering to cover my bases, I wasn’t really in full control. I was doing  what the books told me to do, and I understood why I had to do that but my actions were not based on experience or deep understanding. But when it mattered, under pressure, it wasn’t second nature, and so inevitably my image needed rescuing in Lightroom afterwards – and even then I cant really overcome that clipping. Ami’s cure for this was very simple. Just get to the point where the camera is just an extension of you. Every time you leave the house take your camera with you. It doesn’t always have to be a pro DSLR, but ideally take the camera you want to become really familiar with, put an unobtrusive lens on it and go a out and take photos. So, if you are going to the supermarket, take the camera with you and practice. Seems silly? If I told you that this is exactly what Ami does when she goes to the supermarket, would that help it sound less silly? When you no longer have to look up from the viewfinder to change the settings, or to think about how something will look or feel, then you are able to free yourself up to think about “why” you are there, what you are trying to show with your image and to ensure that the tools are there just to execute your vision.

In the second image of the praying Muslim man and his daughter, I included it in the review because I wanted advice. I knew it was not an image that I would normally share as there were aspects of it that just didn’t work, but I was frustrated that I had thought so hard about the technique and still not pulled the image off. I had visualized precisely what I wanted to take. A story that showed contrasts: dynamic motion of the blur showing movement versus the static nature of the child; the devotion of religion contrasting with the innocence of youth; the additional contrast of male and female, young and old. Potentially I had achieved some of those ideas, yet we can all see that the image doesn’t really work.

Ami’s advice was not to beat myself up over the technique. Although she added it is a little unusual for someone after a only a year of photography to be able to visualize in my head the image as clearly as I had, sometimes the image just isn’t there to be taken. In this case there were a number of factors that suggested this.

Firstly, the black bag was a major distraction. It would have mattered not where I stood, from which side or which angle, the bag would still have been there and still impacting on the image’s aesthetic. I should probably have just walked away and tried taking the image on another day.

Secondly the viewpoint itself created problems. By looking down on the subject, I have allowed a horizontal line to cross the man’s head, and one to go through his body. Both are dominant and distracting. Had I moved my camera to floor level, I would have also had a solid red backdrop from the curtain, less distraction from the carpet and removed those horizontal lines. This would have created a much more interesting picture – but of course the issue of the black bag would still have been there.

Thirdly with the exception of the man that was purposely blurred, the rest of the image was not tack sharp. Hand holding a long lens in low light will always prove a challenge, but Ami suggested sitting on the floor and using my body and crossed legs as a human tripod to create some stability or leaning against a pillar – anything to help stabilize the lens.

So overcoming technical issues and frustration at my lack of craft really boiled down to 4 things:

• Practise – every day if possible. If you are uncomfortable about a particular issue, go out and experiment and try and work out how to overcome it yourself.
• Know your strengths – Use these to your advantage but don’t neglect the areas that need work
• Relax – Don’t fixate on the technical issues and don’t be too hard on yourself
• Make your camera an extension of you. Take it with you everywhere.

Ami’s ability to pinpoint where I was technically and what the real barriers to progressing was nothing short of startling. She had me completely sussed within minutes! By nature I am a bit of a perfectionist and get easily frustrated when technique – the science – lets me down, because I know that for me, having the critical building blocks of the science mastered is what will allow me to really begin to express my art. I am beginning to understand that there is no secret sauce that full time photographers get given a recipe of or that there is not some secret code or answer that is shrouded in some sort of masonic secrecy. Their secret sauce is a tireless daily focus on their craft, but also ensuring that they apply as equal diligence to stimulating, nurturing and feeding their more artistic, visionary, creative side.

Ami, like others I have read or listened to, was in no way diluting the importance of that familiarity or comfort with the technology or the technique. But she is someone that – as many others will confirm – has not studied all the rules or the techniques, and is certainly not bound by them. Her focus is on the aesthetic, on telling the story. She shoots instinctively, and her advice to me was to stop thinking too much about the technical side and concentrate more on why my images should move people.

I  am, like many of you, short of time. I cram my photography onto the end of a 80-90 hour working week, a young family and endless long-haul travel. Photography is my release mechanism, and it allows me to relax. Well up to the point where I don’t get frustrated by messing up a potentially great image or oversleeping and missing the golden hour of light after dawn! I think I am – well, at least up until the review – pretty good at taking the time to build a relationship with my photo subjects – in fact it was one of the things that Ami said I did well. I am comfortable getting in close with a short lens, or sitting in a coffee shop for an hour or two chatting in my limited Arabic or letting them take pictures of me with a point and shoot. The type of images I had shown her suggested a real rapport had been built with the subjects. So I was feeling pretty good about that!

But Ami had a very simple yet profound piece of advice. Slow Down. I mean REALLY slow down. Still More. Much More. The images I had shown her were competent – one or two were even really good – but by giving myself more time to think, to create a context and to see in camera what I always saw too clearly afterwards in Lightroom, would make a massive difference to my images. In fact, she suggested,  I was probably putting pressure on myself because I thought that unless I had a great image from that week’s outing, I was squandering opportunities. And of course I was, but not as I thought because of lack of technical competency, but because I wasn’t giving myself the time – the space – to really see the potential around me. Slowing down, would transform how I saw things, she promised.

Let me illustrate this with one of my images that we reviewed – The Matriarch (top left). I thought I had done a pretty good job of slowing down. I had put the camera down, engaged the man in the background about his work engraving Sheesha pipes. I had even discovered that the woman in the picture had no English but some basic Italian, was the mother of the man in the background and two others out of shot. I showed her some of my pictures on my iPhone and then she asked me to take her picture.

So here I was with a heaven sent opportunity and what did I do? By Ami’s standards I rushed. I shot maybe 50 frames, bracketing for the light and changing my position for different compositions. But in the image I submitted for review, I didn’t take enough time to look around inside the frame. If I had I would have spotted the lines coming out of the matriarch’s head and the big v-shaped gap between mother and son that, although he is looking at her, is actually creating a divide between them. Whilst Ami commented that the light was good, we both knew that used differently, it could have created a superb image.

And Ami’s suggestion? Since the woman had asked for her photo to be taken, then you set the pace. Slow down, take the time to look at where you want her to sit. Ask her to move so that you get the composition and light you want. Say something like “I want this to be a beautiful picture, so let me just figure out the best place to put you so we make the best use of the avilable light.” Bingo. Suddenly the light is less difficult to meter, perhaps more dramatic; the lines coming out of her head have disappeared; the relationship is more contextual and it is likely with the re-framing that the space between them would be more intimate. Suddenly this is the image I had visualized (but failed to execute!) of the proud mother, hard working son, wonderful light and environmental portrait all wrapped up.

Now compare that image with two other images of the same subject, shot at the same time (middle left and bottom left), but where I remember taking more time and care over the framing. I am not for one minute suggesting these are compelling images, but they do feel different and they do address some (not all) of Ami’s points above. The obvious question – to which I have no ready answer – is why didn’t I submit one of these other images!

So slowing down can have a big impact on the aesthetics, but it might also mean shooting 15 frames rather than 50 of a subject. It might mean getting up before dawn to be at the Camel Souk before first light, so that as the sun rises and the days trading begins you are already part of the landscape and people have already come to accept you. It might mean focusing on a single subject or not taking a picture at all, but going to a location a day early and just observing or understanding or building a relationship or trust.

Like many of you I have read some compelling books recently like Visual Poetry by Chris Orwig or Within the Frame by David duChemin, and they reinforce similar ideas, including allowing yourself a change of pace to start seeing what is around you. It might be a pattern, a reflection, a shaft of light or some tonal similarities that catch your eye.  Your ability to create compelling images then is as much about awareness as it is about technique or kit. “Gear is good, vision is better” as David duChemin would say.

Now admittedly yours and my definition of slowing down and Ami’s are slightly different.  I was chatting to Gavin Gough about this and he made me laugh when he said “You or I think that putting down our camera and chatting to a market stallholder about his fruit is slowing down or building a relationship. Ami takes this to a whole new level and goes and lives in Kashmir for 6 months so that she can immerse herself in the culture”. Yet it is no accident that the likes of David duChemin, Gaving Gough and Matt Brandon – who all know Ami well – hold her in such high regard for her ability to see different opportunities or different potential in a situation that they, despite their experience, their ability and their own vision, might shoot differently. Slowing down then it would suggest, helps to remove barriers and allows you to have more control over the creative process and the aesthetic of the image. And that starts to be differentiating.

In the next post we will look at Ami’s second theme -”having a reason to be there” – and why this together with context impacts your ability to make compelling images

Please do feel free to retweet or share this image by clicking on the icon below. Ami’s wisdom is too beneficial to languish just on this post.

With Digital cameras and flights getting ever cheaper, the increase in photo tourism is inevitable. Gavin refers to his post as a diatribe. I think that is a little harsh, but diatribe or not it needs saying, and when it comes from the likes of Gavin and Jeffrey Chapman it has far more resonance. Go read the post. it is a passionate piece and a great read.

I have noticed here in Egypt that if you behave like a tourist you get treated like a tourist. Every approach is reciprocated with a hand asking for cash. It is a sort of “if you want to exploit me then I am only to happy to exploit you” sort of exchange.

But if you stop, get engaged and act as a human being and show a real interest, compassion and respect it becomes a different world. It starts with a smile, the offer of a cup of tea and before you know it you have passed an hour or two, hand gesturing your way through a conversation. And the reward…sometimes its a photo, but even if not it is a deeper understanding of their world through their eyes.

The photo above of the young girl came as a result of 2 hours of conversation, lunch with the family and, when they were used to me, THEY asked me to take photos of them. This was one from a whole series taken during a second visit with some friends.

I always carry a small portable printer. It is amazing the reaction to a quick print on a Pogo printer (available in the store under printers here) – you are often in danger of being adopted and chided if you miss a weekly visit thereafter! Where possible I always go back and take them some printed photos, or some tea or something they can’t get.

And of course by stopping, observing and listening you listen with your eyes and your ears….and that’s when the magic happens (or in my case where my technique results in a lost iconic image!),

Its early days for me in my photography journey, but I have learned so much from reading the blogs of people like Gavin. My experience of Egypt – the real Egypt – is ten times what I thought it would be. And all because, through photography, I am getting out there and experiencing local life….and occasionally as a bonus getting the chance to shoot some pictures.

“Chasing The Look, 10 Ways to Improve the Aesthetics of Your Photographs” is the fourth in his series of eBooks. The first two (available here), were incredibly well received. The fourth, out yesterday, promises to be even more popular.

Building on his theme that photographic vision is an expression of what we see and what we want to create, rather than an obsessive focus on technique ie the ability to explore your own vision and insight through the medium of your photographic craft – this latest book provides the now familiar mixture of insight, humour, philosophy and call to action that hallmark David’s books.

The theme of this book is knowing what choices to make to deliver a certain look. It is about making intentional choices about the use of which photographic gear and which camera settings we select to deliver a particular aesthetic. It’s a response to the question we all ask at some point while looking at the images of people like David, Gavin Gough, Edoardo Agresti or others – “How come my photographs don’t look like that?”

David explains that ”every setting on the camera, while a technical choice, is also an aesthetic decision affecting the look of our image. If you want to make better images, it begins with making decisions about “the look” first, and the settings second.”

As ever with David’s eBooks they are accompanied by stunning photographs, and a sophistication of graphic design and layout that makes these eBooks a visual treat.

It only costs $5. You can read endless books at $24.99 that never get you close to the sort of insights that David provides. What make these eBooks so different are David’s talent as a writer to make the complex simple, the technical amusing and the possibilities endless. Each section is concluded with a series of practical exercises by which you can go an experiment and focus on improving your craft.

Go buy it. You won’t regret it.

Vision Mongers

VisionMongers is the Second of David DuChemin’s books. The first, “Within the Frame” – has quickly become one of the best ever selling photographic book on “Why” to take photographs, and deservedly has raised David’s profile, reputation and following globally hugely.

David’s passion is not the “how to ” photograph something, but the “why to”. He challenges us with questions such as “What is our motivation for perfecting our craft?” and “What motivates us to continue to take great photos”? – is it money, personal satisfaction, reputation? What is is that you have that is unique to you that changes how you look at things through the lens. My experience, my specialties, will be different and therefore my motivation, my angle and my unique opportunities will be different, which will result in a different photographic style.

With VisionMongers, David provides a sketchbook of essential ideas and wisdom for people making the difficult transition to vocational photographer, whether  – in David’s own words -

“that’s full time, part time, or just wanting to get your feet wet with weekend gigs to pay for your habit, and it’s an infusion of fresh ideas for photographers who’ve been doing this a while and need to tweak their business and marketing practices.”

Even if you are never intending to turn pro, this is still the book for you. It is so readable, so packed with ideas, suggestions and insights that reading it inspires you to go out, develop an angle, perfect your craft and celebrate that your style is different from others. It makes you a better photographer – and I am not talking technique here – and it makes you think about your photographic journey and where you want to take that.

Reading the excerpt chapter – available here - you get a sense of how impactful this book will be. It’s not a system, and it’s not a step by step guide to riches, but it is a book that encourages you, helps you and inspires you to “listen to that persistent voice in your head that tells you that you’ve got to follow this dream.”

You can pre-order the book through my store, or you can head over to peachpit press and do the same there. Whatever you choose, go buy the book – it will help you really assess why you take the photos you do, and will help you find that focus (pun intended) to create your own success and reward.

“Drawing the Eye” refers to the way that we look at pictures and how composition can help to utilise that to make a picture truly compelling. The point of this latest eBook is to help the photographer understand what draws the eye.

David has divided the book into 3 parts – illustrated throughout of course with his stunning images, including some from his recent Lumen Dei Trip. Part one focuses on the the subtitle – visual mass. He explains what it is and why it matters and why factors such as the human figure, comparative size of objects, comparative brightness of objects, comparative focus etc create more visual mass in a picture.

In the second part he then develops this into how visual mass and composition work together, especially focusing on balance and the Point of View and how visual mass affects both of these.

In part three he completes the “journey” and gives some great insight into what he does in Lightroom to help refine all of this further. Of course in true David style there is a fourth part to the book – creative exercises related to each of the chapters to encourage and make you get out there and experiment.

Whether you are a seasoned pro or a keen amateur, I think this eBook will help to challenge, encourage, stimulate and push your ideas around composition and use of visual mass. Whilst I now realize that I already knew most of what had been written, I only knew them as a series of disjointed facts. David’s great skill is in joining up the dots.  He provides the context that makes those linkages logical and that make you go “A-ha! now why did no-one explain that to me so clearly before!”

Lastly the eBook is available here at David’s incredible introductory price of$5….this sort of content is what people pay hundreds of dollars to hear on a one day workshop, so $5 is a steal.

The light was better that day, the subject more willing, the little child with the doeful eye was just standing on the corner waiting for a photographer to pass by, right? Well David duChemin’s latest Withinthe Frame video podcast (which you can get here), is the most re-assuring and helpful 5 minutes of video I have watched in a long while.

David takes one of his images from his recent trip to India and critiques it. He uses about 20 other images of the same subject to show the shooting process that he went through. You see the subject in different poses, different compositions, different depths of field etc and as David starts to hone in on the image that he is after he shows you how his final images is created. What was really great about this video podcast was the realization that pro photographers also shoot hundreds of images to maybe just get the one that they really like. The only remaining difference is they have hundreds of good images to selct the great one from out of that mass, whilst I still search for one ood one out of hundreds!

But watch the video – it will inspire you to get out there and keep trying different angles and really working your craft.

Ten More - David DuChemin

In true David fashion he combines his extraordinary ability to communicate his passion and his ideas in a manner that engages and encourages, without preaching or patronage. He includes a series of exercises that are creative steps to help improve your photography as well as ways to keep your creative edge sharp.

As Matt Brandon in his blog says: “The bonus is all this is done with a back drop of David’s stunning images! It is a 35 page ebook that is a steal for only $5. Well worth the money to help you break your creative block or push you to a new level in your photographic skills. Buy yours today HERE.