Alain Briot states that, "The personality of the photographer must be present in the image for an artistic photograph to have value." And in this book he sets out to teach the things that are essential in achieving this goal. Following his successful first book, Mastering Landscape Photography, Briot goes beyond the conventional rules of composition and takes on a fresh, new approach to teaching the art of photography. Based upon his personal experiences as an artist, teacher, and photographer, he opens new doors to the reader-doors leading to new ways of seeing and composing images. Briot approaches fine art photography as being a combination of art and technique. In this new book he addresses both of these by presenting artistic and technical information. On the artistic side, Briot introduces artistic concepts that have been rarely, if ever, associated with photography. On the technical side, he presents numerous tools that can help you learn how to create better photographs and provides technical solutions to common photographic problems. The author practices photography as a fine art. What matters most to him is how photography can be used to express feelings and emotions. For Briot, a good photograph must be both artistically inspired and technically excellent. To have just one of these two elements is not enough for a fine art photograph to be successful. Topics include: - How to compose with color, with black and white, and with light - Why you need to consider your audience while composing a photograph - Recreate the emotions you felt when you captured your photographs - How the elements of color-hue, contrast, and saturation-work in your images - How to control the elements that have a visual effect in your photographs - How to draw upon your personal way of seeing and then share your vision - How to diagnose image maladies and apply the proper remedies - How to define a color palette for a specific photograph - How to use compositional elements to develop a personal style Forweword by Tony Sweet

This book includes thirteen essays on landscape photography by master photographer Alain Briot. Topics include practical, technical, and aesthetic aspects of photography to help photographers build and refine their skills. Also covered is how to be an artist in business. Alain Briot is one of the leading contemporary landscape photographers. He received his education in France and currently works mostly in the southwestern part of the United States. This book starts with the technical aspects of photography; how to see, compose, find the right light, and select the best lens for a specific shot. It continues by focusing on the artistic aspects of photography with chapters on how to select your best work, how to create a portfolio, and finally concludes with two chapters on how to be an artist in business.

Foreword by Skip Cohen Translating the chaos of the real world into a breathtakingly simple, beautiful photograph can often seem like an impossible task. With busy, cluttered backgrounds and subjects who don’t know how to pose, how can you take control and get a great shot no matter the situation? In Picture Perfect Practice, photographer Roberto Valenzuela breaks down the craft of photography into three key elements–locations, poses, and execution–that you can use to unlock the photographic opportunities lying beneath every challenging situation. Valenzuela stresses the need for photographers to actively practice their craft every day–just like you would practice a musical instrument–in order to master the art of making great images. With chapters that offer practice exercises to strengthen your photographic abilities, you’ll learn how to approach a scene, break it down, and see your way to a great photograph. The Location section features chapters that cover symmetry, balance, framing, color elements, textures, and much more. The Posing section includes the Five Key Posing Techniques that Valenzuela uses every time he’s shooting people, as well as a complete list of poses and how to achieve, customize, and perfect them. The Execution portion, with sections like “Lighting through Direction” and “Simplicity through Subtraction,” reveals Valenzuela’s overall approach to getting the shot. The book also includes an inspiring and helpful chapter on deliberate practice techniques, where Valenzuela describes his system for practicing and analyzing his work, which leads to constant improvement as a photographer. If you’ve been frustrated and overwhelmed by the challenges of real-world locations, posing your subjects, or executing a great image–or if you simply want to become a better shooter but don’t know where to start– Picture Perfect Practice gives you the tools and information you need to finally become the kind of photographer you’ve always wanted to be: the kind who can confidently walk into any location, under any lighting condition, with any subject, and know that you can create astonishing photographs that have a timeless impact.

"Those of you who follow this blog know that Dr. Richard Zakia, former RIT professor, is one of my all time favorite photo gurus. We send each other pictures. We talk about looking into pictures - and not just looking at them. Big difference.. Dr. Richard Zakia, a.k.a. Dick, is the co-author, along with David Page, of Photographic Composition: A Visual Guide. These two dudes are also two of my favorite people."---Rick Sammon's blog "Covers all the tips needed to help photographers construct their own unique, outstanding images and is an outstanding 'must' for any collection."--CA Bookwatch

The Fundamentals of Creative Photography offers a comprehensive introduction to the world of applied creative photography. It is concerned with photography in a professional context – images that are to be used in the fulfilment of a brief, rather than those created solely for self-expression. Creativity is important, but must be focused on meeting the client’s needs.The book explores the principles that underpin the discipline, guiding the reader though the practical considerations involved in executing the perfect shot. It includes guidance on acquiring and developing new skills, the practice of self-promotion and self-administration, and a discussion of the image workflow.

Many photographers don't have the business and marketing knowledge required to successfully sell fine-art photographs. Briot offers practical, up-to-date, and field-tested marketing techniques from the viewpoint of a fine-art landscape photographer who earns a living from the sale of his fine-art prints.

Amongst the wealth of books aimed at helping you to understand and use your camera equipment and software, Creative DSLR Photography is a rare gem that focuses on the real art of photography and the creative, design and composition skills needed to take your work to the next level. Beginning with the basics of visualisation and perception, the book gives clear guidance on how to interpret a scene, define a subject and develop a personal style. It covers the key creative factors to be considered pre-capture, whilst shooting and post-capture, taking a practical approach and offering valuable pointers that you can incorporate into workflow immediately to dramatically improve results. Written by two accomplished professional photographers, Creative DSLR Photography is packed with inspiring images from travel, nature and landscape photography, amongst other genres, and includes pro tips on how these stunning shots were created. Part of Focal's Digital Workflow series, aimed at helping photographers to work faster, work smarter and creative great images. Current series titles include Canon DSLR: The Ultimate Photographer's Guide and Mac OS X for Photographers.