According to the author of Mastering Photographic Composition, Creativity, and Personal Style, "the personality of the photographers must be present in the image for an artistic photograph to have value." Alain Briot intends on teaching not only what that is, but exactly how to create it.
Briot examines an artistic side of creating a work of art that is seldom associated with photography. He also addresses the technical side of photography, which will give you the tools to not only create better photographs, but develop better images. This book is 369 pages and is divided into 17 chapters.
Chapter One, "About Composition," begins by explaining how the author approaches photography as an art form. This means that his style of photography is not a matter of record keeping; rather it is a form of expression. Here he examines interpreting reality as opposed to capturing it.
Chapter Two, "Learning to See Like a Camera," looks at some preconceptions that people have of photographic art. Common assumptions are that it is the camera, or Photoshop, or perhaps the filters that make the photograph look so good, when in reality it is the artist and the way they uses their tools as opposed to the tools that they use to make the image.
Chapter Three, "The Eye and the Camera," are two different tools and as such they see the world differently. In order to create an image using a camera that matches what the eye first saw, you have to understand what the differences are between the two. Only then will you be able to express within the image what you felt.
Chapter Four, "Composing with Light," begins with the essential elements. With the winemaker it is not the barrels, for the cook it is not the pots and pans, and so with the photographer it is not the camera. Rather it is the light that is one of the essential ingredients. This chapter brings about all of the things that you need to know about working with light as well as methods of predicting the light, measuring the light, and even creating the light.
Chapter Five, "Composing with Color," is another essential element to take into account when creating a photographic art form. In this chapter you will not only learn about the different parts of color, but the essential color systems, color balance, color correction, and how to use color to control your composition.
Chapter Six, "Composing in Black and White," is neither better nor worse than working with color. Rather it is just simply different. As opposed to working with the multiple elements of color, when working with black and white, you only work with one main element; lightness. Here you will learn to see the world without color.
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