Chapter 3, "Shutter Speeds: Time and Motion," examines the effect of manipulating time. Either by stopping motion or blurring motion you can create interesting images that are ripe with visual potential. By controlling shutter speed you gain the ability to control time.
In essence you control the delineation of time in a photograph. Here you will learn of the five factors that determine the degree of frozen time in a photo. You will see how to affect time from both the camera as well as in the digital darkroom. You will even see some traditional darkroom techniques for using or creating blurred time.
Chapter 4, "Materials and Processes: The Aggregate Image," is about the physical object. When you take a photo, it is about the object that you take the image of. It is about reproducing something from real life and representing it within an image.
In this chapter you will learn about the physical materials and processes that comprise the object that contributes significantly to the meaning of the image. In this section you will see what processes and materials you will need to use to control the visual outcomes. It is through these structures that will take you to the next level.
The Elements Of Photography, for me, really works on multiple levels. First is the writing which takes you along the topic and examines it in detail. The explanations are clear and to the point. For some technical points there is a background portion that defines without wasting time.
Next there are chapter exercises that show you how to further explore the topics contained in the chapter. Subtly, by participating in these exercises, the author is showing you how to build portfolios of types of images as well as getting you to explore and experiment with different concepts.
Finally there are the portfolio pages. These are intended to inspire creative thinking and critical debate about the content and subject of the topic at hand. There is an artist statement about the topic, and also (most times) a process statement that examines the technical aspect of how the artist accomplished the look and feel of the photos.
The Elements Of Photography is simply a fabulous book on creating photographic images. If it were larger, it would work as a coffee table-style book, but as it is, it is an excellent visual exploration of photography. I very highly recommend this book.
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