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Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition [Paperback]

Jim Church
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Aqua Quest Publications Inc.,U.S.; illustrated edition edition (6 May 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1881652181
  • ISBN-13: 978-1881652182
  • Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.2 x 0.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 991,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Jim Church
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Product Description

From the Publisher

SUMMARY
Pioneer underwater photographer Jim Church cuts through the jargon in a concisely written manual that will help all undewater photographers take better pictures. The author's more than three-decades of practical experience are packed into this book. As the most respected and sought after teacher of underwater photography, Jim's new book will be a must-read for owners of all types of underwater cameras and housed cameras. Topics covered: What attracts viewer's eye; Lenses and Perspective; Finding underwater subjects; Basic wide-angle shots; Shooting divers; Quickie guide to modeling; Composing close-ups; When to take the picture; Isolating your subject; Placing your subject in the picture; Working with patterns; Special lighting effects.

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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for all underwater photograhpers., 15 May 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition (Paperback)
Jim Church, underwater photography teacher extraordinaire has done it again; his personal no-nonsense approach, learned from a professional teaching background, pays off and the winner is the reader.

In simple words Jim takes the beginner or advanced underwater photographer to another level. Instead of concentrating on technique, the reader can now reach new heights (or depths...) in his photography.

Michel Gilbert

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com: 4.9 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "Something Here for Everyone", 10 Jun 2001
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition (Paperback)
People come to photography by many strange and varied routes and my own is as different as the next - though I shall not bore you with that particular story here. Suffice to say that, my first photograph was published in 1974, my first underwater photograph in 1980 and, right at this time, my work has appeared (somewhere) every month since December 1998, I am in the process of completing my fourth book and my photography has even been purchased by National Geographic.

The relevance of all this, however, is that I am largely self-taught and that always leaves me wondering if I am missing some of those basic lessons that would have been explained on the very first day of any professionally run photography course. "Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition" goes a long way to fill any gaps there might be.

This book has two outstanding qualities; Firstly, it is written by a man who really does know about every aspect of underwater photography. Secondly, and most important of all, however, Jim Church has the power to explain his knowledge in words we can all understand. In so doing he has produced a book for the professional underwater photographer and the amateur diver alike. If you have just bought your first camera and are about to embark on a very expensive trip to try it out, this is your in-flight reading material. Believe me, you will come home with better pictures - I did.

"Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition" is a 9in x 6in paperback book containing 136 pages, 80 colour photographs and 8 line drawings. Each photograph and drawing serves a purpose and are used to explain each of the many lessons involved with composing underwater pictures and, basically, the difference between taking a good photograph and not. All of which is, of course, supported by the non-technical information imparted in an easy-to-understand style.

The book begins with absolute basics - and what could be more basic than explaining the function of the human eye and then adapting that information in order to provide a better understanding of the function of a camera lens. In short, this is a book about "stepping stones" and each time a relevant point has been explained and demonstrated, the book builds on this knowledge as we step forward onto another stone for even greater knowledge of the subject in hand.

In Summary, this is one of the few books I have ever read which achieves exactly and precisely what it sets out to achieve and is made all the more valuable because the Author is a man who knows his stuff and is able to explain things without getting bogged down in technical jargon.

Five Stars are not enough for this little gem.

NM


15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars TIMELESS TEACHINGS, 31 Dec 2001
By J. A. Newton - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition (Paperback)
When I started in uderwater photography, I was told by a very wise and respected professional, "Composition cannot be taught ... it is not a concept or a method. The photographer is born with an eye for composition and it is an art." To which Jim Church's book has proven that statement to be "Hogwash, INDEED!" Composition may be a gift, but it is a gift that can be honed and trained, just as Jim Church has done with this book. He has given the reader all the tools, tricks and tips to develop that skill into an art. Liberally sprinkled with the Jim Church wit and humour, this book stands up to reading after reading after reading. This book stands alongside his "Guide to the Nikonos" and his "Underwater Video" books as "bibles" for the ardent underwater photographer. As for Jim Church's method of teaching and guidance, I can tell you that nine years ago I was using a disposable underwater camera. I have studied the books and travelled with Jim Church as often as possible and I am now a contributing editor and Photo Pro for an international dive magazine. So, if you ask me if Jim Church's methods work, I would resoundingly answer "YES." If you aks me if this is a book worth buying, I would answer resoundingly "YES!" No matter how many times you read this book and no matter what level of photographer you might be, there is always something new in this book that you can apply in your pursuit of great photos. These concepts of composition are NOT restricted to the ocean floor, either. The methods and concepts explained in this text --- in easy to understand terms --- also apply to land photography. This Essential Guide is exactly that---- ESSENTIAL! I regret that five stars is the highest rank offered for this book. The only thíng wrong with this book ---- it wasn't written sooner! I could have saved a lot of film on badly composed shots!!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific underwater photos don't just "happen"., 19 Mar 2006
By a reader - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition (Paperback)
Jim Church was an astonishing photographer and those that have followed in his footsteps owe much to him. This book is one that I recommend to ALL divers starting off in underwater photography. Have you ever come home with a bunch of shots only to find that none of them really "grab you"?....this boom is for you. Simply and clearly, the text and photo examples show you how to turn an ordinary shot into a "Wow!" shot.
 Go to Amazon.com to see all 10 reviews  4.9 out of 5 stars 
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