David duChemin - Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision

The Journey of Photographic Vision

Second Edition

David duChemin

Within the Frame, Second Edition
The Journey of Photographic Vision

David duChemin

New Riders
www.newriders.com
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New Riders is an imprint of Peachpit, a division of Pearson Education.

Copyright 2016 by David duChemin
All photography David duChemin except where noted

Acquisitions Editor: Valerie Witte
Executive Editor: Nancy Davis
Senior Production Editor: Tracey Croom
Copy Editor: Cynthia Haynes
Indexer: James Minkin
Compositor: Kim Scott, Bumpy Design
Interior Design: Charlene Charles-Will
Cover Design: Mimi Heft
Cover Image: David duChemin

Notice of Rights

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact .

Notice of Liability

The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it.

Trademarks

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

ISBN-13: 978-0-134-28862-8
ISBN-10: 0-134-28862-9

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed and bound in the United States of America

To my mother,
who gave me my vision of the world and the heart to love it.

Im grateful to so many, and while any list like this is bound to be incomplete, my deepest thanks go to:

My mother, who gave me the gift of me, my vision, and heart for the world. And my father, who bought me my very first camera and gave me the gift of seeing the world through a frame.

Cynthia Brooke Haynes, my companion and beautiful anarchist, for being with me on so many incredible adventures and opening my eyes to new lines, light, and moments.

My manager and best friend, Corwin Hiebert, who keeps the wheels of empire running while I am off making photographs, and for watching my back when were on assignment.

To the women who made the first edition of this book happen in not-insignificant ways: Daniela, for buying me the airplane ticket that started this whole nutty adventure; Erin, for being such a brilliant sounding board, kind source of encouragement, and beta reader extraordinaire; and Lyric, for taking a chance on me, and in the process, became not only one of my favorite clients but one of my favorite friends.

My editor on the first edition of this book, Ted Waitt, my publisher, and my esteemed book team, for believing in this book from the beginning and putting in the effort to make it happen. I had no idea how much work these things really took and how much of it was done by others. To Valerie Witte, the editor who inherited me as her own problem, I offer thanks for being so easy to work with and so willing to put up with me. And to Nancy Davis, whos been along for this entire journey (and longer than anyone else), I extend deep thanks for her advocacy and hard work on my behalf.

Scott Kelby, without whom this book would never have seen light.

And to everyone with whom Ive ever traveled: Matt Brandon, Jon McCormack, Gary Dowd, Henri Straforelli, Jeffrey Chapman, Martin Bailey, and so many others; thank you for your presence and friendship.

Finally, to you, the reader. The first edition of this book surpassed my expectations and changed my life. It led to more opportunities than I ever imagined and to a series of books that have given me the great gift of having a voice in this world. None of that is possible without an audience willing to give their time, money, and attention. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for that gift.

David duChemin is a humanitarian and world photographer, author, and international workshop leader. He has photographed on all seven continents, looking for adventure and beauty along the way. He is the author of several books about the craft and art of photography, including Within the Frame, Photographically Speaking, and The Visual Toolbox. He is the accidental founder of CraftandVision.coman online educational resource for photographersand a passionate fan of the amateur.

Davids work can be found online at DavidDuChemin.com, as can his blog and the growing community of photographers who read it.

Photo: Yves Perrault

Foreword

BY JOE MCNALLY

This book is like a great photograph. It is seamless, intuitive, and filled with minor details blended with larger themes. It has impactthe color play is so strong its like a hard and fast punch to the visual gut. Still, there is nuance and subtlety that shimmer like a catchlight.

It is sympathetic, warm-hearted, and decent. But, just like any effective photo, it is unflinching and sparse, and it hones in on the essentials. Interesting and vivid, it pulls the eye, and then, once the eye is intrigued, it directs and shapes where it needs to go and what it is supposed to look at.

It is vibrant and quiet at the same time. It teaches you without dogma or bombast, and it leads you on a journey that you are so engaged to take that you look around at the end of it and cant really believe how far youve come. It looks and feels effortless, which masks the intensity, sweat, dedication, and hard work that went into its creation.

And, just like a great photograph, once you view it and let it filter into your eyes, your head, and your heart, you will never, ever be the same.

It is a book filled with color, light, and learning, which is no surprise, given the author, David duChemin. He is a photographer with a purpose, hence this book. He knows, and states right up front, that the world does not need another pretty picture book or another set of stylish, attractive, brittle pictures. His counsel to photographers about photographing placesgo deep rather than broad-perfectly describes this book.

Both the pictures and the writing on these pages dont stay on the surface of things. They both go deep, to the heart of the matter, to the core of both the purpose and method of making great photographs. He is a wanderer, to be sure, but it is a sure-footed wander, and he takes you on every step, explaining the principles of good photography, offering practical and surprising advice, and making sure that, as a reader, you stay inside his head and therefore his vision, right from the moment he shoulders the camera bag and heads out the door.

You are right there with him as he articulates the reasons for his choice of lens or f-stop, his compositional approach, his techniques about exposure, and his grasp of light and how to use it. He throws open his camera bag and lets you peer inside to see what he takes and why he takes it, right from essential hardware like the telephoto and the tripod to the pocket fillers like sun block, local currency, and extra eight-gig cards. The book is brimming with real-time, practical advice on how to make storytelling pictures about culture, faith, food, people, and placesin short, the world.