See It: Photographic Composition Using Visual Intensity

An outstanding image consists of more than just acceptable exposure and sharp focus - the two components that most photography instruction emphasize. A fascinating subject doesn't necessarily result in a good image, and likewise, it's possible to create an impressive image from a mundane subject. How do you capture that perfect image, and more importantly, what makes it great? That's where this book comes in. Rather than wasting time trying one approach after another until something seems right or memorizing a list of rules, discover a new, more comprehensive and yet intuitive way to think about photography and see the world around you by using visual intensity. The quality of your imagery and the speed of your workflow will both vastly improve once you are able to use these techniques to articulate why you prefer one image to another. Mother and son team Ellen and Josh Anon have spent years perfecting their visual intensity based approach to composition, and in this gorgeous, full color guide, they'll share their techniques with you so that your overall photographic experience, both in terms of time investment and quality of output, will become far more satisfying.

Ellen Anon is a freelance photographer and writer who specializes in expressive photography. She holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and while practicing as a psychologist, began working part time in photography co-leading workshops, writing articles, editing and authoring books and gradually evolved into a full time professional photographer in the mid 1990's. Her images, based on nature, are sometimes realistic and sometimes abstract but always designed to elicit emotional reactions from the viewer. They are included in collections in several countries and have been showcased in galleries, used in numerous publications (including Sierra Club's Mother Earth and Inner Reflections calendars), as well as stock. She is one of the co-authors of Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers: A Workshop in a Book, (Sybex 2010) and Aperture 3: Portable Genius (Wiley 2010). She leads both photographic and Photoshop or Aperture oriented workshops and is a featured speaker at various events, and she also creates video training materials. She is an active member of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) and an instructor for their high school scholarship program and is also a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). Ellen is on Apple's Aperture Advisory Panel and is also part of Nik Software's Team Nik and the SanDisk Extreme Team.
Josh Anon is a professional nature photographer. He holds a BS in computer science from Northwestern University. After graduating, Josh started working at Pixar Animation Studios, where he has worked on The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Toy Story 3, and more. Currently, he is a cinematographer, and his past positions have included rendering optimization, Linux and Mac software development, and crowds simulation. His images, represented by the prestigious Jaynes Gallery, have appeared in a variety of galleries, calendars, and other publications, inc