Achieving Your Potential As A Photographer: A Creative Companion and Workbook 1st Edition

If you want a quick read that will magically make you a better or great photographer, then this isn’t the book for you. But if you have a desire to be the best photographer that you can be AND the wherewithal to work through the exercises in the included workbook, then this is the book for you.Harold Davis obviously put his heart and soul into producing a “road map” that can provides you with the tools and techniques, which will help you to be the best photographer you can be. Mr. Davis starts by helping you evaluating your own images – not an easy thing to do. He encourages you to “unleash” your imagination. He will show you how to tell a story with your photographs and lead you through important techniques. You will discover how to listen to your inner voice; set goals for yourself, and what it means to draw a line in the sand.At the end of the book is a 46-lesson/exercise plan. It may take you a several sessions to read the book. Doing the exercises will take much longer. I suggest reading the book through, then going back and rereading each section and completing the appropriate exercises. This WILL take you a long time.I have read the book and completed the first twelve exercises. I suspect it will take another six months (or more) to complete all the exercises. I know unequivocally I will be a better and more creative photographer for having put the time and effort into reading the book and working through the exercises.Again, if you want a quick fix, skip this book; if you truly want to reach your potential as photographer and be the best you can be, run, don’t walk, to your computer and order Achieving Your Potential As A Photographer. You will not regret it.

I’ve taken many workshops with Harold and own many of his books, each one bringing me closer to honing a particular skill. Achieving Your Potential As a Photographer is in a category of its own because it addresses a crucial aspect of photography: creative vision.Although the book touches on some photography basics such as depth of field and rule of thirds, it is really about looking inward and understanding the themes intrinsic to realizing success as an artist. The book is full of interesting exercises, the author’s beautiful photographs, and a creative companion workbook that provides the reader with the opportunity to create a roadmap. The roadmap forms the basis for addressing three inter-related issues: how to become a better photographer, how to evaluate one’s photos to improve upon them, and how to leverage the improvement. Harold repeatedly comes back to these questions throughout the book, emphasizing their importance through creative exercises, probing questions, and cross-references to other sections of the book.Achieving Your Potential As a Photographer is a gem. If you’re looking to take your creative vision to a higher level, this book will help you get there.

Update: My first book did arrive with only 31 pages. The second book arrived with 46 workbook pages. THAT IS THE CORRECT COUNT OF THE WORKBOOK.I was sensitized by the incorrect page count of the first book and misled by the back of the book that states a "48 page workbook". Apparently, the 48 page count includes non-content pages. Again, the workbook ends on its page 46.THE book is wonderful, the workbook not so much. My first book arrived with only 31 pages of 48 pages of workbook. Second book from Amazon a bit better: 46 of 48 pages. No response from the publisher, Amazon can not seem to be able to look at last page number and see page 48 of workbook as stated on last page of book itself! Yes, I can download from Harold Davis's web site and have done so, but the book is devalued by the incomplete workbook.

After watching a YouTube video of Harold Davis present his photographic art to a live audience (perhaps at B&H, I forget) and found his work to be exceptionally creative. Mr. Davis also talked about his books in this video and so I looked for his books on Amazon, and decided to try this one. I'm more than half-way through the book and have read many of the workbook exercises and have begun to fill in some of the forms. It will certainly help any photographer at any level to read this book, and would not hurt any photographer no matter their goals or practice.I studied film photography in a fine arts college when I was much younger, and have switched over to digital. With my fine arts background, I especially like this book since the author is at heart an artistic photographer and understands the importance of art and design in his approach and in the manner in which he writes about the practice of photography. This is what is needed, since the art of photography, or art and design in general in relation to photography, are the most important aspects that should drive any photographic practice.Much of what is in this book reinforces what I already know and understand and even expands upon it via the nuances of ideas presented. (In other words, it may not be particularly new info for an artist who reads this book, but there is a love and respect for the art of photography that comes through and that is hard to find!). The author isn't jaded, burned-out or apologetic, and more than that, he obviously has sincere intentions to instruct, inform and help others to grow and move forward with their photography using his own thought-provoking experiences and samples of his own photographs along with details on how he made each image. (As opposed to many videos and books where other intentions are apparent).The book is intelligent, sincere and a good companion for me since I'm in a rural remote location. I would have given this five stars but I didn't need the trite Rule of Thirds that the author probably found necessary to include for various reasons that have to do with putting together a book that will no doubt be available for many years.As I said, I've only read to page 132 so far and the main part of the book goes a few pages over 200 (not counting the Workbook section).

Like his other books, this one is excellent. What I didn't like was the condition of the book when it arrived. The cover showed clear signs of wear and tear, with damage along all the edges. I decided against returning it, as I particularly wanted to read it and it seems to be hard to get hold of, taking a fortnight to arrive via Amazon Prime. Fortunately, it wasn't intended as a present for anyone.

Great book, great writer.

Excelle book.