equipment

This is the most useful photography book I have read in a long time, and I have read a lot (and taken a few pictures along the way). True this is not a general book and does not cover the basics in film, aperture and shutter speed which of course are important (after all this author has written a book on these aspects), but lets face it there are plenty of these general books around already. What this book addresses in spades is what is often lacking in some others; composition.

If you are a beginner then this is a must read book. If you are more advanced and generally happy with your images then read this book anyway and look again. Were any of you images 'ho-hum, so-so'? Need to move on to the next level?

This is the best book on composition I have read. I believe this book has helped me and can help you improve your images no matter what level you are at. Yes, even if you are a point and shoot photographer. For me this one is a keeper. Enjoy. ASC.

As an intermediate amateur photographer, I compared this book with "Photographic Composition" by Tom Grill and Mark Scanlon, and "Photography and the Art of Seeing" by Freeman Patterson. I liked this book the best of the three. The biggest advantage over the other two books was Peterson's pairing of "bad" and "good" photos of the same subject. For example, just changing time of day (pp.130-137) can make a big difference in the quality of light in a photo. (I disagree with the November 12, 1999, review here; many shots were improved by methods other than "another lens." I also disagree with the November 23, 2000, review, in that Peterson tells you exactly what is wrong with the "bad" photos.) Although almost all the example photos are saturated and contrasty, a few have a limited "pastel" color palette (e.g., pp. 59 & 107) for those who prefer such a style. Hey, buy all three books at Amazon.com!

Nice photo examples, although neither really inspiring nor stunning.
Technical details are superficial and sketchy.
Not worth keeping it as a reference book.