PRINT BOOKS
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The Soul of the Camera
The Photographer’s Place in Picture-Making
(Rocky Nook, 2017)
288 pages. Available in softcover and digital formats.The photograph can be an astonishing means of connecting and communicating with others. But with over one trillion photos taken each year, why are there so few successes? Why do so many fail? With advances in camera technology, it is not because the images lack focus or proper exposure; the camera does that so well these days. Photographer David duChemin believes the majority of our images fall short because they lack soul. And without soul, the images have no ability to resonate with others. They simply cannot connect with the viewer, or even―if we’re being truthful―with ourselves.
In The Soul of the Camera: The Photographer’s Place in Picture-Making, David explores what it means to make better photographs. Illustrated with a beautiful collection of black-and-white photographs, the book’s essays speak to topics such as craft, mastery, vision, audience, discipline, story, and authenticity. The Soul of the Camera is a personal and deeply pragmatic book that quietly yet forcefully challenges the idea that our cameras, lenses, and settings are anything more than dumb and mute tools. It is the photographer, not the camera, that can and must learn to make better photographs―photographs that convey our vision; that connect with others; that, at their core, contain our humanity.
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WITHIN THE FRAME (2nd Edition)
The Journey of Photographic Vision
(Peachpit/New Riders, 2016)
288 pages. Available in softcover and digital formats.Within The Frame was David’s first book, achieving critical acclaim and becoming a best-seller very quickly. This is the book that started it all. Briefly, it is a book about the passionate photography of people, places, and culture. It features a Foreword by Joe McNally and has been published worldwide in over a dozen languages. The 2nd edition has been updated with new and additional photographs, and has an increased page count.
“If the book simply stayed right there in the realm of how-to, go-to advice, it would be a wonderful book indeed. But it crosses the line from useful to inspire because David opens up much more than his camera bag. He opens his considerable heart and mind, both of which belong to a masterful storyteller driven by an acute sympathy for the human condition, coupled with an intense curiosity and respect for both the differences and the sameness of the world.”
– Joe McNally, from the Foreword. -
A BEAUTIFUL ANARCHY
When the Life Creative Becomes the Life Created
(Rocky Nook, 2016)
184 pages. Available in PDF and Kindle formats.A Beautiful Anarchy is a vulnerable, honest, and insightful book about the human longing to create, whether that’s a family, a business, a book or a photograph. Our greatest creation can be an intentional life lived on our terms. For those that already identify as creative people, this book is an invitation to more intentionally explore your creative process. For anyone that’s ever said, “but I’m not really creative,” it’s a call to exhume a part of yourself that desperately needs to get out and breathe.
“A Beautiful Anarchy is raw energy bundled up in a book, and opening its cover is like lighting a fuse. This isn’t an ordinary book. It’s message is challenging and liberating at the same time. What I like best, is that David’s words are grounded in a life that is well lived. Reading it is like gaining access to the mentor and friend I always wished I had. A Beautiful Anarchy is a manifesto that has changed how I see the world. Read this book if you want to make more meaningful photographs and live a more complete life.” ~ Chris Orwig, author of Visual Poetry.
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THE VISUAL TOOLBOX
60 Lessons for Stronger Photographs
(Peachpit/New Riders, 2015)
288 pages. Available in softcover and digital formats.THE VISUAL TOOLBOX is David duChemin’s curriculum for learning not just how to use a camera–but how to make stronger photographs. He has developed 60 lessons, each one a stepping stone to becoming more proficient with the tools of this art, and the means to create deeper visual experiences with your images. David introduces you to the technical side of the craft but quickly moves on to composition, the creative process, and the principles that have always been responsible for making great photographs; he shows you these principles and invites you to play with them, turn them on their heads, and try a different approach to create beautiful, compelling images with your camera.
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PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING
A Deeper Look at Creating Stronger Images
(Peachpit/New Riders, 2011)
272 pages. Available in softcover and digital formats.Vision—crucial as it is—is not the ultimate goal of photography; expression is the goal. And to best express ourselves, it is necessary to learn and use the grammar and vocabulary of the visual language. Photographically Speaking is about learning photography’s visual language to better speak to why and how a photograph succeeds, and in turn to consciously use that visual language in the creation of our own photographs, making us stronger photographers who are able to fully express and communicate our vision.
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THE PRINT & THE PROCESS
Taking Compelling Photographs from Vision to Expression
(Peachpit/New Riders, 2012)
264 pages. Available in softcover and digital formats.The Print and the Process is a book of ideas, thoughts, and techniques about our photographs and the process that leads us to the final image. In this beautiful book, David takes the reader behind the scenes on four distinct photographic projects, discussing motivation, image creation, and post-production. Featured work is from Iceland, Kenya, Antarctica, and Venice–and for each he discusses the hows and whys of his own image-making process.Each project begins with a beautiful series of 20-30 final images from that project–this is “the print” section, and it’s geared for the reader to really take in those images holistically. Then, duChemin discusses “the process” behind creating those images. In this section, the reader will see the project images again but as thumbnails, and David goes through each one, explaining very thoroughly his process.
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VISIONMONGERS
Making A Life and a Living in Photography
(Peachpit/New Riders, 2009)
272 pages. Available in softcover and digital formats.For those who want to make the transition into the world of vocational photography—staying true to your craft and vision, while fusing that craft with commerce VisionMongers is a great place to begin your journey. With a voice equally realistic and encouraging, photographer David duChemin discusses the experiences he’s had, the lessons he’s learned, and the practices he’s adopted in his own winding journey to becoming a successful working photographer.Along the way, duChemin features the stories of nine other photographers—including Chase Jarvis, Gavin Gough, and Zack Arias—whose paths, while unique, have all shared a commitment and passion for bringing their own vision to market. With VisionMongers, you’ll learn what paths have been taken—what has worked for these photographers—and you’ll be equipped to begin the process of forging your own.
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SEVEN (Limited Edition)
Seven Continents + Seven Years: A Photographic Journey
(Craft & Vision Press, 2013)
160 pages. Available in hardcover, 12″ x 12″. Italian Linen.
This is a limited edition. Only 1000 were printed. It ships signed by the author.
His first art book, SEVEN is a retrospective of David’s work from 2006 to early 2013. “I created this as a legacy piece. I wanted to create something beautiful, inside and out. Something that was a delight to touch and hold. I wanted something that would inspire and show you the world the way I see it, in these fleeting glimpses of beauty, hope, and wonder. Unlike so much of what I publish, this is not an educational book. The book opens with a short essay about the gift of photography, and what follows is photograph after photograph, quietly captioned with location and date. I want, at the end of the day, my photographs to speak for themselves. I also believe that looking at, and studying, photographs, is some of the best education we can have in terms of making our own photographs.”
EBOOKS
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC STORY
How To Use Storytelling To Make More Powerful Photographs
(Craft & Vision, 2017)
160 pages. Available in PDF format.
This is eBook is an extended discussion, including creative exercises and case studies, about the elements of great storytelling and how you can incorporate them into your photographs. The 40 minute companion video is a chance to sit with David in front of a small handful of images not discussed in the book, to explore further thoughts about storytelling.
MAKING THE IMAGE
The Creative Path to Stronger Photographs
(Craft & Vision, 2015)
160 pages. Available in PDF format.
Have you ever wanted an experienced photographer to look over your shoulder once in a while and ask you why you’re doing this or that, and whether you’d considered trying something different? Have you ever wished you could peer over the shoulder of a photographer who makes work you respect, and see what decisions they’re making and why? Yes? You’re exactly the person David made this latest book for.
Making the Image is about the way we make photographs – the questions we ask ourselves between the moment we see something and say, Oh my God, Look at that! and the moment we make the final photograph. This is a 160-page eBook, that comes with a Quick Reference Guide and a 45-minute Companion Video. It was made in the hope that it’ll be the next step you’ve been looking for on the path to learning to create photographs that are stronger, and more authentic and creative. It’s like having David along with you, asking you why you’re doing this, and if you’ve thought of trying it differently. Only it’s better because when he’s there in real life he’s not so easy to shut up.
SEE THE WORLD BUNDLE
Lessons + Case Study for Stronger Travel Photographs
(Craft & Vision, 2015)
210 + 80 pages. Available in PDF format.
The best photographs from around the world have little to do with the camera that was used or how compact the tripod was.
This 210-page PDF eBook covers some of the concerns of traveling, such packing lists, dealing with carry-on luggage restrictions, and choosing gear, but those are just the trivial details. The important details are in the 20 lessons designed to teach you what David believes is the real art of making photographs while traveling and experiencing new places, landscapes, and cultures. See the World outlines the importance of storytelling and finding elements of the visual language that help you tell those stories, dealing with people, and working through the creative process of seeing places for the first time.
Included in the book are interviews with veteran photographers Bob Krist and Art Wolfe, both of whom have traveled the world for the span of their respective careers. This bundle includes an 80-page case study from Northern Kenya, and a a 17-minute downloadable video tutorial on post-production decisions and techniques in Lightroom.
HOW TO FEED A STARVING ARTIST
A Financial Field Guide for Creatives, Solopreneurs,
and Other Anarchists
(Craft & Vision, 2014)
186 pages. Available in PDF and Kindle formats.
This a book about money for creative people, people who don’t want to talk about money, feel like they need to take a long, hot, shower when they do, but who need to get a handle on their finances so they can continue to do what they love with greater freedom. It is also a book about simple financial possibilities available to artists and other creatives. Like its predecessor, A Beautiful Anarchy, this is an honest book about freedom. It promises no get-rich-quick solutions, just sound wisdom and actionable ideas to help you change the way you think and act in relationship to your money. It’s a starting place for people who want the freedom not necessarily to be rich, but to live their dreams and fill their days with the art and adventure they long for. Money’s not the point, not even remotely. But money makes things possible. If you want to get a better handle on your finances, stop stressing out about making ends meet, and want to get closer to “living the dream” by doing what you love, How To Feed A Starving Artist is a great place to start that journey.
THE VISUAL IMAGINATION
Ideas and Techniques for Creative Photographic Expression
(Craft & Vision, 2014)
65 pages. Available in PDF and Kindle formats.
Let your camera and your creativity out of the box! Our cameras do amazing things, but since the beginnings of this craft, we’ve leaned heavily towards illustrative and literal interpretations of the world around us. Freed from the need to be so literal, we can create photographs that are beautifully expressive. This eBook is about that expression.
SEVEN+
Seven Continents + Seven Years: A Photographic Journey
Expanded Digital Edition
(Craft & Vision, 2013)
200 pages. Available in PDF format.
SEVEN+ is a retrospective collection of the personal work of David duChemin done over the last seven years on seven continents. This is an expanded digital edition of the limited edition print book. 200 pages of beautiful work, SEVEN+ is a stunning eBook at a great value.
THE CREATED IMAGE (BUNDLE)
The 2-Volume Video Series
(Craft & Vision)
26 hours. Available for download and private online viewing.
Pre-recorded conference sessions from the 2013 and 2014 conference. Hosted by David duChemin, best-selling author and international humanitarian and travel photographer, the Vancouver (Canada) event series was a photography event like no other. It was an intimate conference dedicated to the art of photography and the journey of craftsmanship that gets us there . . . and now you can experience from the comfort of your digital devices.