Books & Articles

My books are an accumulation of 40+ years of experience in image building and design. The articles are an example of how this lifetime of image making can be applied to the art of photography and is perfect for photographers of all levels of experience.

BOOKS

PHOTO DESIGN: Image Design and Composition for Photographers
PHOTO DESIGN is a must-have on the bookshelf of any photographer whether you’re a beginning amateur or seasoned pro. This book has three sections, the first being the art of making and evaluating photographs, including a brief history of photography in America. The second section features the all-important nuts and bolts of image building and the third section illustrates the principles discussed in this book with 15 of my unique Composition Maps. This book was written for photographers of all specialties and genres.

NATURAL DESIGN: Image Design for Nature Photographers
The 25 unique Composition Maps included at the end of this book are what makes NATURAL DESIGN stand alone in the photo design book market. Nobody dissects a composition as completely as I do and I have done it 25 times in this book. NATURAL DESIGN has been taught at art colleges, universities and countless workshops and photography classes globally for decades. This book was written for nature photographers but general photographers will increase their knowledge, terminology and understanding of design and composition guidelines.

COMPOSITION MAPS: Visual Design Aids for Nature Photographers
COMPOSITION MAPS is a PDF e-book comprised of 50 of the finest photographs made by world renowned nature photographer Arthur Morris, illustrated and explained by award-winning photographer and image design expert Gloria Hopkins.

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ARTICLES

TECHNIQUES

15 Composition Guidelines: popular and reliable design techniques

Creative Cropping: saves an image teetering on the edge of the round file

Breaking all the Rules! breaking the traditional rules of composition

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ESSAYS

Vision Bird: a photograph three years in the making – visualizing your photographs

Vision Bird: The One that Got Away

The Selfish Artist: the reasons an artist may be accused of being selfish at times

The Plover: one of my first articles about my first bird photography trip

The Confident Artist: the reasons an artist needs to have confidence

The Selfie: The digital conversion creates a new genre

The Artist and the Bluebird Day: the dreaded blank sky

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PHOTO DESIGN BOOK EXCERPTS

The Photographic Journey: Evaluating Your Progress: it’s about the journey!

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NATURAL DESIGN BOOK EXCERPTS

Demystifying Composition: the basics of composition — perfect for beginners!

Understanding Shapes and Forms: understanding shapes and forms

The Importance of Learning Composition: control the outcome of your photographs

The Visual Experience: the process of viewing and evaluating photographic art

Observation Skills: the importance of the development of observation skills artists

Developing a Personal Style: overview of the benefits of a personal style

Know it Intimately, Render it Uniquely: ways to make your work stand out

Reading Photographs: seeing and evaluating the composition attributes of a photograph

Perspective in Photography: the basics of perspective in photography

Is it Art? identifying art through emotions, evaluation and the visual experience

Using Lines in Nature Photography:  using the different lines found in nature.

Beauty in Art: a look at the word beauty as it applies to photography and the visual arts

Evaluating a Photograph: different ways to evaluate a photograph