As an aspiring photographer, I’ve followed the blog and work of David duChemin for some time now. Mostly, I’ve appreciated his terrific photos. But last week I just happened to win a copy of his 2009 book, Within the Frame, at the local photo club’s annual banquet raffle. I’m only 40 pages into it, but already I know I’ve stumbled upon a real gem. David isn’t just a veteran photographer, he’s also a terrific writer. (Who knew?)

The book’s subtitle is “The Journey of Photographic Vision.” As David explains, photographers are (perhaps uniquely) part Geek and part Artist. If you’re like me — the Geek part comes more naturally — this is a great book for you. There’s virtually nothing here about the technology of photography or the gear. It’s all about that vision thing. In the first quarter of the book (which I’m still reading), David explains his emotional connection to the photographic process. The remaining chapters focus on storytelling and specifically photographing People, Places and Culture. If you’re trying to improve how you translate what you see and feel into a finished photograph, David’s narrative will give you a lot to think about regarding how you approach the art of photography.