The number of quality photographic technique books on the market is fewer than what one expect it to be. While there is a plethora of books that expand on camera manuals or try to explain Photoshop in a more understandable way, it's a rare tomb that delves into the the actual methodology and art of picture taking. As Michael Freeman would have you believe, most that technique is mental instead of manual.
What I find fascinating about Freeman's approach is that rather than to take a step by step approach, the topics are organized thematically. Rather than dwelling on f/stops and shutter speeds, the book is organized into three broad subject areas,
intent,
style and
process. In each section, the thinking process involved in each of the three areas is discussed with photographic examples. The style and presentation is modern, but thankfully what is not modern is any prolonged discussion about camera gear or image manipulation. The writing is camera agnostic and easily accessible by any photographer.