Author: Bruce Barnbaum
Price: $29.67 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Product Description
This is an updated and newly revised edition of the classic book The Art of Photography (originally published in 1994), which has often been described as the most readable, understandable, and complete textbook on photography.
With well over 100 beautiful photographic illustrations in both black-and-white and color, as well as numerous charts, graphs, and tables, this book presents the world of photography to beginner, intermediate, and advanced photographers seeking to make a personal statement through the medium of photography. Without talking down to anyone, or talking over anyone's head, Barnbaum presents "how to" techniques for both traditional and digital approaches. Yet he goes well beyond the technical, as he delves deeply into the philosophical, expressive, and creative aspects of photography so often avoided in other books.
Bruce Barnbaum is recognized as one of the world's finest landscape and architectural photographers, and for decades has been considered one of the best instructors in the field of photography. This latest incarnation of his textbook, which has evolved, grown, and been refined over the past 35 years, will prove to be an ongoing, invaluable photographic reference for years to come. It is truly the resource of choice for the thinking photographer.
Book Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #237 in Books
- Published on: 2010-11-17
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 364 pages
Customer Reviews
Excellent mix of technical and artistic information
Kudos to Mr. Barnbaum, not only for his artistic excellence, but also for his ability to communicate his thoughts and ideas in a clear and interesting manner. "The Art of Photography" is written in a very personal style, and is a wonderful mix of technical and artistic information. Although the technical details about the Zone system and darkroom techniques are certainly directed toward the serious, advanced photographer, the discussions about composition, visualization, and creativity should be of interest to photographers at all levels of ability and experience. Most importantly, Mr. Barnbaum shares his thoughts about the purpose of photography: to communicate a feeling or message to the viewer and to elicit a response. This theme is reiterated throughout the book and is frequently compared to similar concepts in other art forms. I've read a number of very good books on photography, but this one is now at the top of my list. If you are serious about photography and are looking for a stimulating book, this is the one!
A good book for the advanced b&w photographer
Barnbaum is a serious black and white photographer, and this is a personal book in which he describes how he uses his own sense of aesthetic to "break" the rules of the Zone System. A good book for the advanced b&w photographer, this book provides a view of the way in which one photographer finds his own vision. It is less about technique and more about art than most photography books. My only quibble is that the reproductions in the book could have been of a higher quality.
Encouraging and most helpful, very clear text.
I've read many books which cover the finer points of photography, each has it's purpose and adds to my understanding. This book I felt helped find my own way to view what I want in an image. Bruce first gets the reader to explore their own likes in a photograph, getting us out of the confines of rules we've been told are required for a "Good Photograph", be free to explore all possibities not a fixed grid we tend to think of as the parameters of photography. The thing I found most helpful in this book is the topic of film and paper exposure. I've read much of the Zone System and understood it to a good extent, but Bruce takes it to a more practical level and I found I could apply his points with a much better understanding. It has made an improvment in my black and white large format work. Now, after reading this through a few times I have a much better understanding of how to use the range of the film and paper to their fullest extent. I can get most negatives to print on normal contrast paper, don't need to use contrast filters to get something to work and can get much more detail in the shadow areas. This book is wrote for the advanced photographer and prior basic knowledge will make it more usable but written in a very comfortable pace that I as an amature photographer could grasp with no problem. I feel this has saved me from many years of experimentation and let me get on with making photographs which I love to do! Greatly improved my confidence, this is the way photography should be taught, we each have our own abilities and creative aspects.
