Reviews (1)

Important Book
Criticizing Photographs remains one of the most important books in the field, and Barrett has updated the text with new photos to discuss. His new editions include worthy changes and are not ploys to sell new copies. I have used his books for years in an advanced photography college class. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. History    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photographic criticism    5. Photography    6. Photography As An Art    7. Photography, Artistic    8. Techniques - Color    9. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    10. Photography & Photographs    11. Photography / General   

Reviews (20)

so very boring and arrogant
I was forced to read this drivel for a graduate photo program. God I wanted to kill myself and quit photography by the time I was finished with it.
On Photography is Recanted in Regarding the Pain of Others
Susan recants many of the things she says in On Photography in her book Regarding the Pain of Others published in 2003.

Has Susan Sontag ever taken a picture?
I opened this book very neutrally--I had never heard anything about Susan Sontag except her name, in a preface to an Annie Leibovitz book.I still can't believe some of the things I read.Sontag mentions in the foreword that she has an "obsession" with photography.I would argue that she has an obsession with resenting photography.
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Subjects:  1. Artistic photography    2. Criticism    3. General    4. Photo Essays    5. Photography    6. Photography As An Art    7. Photography, Artistic    8. Photography / General   

Reviews (12)

Barthes on Art, not just Photography.
Enclosed among these "Reflections on Photography" is a provocative theory of art in general, of what gives art the power to keep us looking. Barthes speaks of what he calls the 'punctum,' that aspect of a photograph (or, by implication, of any image, visual or textual) that pierces the viewer's consciousness, that wounds us like a dart of desire and leads to a blurring of the line between the aesthetic and the erotic. Here is an answer to Sontag's call for an 'erotics of art.' (Barthes and Sontag were friends, and it's quite possible that they influenced each other.) A great image, great art, has the power to wound us and fascinate us like a lover. And we as viewers must open ourselves to this power, like people in love. Indeed, one of the things Barthes is doing in this book is 'cruising' photography in the same way that he, a gay man, might have 'cruised' attractive men in the beaches, bars and baths of the 1970's. A wonderful book that deserves to be more widely read.

Heavy going
It is my belief that people who really know what they are talking about can explain their thoughts clearly. I cannot be sure if the fault in this book is with the original author or the translator, but it certainly does not measure up to this criterion. It may be of interest to photography academics, but I doubt if a photographer will get much out of it that is useful.

boring & pretentious crap!
This book is a sure snooze-fest. Luckily for me I did not have to read the entire book for my undergrad art history photo class. We read selected chapters of the book.
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Subjects:  1. History    2. Photography    3. Semiotics & Theory    4. Photography / Criticism   

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. History    3. Photo Essays    4. Photography    5. 20th century    6. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    7. Photographs: collections    8. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (3)

Seizing the Photographic Light
Overall a great book on the history of photography.VERY comprehensive overview of the evolution of photography.It ties movements in art and social events into photography trends and developments. It also provides insight into how photographers and artists used the medium to express themselves and how experimentation lead to improvements over the years.My only negative comment would be that some of the earlly forms of cameras were not pictured.There were diagrams of early cameras, but after the first hundred years, there is little to no documentation on how they evolved cosmetically/ functionally.It'd be nice to see an example of the various "groundbreaking" cameras as they were discussed.Otherwise, a great book.

The Persistence of Fine Books
For everyone with an interest in photography, either as an artist of the medium, a beginner looking for direction, or a collector who wants informed background to enhance appreciation of fine photographs both from the past and from the present obsession, SEIZING THE LIGHT: A History of Photography is essential reading.
This is the One Great Book on the History of Photography!
Seizing the Light: A History of Photography. is a wonderfully broad, contemporary, eclectic and entertaining book. Robert Hirsch has produced the most useful, readable, and practical successor to Beaumont Newhall's classic, The History of Photography, first published in 1937.Seizing the Light is written in a friendly, accessible way -- dense with information, but more hip and lively than other offerings, especially those aimed at college students.Hirsch includes the "canon" of standard western photographic history (represented by Stieglitz, Weston, Adams, White, et. al.) first set forth by Newhall and other researchers, but updates the information with special emphasis on the last five decades of photographic practice, including digital imaging.
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Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. General    3. History    4. Photo Techniques    5. Photography    6. Art / General    7. History of specific subjects    8. Photography & Photographs   

Reviews (5)

one-sided view
to call this 'art photography now' is a bold move, and this collection is less a survey than an advertisement for a particular style of photography. the work doesn't vary much from artist to artist, and if you don't like color fictive constructions and digital manipulation then you probably won't like this book. as the trend of this type of large scale, color, set-up, advertising-influenced work fades, this book will seem a sad reminder of a rather lame period in photo history when the majority of galleries, critics, artists, and dealers joined forces to produce (like this title) little more than a shopping mall of trendy, elitist, high-priced commodity under the guise of art.

A trip to 80 (good) art galleries in a single book
It is difficult to find good contemporary photography overviews -- typically, you could go to galleries or museums for several years or buy a stack of art photography books and spend days going through them -- assuming you had a strong Art background.This book offers a nice alternative and it is one of the best overviews of contemporary fine art photography available.
one of the best contemporary photography books
i think this book is one of the best art books available on the market. Every section is divided by the artist and it's explained in a very complete way and very simple to understand at the same time...a real dilight to your mind and a strong pleasure to the eye!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General    3. Criticism    4. Exhibition Catalogs    5. Individual Photographers And Their Work    6. Photo Techniques    7. Photoessays & Documentaries    8. Photography   

Reviews (10)

Goes on and on
Includes miles of intellectual blather. Fits well into sexually charged point of viewof photography. Uses most horrific and grotesk as examples. On page 33 in third edition author mentions head decapitation as one photographer's "external" influences. Uses sexual pictures as examples. Generally a politically correct lightly negative type discourse on photography. I feel sorry for the students subjected to this pulp.

Excellent introduction.
Having never taken a course in art appreciation, I found this book to be an excellent introduction to interpreting photographic images.The comment above about this book serving as a framework is a good one.Essentially any photograph will fall into one of the categories, giving the viewer a frame of reference within which to interpret and appreciate the meaning of the work.It forces you to slow down and think about each photograph you encounter, ultimately enriching the viewing experience.I highly recommend it for photography aficionados and photographers alike.

Criticisng Criticism
A look at the subtitle to this book, "An Introduction to Understanding Images", might lead one to believe that it is about photographs and what makes them good or bad (or if there are such things as "good" and "bad" photographs).But instead it is about photographic criticism, primarily written.And even then it really doesn't tell you very much about how to write criticism yourself, or how to interpret what you read, or how to develop patterns of thought that would enable you to criticize in a useful fashion.Instead most of the book is concerned with the pigeon holes into which different kinds of photographic criticism can be put.Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. General    3. History    4. Photo Techniques    5. Photographic criticism    6. Photography    7. Photography As An Art    8. Photography, Artistic    9. Techniques - Color    10. Photography & Photographs    11. Photography / General   

Reviews (1)

Rather disappointing: strange choice of subjects
This book contains some beautiful illustrations of London, together with much interesting information. The "then" photos seem to date mostly from 80-150 years ago. I learned several things from the commentaries, even though I lived in or near London for many years, and made every effort to learn about the city! However, the choice of subject for many of the comparisons seems less than ideal. Surely, in a "Then and Now" book, we want to see how much things have changed over the years, don't we? Hence, we don't really need to see locations where the comparative photos prove that very little has changed! For example, do we really need to see "then and now" pictures of Westminster Abbey, just to confirm that it really has NOT changed perceptibly during the past hundred years or so? I don't think so. In a world-class city where so much has changed, via either redevelopment or wanton destruction, there are many fascinating locations that should have been afforded priority in such a book, but which are omitted altogether. Examples: the South Kensington Imperial Institute/Imperial College site (actually mentioned in the book's Introduction), Holland Park House, etc. I can only imagine that the author was forced to draw on a limited stock of "then" photographic material. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. Europe - Great Britain - General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. London (England)    6. Pictorial works    7. Pictorials    8. Travel    9. Europe    10. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    11. Local history    12. London, Greater London    13. Places & peoples: general interest    14. Travel & holiday guides    15. Sale Books   

Reviews (2)

History Your Imagination Will Appreciate
This is a most interesting book, at least for people such as myself who have an interest in late 19th and early 20th century photography.Actually, I suspect it would also intrigue people who lack that enthusiasm but who have an interest in general social history of this period. A premise of the book is that photographs in albums are often times given added historical or literary meaning and visual interest by being placed into a personalized context by an arranger, compiler, and/or photographer. This context provides the photographs with an enhanced ability to create an historical account of a life, a portion of a life, an event, etc. - without being subservient to a text. Most of the albums presented do not have any substantial written commentary (and many have no written text other than labels for individual photographs), and rely on the images alone to provide the larger insights.The book is extensively and richly illustrated with examples drawn from the large and thoughtfully acquired collection of Barbara Levine. These examples illuminate and extend the clear and insightful commentary in the book.
the beginnings of the American photo album as a type of social history
The cover is velvet, like one of those fancy Victorian-era photo albums. "Snapshot Chronicles" accompanies an exhibition at Reed College of innumerable photographs collected by Barbara Levine. The photographs are kept together as they were in albums of their original owners; or in the case of those not going with an album, in groups of similarly pictured individuals or similar subject matter. The source of the photographs was the Kodak Brownie camera introduced as a consumer item in 1900. This quickly led to an explosion of photographs of friends, relatives, yards and neighborhoods, vacation scenes, and varied activities (much as the cell phone has spurred new kinds of communication these days, one assumes). The photos were kept in "vernacular" photo albums; whose charm to later generations is explained by Willard Morgan, the Director of the Museum of Modern Art's Department of Photography in 1944, "The snapshot has become, in truth, a folk art, spontaneous, almost effortless, yet deeply expressive. It is an honest art...partly because it is simply more trouble to make an untrue picture than a true picture." The hundreds of simple, yet fetching snapshots were taken before the days when artists, photojournalists, advertisers, and propagandists started to make use of cameras for their own specialized ends. Thus, the guileless, popular, vernacular snapshots can be seen as an unwitting visual social history of the era too. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    2. Criticism    3. History    4. Paper Ephemera    5. Photo Techniques    6. Photograph albums    7. Photography    8. United States    9. Photoalbum    10. Photographs: collections    11. Photography / General    12. Social Science / Popular Culture   

Reviews (5)

Excellent choice for Visual Artists contemplating photography as a medium of expression
As a Visual Arts student coming to terms with the whole conceptual ideology in contemporary art, I found this book an excellent choice for delving into the theoretical side of contemporary photgraphy. This book is definitely not bedtime reading.Trust me, I tried it and kept myself awake! There is also an excellent reference to archives, journals and other books to peruse.I found the book easy to understand and has helped me immensely in my quest to understand what constitutes Visual Art in current times. An excellent choice for all those contemplating a Visual Arts career using photographic images

A highly academic book
The other reviewers have hit the high points.This book is dry, lacks illustration, is academic and difficult to read.The writing style is highly academic with major points all but hidden in convoluted sentences.To complicate matters the chapters are written by different authors so the writing styles vary.There is much to be learned from this book but as the other reviewers have pointed out, it will be a painful process.

More academic than practical
"Photography: A Critical Introduction" offers decent insight into some ideas and theories surrounding the new instrument of art, the camera.It should be noted that very few photos or examples are used in the book, and this absence definitely accounts for the book's partly dry flavor."Photography" is probably less appropriate for hobbyists and more so for academics, but none the less remains a worthwhile read for those ready to sit down and study. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. History    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photography    5. Techniques - General    6. Photographic equipment & techniques    7. Photography / History    8. Special kinds of photography   

Editorial Review

One can only imagine the amazement felt by L.J.M. Daguerre, when, in the summer of 1839, he gazed upon the first photograph ever made. An image of the view from his Paris apartment of the bustling Boulevard du Temple, it was remarkably detailed yet mysteriously vacant, save for a single man in the distance who appeared to be having his boots polished; the rest of the passersby evaded capture due to the necessarily long exposure. And thus began the world-shaking practice of photography. Read more

Reviews (4)

The most complete and impartial history of photography
This is the most complete, impartial and accurate book on History of Photography. It tells everything about almsot every area of photography. It's a great learning tool. Ideal for those who are making photography courses simply curious

A Full View of Photography
The New History of Photography is just that as it breaches the subjects of the commercialization of photography, not as a demeaning factor, but as an evolutionary factor showing that even those in the pantheon of photography / artists contributed to this evolution.
A HISTORY OF EVOLUTION
Yes, we all love Avedon, Bourke-White, Capa, Doisneau, etc. But do we all understand how photography evolved from gelatine andsilver plates, to Man Ray and then Newton? If you want to have a general perpective of the history of photography, and access to wonderful pictures not previosly divulged to the general public, I would recommend this comprehensive and well organized book ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. General    3. History    4. Photo Essays    5. Photography    6. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    7. Photography & Photographs   

Reviews (1)

Charming, affectionate family memento
Though Roberto Rossellini is one of the least-known of the great filmmakers (many of his films are difficult to see for various reasons of copyright, etc.), he was incredibly influential and highly prolific. Though this book doesn't really help to explain his work, it does provide a wonderfully emotional and generous overview of his life, and his impact on his daughter, Isabella Rossellini. As a bonus, included in the book is the DVD of the short film "My Dad Is 100 Years Old", written by Isabella Rossellini and directed by the Canadian fantasist Guy Maddin. The film is utterly charming, but in all of this, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that Rossellini was one of the most important filmmakers of all time, whose NeoRealist classics ("Open City", "Paisan", "Germany Year Zero") proved to be influential, and whose films from the 1950s ("Stromboli", "Viaggio in Italia", "Fear") introduced themes of alienation and urban malaise which would be developed in films by Antonioni, Godard, Bertolucci and many others. And there is a sadness to the book, because Isabella Rossellini seems to have no consciousness of the importance of her father's actual achievements, she seems to fixate on how her father is seen in Hollywood commercial terms, which is totally incongruous. Yet it's so obvious that this is a labor of great love, and that feeling overwhelms everything else. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography And Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    5. Criticism    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    7. Individual Movie Actors And Actresses    8. Photoessays & Documentaries    9. Photography   

Reviews (2)

Beautiful Photographic Collection
This anthology is a well-packaged, heart-warmingly first-person annoted retrospective of Lange's career. Enlighening glimpses into Lange's personal point-of view are offered here, showcasing her stark Depression-era WPA migration shots alongside her later vignettes of the American western plains and western coastal dwellers captured in their every day routines. Therein lies this collection's strength and weakness: while her Americana movement captured a rural slice of America which later mediums still struggle to duplicate, that subject matter still did not match the sheer horror and power of her WPA work, which captured the raw strength of the human spirit during life-threatening crises. The diversity of this collection makes it an essential introductory volume, however.

Photographs of a Lifetime
I had just recently seen a Lange exhibit when I bought this wonderful book. It starts with an essay on Lange by Robert Coles. Then it moves into her photographs and her own words. Her work is beautiful on its own, but to have the photographs and her philosophy side by side is an enriching experience. The photographs fill the entire book so it's a great read and a nice coffee table book. The images are primarily from her depression photos, but there are also pictures from around the world, her family and her early portraits. I also like that they included photographs of her and her oak trees. Dorothea Lange was a woman with such a unique perspective on life. I feel that this book does an excellent job of presenting her work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Documentary photography    3. General    4. Individual Photographer    5. Individual Photographers And Their Work    6. Lange, Dorothea    7. Photo Essays    8. Photographers    9. Photography    10. United States    11. Individual artists    12. Individual photographers    13. Photography / Criticism   

Reviews (1)

Like A Vivid Memory of the Show
If you saw Varekai you will want this book. It is far, far better than I had expected.Read more

Subjects:  1. Circus    2. Cirque du Soleil    3. Criticism    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts/Dance    6. Pictorial works    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Varekai    9. Performing Arts / Circus    10. Photographs: collections    11. Variety shows, music hall, cabaret   

Reviews (2)

GREAT SPONTANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHY!
It is often said that in order to take a phenominal photograph, one has to be in the right place at the right time.Some of these photos, were obviously taken at the spur of the moment by someone who was indeed at the right place at the right time.Any book put out by Life Magazine immediately captures my attention and this one was no exception.While there are many spontaneous shots here, there were also several that looked just too "posed and stiff for my liking."For example, there is one of a white poodle posing for the camera that looks cute in a book, but you better hope the guy never takes off out the back door and heads for the woods!His brushed out poodle cut rather resembles one of Dolly Parton's wigs. My preference is natural photographs that are taken when one least expects the click of the shutter and, thankfully, there are several of those here as well.This is not one of my favourite books on canine photography, but it is still one worth having.

Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul
It you appreciate great photography and love dogs, this book is the perfect blending of both!Our pooch pals are captured in numerous poses and activities documenting the many ways they are an integral part ofmodern life.This is a book I reach for if I want a good laugh, or sometugs at my heartstrings. Dog lovers---enjoy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections Of Photographs    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    3. Criticism    4. Dogs    5. Pets    6. Photo Essays    7. Photo Techniques    8. Photoessays & Documentaries    9. Photography    10. Photography of dogs    11. Pictorial works    12. Photographs: collections    13. Photography / Criticism   

Reviews (4)

Still an invaluable resource
I can't remember the first time I read this book, decades ago.Although it's quite dated in light of the advancements in digital photography in recent years, this is still the first reference to check for information about the first 140 years of photography.Even with Wikipedia available, this is the book I check for information.I happened to live in Rochester near the end of his time as curator of George Eastman House, and got to see first hand his influence on the medium. Newhall's book will remain on my shelf for as long as I am interested in photography.

Excellent Reference
As a student, I was forced to buy this book during my 2 year tenure at photography school. It remains one of the most comprehensive, detailed and well written references on the history of photography. History books can be a little "dry" to read but this one is exceptionally well written and covers a vast amount of ground in an admirable fashion.

An excellent read
If you're even remotely interested in photography and its development, this book is a wonderful way to learn about it.It details the emergence of all the important photographic processes with just enough technical detail to be interesting and not so much as to be overwhelming.There are many pictures in it that provide examples and show how images changed over the years.It also includes the personal aspects of this history and how photography has affected our culture.The writing is smooth and easy to read.In short, I highly recommend it; you won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. History    3. Photo Essays    4. Photo Techniques    5. Photography    6. Reference    7. 20th century    8. Photographic equipment & techniques    9. Photography / Reference    10. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (5)

A Great Introduction
This book is a great introduction to understanding the world of contemporary photography.I have appreciated how the chapters are set-up as a look into the main branches of contemporary photography.If you are a photographer, it can help you discover more people who are doing work which relates to your work or inspires you.Because it has information about so many different photographers it cannot cover them all as thoroughly as one might like; however, it acts as a wonderful springboard into further research.I have found it very useful in searching for great works of photography.

Almost got it...
This is a very constipated read. For such a small book, it took me more (a lot more) than the usual. Although I found very interesting the works, and photographers, chosen, it lacks works, and photographers, that will make it a complete reference guide.
I'm not at the right photo level to read this and give a fair rating
As a follow up of a review in Business week did buy this book which I find good to look at but almost impossible to read as such
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Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. Photo Techniques    3. Photography    4. Photography As An Art    5. Photography, Artistic    6. Photography & Photographs   

Subjects:  1. 1908-    2. Celebrities    3. Criticism    4. Exhibitions    5. Karsh, Yousuf,    6. Photo Techniques    7. Photography    8. Portrait photography    9. Portraits    10. Subjects & Themes - Portraits   

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. Family    3. Folklore    4. General    5. Photo Essays    6. Photographic criticism    7. Photography    8. Photography Of Specific Subjects    9. Photography of families    10. Sociology    11. Sociology - General    12. Cultural studies    13. Family & relationships    14. Photography & Photographs    15. Social Science / General   

Editorial Review

Adams, a noted photographer of the American West, dislikes words that describe pictures. In this collection of poetic, thought-provoking and highly original essays, he examines Paul Strand's devotion to America and analyzes the origins of his art; he looks at the contradictions in Ansel Adams' life and work, and comes to his own conclusions. He writes movingly not only of people but of place--his beloved West--and his belief that "we live in several landscapes at once, among them the landscape of hope..." ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Photographers -- this book is your friend.
If you are not connected with any photography/art community, this book is for you. If none of your friends has an MFA, and if you are in need of someone who can speak intelligently about photography as art, then again, this book is for you. Robert Adams' writing is clear, concise, and insightful. Adams tells us why we photograph, for example, why we photograph landscapes. The answers include: because the images are of "emblems of a land" (pages 146 and 163), because our photographed subjects redefine us and is part of our biography (page 15), because art is "specifics made universal" (page 120), and because "art is a discovery of harmony" (page 181). Adams consoles photographers who come to realize that spending ten years doing photography won't necessarily result, e.g., in a contract for preparing a coffeetable book: "[t]hey may or may not make a living by photography but they are alive by it" (page 15); and the experience of having an exhibit where the photographer "stand[s] through the opening of an exhibition to which only officials have come." (page 16). Adams reveals the secrets of some of the masters, e.g., Weston: "limbs and torsos . . . treated as shapes to be enjoyed as one might the sight of a smooth stone" (page 64); and Paul Strand: "he worked off axis as if it were a moral principle . . . but usually just slightly off axis." (page 81) Robert Adams offers some critiques of the masters, e.g., of Paul Strand: "[o]ff-centering is used here . . . it begins to seem formulaic (page 87); and of Ansel Adams: "I have been derivative of myself for fifty years." (page 116). Robert Adams' book is a stand-alone book, that is, it does not require a knowledge of literature, art criticism, or history. The book is for the layperson. Another fine, insightful book on photography criticism is Light Readings by A.D. Coleman. A remarkable bit of insight by A.D. Coleman, for example, concerns his view of the typical amateur (page 164): "Typically, a snapshot of someone's relative at Grant's Tomb will show the relative too far from the camera to be identifiable and Grant's Tomb too close to be recognizable . . . Their charm and poignancy derives specifically from their failure to communicate . . ."The writings of Robert Adams and A.D. Coleman may be contrasted with the poetic commentary David Wallace (in Morley Baer's The Wilder Shore) and with the "writing" of Sally Eauclair in The New Color Photography and New Color/New Work.The writings of David Wallace and Sally Eauclaire are silly, and sometimes very silly, and serve only to draw attention to the words printed on the page instead of serving to invoke new concepts and connections in the mind.

Dog eared and well thumbed
This book has been of great assitance to me in my teaching and creative practiceover the years.It has been a source of inspiration and motivation allowing me to continue working with my cameras and photography, at the same time reconciling different ideas about 'money', 'ideas', 'freinds', 'teaching' etc to enable me to maintain my faith in what I do. Nature photographers take note
In a series of essays, photographer and critic Robert Adams goes beyond the images of landscape photographers and provides an impassioned plea for colleagues to care at least as much about our common lands as we do about preserving them for posterity only on film.Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. General    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photography    5. Photography, Artistic    6. Photographic equipment & techniques    7. Photography / Photo Essays