The Photographer's Vision: Understanding and Appreciating Great Photography
tudouwang
Photography Essential for Visual Literacy, October 31, 2011
By Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE) (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) This review is
from: The Photographer's Vision: Understanding and Appreciating Great
Photography (Paperback)
Folks who have read Michael Freeman's books, "The Photographer's Eye:
Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos" and "The
Photographer's Mind: Creative Thinking for Better Digital Photos"
might well assume this is another well-conceived, how-to book. But it
is so much more. It is in fact the entire story of photography,
including history, aesthetics, criticism and technique.
The book is divided into three parts called "A Momentary Art",
"Understanding Purpose" and "Photography Skills" but the content is so
interrelated that these headings seem almost irrelevant. Freeman does
define what a photograph is; talks about the genres of photography;
describes the different methods of presentation; explains the purpose
of photographers (and editors and art directors); and mentions some
issues like the methods that photographers use to pull us into their
images. He outlines many of the issues in photography like whether an
image should be printed in black-and white or in color. The book is
profusely illustrated with images dating back to the nineteenth
century and as current as the work of today's critical darlings like
Andreas Gursky and Jeff Wall. Moreover, the book examines photographs
not just from Europe and North America but the other continents,
showing that so-called "western society" is not the only place where
great images are created. All of this is written with great clarity,
and even though one may infer where the author comes down on issues
where opinion is divided, his presentation of both sides of
conflicting opinions about photography issues is fair.
One might easily treat this as a history of photography, but it is one
of the few books to really explain how to read a photograph
critically. It should take its place alongside Szarkowski's "The
Photographer's Eye" and Shore's "The Nature of Photographs: A Primer".
Pleasantly enough, it doesn't wander off into the field of photography
theory for discussion of indexes or punctum or any of those ideas that
seem so beloved of semioticians and so far removed from the reality of
a photograph. On the other hand, Freeman is willing to give critics
like Clement Greenberg and Michael Fried their due.
Although I was engrossed throughout the book, I particularly enjoyed
the author's analysis of photo essays by W. Eugene Smith and Larry
Burrows. I was delighted by his quote of Carl Wolinsky's efforts to
capture the image of a half-shorn sheep.
Even though we are bombarded by images, few people are trained in
visual literacy. Serious photographers may begin to understand the
language, but without aid it can take many years to become truly
conversant. This book is perhaps the best introduction to visual
literacy I have encountered.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Michael Freeman is a renowned international photographer and writer
who specializes in travel, architecture, and Asian art. He is
particularly well known for his expertise in special effects. He has
been a leading photographer for the Smithsonian magazine for many
years, and has worked for Time-Life Books and Reader's Digest. Michael
is the author of more than 40 photographic books, including the hugely
successful Complete Guide to Digital Photography and The
Photographer's Eye. For his photographic educational work he was
awarded the Prix Louis Philippe Clerc by the French Ministry of
Culture. He is also responsible for the distance-learning courses on
photography at the UK's Open College of the Arts.
Book Description
Publication Date: October 13, 2011
In The Photographer's Eye, Michael Freeman showed what a photographer
needs to do in the instant before the shutter is released. In the
sequel, The Photographer's Mind, he explained the way that
professional photographers think a picture through before taking it.
Both of these international best-sellers featured Michael's own
photography: stunning landscapes, revealing portraits, and fascinating
street photography. Now, in The Photographer's Vision, he examines the
work of photography's greats, explaining how to look at a photo - and
how to learn from looking at it.
- Michael Freeman is the author of the global bestseller, The
Photographer's Eye. Now published in sixteen languages, The
Photographer's Eye continues to speak to photographers everywhere.
Reaching 100,000 copies in print in the US alone, and 300,000+
worldwide, it shows how anyone can develop the ability to see and
shoot great digital photographs.
- Features work from some of the most distinguished names in
photography's history: Nick Knight, Frederick Henry Evans, Frans
Lanting, Tim Page, Wolfgang Tillmans, Nan Goldin, Paul Outerbridge,
Walker Evans, Cindy Sherman, Elliott Erwitt, Trent Parke, Jeff Wall,
Paul Strand, Romano Cagnoni, Horst Faas, James Casebere and many more.
- Provides visually stunning photos as well as intellectually
authoritative narrative.
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