A graceful, contemplative volume, Camera Lucida was first published in 1979. Commenting on artists such as Avedon, Clifford, Mapplethorpe, and Nadar, Roland Barthes presents photography as being outside the codes of language or culture, acting on the body as much as on the mind, and rendering death and loss more acutely than any other medium. This groundbreaking approach established Camera Lucida as one of the most important books of theory on the subject, along with Susan Sontag’s On Photography.
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“[Barthes] has accomplished in this extraordinary book something finer than mere polemic. En route to his last painful discovery, Barthes takes the reader on an exquisitely rendered, lyrical journey into the heart of his own life and the medium he came to love, a medium that flirts constantly with the ‘intractable reality’ of the human condition.” —Newsweek
Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Quite an interesting documentary of photography by Barthes. I think books like this, and Sontag, are interesting to read as they help us gain perspectives from photography from various approaches. This is simply a nice book to read that happens to reflect on what gifts/memories that images catch and leave behind for society to come.
It is philosophical in the sense that is questions what images do, but again a nice story in that it moves from image to image discussing them. Images of places that make you want to live there, images of people and how these images capture the essence of time, culture, and the gift of being alive.
It's a great read, for me, as a photographer going to my shelf wanting something to read on photography other than about apertures and technical underpinnings. Of course they are related, and unarguably necessary, for good photography - but like Sontag you experience some of the hidden games of photography.
For the deep thinking photographers out there, and admittedly not for all.
It is philosophical in the sense that is questions what images do, but again a nice story in that it moves from image to image discussing them. Images of places that make you want to live there, images of people and how these images capture the essence of time, culture, and the gift of being alive.
It's a great read, for me, as a photographer going to my shelf wanting something to read on photography other than about apertures and technical underpinnings. Of course they are related, and unarguably necessary, for good photography - but like Sontag you experience some of the hidden games of photography.
For the deep thinking photographers out there, and admittedly not for all.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Eduardo G
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an excellent book for those who want to understand photography criticism. Ronald Barthes was not a photographer himself, but he greatly helped in the construction of contemporary photography. His writings doesn't make sense some times, but understand that this book was originally wrote in French and at the last living year of Barthes. Then you will understand.
By Alunsina
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Fors omeone new to media theory and criticism, this book has become a treasure. Although Barthes talks about photography and cinema, his theories and concepts are applicable to any communication forms, especially in rhetorical analysis.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Booring
A bunch of nonsense. Nothing I can use to make my photography better. Nothing concrete I can use. Spend your money on something else unless you would like to buy my copy.
Published 1 month ago by Neil B. Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!
I purchased this book for my photography class. Thus far the book has been quite interesting indeed. Even if it were not a required book for the class, I would have purchased it. Read more
Published 5 months ago by TMP
5.0 out of 5 stars
Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography
first the book arrived immediately it seems, an amazing pick of work that offers me a new look at photography
Published 6 months ago by Dr. Jcherry Muhanji
1.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book - terrible printing quality
Barthes' book is eloquent and full of insight. However, this 2010 paperback edition is awful . . . the paper is cheap and scratchy and feels like it won't last. Read more
Published 12 months ago by TheStranger
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not worth the book's beautiful production values.
By production values I mean the beauty of the physical form of this book itself. Between the lovely covers, I can quickly sum up the contents as follows: much ado about nothing. Read more
Published on February 4, 2011 by Kenneth C
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