Occam's Razor: An Outside-In View of Contemporary Photography [Paperback]

Bill Jay (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Despite the odd title, which refers to one of the guiding principles of scientific and philosophical inquiry, this is an accessible collection of essays, ideas, and personal experiences. As far as author Bill Jay is concerned, photography encroaches on all aspects of life, and he touches on a wide range of topics. He addresses young photographers in particular, whom he advises that "each photograph you take is like a pebble dropped into the pond of consciousness, its never-ending ripples lapping upon everything." The book is illustrated with Jay's wonderfully inventive montages of Victorian wood engravings, which alone are almost worth the price of the book. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Nazraeli Pr (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3923922132
• ISBN-13: 978-3923922130
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,847,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent insight into the philosophy of photography, August 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Occam's Razor: An Outside-In View of Contemporary Photography (Paperback)

Bill Jay cuts through the academic elitism of "photography education" and reveals the myths about museums, galleries, directors and critics. This is a MUST READ for those interested in serious photography, and particularly for young photographers. As a professional photographer, I wish I could have read Occam's Razor twenty years ago when I began. What Jay writes is applicable to all creative arts and particularly to the design professions of architecture and landscape architecture.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A few ideas but much rambling, January 3, 2003

By 

Charles H. Megnin "theblueplanet" (New Orleans, LA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Occam's Razor: An Outside-In View of Contemporary Photography (Paperback)

An uneven and loosely connected collection of essays on photography ranging from very instructive (the insight on the cultural context surrounding "The Family of Man" exhibit) to absolutely uninformative (the interview with Diane Arbus where much is made of her reluctance to speak but what is actually discussed after she relaxes & actually gets to talk remains a mystery. Likewise the interview with Bill Brandt where nothing is discussed).

The text is written in a very readable fashion but the style is patronizing and dominated by cliches and commonplace arguments.

In my view, many of the discussions address the concerns of teen-agers interested in becoming photographers. This is perfectly legitimate but it may put off readers who do not fall in this category.

3 stars for the truly informative discussion on Steichen's exhibit and for the lovely illustrations which together justify the purchase.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bill Jay: A Superb and Thoughtful Writer About Photography, November 24, 2001

By 

David Enzel (Chevy Chase, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Occam's Razor: An Outside-In View of Contemporary Photography (Paperback)

This book is a companion volume to Bill Jay's book entitled "Cyanide & Spirits: An Inside View of Early Photography" which focuses on 19th century photography. Occam's Razor discusses 20th Century photography in a series of expertly crafted essays on a wide variety of subjects. One essay discusses disturbing images and is especially worthwhile in the aftermath of September 11th. Jay concludes that the "most disturbing subjects threaten our survival as a species." It took a lot of thought to reach this conclusion, which is well supported. I also enjoyed the essays on Diane Arbus, W. Eugene Smith and the explosion of the Hindenberg.

Even if all the essays don't interest you this book is a must read because Jay writes so well and thoughtfully about photography. He is one of a rare breed.