The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression [Paperback]

Bruce Barnbaum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 2010

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bruce Barnbaum, of Granite Falls, WA, entered photography as a hobbyist in the 1960s, and after four decades, it is still his hobby. It has also been his life's work for the past 30 years.

Bruce's educational background includes Bachelor's and Master's degrees in mathematics from UCLA. After working for several years as a mathematical analyst and computer programmer for missile guidance systems, he abruptly left the field and turned to photography.

Bruce has authored several books, some of which have become classics. The Art of Photography was first published in 1994 and remained in print until 2007. Bruce has been self-publishing the book ever since, but with limited distribution (until now).

Bruce is a frequent contributor to several photography magazines. His series "The Master Printing Class" is featured in each issue of Photo Techniques, and his articles are published regularly in LensWork. Through his workshops, articles, lectures, books, and innovative photography, Bruce has become a well-known and highly-respected photographer, educator, and pioneer.

Bruce is recognized as one of the finest darkroom printers on this planet, both for his exceptional black and white work, as well as for his color imagery. He understands light to an extent rarely found, and combines this understanding with a mastery of composition, applying his knowledge to an extraordinarily wide range of subject matter. His work is represented by more than ten galleries throughout the United States and Canada, and is in the collections of museums and private collectors worldwide.

Bruce has been an active environmental advocate for more than three decades, both independently and through his involvement and leadership with organizations such as the Sierra Club, the National Audubon Society, the Stillaguamish Citizens' Alliance, 1000 Friends of Washington, and the North Cascades Conservation Council.

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: Rocky Nook; 1St Edition edition (December 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933952687
• ISBN-13: 978-1933952680
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Equipment, Techniques & Reference > Darkroom & Processing
  • #5 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Equipment, Techniques & Reference > Reference

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 98 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A book that will connect the photographer to his/her photograph December 5, 2010

By Z. Cheng

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

For someone who had no previous formal education in art of any sort including photography, this is the best book I came across. I was looking for a book that is not too advanced to understand about artistic compositions, but not too shallow that it simply tell you to apply "higher contrast is better", "the rule of the third", "the golden ratio" etc. without enough explanation. I actually came across some books like that which left me even more confused about compositions. Most of the time, I just blindly apply whatever I learned of composition.

But this book is totally different. It starts talking about the philosophy of how photography is connected personally to the photographer. Then it gives a detail analysis of all the elements of composition with great examples and with a language that even an amateur can understand. Best of all, the author did a great job at interconnecting all the elements to help the reader understand the importance of applying a combination of elements instead of focusing on just one of two of the elements. It is like putting all the puzzles together to solve a great mistery.

If you want to find a book that will teach you composition and connect yourself to your photography, this is the book.

329 of 362 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars An Unneeded Update January 6, 2011

By Conrad J. Obregon TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Here's a case where Amazon's star rating sytem doesn't work very well. As described below, for a very small number of photographers this book will prove useful. For the vast majority of photographers it will not.

I've long been an admirer of the work of Bruce Barnbaum. An original Barnbaum print hangs on my wall. A copy of his book of photographs, "Visual Symphony" graces my coffee table. Several years ago I purchased a used copy of the original, but then out of print, "The Art of Photography" at an outrageous price. I have to confess that much of the book was unread because it dealt with film photography, and I had long since made the switch to digital.

Now "The Art of Photography" has been reissued in a revised form, supposedly updated for the digital age. The book attempts to cover all of photography from visualization to hanging the print on the wall. There are even chapters that discuss ideas like innovation and old saws like truth in photography. There are references to digital photography, but a great deal of the book is devoted to Barnbaum's take on the zone system for film photography, including processing film to increase (or decrease) the range of light captured on the negative. There is a tip of the hat to digital photography, including the importance of the camera's histogram to capture exposure, and reference to high dynamic range photography to increase the range of light for digital captures but the heart of the book is film. The book is illustrated with Barnbaum's photographs, mostly in black-and-white, and they are drop-dead beautiful. If you like Ansel Adams you will love Bruce Barnbaum's images.

I suppose these images alone may justify the updating.... Certainly the content will be interesting to those who still practice black-and-white film photography, although I suspect that these folks, already being specialists, may be familiar with what the author has to say. (I really can't comment on that; it's been years since I worked in a chemical darkroom.) The digital photographer will find that there just isn't enough detail in looking to this book for technique. It's a shame because I would have loved to see an explanation of how to achieve Barnbaum's beautiful effects in Lightroom or Photoshop.

The sections on the artistic aspects of photography are interesting but somewhat elementary. Barnbaum doesn't succeed in telling us what it is in an image that turns it from just an image to art. (Of course, I really don't know any authors who do this, although there are several people, most recently George Barr in "Why Photographs Work: 52 Great Images Who Made Them, What Makes Them Special and Why", who have made valiant efforts to accomplish this impossible task.)

The bottom line is that if you are unfamiliar with Barnbaum's work, this book is worth it for the images. If you are a film photographer, the technical data may prove useful. If you are a digital photographer looking for technical help, look elsewhere. Read more ›

56 of 63 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Expansive theory, dated craft April 24, 2011

By Charles I. Maas

Format:Paperback

Books about photography can be placed across a very wide spectrum. Some focus almost entirely on the mechanics of capturing and producing images in a pleasing but essentially documentary fashion. Others approach the making of photographs from a largely aesthetic point of view emphasizing the physiology of human vision, emotion, creativity, and the artistic elements of light, color, composition, style, and social discrimination. A few attempt the difficult task of trying to cover all the bases, usually coming up short due to limited time and space, or by fostering exceedingly narrow points of view.

In this book, Bruce Barnbaum covers a great deal of territory, including theory, mechanics, philosophy, psychology, and the expression of a strong personal viewpoint along with over 100 images illustrating specific points, all wrapped in a nicely produced square format with a fairly elegant feel for a paperback. For the photographer who is a serious student of the art and craft of imaging it's a wealth of information, and certainly an excellent learning tool and reference piece. It is not, however, without limitations.

First is the fact that the views expressed are quite narrow in perspective. There's no question that the author is exceedingly bright, highly experienced, and duly lauded within the tight-knit community of well-known fine-art photographers. But photography as a medium deserves freedom from too much pigeonholing. The strong emphasis in this piece is on artistically created large-format black & white images processed in a wet darkroom and delivered in the form of silver prints.... Yes, there is a nod toward color, and to digital capture and processing, but large chunks of space are devoted to elaborate film-related discussions of Zone System exposure followed by contrast-controlling development and printing methods using chemicals and other materials that are increasingly expensive and hard to get. These methods are not obsolete, but are practiced by an ever-diminishing percentage of image-makers. There certainly are valuable principles buried in this discussion that apply to photography in general, but for a great many readers the arcane specifics of wet darkroom procedures won't be of much value. Another limitation is the mixed nature of an "updated" book. With so much of the material referencing film and chemical-based processes, the added sections on digital have a distinctly "tacked-on" feel...hard to avoid without a very time-consuming total re-write.

Of most value from my perspective are the discussions regarding photography as a communication tool, personal integrity, creativity, and working toward a personal philosophy of imaging. Even though the book represents a fairly narrow emphasis on landscapes and architecture, the author strongly recommends maintaining flexibility in every aspect of photography. After all, creating images is in the final analysis a very personal endeavor.

Who might benefit most from this book? Really serious photographers who already have considerable experience in the craft and are seeking to learn as much as possible about the philosophical and artistic side of imaging. For those just starting out it's likely to be a pretty heavy lift. I'd like to see a full rewrite with less focus on specific craft and more thoughtful discussion on aesthetics with a view to visual communication in the 21st century. Read more ›

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very practical and pleasure to read August 22, 2011

By Anton Smyshlyaev

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I suggest you read this quote first:

"Whether I like or dislike the subject matter, I will not attempt to produce meaningful work with it if I am not moved by it. At best, I could produce a good but meaningless composition, much like a grammatically perfect speech that says nothing".

If you agree with this, then you will enjoy reading The Art of Photography from first pages. If not, then just go to the HOW part and you won't be disapointed either.

In a nutshell, Bruce Barnbaum first explains what the principle "Subject matter is a subject that matters" is all about. Then he teaches you how to express yourself "grammatically" correct.

So many photography books describe such thing as composition, for instance, as some illusive matter that can only be explained in abstract terms or very basic rules and cannot be taught consistently. "You need to have a vision... You've got to learn how to see in black&white..." Stuff like that reads okey until you come across a book like The Art of Photography.

This book is so concrete and practical that every paragraph teaches you something useful (I mean, really teaches you, not just tells you how important it is). It's the only book of all those I've read so far that clearly states what Composition is, what elements it consists of, and what roles each of the elements plays. The critical thing for me is that the author really guides you through this labyrinth: you can feel that his goal is to bring you to the point where you'll be able to feel comfortable in this labyrinth and navigate there alone. After reading The Art of Photography you won't miss those "Why Photographs Work" books because you will be able to see it yourself.

The book is both very fundamental and simple (not simplified!...): no matter how complicated the subject is, you don't have to read a paragraph twice unless you want to. Bruce Barnbaum is an amazing writer, his writing style is just as eloquent as his photography - the book is a real page turner!

The book is very thought-out in the physical sense: it's a pleasure to hold and read (paper quality, fonts, color&tone choice...), and it's just so in sync with the content. Photographs inside are amazing and inspiring.

PS: The Art of Photography is so beyond the "digital vs. film" hype that it will hold its value for many years. Don't be tricked by some reviews which stamp the book "Old School" only because it has chapters about the zone system, film development and printing. After all, it's a smaller part of the book and you can just skip it if you want to. Read more ›