Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images 4th Edition

by Terry Barrett (Author)

56 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0072977431

ISBN-10: 0072977434

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Criticizing Photographs

Criticizing Photographs
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This brief text is designed to help both beginning and advanced students of photography better develop and articulate thoughtful criticism. Organized around the major activities of criticism (describing, interpreting, evaluating, and theorizing), Criticizing Photographs provides a clear framework and vocabulary for students' critical skill development. The fourth edition includes new black and white and color images, updated commentary, a completely revised chapter on theory that offers a broad discussion of digital images, and an expanded chapter eight on studio critiques and writing about photographs, plus examples of student writing and critique.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Terry Barrett is Professor of Art Education, with a joint appointment in the Department of Art, at The Ohio State University, where he is the recipient of a distinguished teaching award for courses in criticism and aesthetics within education. He has authored four books: Interpreting Art: Reflecting, Wondering and Responding; Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary (2nd ed.); Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images (4th ed.); and Talking about Student Art. He edited the anthology Lessons for Teaching Art Criticism, published articles in Aesthetic Education, Afterimage, Art Education, Exposure, Camera-Lucida, Dialogue, Cultural Research in Art Education, New Advocate, New Art Examiner, Studies in Art Education, Teaching Artist Journal, Theory into Practice, Visual Arts Research, and many chapters in edited books. He is an art critic in education for the Ohio Arts Council, consults museum education departments, juries exhibitions, and conducts workshops on studio critiques and writing.

Product details

Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 4 edition (July 21, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0072977434
ISBN-13: 978-0072977431
Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.5 x 9.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 56 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,952 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #25 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Criticism & Essays
- #65 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > History
- #117 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Visual Arts > Photography

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Some concepts were challenging to my belief sets

January 13, 2017

Verified Purchase

The content provides a new perspective in looking at photography, especially looking at my own photography. I have learned some things. Some concepts were challenging to my belief sets while concurrently confirming some old suspicions about the formation of public opinion. My purchase and review is based on a used 4th Edition. The book was worth the ten bucks. This free review?....you get what you pay for :)

One person found this helpful

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Occam's Toothbrush

Excellent guide for HOW to look at photographs

July 31, 2011

Verified Purchase

This is the best book I've ever read about HOW to judge a photograph.

No, it isnt a theory of photography, advocating one critical stance to the exclusion of others.
its about DOING criticism, and the means by which someone can thoughtfully evauluate whether a photograph works. In this regard, it is unequaled. Having been deeply involved in the photographic arts for over 40 years, I have rarely encountered a book thats given me so much to think about conceptually.

Don't let the negative reviews dissuade you. Invariably, these reviews are judging this work for being what is isnt meant to be i.e. a critical treatise advocating a certwin way of evaluating a photograph premised on certain criteria. Its not meant to be that. Instead, it gives you a framework within which to use whatever critical theory you advocate to thoughtfully evaluate a work. Exceptionally well done.

2 people found this helpful

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April 29, 2008

Verified Purchase

When I reviewed the third edition of this book several years ago, I didn't rate it highly, but I thought that perhaps the fourth edition might be a better book, and it is.

Despite its subtitle, which might lead you to believe it is about understanding pictures, the bulk of this book is directed at formal criticism of photographs. After an introductory chapter on the nature of criticism, Barrett suggests a process for criticizing photographs that includes description, interpretation and judgment. The author also suggests a classification scheme for photographs which he believes could be useful in forming judgments, although I found it no better then many other taxonomies and at times difficult to apply to many photographs. Throughout he mentions many schools of analysis, like formalism and feminism and shows how these schools might influence criticism. He then launches a foray into photographic critical theory which is concise but accurate and which deals with such questions as the truth and morality of photography. He finally talks about the act of writing criticism and also about critiquing photographs.

Barrett illustrates his points with many helpful examples of written criticism. Most of the examples deal with pictures of the modern or post-modern school, but the information is transferable to other kinds of photography. The book is illustrated with both color plates and black and white plates, although the black and white plates are spread throughout the book, which leads to a lot of page flipping. It would be nice if the next edition included a page number when these plates are referred to.

The subtitle, "An Introduction to Understanding Images" might lead one to expect that there would be some insights into how and why photographs work but I became aware that Barrett presumed his audience would have some prior knowledge of this. Thus while he spoke of the importance of a photographer's technique in understanding a photo, there was no mention of how technique might be used to convey a photographer's vision. In the earlier edition, I found this a serious weakness, but it now seems clear that the author expects that this kind of information will come from somewhere else. On the other hand, the careful reader will derive some idea of what to look for in a photograph by reading the many examples.

No one wanting to come to an understanding of how to read a photograph from a single volume will learn to do so from this book. In fact, no one volume is likely to do that, although a book like "The Photographer's Eye" by John Szarkowski would be a good place to start. On the other hand, for the individual who knows something about the nature of photography, or within the context of a larger course of study, this is a good book to begin to learn how to write photographic criticism.

18 people found this helpful

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This book gave me the info I was seeking

February 2, 2015

Verified Purchase

I was looking for something to give me a feel for how the "academic community" teaches someone how to write effective criticism of photographs, and this book gave me that information. It showed a clear methodology for approaching and writing a critical review of a photograph, which is what I wanted to learn. It also provided some information on different kinds of critical theories. It was certainly worth the price, at least for me, in terms of what I was hoping to learn.

One person found this helpful

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Very interesting.

August 26, 2013

Verified Purchase

My teacher required this for my first photography class and it provided an intriguing view into the world of photography. This book gave a pretty well description of the various forms and techniques of photography, sometimes focusing more on certain artists and not an overall discussion.

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March 20, 2017

Verified Purchase

Very in-depth and informative.

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November 20, 2015

Verified Purchase

does it job

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Rodney Jones II

August 7, 2015

Verified Purchase

good for photographers, absolute must have

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