The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression

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.

I'm an experienced photographer who always managed to be able to get great shots no matter what the conditions, but I always wanted to be better. At the time I purchased this fantastic treatise on personal expression I was ready to take things to the next level.Mr. Barnbaum, I will be forever in your debt. This book almost immediately made me a true artist who can now consistently and deliberately create the exact message I want to communicate. I take about 1/10th of the photos I once did. I know where to position myself, and most of all, I know what I want to say before I say it.I rarely write amazon reviews, though I should more often. I simply had to say something about this book. Ignore that some of this book is about film and darkroom techniques. READ THE TITLE. This is about the ART of photography, not the process or the medium involved.Mr. Barnbaum not only is a great teacher and that's obviously immensely helpful. What makes him the best I have read is that his images are phenomenal. Not only that, his images are completely different than anything you have ever seen. They will bend you as you try to understand them. Then you realize that this is what art is all about.Buy this book if:- You care about being an artist with real ability to express yourself.- You are already technically proficient and comfortable with your equipment and want to take photographs people NOTICE.- You care about being the best.Don't buy this book if:- You want to learn technical how-to information about how to formulate a particular shot (like aperture settings, etc)- You want to stay mediocre.

This book is well written, comprehensive, and very interesting. I like the author's writing style and I think I learned a lot.However, this book may not be for everyone. It has two significant "problems":1 It spends an awful lot of time on film.2 It spends an awful lot of time on his very idiosyncratic opinions.The first issue didn't bother me. Though I'll probably never use film, I found it interesting to learn about film. And I thought his explanations were among the best I've ever read. So I was happy to read it. But you might not.The second issue bothered me a bit, but I didn't mind too much. I like to read different opinions. Some of his are a bit out there. For example, most people would probably just say that photographic rules -- such as the rule of thirds -- should be thought of as guidelines which are generally helpful but which can and should be ignored in appropriate situations. Not this author. He *HATES* rules, and even berates the rule of thirds as pretty much idiotic. And it's not just the rule of thirds; it's pretty much any rule. Many readers could find this kind of stridency annoying. I didn't mind it too much because of his consistency. For example, he has a stringent definition of art, and he even berates a lot of his own work because it's not artistic enough. I disagree with this view, and like the work that he rejects. But I respect the fact that he will follow through on his convictions even when it applies to his own works. At least it made his drivel tolerable. Yes, sometimes I think his opinion amounts to drivel. But I'm sure he'd say the same about me if he knew what I thought, so I don't mean to be too insulting.)Overall, I liked the book a lot. However, I'm not sure that everyone else will. In fact, looking at the other reviews, it's pretty clear that many people won't. I don't agree with the negative opinions, but I definitely understand them.