Photography theory

[Leifer]

Hi there, Im looking to expand my knowledge of photography. Particularly in the area of photography theory, art theory, and the history of photography . If any of you have any sources that you found inspiring or useful, please leave a comment below. It could be films, books, essays, articles etc. Thanks!

 

[airfrogusmc]

Two books on the history I found valuable

The History of Photography by Beaumont Newhall

A World History of Photography by Naomi Rosenblum

 

[xxloverxx]

I really liked all of Ansel Adams' books. The history bit is implied as they were written quite a while ago (and he used completely manual cameras anyway).

They're probably the only books I've ever read on photography…

There was also a short BBC series called "The Genius of Photography" which briefly goes through some history (from the very beginning).

Joel Meyorowitz in Milan —*I watched this a while ago (I think it was this one) and I believe he does discuss how his style changed over the years. Many photographers have done similar "talks" or taken part in documentaries/short videos —*there're a lot on Youtube. They're pretty easy to find —*just search the name of a photographer whose work you appreciate and see what comes up.

That's all I have off the top of my head.

 

[nongfuspring]

Good places to start:

Roland Barthes' Camera Lucia

Susan Sontag's On Photography

Walter Benjamin's The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (not specifically about photography, but equally if not more important)

For more theory perhaps you can check out Victor Burgin, Jacques Ranciere, Jean Baurdillard, Michel Foucault, Rosalind Krauss. They've all been quite seminal to the development of thinking around photography.

There are a few photography readers that serve as samplers with a selection of essays from various writers that you can buy, or if you need any free PDFs of anything you can send me a PM and I can pass you some links.

 

[Jamie123]

Good places to start:

Roland Barthes' Camera Lucia

Susan Sontag's On Photography

Walter Benjamin's The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (not specifically about photography, but equally if not more important)

For more theory perhaps you can check out Victor Burgin, Jacques Ranciere, Jean Baurdillard, Michel Foucault, Rosalind Krauss. They've all been quite seminal to the development of thinking around photography.

All good suggestions and I would also add Walter Benjamin's "Brief History of Photography".

Michael Fried's "Why Photography Matters as Art as Never Before" is worth a read, and so is James Elkins' "What Photography Is". I can also recommend Jeff Wall's "Marks of Indifference" which is available as a PDF online.

 

[rodinal]

Roland Barthes' "Camera Lucida"

All the above mentioned, and also Vilém Flusser

 

[35photo]

Looking at Photographs by John Szarkowski

The Nature of Photographs by Stephen Shore

 

[Roger Hicks]

Avoid the pseudo-philosophers. Look at books of pictures. Think. Develop your own "art theory". If you are a photographer, it is unlikely to be worse than anything formulated by Sontag, Barthes or Szarkowski.

Take a look at Mortensen, though, for a dissenting (and amusing) view on the pontifications of Adams and his cronies.

Oh: and read Art and Fear by Bayles and Orland.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Sparrow]

... often wonder if anyone has ever read all of On Photography ... as a background history of european art one could do worse than Kenneth Clark's Civilisation, either the DVDs or the book

 

[Dwig]

I found A History of Photography by W. Jerome Harrison and excellent source of early history. There are several editions in PDF form at Archive.org.

The Pencil of Nature by William Henry Fox-Talbot is an interesting insight into the thinking of one of the "inventors" of photography.

 

[gns]

I haven't been so interested in theoreticians. Most of the reading I've done about photography is by photographers. If I like their pictures, I figure I might be interested in what else they have to say. It doesn't always end up being the case but here are 3 books that I've enjoyed...

Beauty in Photography, Robert Adams

Core Curriculum, Tod Papageorge

The Pleasures of Good Photographs, Gerry Badger

 

[lynnb]

Apart from books already mentioned… including Stephen Shore and John Szarkowski..

The Story of Art - Gombrich (this is a classic art history text)
101 Things to Learn in Art School - Kit White
How Art Made The World - Nigel Spivey, BBC DVD and book
1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die - Stephen Farthing
A Brief History of Art - Flame Tree Publishing

Icons of Photography: The 20th Century - Prestel
Photo Icons Vol I and II - Taschen
A History of Photography: The George Eastman House Collection - Taschen

…and perhaps get involved with a major art gallery in your city. Most have excellent educational programs and bookstores.

 

[doolittle]

For history of photography I would highly recommend Jeff Curto's podcast

When I listened last he was using the Naomi Rosenblum book as one of the course titles.

+1 on Gombrich - The Story of Art

 

[kbg32]

I would agree with Roger here, Mortensen is as an important figure as Adams. In every way an equal or better than Adams was technically. Adams called Mortensen the "anti-Christ". Newhall tried to write Mortensen out of history. If all one every did was read Adams and Newhall as their only education to the history, philosphy, and aesthetics of photography, they are doing themselves a great disservice to photographic knowledge. The history, philosophy, and aesthetic makeup of photography is by no means just American. There were countless Eurropeans, Asians, South Americans, etc., involved in its endeavor.

Get some good art history and history books and know what was happening concurrently historically in photography.

As for philosophic readings, that is just fodder for a different thread with various degrees of arguments from members here.

 

[Aristophanes]

I would agree with Roger here, Mortensen is as an important figure as Adams. In every way an equal or better than Adams was technically. Adams called Mortensen the "anti-Christ". Newhall tried to write Mortensen out of history. If all one every did was read Adams and Newhall as their only education to the history, philosphy, and aesthetics of photography, they are doing themselves a great disservice to photographic knowledge. The history, philosophy, and aesthetic makeup of photography is by no means just Amercian. There were countless Eurropeans, Asians, South Amercians, etc., involved in its endeavor.
.

Man Ray immediately comes to mind along with his neighbour, Eugène Atget.

I like Ansel Adams for rocks and trees and sky.

 

[__--]

Someone mentioned reading a good text on art history. In my view, the best book to start with is The Story of Art by EH Gombrich.

MITCH ALLAND/Potomac, MD
Download links for book project pdf files
Chiang Tung Days
Tristes Tropiques
Bangkok Hysteria
Paris au rythme de Basquiat and Other Poems

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

Avoid the pseudo-philosophers. Look at books of pictures. Think. Develop your own "art theory". If you are a photographer, itt is unlikely to be worse than anything formulated by Sontag, Barthes or Szarkowski.

Exactly. I can't be doing with all this navel gazing and "art". 😉

Two publications influenced me far more than any others: "Freelance Photographers' Britain", a book by Kevin MacDonnell and "FP3, Film of Many Faces" an Ilford publication, which itself won awards for design. A third book, which I also found very interesting, was Louis Peek's "Cash from Your Camera".

These books taught me more about photography than Adams and Co. put together, because they are straight forward information on how to achieve specific ends.

 

[Steve M.]

The best solution would be to get a camera and go out and take some photographs. This will give you knowledge of photography. If on the other hand, all you really want is information and opinions, others have pointed out you where you can get those. Maybe take a film photography class?

 

[Jamie123]

Just ignore all the anti-intellectual advice here that will tell you to avoid certain texts. Acquiring knowledge and being exposed to different points of view never hurt anyone. Just realize that most theoretical texts about photography will not teach you how to take better pictures just like most books on ornithology will not teach you how to fly and lay eggs.

 

[Vince Lupo]

One of the things that I found to be very insightful was John Berger's 'Ways of Seeing' series from the 1970's. Definitely dated-looking programs, but his ideas are still valid today. You should be able to find them on YouTube.

A book that I always appreciated was 'Occam's Razor' by Bill Jay.