Bruce Barnbaum is a celebrated fine art photographer and educator who has been making gorgeous pictures for more than 4 decades. He is recognized for his mastery of monochrome photography as effectively as his inventive use of colour and digital approaches. In this weblog post I will discover his profile his operate and his books. He is also the author of many books on photography like the classic “The Art of Photography: An Method to Private Expression” and its sequel “The Essence of Photography: Seeing and Creativity” which have had good individual effect. In this overview I will examine the key themes and concepts of these two books evaluate them with other comparable operates and recommend some added readings that may well complement them.
Profile of Bruce Barnbaum
Barnbaum was born in Chicago in 1943 and grew up in Los Angeles. He studied mathematics at UCLA exactly where he obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. He worked as a maths instructor and researcher for many years ahead of pursuing photography as a complete-time profession in the 1970s. He created his personal style of photography which combines artistic vision technical ability and environmental awareness. He has travelled extensively to capture the beauty and diversity of nature as effectively as the effect of human civilisation on the landscape.
Barnbaum’s photographs have been exhibited and collected worldwide and he is represented by many galleries in the USA and Europe. Some of his most renowned operates consist of his abstracts his monochrome landscapes his slit canyons and his geometrics. He utilizes a wide variety of formats from 35mm to 8×10 inch and prints his pictures on silver gelatin paper or archival inkjet paper. He is also proficient in digital manipulation making pictures that transcend the boundaries of reality.
Barnbaum is also a prolific author and teacher of photography. He has written six books on photography like The Art of Photography which has sold more than 100000 copies in English and six other languages. The book is extensively regarded as a single of the greatest guides to photographic expression and approach. He has also published Visual Symphony Tone Poems - Book I & Book II The Essence of Photography and Plateau Light. His books are richly illustrated with his personal photographs as effectively as examples from other photographers.
Barnbaum has been teaching photography workshops for more than 30 years each in the USA and abroad. He founded the Owens Valley Photography Workshops in 1979 which ran till 1990 and attracted students from all more than the planet. He at the moment provides workshops in Utah Washington California Italy France Spain and Scotland. His workshops are created to enable students create their personal vision and style though exploring gorgeous areas and understanding new approaches.
Barnbaum is not only a photographer but also an activist for environmental and social causes. He has been involved in many campaigns to guard wilderness places from improvement and pollution. He has also donated his photographs to help different organisations such as the Sierra Club the Nature Conservancy the Wilderness Society and Amnesty International.
The Art of Photography: An Method to Private Expression
When I stroll the reader by means of my definition of “fantastic composition” and the components of composition in The Art of Photography I do not go over any guidelines for fantastic composition. I stay away from them simply because there are none. Each and every composition is exclusive and following some concocted formula will not assure a fantastic photograph. There are no formulas there are no guidelines of composition. I strongly urge all photographers newbie or knowledgeable to stay away from any instruction or instructor that claims there are - it’s bogus.
Initially published in 1994 “The Art of Photography” is a complete textbook on photography that covers each the technical and the inventive elements of the medium. Barnbaum presents how-to approaches for each conventional and digital approaches but he goes effectively beyond the technical as he delves deeply into the philosophical expressive and artistic elements of photography. He argues that photography is not a mere recording of reality but a individual interpretation and expression of it. He encourages photographers to create their personal vision and style to experiment with various approaches and components and to communicate successfully by means of their selected medium.
The book is divided into 4 components: Aspect I offers with the fundamentals of photography such as exposure film filters lenses cameras digital imaging and so forth. Aspect II explores the components of visual style such as light tone colour contrast composition and so forth. Aspect III discusses the different genres and subjects of photography such as landscape architecture abstract documentary and so forth. Aspect IV addresses the difficulties of presentation and criticism such as printing mounting exhibiting judging and so forth.
All through the book Barnbaum illustrates his points with more than 100 stunning photographs that showcase his mastery of each black-and-white and colour photography. He also delivers many charts graphs tables and diagrams that clarify the technical ideas in a clear and concise manner. He writes in an accessible and engaging style that reflects his passion and enthusiasm for photography. He also shares his individual experiences and insights that reveal his philosophy and method to photography.
Photography is not a sport. It has no guidelines. All the things will have to be dared and attempted!
Barnbaum’s attitude towards photography as an art kind is encapsulated in these 15 words. It needs experimentation threat-taking and individual expression. He challenges photographers to break no cost from the conventions and guidelines that limit their creativity and to discover their personal possible and possibilities.
The Essence of Photography: Seeing and Creativity
Published in 2015 as a revised and expanded second edition of the original 2014 book “The Essence of Photography” is a sequel to “The Art of Photography” that focuses much more on the inventive and expressive elements of photography. Barnbaum draws upon his 50 years of knowledge and observation to teach the art of photographic seeing and creativity. He argues that there is much more to photography than merely selecting up a camera pointing it at a thing and tripping the shutter. He claims that attaining a good photograph needs believed and preparation an understanding of the photographic approach and a firm grasp of how light and composition impact a photo. He also stresses that there will have to be individual involvement and individual expression in photography.
Just as individuals speak about points of no true interest to them they also take photographs of points that have no true interest to them and the outcomes are uniformly boring.
The book is divided into 3 components: Aspect I offers with the rhythm and method of photography such as defining one’s personal style translating the scene into the final photograph comparing amateur and skilled approaches and so forth. Aspect II explores the realism and abstraction in photography such as understanding the variations and similarities involving them understanding to expand one’s seeing and creativity by means of classes workshops and so forth. Aspect III discusses the passion and criticism in photography such as following one’s passion ignoring or listening to critics and so forth.
All through the book Barnbaum utilizes not only photographs but also painting music writing and other arts to give examples of inventive pondering. He also utilizes science and company to illustrate some of his points. He writes in a conversational and humorous style that reflects his character and wit. He also shares his individual stories and anecdotes that reveal his challenges and achievements in photography.
Creativity is not a thing you are born with or devoid of it is a thing you can discover.
Barnbaum believes really that photographic seeing and creativity can be taught discovered and enhanced. He delivers sensible assistance and workout routines to enable photographers create their expertise and skills.
Comparison with Other Works
Barnbaum’s books are not the only ones that deal with the art and essence of photography. There are quite a few other books that cover comparable subjects and present various perspectives and approaches. Some of the most notable ones are:
— “On Photography” by Susan Sontag: A collection of essays that examine the cultural social and political implications of photography. Sontag critiques the part of photography in modern day society and concerns its claims to truth objectivity and reality. She also explores the aesthetic ethical and moral difficulties of photography.
— “Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography” by Roland Barthes: A individual and philosophical meditation on photography. Barthes analyses the nature and which means of photography by means of his personal experiences and memories. He distinguishes involving the studium and the punctum of a photograph the former getting the common interest or cultural context and the latter getting the individual or emotional effect.
— “The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design and style for Superior Digital Pictures” by Michael Freeman: A sensible guide to visual style and composition in photography. Freeman explains the principles and approaches of graphic style such as shape line colour contrast balance and so forth. and how they can be applied to photography. He also delivers examples and workout routines to enable photographers increase their visual literacy and creativity.
More Reading
Barnbaum’s books are superb sources for photographers who want to discover much more about the art and essence of photography. Nevertheless they are not the only ones that can give important details and inspiration. Right here are some added readings that may well complement Barnbaum’s books:
— “The Photographer’s Thoughts: Inventive Considering for Superior Digital Pictures” by Michael Freeman: A sequel to “The Photographer’s Eye” that focuses much more on the inventive and cognitive elements of photography. Freeman explores the psychology and neuroscience of vision and perception and how they impact photographic choice-creating. He also discusses the ideas of intention style narrative and so forth. and how they can improve photographic expression.
— “The Nature of Photographs: A Primer” by Stephen Shore: A concise and sophisticated introduction to the visual language of photography. Shore explains the physical depictive mental and abstract levels of a photograph and how they interact to make which means and emotion. He also delivers examples from different photographers to illustrate his points.
— “Why Photographs Perform: 52 Fantastic Photos Who Created Them What Tends to make Them Particular and Why” by George Barr: A collection of 52 photographs by various photographers that are analysed and discussed by the author and the photographers themselves. Barr examines the technical aesthetic and emotional elements of every photograph and reveals what tends to make them operate. He also delivers insights into the photographers’ motivations intentions and processes.
Conclusion
Bruce Barnbaum’s books are amongst the greatest books on photography that I have ever study. They are not only informative and complete but also inspiring and enlightening. They teach me not only how to take much better photographs but also how to see much better and feel much better as a photographer. They challenge me to experiment with various approaches and components to express my individual vision and style and to communicate successfully by means of my selected medium. They also enrich my appreciation and understanding of photography as an art kind that has infinite possible and possibilities.
Barnbaum is a living legend in the field of photography who continues to inspire and educate other folks with his operate. He is a accurate artist who combines passion creativity and craftsmanship in his pictures. If you are interested in understanding much more about the art and essence of photography I hugely advocate you to study Barnbaum’s books. They will not disappoint you. They will make you a much better photographer.
The Art and Essence of Photography: A Critique of Bruce Barnbaum’s Books
