The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression Paperback – 7 Dec. 2010

I love this book. Every page breathes a passion for photography. The technical knowledge demonstrated is immense and shows he has been there. But in addition to the pure technical expertise, the author shows a deep reflective approach to creating an image that communicates what the photographer really intended. For intance, he pointed out one of my common faults in always achieving high contrast in an image, which then negates the peaceful mood I really wanted.I get the impression this book was originally written just for black and white photography, then later updated with sections on colour photography. It still feels like 95% of thje book is based on black and white. Until I read this book I considered colour as the only way to go because the real world is in colour. But it opened my eyes to why black and white is still important and motivated me to try converting my colour images properly to black and white. I think even a dedicated colour photographer can gain from this book because of the quality of the material presented.The front cover image gives an idea of who will enjoy this book. If you enjoy the black and white image presented and wish you could create such a compelling image yourself, then you will enjoy the book. But if the image does not move you then you may not.The book includes a section with very detailed coverage of dark room development for specific films to get the most from a negative. As a digital photographer, this was wasted on me. But the book is so large and has so much other useful content that a few pages to be skipped did not bother me.I probably have 70 or 80 photography books. I would consider this right near the top in terms of the help it has given me, and with something that none of my other books have. Several books are a light read and I may not come back to them because the points made are 'obvious'. This book requires more concentration and I will still get more from it when I re-read it. Excellent.

I bought this book on a recommendation from Ken Rockwell, and I will be forever grateful that I did. This book is comprehensive, highly readable, and inclusive with something for everyone:- from those of us still shooting B&W film to those who are fully digital- from beginners to experienced photographers- from those interested in landscapes to architectural, portrait etc.The book covers the full photography "lifecycle" from visualising/shooting the photo to developing the negative/digital image to printing. It covers:- visualising the end product- composition- lighting- colour- use of filters- Ansel Adams' Zone system for film and digital (in language that I could understand, for a change)- negative development- printing your works of art- preserving them for posterity- understanding/developing your own styleSo far, this sounds a bit like dozens of other photography books out there. What makes this one different is:- the vast coverage of topics and details- his sharing of a large number of techniques which, if followed, will make you a better photographer/artist- the excellent use of photos to demonstrate the principles Bruce writes about- the ability to illustrate the integration of the photography process from the moment something catches your eye up to the moment you have the finished print- its great readability. He is able to take otherwise complex ideas and turn them into perfectly understandable onesThis book does not talk about gear, so if you're looking for information on cameras, lenses and other tools you won't find it here.I learned a lot from this book, even though I considered myself a reasonably experienced photographer. I've had so many "ooohhh, now I see" moments. I am happy to say that this is the best photography book I have ever owned. I am about to embark on my second reading, having just finished my first reading of it.

Like many, its the technology of photography that initially attracted me to the hobby but this book provides a great read if, like me, you're trying to better understand the art of photography. The author describes the thinking process behind many images in detail and this helps to illustrate the approach that you need to take to create photographic art. In addition to helping re-program your photographic brain, the author also provides many practical tips that can be used to enhance your photographs so that you can clearly express yourself.

I am a professional photographer and I've read a good number of books on photography and photographic techniques, including Perfect Exposure: The Professional Guide to Capturing Perfect Digital Photographs and The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman. This book is in a similar vein but goes into a lot more detail and provides numerous examples and in-depth descriptions. It's a slightly heavier read than a lot of other photography books and can get quite scientific but well worth the extra time. Most of the examples in the book are black and white and the author - Bruce Barnbaum - is a true master of the field, taking a creative eye and a very methodical approach and producing awe-inspiring photographs. Unfortunately, even after reading The Art of Photography, I'm still not as good a photographer as Bruce!