Category Archives: Criticism and Commentary

Books Every Serious Photographer Must Have

Posted on January 6, 2014 by admin

The best books on photography (regularly updated) One of the consequences of my interest in photography is that I acquire and read too many photography books. I hope to develop this site as a resource for other photographers seeking out … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Criticism and Commentary, Great Photographers, On Photography, Photographers, Photography Instruction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Genuine Delight

Posted on January 4, 2014 by admin

The Ongoing Moment – Geoff Dyer, Vintage Press I read a lot of books about photography, but there are very few that I would call delightful. But, that’s a pretty good description of Geoff Dyer’s “The Ongoing Moment.” The book … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Criticism and Commentary, Great Photographers, Photography Histories | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Forget the Analysis and Just Read Camera Lucida

Posted on January 19, 2013 by admin

Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes I doubt if any book about photography has been more thoroughly dissected than Camera Lucida. I have no illusion that I can add anything significant to the body of work on this small volume. It is … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Criticism and Commentary, Great Photographers, On Photography | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Robert Adams the finest writer on photography?

Posted on January 6, 2013 by admin

Beauty in Photography, Robert Adams, Aperture The measure of a great essay is that after one reads it, there is simply nothing more to say. That is my reaction to Robert Adams’ Beauty in Photography. I have read it and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Criticism and Commentary, Great Photographers, On Photography, Photographers | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Camera Lucida: A Preview

Posted on June 30, 2012 by admin

Okay, I’ve said I really needed to read Roland Barthes’ Camera Lucida. Happy to report that I not only finished it, but also waded through Photography Degree Zero, a series of essays on the book and then, to finish things up … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Criticism and Commentary | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Errol Morris, Sabrina Harman and Gaddafi

Posted on December 22, 2011 by admin

It was just a coincidence that I had just finished reading “Believing is Seeing” by filmmaker Errol Morris when the uprising in Libya came to its climax with the killing of Col. Muammar Gaddafi. Morris devotes a significant portion of his … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Criticism and Commentary, On Photography | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Camera Lucida in The Guardian

Posted on March 27, 2011 by admin

I’ve had Roland Barthes’ Camera Lucida on my list of books to read for quite some time. This article by Brian Dillon in the Guardian makes me think I need to move it up in the queue. “…what Barthes had … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism and Commentary, On Photography | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Striving for Art

Posted on March 13, 2011 by admin

Photography, the Key Concepts by David Bate, Berg Publishers Where exactly does photography fit into the world of art? That photography is, or can be, “art” has been a settled question for a century or more. Far more difficult to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Criticism and Commentary, Great Photographers, On Photography, Photography Histories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Updating Web Site, Work and a Cold Interferes

Posted on March 7, 2011 by admin

I’m been trying to update my web site. Categorizing some photos and creating a few new pages. It’s an ongoing process, but I’m getting there. That, plus my real job and a horrible cold have been interfering with the blog. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Criticism and Commentary, On Photography, Personal Photographs | Leave a comment

Is Fine Art Photography Dead?

Posted on February 10, 2011 by admin

I’ve been slogging through David Bate’s textbook, Photography: The Key Concepts. (And it is a slow, hard slog.) There’s lots to think about and write about, but in the meantime, Philip Gefter has an interesting piece in the magazine Photograph … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism and Commentary, On Photography | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment