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(as of Mar 28, 2025 12:22:39 UTC – Details)
There is a lot more to photography than simply picking up a camera, pointing it toward something, and tripping the shutter. Achieving a great photograph requires thought and preparation, an understanding of the photographic process, and a firm grasp of how light and composition affect a photo. There must be personal involvement and personal expression. There must be experimentation, with the recognition that only a small percentage of experiments end successfully.
In this book, best-selling author and world-renowned photographer and teacher Bruce Barnbaum explores these seldom-discussed issues by drawing upon his personal experiences and observations from more than 40 years of photographing and teaching. In addition to photographs, Bruce also uses painting, music, and writing, as well as the sciences and even business, to provide pertinent examples of creative thinking. These examples serve as stepping-stones that will lead you to your own heightened ability to see and be creative.
Creativity is a topic that is almost wholly ignored in formal education because most instructors think that it cannot be taught or learned. To the contrary, Bruce has proven that photographic seeing and creativity can be taught, learned, and improved. This book expands on the ideas that are central to Bruce’s method of teaching photography, which he has used in workshops for the past 41 years.
Included in the book are in-depth discussions on the following topics:
Defining your own unique rhythm and approach as a photographerHow to translate the scene in front of you to the final photographThe differences and similarities between how an amateur and a professional approach photographyThe differences between realism and abstraction, and the possibilities and limitations of eachLearning to expand your own seeing and creativity through classes, workshops, and associating with other photographersWhy the rules of composition should be ignoredHow to follow your passionWhen to listen to the critics and when to ignore them
The book is richly illustrated with over 90 photographs taken by Bruce as well as other photographers.Seeing and creativity are difficult to teach, but not impossible. This very different, perhaps groundbreaking book is sure to inspire photographers of all skill levels-from beginners to seasoned professionals-to think deeply about the issues involved in creating successful photographs.
Publisher : Rocky Nook; 1st edition (November 20, 2014)
Language : English
Paperback : 196 pages
ISBN-10 : 1937538516
ISBN-13 : 978-1937538514
Item Weight : 1.85 pounds
Dimensions : 9.75 x 0.5 x 9.75 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book a valuable resource for learning about fine art photography. They appreciate the author’s skill and insights into composition. The writing is well-crafted, articulate, and easy to read, with thoughtful language that customers enjoy.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Charles D Jaggers –
Igniting inspiration in the Creative process
Bruce Barnbaum stresses the importance of preparedness of the âTechnicalâ and the âDesignâ process in taking a photograph to ignite inspiration in the âCreativeâ process. â Short Version.After an introduction of familiar teaching on vision Bruce Barnbaum begins in chapter two asking you to write down your 3 favourite photographers (more allowed), and a note as to why, then read to the end of the chapter. You must do this to identify your own target photographic goals and determine this books suitability to further your progress towards creative photographic art, and if that is where you want to go.To stress this here are my three Favourite Photographers and why:1. Ansel AdamsMaster of B&W, my best teacher, yet I donât even try to emulate his work2. Julius ShulmanHis photographs of case study houses combined two captivating interests3. Max DupainHis B&W architectural photography first interested me in getting into photography. It is Max Dupainâs photography I have up on my walls.These latter two styles seem achievable4. Horst P HorstPhotographs of celebrities set the portrait standard with more lighting than I could replicate with even a McNally wedding set-up (my lighting is exclusively Speedlights).Bruce Barnbaum says âWithout consideration of composition and lighting you are merely snapping picturesâ. He advocates a slowing down and applying the pre-visualisation process, a discipline contained within the procedure of using a large format camera, as did all my four photographers above, all in B&W – you can see what is coming at the end of the chapter for me.You need to âseeâ the light, the compositional elements within the frame, the decisive moment. In the process unimportant areas within the composition are to be eliminated. This approach is not encouraged by digital camera amenity where instant feedback and the delete button often circumvents the necessary approach of film – and creativity.The thing is this Bruce Barnbaum stuff is not new to me, he did a good job in âThe Art of Photographyâ – seconding Ansel Adams books. Reading this second book I find I am a page ahead of myself most of the time, but not in a sense of âI know thatâ or even âwhy arenât I doing thatâ but rather in the joy of photography.Beyond Chapter 2 Bruce Barnbaum becomes more anecdotal relating his long photographic experience with intention to inspire the reader to produce creative photography. He quotes Ansel Adams âThe negative is the score, the print is the performanceâ and cites the many interpretations of a music score being parallel to the RAW and the Tiff image in the various ways it can be processed, many outcomes with one piece of raw material.Bruce Barnbaum says the more realistic an image is the more it must be confined to realistic colours, which may justify the saturation of abstractions of slow shutters speed images that are not as we see reality. Realistic colours are a skin/sky/grass, thing.Bruce Barnbaum concedes creativity probably cannot be taught but requires a certain intuition, and for that to work preparation is necessary. For inspiration to strike, a state of preparedness has to have gone before to acquire the knowledge, interest and involvement necessary to place you in a state where imagination can inspire an intuition towards creativity. Preparation requires total commitment and a solid knowledge basis; you need to be deeply engaged and bright, and use your intuition.Then you are ready for âchance favours the prepared mindâ â Louis Pasteur.As such this book is a natural progression from âThe Art of Photographâ, the modern day definitive text on the subject, extending the quest for creativity beyond its introduction there. Bruce Barnbaum is a purist, his love is B&W 4×5 Large Format camera photography, he does own a digital camera and half of his photography is colour these days. This is a valuable resource in my photographic development, answer the question in the second chapter to determine if it shall be so for you.
Enigma –
A Gift of Wisdom
Bruce Barnbaumâs âThe Essence of Photographyâ is a gift of knowledge from a master to the world. I savored every word and turn of phrase.The author takes the reader on his journey, and on the way explains decisions he made that ultimately affected the way he views and practices photography, as well as the impact choices had on his life.I particularly enjoyed Mr. Barnbaumâs private thoughts in response by the great Ansel Adamsâ advice to him on his work. The book deeply personal, and certainly not what I expected. This is a highly unusual book because accessing a masterâs wisdom is not usually via print media.If you are after a âhow toâ book you will be disappointed. But if you value a masterâs journey to discovery of his Art, and self-discovery you will enjoy this tome.For me this has been a great find, and I am sure I will read it many times.
Michael McKee –
Take the next steps beyond technique.
Most photo books describe how to take photos under varying conditions. Bruce Bamabum goes into making personal images, not by learning new techniques but by learning our own inclinations and, to use a currently trendy term, voice (my term – not the author’s). Techniques and composition are mentioned throughout but not as ends in themselves. Rather both are put in service to personal vision and voice. As a friend of mine, Ray Ketcham says, “Anybody can learn your technique. Only you can make pictures that reflect your voice.” For instance, we don’t need to learn the rule of thirds to make “properly composed” images but because photos composed that way have certain impacts on the viewer. Is that what we want from a particular photo? Composition rules become composition tools in the service of how we want the image to display. Technical knowledge is always put in service to improving our craft not as an end in itself. Throughout the book Bambaum repeats the notion that photography is a skill and as with any skill practice, experimentation and making bad photos are necessary. Bad photos are not a negative, just something to learn from and if we don’t make bad photos we haven’t pushed out of our comfort zones. He makes the point that many of the worst photos he sees in workshops come from working pros who get into the habit of making commercially acceptable pictures not ones that reflect their vision. They forget how to experiment and take chances.Bambaum covers more than just technique, though. He emphasizes getting instruction from multiple instructors and workshops (we learn different stuff from each), getting feedback or critiques of your photos and how to take that feedback, as well as how to learn from classes and such. Yes, there is a section on technique and gear, as well as a discussion of printing. Yes, again, those are put in service to making personal images not as absolutes or must haves.Much of the book is relayed through the author’s personal history. At times it’s a tiny bit tedious but I don’t know any other way to talk about personal process than personally. Bambaum shows a lot of his own photos. They are not all his most commercially successful images, rather ones that mean something to him and illustrate his points. That means that they may not all wow you, say, the way Joe McNally does. That’s part of the essence of photography, too.
Al –
The Essence Of Photography
This is a go-to book that has been an inspiration as well as informative. This book will make you think as you slowly read and comprehend it’s contents. Whenever I take some time out to read, I can’t wait to break out the gear to put into practice what I’ve learned. I always keep the volume handy so I can reach for it when I have a free minute. My personal opinion is that this is one of the finest volumes written on the subject. It should be a prerequisite for any beginning course in photography.
eng jovelino matos almeida –
A great master talking about what matters : much more than camera aperture and speed. But hard it is speaking about themes where there is not just one true, thus we, readers, often do not feel so enlightened as we would like 🙂
m&c –
Ce livre parle de la photographie en tant qu’art à part entière. La plupart des informations sur le sujets traitent du matériel, des logiciels de retouches, des technologie des appareils photos, ce bouquin traite de la démarche artistique du photographe, l’auteur donne des conseils clairs et honnêtes qui aident vraiment le lecteur à s’améliorer.Excellent ouvrage.
Jon Ogmundsson –
The Essence of Photography by Bruce Barnbaum is an essential book for photographers of all types. It is written in a style that captured my attention and held it through the book. Although there are parts that do not apply to my circumstances they still are interesting and helpful.I look forward to go out with my camera and try out the many things that the author suggests.
Didier –
Texto muy interesante, es una introducción a la fotografÃa como arte, fotografÃas muy buenas para ilustrar los temas, no le doy las 5 estrellas porque me gustarÃa que estuviera en español.
Ranjit D. –
Very well written book. Amazing print quality and arrangement of photographs. I can read this over and over to find out new things. Must have for serious photographers who wish to explore photography as a form of personal expression. Absolutely Recommended!