Bruce Barnbaum - The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression

1st Edition (2nd Printing, Jan 2011)

All photography Bruce Barnbaum (unless otherwise noted)
Photographic Arts Editions in cooperation with:
Rocky Nook Inc.

www.rockynook.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Barnbaum, Bruce, 1943
The art of photography : an approach to personal expression / Bruce Barnbaum. -- [Rev. ed.]
p. cm.
First published 1994.
ISBN 978-1-933952-68-0 (alk. paper)
1. Photography, Artistic. 2. Photography. I. Title.
TR642.B364 2010
770--dc22
2010015511

Distributed by OReilly Media
1005 Gravenstein Highway North
Sebastopol, CA 95472

Many of the designations in this book used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. Where those designations appear in this book, and Rocky Nook was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps. They are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies; they are not intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. While reasonable care has been exercised in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

PHOTOGRAPHY IS A FORM of non-verbal communication. At its best, a photograph conveys a thought from one person, the photographer, to another, the viewer. In this respect, photography is similar to other forms of artistic, nonverbal communication such as painting, sculpture, and music. A Beethoven symphony says something to its listeners; a Rembrandt painting speaks to its viewers; a Michelangelo statue communicates with its admirers. Beethoven, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo are no longer available to explain the meaning behind their works, but their presence is unnecessary. Communication is achieved without them.

Photography can be equally communicative. To me, the word photograph has a far deeper meaning than it has in everyday usage. A true photograph possesses a universal quality that transcends immediate involvement with the subject or events of the photograph. I can look at portraits by Arnold Newman or Diane Arbus and feel as if I know the people photographed, even though I never met them. I can see landscapes by Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, or Paul Caponigro and feel the awesomeness of the mountain wall, the delicacy of the tiny flowers, or the mystery of the foggy forest, though I never stood where the tripods were placed. I can see a street photograph by Henri Cartier-Bresson and feel the elation of his decisive moment, captured forever, though I was not beside him when it occurred. I can even see a tree by Jerry Uelsmann floating in space and feel the surrealistic tingle that surrounds the image. I can do this because the artist has successfully conveyed a message to me. The photograph says it all. Nothing else is needed.

An ancient Western Red Cedar tree, thirteen feet in diameter, in the rainforest of Washingtons North Cascade Mountains, cut down a century ago, has been replaced by dozens of tall, skinny trees, which together contain less wood (board feet) than the single cedar contained. None of the new trees are Western Red Cedars. There are no ferns, shrubs, or mosses on the ground, so the replaced forest can support no wildlife. Timber companies say, there are more trees in America than ever before, and theyre right; yet it is an utterly deceptive claim. Its a dead forest; a tree farm. The photograph, near my home, was designed to show the damage of industrial clearcutting, euphemistically called harvesting. No other art form can make such a statement as powerfully as photography.