Need book recommendations

[usathyan]

I have a long airline travel and would like a few recommendations on books - I am looking for non-technical books and enjoy reading about Art/Philosophy/History/Biography as it relates to Photography....

Some examples of books that i have enjoyed reading:

1. Art & Fear
2. Mastering Landscape Photography: Alian Briot essays
3. The Photgrapher's eye
4. AP guide to photojournalism
5.

Not yet bought but interesting (may buy):
1. Window Seat
2. Maggie Taylor


Thanks!

[alainbriot]

You may enjoy the writings of John Berger and of Roland Barthes.  Berger writes in English and many of Barthes' texts have been translated from the original French.  Barthes has specific texts on photography, but his other texts are just as interesting.

I would recommend a collection of Barthes most popular short essays, including the titled The Eiffel Tower which is seminal to an understanding of his work.

Barthes writes from the perspective of semiotics (the study of signs) but the insights provided in his essays go well beyond the study of signs.

[usathyan]

Thanks alian - i now have both books and love them! i have started reading them before my travel....and am hooked!

[alainbriot]

Thanks alian - i now have both books and love them! i have started reading them before my travel....and am hooked!
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Glad to be helpful.  If you like Barthes, then "La Chambre Claire" is his text specifically about photography.  The title literally translates into "The Light Room", a pun on the original name for the camera "Camera Obscura", obscura meaning dark or shadowed.  

I don't know if it has been translated in English.  I have all his books in French.  

There are also interesting asides on Photography in "Le Systeme de la Mode" "The System of Fashion" in which Barthes studies fashion and fashion photographs from the perspective of semiotics.  I like it for its usefulness towards understanding composition from the perspective of how visual signs are used in images.

[wolfnowl]

Don't know if I would want to lug this on an airplane, but I've always liked 'Shawowlight' by Freeman Patterson.

http://www.freemanpatterson.com/book10.htm

Mike.

[usathyan]

alain,

The book titled "Selected Essays of John Berger" (which is what i got) - includes a few essays from many of his writings - including "The Light room".

wolfnowl,

I have all books of Freeman Patterson....they are very enjoyable....my latest book is about Salvador Dali and his work....fascinating!

[mikeguil]

Yes... Freeman Patterson's books are great.  "Photography and the Art of Seeing" and "Photography for the Joy of It" are my two favourites and just as viable today as they were when they were written "BD" (before digital)!

[DDay]

If you have a portable pc, you can always look for e-books.


____________________
Barbara
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