photographer

The Education of a Photographer
$19.95
If a photographer might think that a picture is worth 10,000 words, why would one need a book of words about photography? Wouldn't a few well chosen photographs have obviated the need for this book? Probably not, because the aforesaid major premise is probably wrong, or at least overstated. There are some concepts that are so complex that they can't be expressed in pictures. That presumably was the thought of the editors.

In his introduction Charles Traub, who is the chair of the School of Visual Arts' department devoted to photography, says that the world of photography has changed in recent years and that the writings included in the book are designed to prepare the fine arts student to enter into the world of contemporary photography. In order to do this the authors have divided the book into four parts: "Reflections on the Medium: What It Means to Photograph; How Others See Them: Considering the Photographer; Finding an Audience: Working with the Professionals; and Guide for the Uneducated: Higher Education and Photography. Each Section contains several short essays ranging from less than a half page to 11 pages. Although the editors disavow any idea of providing photographic instruction, the piece by Henri Cartier-Bresson comes the closest to instruction. On the other hand, the piece by Dave Eggers, in which he describes the thoughts running through the mind of a young women waiting to take a gritty but artistic photograph might be interesting to a creative writing student, and while a bit of fun, does not seem to be useful to a photographer. The interview with Charlotte Cotton, a museum photography curator, seemed the most accurate and insightful description of the current photographic art market. For me the most useful piece was an outline of how to critique a photograph by Ralph Hattersley.

The Amazon star system is not useful in the evaluation of a book like this. The readings in this book are a mixed bag. I suspect that most photographers, including those earning a living from their work, will find little to benefit them here, although they may find some of the articles of interest. On the other hand, for the individual earning a Master of Fine Arts in Photography, and interested in entering into the contemporary art photography market, the essays may prove useful.

If they have not done so already, those who want to read more about photography, with an emphasis on its history as well as its philosophy might do better to read an old classic, "Photography in Print: Writings from 1816 to the Present" by Vicki Goldberg.

The Photographer's Eye
$24.95
I agree with some of the reviews that expressed surprise at the fact that the amount of text is less than the blurb leads you to believe. I too was expecting a commentary on each of the photos in the book hoping to gain insight into the authors opinions about each photo. In fact the commentary is not so tightly linked to the individual photos, instead groups of photos illustrate each of the five main themes of the book.
However, the essay by the author is pretty deep and to the point, there is no fluff here. After reading it I thought what he was saying seemed kind of obvious and true. You could take this as a criticism, but for me I have found that it has been very helpful to have these fundamental things articulated. In summary, for me this is a deceptively concise but classic statement of some of the "truths" behind the photographic process, accompanied by some stunning black and white photos.

2010 Photographer's Market
$29.99
As a wildlife photographer, our son finds this book very helpful. He receives one every year for a Christmas present.

The Photographer: Into War-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders
$29.95
Beyond the headlines, behind the countless stories of war in Afghanistan, and what it means to live there now, lie millions of stories. Human stories, personal histories, and day-to-day activities that can be downright banal if not for the war, religion, and politics that constantly affect everything and everyone living there. There is always the question of how we got here, how Afghanistan reached this point in its history, and what we in North America don't understand about the country.

The Photographer does not exactly sum up everything, but that's not its job. Its role is a deceptively simple one. It's "merely" the story of a photographer, Didier Lef���vre, hired to document the work of several physicians working for Doctors Without Borders in Afghanistan in July 1986. To say it's informative is an understatement.

What Lef���vre experienced--beginning with adjusting to the heat, followed by learning to acclimate socially in this conservative country--is epic in scale, and the book's heft gives proper exposure to Lef���vre's life. The Photographer was originally published in Lef���vre's native France, where it's sold 250,000 copies. Now a worldwide phenomenon, its U.S. release is an event, as it should be. The story deserves it. Lef���vre deserves it.

It's hard to describe what Lef���vre went through in a short synopsis. He returned with 4,000 photos, substantially fewer teeth and less body weight, and a severe case of exhaustion. In the book, he goes through a cute "initiation" from the doctors, earns their trust and respect, and then becomes part of this culture and society that is at once so fascinating and so foreign to him.

The thousands of photos Lef���vre took remained unpublished for the most part for decades after his return. It was his stories of his time there that got the most airing, but mostly only for his friends. One of those friends, Emmanuel Guibert (Alan's War), became the conduit for creating The Photographer, and the book is richer for it. Guibert has a knack for lending his subtle pencils to true life stories, and the way his artwork seamlessly blends in with Lef���vre's photographs is brilliant. That's in large part due to the stellar work of designer Fr���d���ric Lemercier.

An afterword to The Photographer gives an update on the key players of the story, which is a thankfully thorough explanation for readers, who will inevitably be left craving more. Lef���vre was indeed someone whose eyes opened up new insights for others. That he shared them in this remarkable book is a wonderful statement about his life and a powerful way to remember someone who did more than his part to help us understand the world a little bit better.

-- John Hogan