The photo. Art of self-expression (B. Burnbaum)

Author : Burnbaum B.
Translation of the book : O. Sivchenko, A. Sereda
Review author : A. Sereda (journalist, editor www.dev.by )
Release date : 06/22/12

Bruce Burnbaum - the successor of the traditions of American landscape photography, which is associated primarily with the name of Ansel Adams. The Adams School is manifested both in the choice of objects for shooting - the majestic landscapes and natural phenomena, and in the responsible approach to exposure metering, as well as in the mandatory manual printing of photographs. And in the book “Photography. The art of self-expression "most of all speaks about the" analog "photograph (Barnbaum himself prefers the so-called large format and takes on a sheet film).
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Why this book should be interesting to the reader in our time, when everyone around is passionate about digital photography, and occasional errors in exposure metering successfully correct Photoshop and Lightroom? The author’s goal is not only to teach how to shoot, but also to explain why and how to do it. By the way, few people know what analog photographic techniques formed the basis of digital processing techniques, and Bairnbaum talks about them in the sequence from film to figure.

The key part of the book is the chapters on the practical aspects of photographing. Until now, practically no manuals have been published in Russian, in which exposure metering and zone systems would be considered in such detail. Barnbaum, having carefully studied the approach of the inventor of the band theory of Ansel Adams, presented the zone system from the point of view of practice. He talks about it a lot and in great detail, and in his presentation we finally understand how great the value of this theory is not only for correct exposure, but also for a better understanding of what the contrast in photography is (no matter analog or digital). Barnbaum in his book offers a rather appropriate application of zone theory to digital photography, and also mentions such a popular landscape painter tool, like HDR. He himself admits that his experience with the "digital" is not so great, and it is this part of the book that is intended rather for beginners.





The book ends with chapters dedicated to the problems of creativity, and then Burnnum willingly shares his personal experience. There are not so many beautiful words about the fact that a photograph should designate; the author is rather inclined to describe his own ways in which he came to this or that picture. And this constant presence of the author's "I", oddly enough, creates the impression of greater objectivity than in many books on the theory of creativity written by Russian-speaking authors.

“The Art of Self-Expression” is a universal textbook not only for beginners: this book covers all the basic concepts, the possession of which is mandatory for each photographer. For example, the basics of composition, the nature of lighting, color science and photo filters - here they are given briefly, but taking into account those little tricks that become known only after a long practice. But a lot of attention is paid to what happens between the decision to make a frame and its embodiment: Barnbaum calls this “visualization”, and this is the most important condition for the development of professional photographic vision.

If we talk about the shortcomings of the book, then this is probably an extensive range of topics: very strong chapters about some aspects of photography and relatively shallow ones about others. But the print quality is at its height: perfectly rendered illustrations, layout, close to the original, are the exception rather than the rule among serious editions of photography in Russian.







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Table of contents
Excerpt from a book