Book Review – A New History of Photography
I usually make a point that I do not review a book until I have turned the last page, but given the size of this book I think that will be awhile. The book A New History of Photography
Before I go further, I would like to explain why I bought this book. As I seek to take better pictures, I thought it would be worthwhile to learn about the photographers that preceded me. What made their work stand out? What traits did the photographers who have survived time have in common?
In a sense, I am looking for inspiration and ideas on forming my own creative style. There is a saying that one cannot write without reading. I feel that the same is true about photography. You can’t take good pictures without examining others’ pictures.
I saw this book on sale in a local used book store and decided to try it out. Although only 775 pages, each page is huge and as a standard version book would probably be around 2000 pages. The book is roughly chronological, starting with the techniques preceding photography and the invention of photography itself.
at my company’s library and took it home to read. Originally I planned to buy the book online but then decided it was better to preview it first. To be honest, I was very glad that I did this, because overall I do not plan to purchase it.