Pictures Under Discussion

by John Loengard

American Photographer magazine hailed John Loengard as "Life's most influential photographer." His graphically bold but subtly surprising studies of personalities have established his pre-eminence as a portraitist. In his first book Pictures Under Discussion, previously unpublished landscapes and still lifes are combined with these powerful portraits to attest to the penetration of his eye and to give new dimension to his photographic achievement. 180 pages; 85 duo-toned b&w plates; 10 x 8 inches. Index.

180 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1987

About the author

John Loengard is a veteran LIFE photographer and an archivist of LIFE's illustrious history. He received the Henry Luce Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 from TIme Inc.

Reviews

[Christopher May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those gems that discusses photos with very little technical babble. Rather, the author talks about light and gesture and philosophy and all manner of aspects of the art that are so often ignored in favor of the usual talk of f-stops and shutter speeds and the rule of thirds. Don’t get me wrong, f-stops and shutter speeds and the rule of thirds are all important and if you’re just starting in photography, it’s important to learn about them. It’s just that there are thousands of books that discuss those fundamentals. Books like this that get inside a successful photographer’s head to understand the why of a picture instead of the how are far more rare. This is a must have for anyone that wants a deeper discussion on the art of photography.