درباره‌ی نگاه به عکس‌ها

by David Hurn, Bill Jay, محسن بایرام نژاد (Translator)

عکاسی، این رسانه ارتباطی که اکنون به عنوان رشته‌ای هنری مطرح است، مقبولیت (و محبوبیت) بیشتری را در مقایسه با سایر رسانه‌های بصری در بین مردم دارد.
یکی از دلائل اصلی، سادگی عکاسی ست که به اشتباه، آسان بودن تلقی می‌شود؛ اگر که اجازه دهیم این سادگی فریبمان دهد، مشکلات بی‌شماری به سراغمان خواهد آمد.
این کتاب فقط برای عکاسان نیست.
از لحظه‌ای که با عکس به عنوان ابزار ارتباطی در گیر می‌شویم، نقش ما به عنوان بیننده هدفمند آغاز می‌شود.
این فرایند وقت گیر، علاوه بر دانش، نیازمند تجربه است. در سال‌های اخیر، شاهد عکاسان جوان و تازه کار زیادی بوده‌ایم که به دنبال راه‌هایی برای به وجود آوردن «معنا»، «شایسته» کردن تصاویر و در جستجوی این واژه همیشه پر چالش،
«هنر» هستند. بیل جی و دیوید هورن در نشستی دوستانه، درباره حساسترین مسائل برای عکاسان جوان و علاقمند سخن گفته‌اند.
تلاش آن‌ها آشنا کردن خواننده با رسانهٔ عکاسی، با استفاده از اصول ابتدایی و پایه این رسانه است.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Art and Photography, Journalism, Reference

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Mohammad Sadegh Rafizadeh · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب مفید و جمع و جوریه ، بصورت کاملا خلاصه و دسته بندی شده چیزهایی که باید درباره عکاسی بدونی و یادت رفته و چیزهایی که نمی دونی و باید بدونی بصورت فشرده یادآوری می کنه
"همه ما تصاویر را با تعصبات و پیش داوری های شخصی مان نگاه می کنیم. زمانی که به عکس ها نگاه می کنیم، نمی توانیم گرایشات زندگی مان را نادیده بگیریم و بنابراین، معنا، نسبت به گرایشات شخصی ما در فرایند نگاه کردن به تصاویر، تغییر می یابد"

[Wayne Marinovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful conversation between two greats of photography.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

All photographers need to read this book. Not how to, but two very opinionated people discussing important aspects picture making. Sometimes the opinions seem a little much, but the insight is great.

[Masoud K E · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب خوب و خلاصه ای هست که هم برای علاقمندان به عکاسی مفیده هم برای دوستداران عکس.

[Parnian · Rating 1 out of 5]

انقدر بد نوشته شده بود که حتی نتونستم تمومش کنم.
فوق العاه بدیهی، سطحی، شعاری ...
بدترین قسمتش هم این بود که دو نفر همزمان داشتن حرف میزدن. پاراگراف به پاراگراف جا عوض می‌کردن با هم و اون وسط مثلا راجع به حرفای همدیگه نظر می‌دادن!
نتیجه:
۱. نه تنها آش‌پز، بلکه نویسنده هم نباید دو تا بشه
۲. حرفه‌ی هنرمند اونقدرا هم رو این‌که چی چاپ می‌کنه دقیق نیست

[Pardis · Rating 3 out of 5]

بیل جی و دیوید هورن در نشستی دوستانه درباره حساس ترین مسائل برای عکاسان جوان و علاقه مند سخن گفته اند. آنها به دنبال جواب های معین نیستند، نتیجه گیری نهایی را به خواننده سپرده اند و تلاش آنها، آشنا کردن خواننده با رسانه عکاسی، با استفاده از اصول ابتدایی و پایه این رسانه است.

[Jason Machinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone serious about photography. It is a joy to read as there are pearls of wisdom on almost every page.

I am currently doing my MA in Photography, working on longer projects and this book really helped give me some insights into how that is done.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book on photography. As a beginning photographer, it has given me great insight into choosing subjects that are important to me and what makes them important to others.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my whole perspective on shooting photos - I loved it.

[Craig Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think of these words often, and wonderful insightful conversation.

[Shayan Ghiaseddin · Rating 3 out of 5]

اونجایی که بحث‌های اخلاقی عکاسی رو باز می‌کنه...

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this in a single plane ride. A lot of great advice for photographers, which I am planning on putting to use!

[Agustín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing insight on how a photographer like David Hurn sees his own work. Makes you want to grab a camera a start shooting right away! Really enjoyed reading it.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some useful insights and stories about photographers and their methods. I found the first chapter on David Hurn kind of irrelevant however and just too long for the purpose of the book. It would have been more interesting had it been shorter and stuck to what a photographer really needs to know about him.
Also the constant bashing of academic art was becoming almost annoying at some point, were there not some truth in what was said (the jargon of critical theory, namely).
Lastly, in the final section, I found the rationale of the "you-should-not-photograph-foreign-cultures" badly formulated if not totally beside the point, and the resulting argument equally bad. There is a serious and most interesting discussion to be had on the ethics of this practice and Hurn evaded the discussion completely which was quite frustrating, as was his general tone.
To conclude, despite some things that should be read with a critical distance, I would recommend this book if only for the first point mentioned and the short length. It does provide a useful framework for a photographer to structure his work and method.

[Negin · Rating 4 out of 5]

تو این کتاب، در مورد دغدغه‌های ذهنی فعلی خودم صحبت شده بود که برام خیلی جالب بود. تا حد امکان سعی شده بود نتیجه‌گیری‌ خاصی نداشته باشه و این تصمیم واگذار بشه به خواننده؛ اما نقطه نظرات و توصیه‌های جالبی توش وجود داشت که آدم رو به فکر وامی‌داشتن. اگه علاقه‌مند به عکاسی و موضوعات پیرامونش هستین، میتونه کتاب خوبی براتون باشه.

[ellis :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5
Actually not a practical guide—just a transcript of a conversation between two men who try to give advice on photography. Read this for my intro to photojournalism class and found it extremely hard to be interested in anything these guys were saying. Didn’t like the format and didn’t like these people. :p

[Arshia Taheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب موضوعات پراکنده‌ای داشت اما وحدت موضوعی نداشت. با این حال نکات جالبی رو گوشزد کرده بود. نکاتی که شاید خیلی بدیع نباشند اما تکرار و مطالعه چندباره‌ی اون‌ها میتونه در پروسه‌ی هنری یک عکاس موثر و مفید باشه.

[Ray Dunsmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating conversation on the methods and motivations of fine photography by two men who have made a life's work in the field. Very interesting stuff worth consideration by anyone who considers themselves a capital-p Photographer of any kind.

[Ali Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of valuable of conversations about what photography could be to an individual.
All photographers need to talk more about photography with other photographers. This book will remain on my bookshelf as a personal reminder.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up on a recommendation by blog. I'm SOOO glad I read it, because just the second chapter, "Selecting A Subject", was eye-opening. I've read several online resources and books about photo composition, and have heard all sorts of things about setting up shots for contrasts, shapes, colors, leading lines, and the like. None of it had really stuck before, in large part due to not really having a definite idea of what I wanted to shoot, outside of the occasional event, photowalk, and weekly photo challenge. Now I've got a baseline for how to determine what I'd like to shoot, so I can actually start to do something with my photography.

[Alfonso de Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Jay es probablemente uno de los escritores sobre fotografía mas inteligentes, ácidos y divertidos que he leído. En "On Being a Photographer..."se recogen las conversaciones mantenidas entre Bill Jay y el fotógrafo de Magnum David Hurn.
Según sus palabras, este libro es muy útil entre otras muchas razones porque nos hace ser conscientes de "the importance of clear thinking in developing an intellectual rationale for any method of working" y por hacernos ver que el sujeto, la cosa misma, está en el núcleo de todo tipo de fotografía.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

there are some great entries in here. especially the one about students of photography. reads more like a conversation between david and bill, which makes it an easy and accessible read. i gave this book as a gift to my mentor, who then put it in her bathroom. i think that says a lot about the book. what? i don't know.

[Matthew Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

short, interesting book about what it means to be a photographer. i read it in one sitting after i had already been awake for 24 hours, so i'm not sure i got as much out of it as i could have, but it definitely got me motivated about being a photographer again, at least for a few hours.

[Callan Tham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and fantastic read for every photographer. I don't necessarily agree with everything Jay or Hurn says, but it gives you plenty to think about. I would call this a must-read for anyone who is serious about their photography, with plenty of relevant topics covered.

[Wing Poon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is short because the thoughts presented are distilled and the delivery succinct. Wisdom abounds in this pocket lighthouse on the way of making photographs. I feel both energised and decluttered, and will most likely refer to it again in times to come.

[Don LaVange]

from my dad. Actually, it's his and I promised I would return it when I read it.

[Lorissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every photographer or aspiring photographer should read this.

[Gary Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not one for the gear heads. Lots of personal stories, as well as advice and the imparting of wisdom gained through years of shooting.