Photographers

Women Photographers: From Julia Margaret Cameron to Cindy Sherman, Boris Friedwald, cover courtesy of Prestel

Book review: Women Photographers: From Julia Margaret Cameron to Cindy Sherman, Boris Friedwald

The Female in Focus award, created in 2019 by 1854 Media, publisher of the British Journal of Photography, pointed out that only 15% of photographers are women despite 80% of photography graduates being female. So, a reconsideration of Women Photographers: From Julia Margaret Cameron to Cindy Sherman, republished in 2018 seemed appropriate to get a sense of the significant contribution of women to photography. In the introduction to this book, Boris Friedwald acknowledges that the list is incomplete.

Book review, photographers
Jane Bown, A Lifetime of Looking  © Guardian Faber

Jane Bown, A Lifetime of Looking

Jane Bown (1925-2014) was very much more than a portrait photographer. She had a declared passion for photojournalism of which her portraits were only part. Jane Bown, A Lifetime of Looking shows some of that work alongside her better known portraits.

Book review, review, Jane Bown, Luke Dodd
Full Frame by David Noton, Cover

Full Frame by David Noton, book review

In Full Frame , David Noton sets out the story of ten journeys in pursuit of photographic excellence. This large format paperback contains the fruits of that effort and fully justifies it.

David Noton, Book review, landscape, travel
Bruce Gilden, Face, Professional Photography magazine

Rethinking Bruce Gilden's 'Face'

My original reaction to Bruce Gilden's latest work 'Face' was negative. Like many I disliked it and felt it was exploitative or even dehumanising. But as I wrote on a Facebook group "To be creative it is necessary to view work that you do not like, or even causes discomfort. Let yourself be challenged"

Shaped by War, Don McCullin

Shaped by War, Pictorial Biography of Don McCullin, book review

Shaped by War briefly explores Don McCullin's childhood and his experience in the Royal Air Force and the subsequent entry into a career in photojournalism. It then concentrates on his work and life in and around war, famine and disaster.

Book review, Don McCullin, photojournalism
The Arctic, Treasure of the North

The Arctic, Treasure of the North, book review

Not bad, just ordinary. In today’s image-rich world The Arctic, Treasure of the North simply does not stand comparison with the best of the coverage of the Arctic being produced by other photographers.

Book review, Bernd Römmelt, Thomas Henningsen, environment
Waiting for the Light, David Noton

Waiting for the Light by David Noton, book review

David Noton takes the reader through all the non-technical aspects of making pictures from having a vision, location scouting, practice, the importance of understanding light and its varied nature. It is about practice and patience.

Book review, David Noton
Exposures by Jane Bown

Exposures by Jane Bown, book review

Having a simple and reliable technique enabled Jane Bown to concentrate on the image and she built a reputation for being tenacious in getting the right shot. However she always shot economically and rarely used more than two films (72 frames) on any particular job.

Book review, Jane Bown, portrait
Southern Frontiers by Don McCullin - Book Review

Southern Frontiers, A Journey Across the Roman Empire, book review

Souther Frontiers is major departure by Don McCullin from the coverage of conflict and famine with which he is most associated This book show McCullin as a supremely talented technician that might not always have been appreciated from his earlier work. Quite properly the photographs are given the space to speak for themselves

Don McCullin, Book review

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