Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images

Criticizing Photographs remains one of the most important books in the field, and Barrett has updated the text with new photos to discuss. His new editions include worthy changes and are not ploys to sell new copies. I have used his books for years in an advanced photography college class.

This is an excellent book. These are some questions the book deals about: How a photograph is made? What are its purposes? How should its context be considered? Was that photograph made or taken? In this book several criteria (even opposite ones) about photographs are also analyzed and compared, leaving to the reader the decision about the one(s) to take. The process of understanding a photograph is not simple, but this book is a nice guide to follow. At the end of the book, examples of reviews are included, as a reference not only for students, but also for the person who simply would want to talk about a photograph. Moreover, advice concerning the redaction is also given.

A diversity of critical voices and photographic approaches is explored, giving the reader access to a rich world of creative thoughtŠBarrett defines criticism as "informed discourse about art to increase understanding and appreciation of art." He organizes his treatment of the four major activities of criticism‹describing, interpreting, evaluation, and theorizing‹which in turn address four basic questions: What is here? What is it about? How good is it? Is it art? ŠThe book provides in two short appendixes, practical advice on writing about photographs and on conducting casual and directed discussion of photographsŠ Monterey Peninsula College, Anne Canright

Teachers of art and design, specialists in the fields of media studies, cross-cultural education, social anthropology, and literary criticism will find fertile ground here for both personal study and teachingŠIt is documented with extracts from critical writings, biographical details of trends and movements in the history of photography, anecdotes about individual photographers, and a telling section of visuals, most of which are commented on in lengthŠThis is no dry academic exercise; here is a probing exploration of the links between theory and practice in the aesthetics of criticismŠJournal of Art and Design Education, Michael Rawding