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Summary: How do I Find the Way?
Review: The Tao of Photography is not aimed at individuals interested in improving their technical photography skills. Rather it is aimed at the photographer who will be willing to consider reorienting the way that he or she views the world to improve his or her photography and to find opportunities for personal growth through photography.The book does this by outlining some of the principles of Taoism, an ancient Asian philosophy of life, and then drawing parallels to the teachings of great photographers, like Minor White, Henri Cartier Bresson, and Ansel Adams. Taoist philosophy states that, to be a sage (and, by extension, a creative photographer), a person must harmonize Great Understanding and Little Understanding, that is, the open mind and the discriminatory or constricted mind. What the photographer must do is live in the moment and open his mind to the possibilities in the world. One should escape from the state of constricted awareness. Technique is seen as a possible barrier to better photography. It has been said that the most important tool of a photographer is the mind. One's philosophical approach to the world may indeed affect the quality of the images that one captures. If, as I believe, this is so, a book that suggests an adjustment of that approach is worth consideration by the serious photographer. This book convinced me that adopting a Taoist view of the world might improve the quality of the pictures I take. However, my complaint with the book is that having created a desire to explore Taoist doctrine, there were no guide posts as to how to incorporate those principles into my photography or my life. The book did suggest several exercises, most of them derived from Freeman Patterson's "Photography and the Art of Seeing", but I've tried them and they didn't lead to the major refocusing that the book suggests. In fact the book even quoted Alan Watts, a commentator on Asian philosophy, who says "there is no way ...to come into accord with the Tao...because...every method implies a goal. And we cannot make the Tao a goal." So this book got my attention and created a need, and offered no help in satisfying it. Yet it did cause me to examine my own photographic philosophy. Any book that can get a serious photographer to reconsider his fundamental approach to life and its effect on his work is certainly worth reading. The book itself is quite beautiful. The photographs, by a number of great camera artists as well as author Gross, are all in black and white, as if abstracting color would simplify the world and make it easier to come to grips with. The design is excellent and generous, with plenty of white space, perhaps designed to reflect the serenity of the Way.
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Summary: Helpful outlook; wonderful photographs
Review: This book greatly contributed to my understanding and enjoyment of photography. It made me think more about why I make photographs. The focus is on the art; not equipment or films. And the black and white photographs in the book are an inspiration. Reading the book made achieving something meaningful with photography seem within my grasp.
Rating:
Summary: Helpful outlook; wonderful photographs
Review: This book greatly contributed to my understanding and enjoyment of photography. It made me think more about why I make photographs. The focus is on the art; not equipment or films. And the black and white photographs in the book are an inspiration. Reading the book made achieving something meaningful with photography seem within my grasp.
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Summary: Stirs creativity
Review: This book has become a great source of inspiration for me. It provides a framework for breaking fixed ways of looking at the world. I also really appreciate the care that must have gone into creating such a beautiful book. There are some really great photographs in this book. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Eye Level
Review: This book is a terrific reminder of what creativity is. Seeing and viewing with an open eye and mind. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to combine creativity and the spirit. Photographs are excellent as well.
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Summary: Free your mind and your camera will follow
Review: This is a good book for the beginning to intermediate photographer who is having trouble feeling comfortable venturing out and capturing great photographs. It delves into the Tao mindset; how to co-exist living life to it's fullest and also photographing without discrimination. It's great in that it get's you thinking about not just the way(s) that you take pictures, but also perhaps why you do so. It is filled with great black and white photographs by some of the greats such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Weston, in addition to the author's own photographic examples. The book is a relatively short and easy read and the photographs take up many of the pages. 1. The size of it is like a coffee table book but paperback. Since there is a lot of text to read, it can be a bit uncomfortable to read (but great to look at the pictures). 2. There isn't really much direct photographic, picture-taking techniques discussed. The book more makes parallels between the Tao philosophies and applies them to photography, but it doesn't outline enough photographic examples of this. In all, it is a good book however dwells too much on the purely Tao teachings, without providing enough relevant direct examples to photographic techniques and practices. It did however aid in changing my view of photography and the way in which I photograph now with a very observant, open mind. I did that before, but this book helped remind me to keep on doing it.
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Summary: The Tao of Photography: Seeing Beyond Seeing
Review: This lovely book is full of interesting surprises. It is a thoughtful presentation of many exquisite black and white photographs and much inspiring prose. A must have book that satisfies at many different levels. An added bonus is how elegant it looks on my coffee table!
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Summary: SYNOPSIS
Review: This provocative, visually stunning volume draws upon Taoist teachings to explore the creative and spiritual dimensions of the art of photography. Cowritten by free-lance photographer and university lecturer Philippe Gross and psychology professor S.I. Shapiro, THE TAO OF PHOTOGRAPHY applies the Taoist practice of mindfulness and surrendering the "I" to the role of the photographer, and the intellectual, spiritual, and practical challenges the artist faces in rendering her surroundings on film. Excerpts from the Taoist classic the Chuang-tzu and the writings of Western aesthetes are complemented by over sixty photographs from the work of such canonical photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Stieglitz, and Dorothea Lange. Lucid instructional text and enlightening exercises assure that photographers of all levels will be able to incorporate the lessons of the Tao into their own work.
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