Response

Stephen Shore was the first man to perform a show alone at the age of 23 years old. Being a veteran in this field, his work has been performed in many museums in the world and had a great impact on young photographers. He served as a director of photography in 1982 at Bard College.

The field of photography has very few books available for reading by young photographers that are relevant. This is what makes the book by Shore a “must read” by any photographer. The books of this nature are those that discuss the fundamentals of photography that most photographers ignore. An example of such a book is “The Nature of Photographs” by Stephen Shore.

Shore’s book is deceptively easy to read and understand. He examines and explains the basic components and characteristics of a print from a photograph. It can be noted that the work found the application on an image being displayed on a screen that are vital for any photographer to understand and interpret. As suggested by Shore, the process by which objects in the world are converted into a photograph can be done in four different ways during capturing (Shore, 2010). They include focus, frame, flatness and time. This is an accurate observation since various photographers from different backgrounds contributed to the points of discussion by producing proof of images.

The book is brief and can be read in a short period of time. To get the meaning of the pictures, one needs to carefully analyze the photographs given. A good example is when Shore comments on a picture by Robert Adams who is a photographer on a highly visible hillside. Shore suggested that the meaning of the image by Robert Adams could be enhanced by a railroad track visible at the corner. Hurriedly looking at the image gives a wrong impression. However, a careful examination of the picture gives the true image. Adams’ picture suggested that it is not mandatory for vital elements to be highlighted in photographs. Instead, making a meaningful photograph required critical thinking and time, and not just the clicking of the shutter. Thus, understanding a photograph should be viewed as a process that needs time.

The author being a photographer has also appeared in a show. However, the photographs he uses to prove his argument comprise all ranges of imagery. Thus, he gives another dimension to photography. In conclusion, the book equips photographers with the knowledge of photographs and how they function.