Based on the BBC television series, John Berger's Ways of Seeing is a unique look at the way we view art, published as part of the Penguin on Design series in Penguin Modern Classics.'Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak.''But there is also another sense in which seeing comes before words. It is seeing which establishes our place in the surrounding world; we explain that world with words, but word can never undo the fact that we are surrounded by it. The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled.' John Berger's Ways of Seeing is one of the most stimulating and influential books on art in any language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC television series about which the Sunday Times critic commented: 'This is an eye-opener in more ways than one: by concentrating on how we look at paintings . . . he will almost certainly change the way you look at pictures.' By now he has.John Berger (b. 1926) is an art critic, painter and novelist.born in Hackney, London. His novel G. (1972) won both the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Booker Prize. If you enjoyed Ways of Seeing, you might like Susan Sontag's On Photography, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.'Berger has the ability to cut right through the mystification of professional art critics ... he is a liberator of images: and once we have allowed the paintings to work on us directly, we are in a much better position to make a meaningful evaluation'Peter Fuller, Arts Review'The influence of the series and the book ... was enormous ... It opened up for general attention areas of cultural study that are now commonplace'Geoff Dyer in Ways of Telling'One of the most influential intellectuals of our time'Observer Read more

This comprehensive and in-depth study delves into the life and works of one of modern films most celebrated, successful and intriguing auteurs, Christopher Nolan.‘What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient…highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate.’  - Cobb, Inception How has Nolan become this leading director? Is he the new Kubrick? What do audiences get out of his games?Visually, he offers a steely science-fiction noir with the highlights of big stars and a magician’s flourishes, whether he is tackling Victorian London or the far reaches of outer space. In narrative terms, his films twist and turn, provoking as many questions as they answer.This book will look to crack open the magic box of Nolan’s twisting universe. As a character, he eludes easy answers. Veteran film author Ian Nathan’s research will lean into deciphering his cryptic pronouncements and motivations alongside the history and making of his films.Examining both the making of and the inspiration behind his many, many hit films, from The Prestige (2006) to the hugely successful Batman films, through to his mind-bending science fiction works such as Inception (2014) and Tenet (2020). And just released in 2023, Oppenheimer,starring Cillian Murphy as the film's titular American scientist and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.Filled with fascinating insights and illustrated throughout with cinematography from his visually stunning ouvre, this book offers a unique, important and unmissable insight into the mind of this most brilliant of directors. Read more

The School of Photography: Beginner's Guide will take the beginner photographer to an advanced level in no time and fill any gaps in photography knowledge that may be holding you back from reaching your full potential. You'll be able to use your camera confidently in all the manual modes and apply the knowledge gained to any situation. The book will make you feel completely confident and ensure your shots stack up against any professional-looking photography.It's for people who want to take photography more seriously and will suit beginners, keen enthusiasts or anyone looking to make photography their profession. This book will put an end to any confusion, while giving you accurate and thorough knowledge in photography.Topics covered include:- Camera kits and equipment- Working in manual settings- Composition- Apertures and depth of field- Shutter speeds- Night photography Read more

Inspiring readers through iconic images and playful copy, the bestselling Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs has been revised and updated to include new photographers, a brand-new chapter on the art of feeling, and the latest hands-on tips. Striking images from a diverse range of acclaimed contemporary photographers, such as Anastasia Samoylova, Zanele Muholi, Nadine Ijewere, Campbell Addy and Tyler Mitchell, now join the masterpieces of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, Nan Goldin, Dorothea Lange and Martin Parr. Ideal for users of phone, mirrorless and DSLR cameras, the book is split into six sections, covering composition, exposure, light, lenses and the art of seeing and feeling. Thought-provoking images by iconic photographers serve to illustrate points and encourage readers to try out new ideas. Today's aspiring photographers want immediacy and see photography as an affordable way of expressing themselves quickly and creatively. This handbook meets their needs, teaching them how to take photographs using professional techniques. Read more

‘The strangest thing about jealousy is that it can populate an entire city – the whole world – with a person you may never have met.’ These words set the framework for The Possession, a striking portrait of a woman after a love affair has ended. Annie Ernaux pulls the reader through every step of jealousy, of a woman’s need to know who has replaced her in a lost beloved’s life. Ernaux’s writing, characteristically gorgeous in its precision, depicts the all too familiar human tendency to seek control and certainty after rejection. Read more

The Photographer’s Eye, available again after some years out of print, offers a guide to the medium’s visual language through works by such early masters as Atget, Cartier-Bresson, Evans, Strand and Weston. In this re-issue, 172 illustrations reveal the extraordinary range of the photograph from the early days of the medium’s development to the mid-1960s. They are accompanied by an essay from Szarkowski, one of the most influential photography curators and critics of our time. Read more

No clichés. No cheese. No camera-club jargon. This straight talking introduction to photographing people is the hotly anticipated follow up to the bestselling Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs. Ideal for users of any camera with a basic knowledge of a few photo-fundamentals, this book walks you through the essential techniques of photographing people, whether it’s on the street, at home or in the studio. Packed with iconic images by acclaimed photographers, it gives you the inspiration and knowhow needed to get out there and take great photographs of friends, family and everyone else. 50 master photographers including: Richard Avedon, William Klein, Cindy Sherman, Garry Winogrand, Richard Renaldi, William Eggleston, Sebastião Salgado and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs of People is part of the internationally-bestselling ‘Read This’ series, which has sold over half-a-million books worldwide and has been translated into over 20 languages. Coming soon: Read This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing People by Selwyn Leamy (September 2019) More titles in the ‘Read This’ series: Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll (9781780673356) Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs of Places by Henry Carroll (9781780679051) Use This if You Want to Take Great Photographs: A Photo Journal by Henry Carroll (9781780678887) Read This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing by Selwyn Leamy (9781786270542) Use This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing by Selwyn Leamy (9781786274052) Read This if You Want to Be a Great Writer by Ross Raisin (9781786271976) Read This if You Want to Be Instagram Famous edited by Henry Carroll (9781780679679) Read more

In this book, the authors explore and discuss the development of one of the most interesting and dynamic of photographic genres. Hailed as a landmark work when it was first published in 1994, Bystander is widely regarded by street photographers as the ‘bible’ of street photography. It covers an incredible array of talent, from the unknowns of the late 19th century to the acknowledged masters of the 20th, such as Atget, Stieglitz, Strand, Cartier-Bresson, Brassai, Kertesz, Frank, Arbus, Winogrand and Levitt to name just a few.  In this new and fully revised edition, the story of street photography is brought up to date with a re-evaluation of some historical material, the inclusion of more contemporary photographers and a discussion of the ongoing rise of digital photography. Read more

Taking a new look at composition, the theme of his bestselling classic The Photographer's Eye, Michael Freeman now explores the visual mechanics of photography in its own native terms. Lushly illustrated with straight-to-the-point diagrams and graphic deconstructions, this new, digitally remastered edition speaks in that intuitive, visual, and instantaneous language in which photographers think and work.Each section is organized into discrete units that articulate a working method for communicating particular ideas and capturing certain subjects. Dive into beautiful images and explore how each compositional element is placed and arranged in relationship to each other. Examine the outtakes from each shoot to understand why one particular image succeeded, compared to those shot before and after. Track the viewer's eye as it moves throughout the photo to see the optical dynamics held within each frame. And most of all, internalize this graphic language so you can instantly recognise amazing and powerful shots as they appear in your own viewfinder. Read more

A blazingly intelligent first collection of essays from the award-winning author of Open City and Every Day Is for the Thief. With these pieces on politics, photography, travel, history and literature - many of which have become viral sensations, shared and debated around the globe - Teju Cole solidifies his place as one of today's most powerful and original voices. On page after page, deploying prose dense with beauty and ideas, he finds fresh and potent ways to interpret art, people and historical moments. Cole tells of his engagement with Virginia Woolf through her diaries, before reflecting on an episode of temporary blindness in New York. He looks at the rise of Instagram and interrogates the value of its images. He examines the transition of the candidate Obama, the avid reader, into a 'forever-war' president on the global stage. Persuasive and provocative, erudite yet accessible, Known and Strange Things is an opportunity to live within Teju Cole's wide-ranging enthusiasms, curiosities and passions, and a chance to see the world in surprising and affecting new frames.'A book written with a scalpel, a microscope, and walking shoes, full of telling details and sometimes big surprises.' Rebecca Solnit Read more

The best way to learn is by doing. The Photographer’s Playbook features photography assignments, as well as ideas, stories, and anecdotes from many of the world’s most talented photographers and photography professionals. Whether you’re looking for exercises to improve your craft―alone or in a group―or you’re interested in learning more about the medium, this playful collection will inspire fresh ways of engaging with photographic process. Inside you will find advice for better shooting and editing, creative ways to start new projects, games and activities, and insight into the practices of those responsible for our most iconic photographs―John Baldessari, Tina Barney, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Jim Goldberg, Miranda July, Susan Meiselas, Stephen Shore, Alec Soth, Tim Walker, and many more. The book also features a Polaroid alphabet by Mike Slack, which divides each chapter, and a handy subject guide. Edited by acclaimed photographers Jason Fulford and Gregory Halpern, the assignments and project ideas in this book are indispensable for teachers and students, and great fun for everyone fascinated by taking pictures. Read more

John Berger's writings on photography are some of the most original of the twentieth century. This selection contains many groundbreaking essays and previously uncollected pieces written for exhibitions and catalogues in which Berger probes the work of photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and W. Eugene Smith - and the lives of those photographed - with fierce engagement, intensity and tenderness.The selection is made and introduced by Geoff Dyer, author of the award-winning The Ongoing Moment.How do we see the world around us? This is one of a number of pivotal works by creative thinkers whose writings on art, design and the media have changed our vision for ever.John Berger was born in London in 1926. His acclaimed works of both fiction and non-fiction include the seminal Ways of Seeing and the novel G., which won the Booker Prize in 1972. In 1962 he left Britain permanently, and he now lives in a small village in the French Alps.Geoff Dyer is the author of four novels and several non-fiction books. Winner of the Lannan Literary Award, the International Centre of Photography's 2006 Infinity Award and the American Academy of Arts and Letters's E. M. Forster Award, Dyer is also a regular contributor to many publications in the UK and the US. He lives in London. Read more

Continuing William Mitchell's investigations of how we understand, reason about, and use images, The Reconfigured Eye provides the first systematic, critical analysis of the digital imaging revolution."An intelligent and readable approach to the digitization of images.... A useful overview of a critical subject."―New York Times Book ReviewEnhanced? Or faked? Today the very idea of photographic veracity is being radically challenged by the emerging technology of digital image manipulation and synthesis: photographs can now be altered at will in ways that are virtually undetectable, and photorealistic synthesized images are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from actual photographs. Continuing William Mitchell's investigations of how we understand, reason about, and use images, The Reconfigured Eye provides the first systematic, critical analysis of the digital imaging revolution. It describes the technology of the digital image in detail and looks closely at how it is changing the way we explore ideas, at its aesthetic potential, and at the ethical questions it raises. Read more

The definitive and only authorized biography of Josef Koudelka—an intimate portrait of the life and work of one of photography’s most renowned and celebrated artists. Throughout his more than sixty-year-long obsession with the medium, Josef Koudelka considers a remarkable range of photographic subjects—from his early theater work, to his seminal project on the Roma and his legendary coverage of the 1968 Soviet invasion of Prague, to the solitariness of exile and the often-devastating impact humans have had on the landscape. Josef Koudelka: Next embraces all of Koudelka’s projects and his evolution as an artist in the context of his life story and working process. Based on hundreds of hours of interviews conducted over the course of almost a decade with Koudelka—as well as ongoing conversations with his friends, family, colleagues, and collaborators worldwide—this deftly told, richly illustrated biography offers an unprecedented glimpse into the mind of this notoriously private photographer. Writer, editor, and curator Melissa Harris has independently crafted a unique, in-depth, and revelatory personal history of both the man and his photography. Josef Koudelka: Next is richly illustrated with hundreds of photographs, including many biographical and behind-the-scenes images from Koudelka’s life, as well as iconic images from his work, from the 1950s to the present. The visual presentation is conceived in collaboration with Koudelka himself, as well as his longtime collaborator, Czech designer Aleš Najbrt. Copublished by Aperture and Magnum Foundation Read more

While it has traditionally been seen as a means of documenting an external reality or expressing an internal feeling, photography is now capable of actualizing never-existed pasts and experiences. Thanks to the latest photographic technologies, we can now take photos in computer games, interpolate them in Virtual Reality platforms, or synthesize them via Artificial Intelligence. To account for the most recent shifts in conceptualizations of photography, the contributors propose the term virtual photography as a binding theoretical framework, defined as a photography that retains the efficiency or function of »real« (camera-based) photography while manifesting it in unorthodox ways. Read more

Barthes shares his passionate, in-depth knowledge and understanding of photography. Examining the themes of presence and absence, the relationship between photography and theatre, history and death, these 'reflections on photography' begin as an investigation into the nature of photographs. Then, as Barthes contemplates a photograph of his mother as a child, the book becomes an exposition of his own mind. Read more

Fully updated and revised, this seminal book explains and illustrates what photographs are, how they were made and used in the past and, more particularly, what their place is in the creative arts and visual communications world of today. Paul Hill looks at photographs as modes of expression and explores the diversity of approaches taken when creating photographs and what these mean for a photographer’s practice and purpose. It emphasises the importance of contextualisation to the understanding of the medium, diving into the ideas behind the images and how the camera transforms and influences how we see the world. With an impressive collection of 200 full colour images from professional practitioners and artists, it invites us to consider the foundations of photography’s past and the digital revolution’s impact on the creation and dissemination of photographs today.Essential reading for all students of photography, it is an invaluable guide for those who want to make a career in photography, covering most areas of photographic practice from photojournalism to fine art to personal essay. Read more

In this series, Aperture Foundation works with the world’s top photographers to distill their creative approaches, teachings, and insights on photography―offering the workshop experience in a book. Our goal is to inspire photographers of all levels who wish to improve their work, as well as readers interested in deepening their understanding of the art of photography. Each volume is introduced by a well-known student of the featured photographer. In this book, internationally acclaimed color photographers Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, offer their expert insight into street photography and the poetic image. Through words and photographs―their own and others’―they invite the reader into the heart of their artistic processes. They share their thoughts about a wide range of practical and philosophical issues, from questions about seeing and being in the world with a camera, to how to shape a complete body of work in a way that’s both structured and intuitive. Read more

145 striking, black-and-white photos capture famous actors from 1926 to 1949 ― Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Hedy Lamarr, Marlene Dietrich, Robert Montgomery, Marlon Brando, Veronica Lake ― 94 stars in all. Portraits do not duplicate those found in Kobal's Movie Star Portraits. Introduction. Captions. Read more

Henri Cartier-Bresson's writings on photography and photographers have been published sporadically over the past 45 years. His essays―several of which have never before been translated into English―are collected here for the first time. The Mind's Eye features Cartier-Bresson's famous text on "the decisive moment" as well as his observations on Moscow, Cuba and China during turbulent times. These essays ring with the same immediacy and visual intensity that characterize his photography. Read more