Book Review

Looking at Photographs by John Szarkowski

This book contains 100 pictures from the Museum of Modern Art, New York that have been chosen and written about by John Szarkowski.

The majority of the photographs are by famous photographers and Szarkowski provides an interesting essay in the form of historical notes about when and where the photograph was taken, some history about the photographer and for some of the photographs he explains why the aesthetics of the photograph work.

As John Szarkowski was one of the most important advocators for promoting photographs as pieces of art and promoting certain photographers to be entered into the cannons of Master Photographers, I was slightly disappointed that he has not provided more of his knowledge about the aesthetics of these photographs; in other words, why he considered a particular photograph to be so successful.

I don’t believe that Szarkowski chose all of the photographs because he thought they were aesthetically successful, but more of a mixture of aesthetics and some simply because they had an interesting history either in the form of when and where or who had taken them.

I do wish one of the few famous photo critics or someone as respected as John Szarkowski would write a book titled “This Photo is Successful Because”.

Sometimes wishes are granted; two months after reading the above book I sent away for Why Photographs Work by George Barr - 52 Great Images: Who Made Them, What Makes Them Special and Why.

This is the book I have wished for so many times. It contains a wide variety of images from famous to not so famous photographers. George Barr provides his thoughts on why each image is special then the photographer who took the image explains what their thoughts were in making the image. A short biography of each photographer is included and some technical information.

I believe this book will soon be added to the usual list of photography course work recommended books. There is nothing else out there that I have seen that will teach one so much, so quickly, so precisely and so interestingly.

Two thumbs up from this photographer!