There exists a brief compilation of books that stand out from the typical trends of photographic dialogue, and even fewer that could be convincingly argued to be essential reading for anyone devoted to photography. This fresh volume about the craft of photography excels on both fronts.
A sea of photographic knowledge is available both digitally and in print, and the vast majority seems to focus on camera equipment and the intricate details of its functions and applications. This is not particularly shocking, considering that photography has always involved a substantial technical element, existing at the crossroads of art, physics, chemistry, optical and mechanical engineering, and more recently—electronic and digital innovations. Yet, beyond any solely functional purpose as a means of documentation or visual duplication, photography is, above all, an art form akin to sculpture, painting, cinema, or music—thus, a rich tapestry of philosophical and aesthetic insights related to its practice has developed over the past couple of centuries.
This accumulated knowledge represents a spectrum of visual education that, over these two hundred years, has adopted, welcomed, and even broadened many of the creative concepts and philosophies outlined and employed by artists in other disciplines that predated photography. Nevertheless, throughout the extensive realm of photography discourse, there is often an undue focus on the purely technical elements and practical execution of photography, which means these aesthetic and philosophical aspects of our art frequently receive insufficient attention—and this, I believe, is precisely where Ted Forbes’ latest book Visually Speaking: Mastering the Art of Photography strives to bridge that gap for photographers.
Being a technically skilled photographer is one aspect, but achieving an image that can stir emotions in the viewer, narrate an intriguing story, or portray the essence or ambiance that emerges from the photographer’s bond with their subject requires more. In this context, photography (similar to any other art form) can be perceived as a language or mode of expression, and it is this visual language of photography that Ted’s book delves into.
Visually Speaking is certainly not the text you’d consult to learn how to become a technically proficient photographer in terms of grasping the exposure triangle, setting up your camera or lens for a specific circumstance, or processing and printing film. Within its covers, you will encounter minimal guidance or recommendations regarding technical or practical elements of photography. Instead, you will discover a guided exploration through the visual lexicon of photographic language. Thoughtfully arranged and well-structured, the book is conveniently segmented into a series of fairly concise and approachable chapters that encompass all the vital visual components contributing to the art of photography. These include framing and composition, color theory, light and shadow, the application of color and monochrome, and the function of focus and focal length in image creation, to mention just a few.
Just as a budding musician grasps the connections between musical tones, rhythms, and harmonies, so too will a prospective painter (or photographer) learn the corresponding visual connections involving compositional forms, shadows and light, color, symmetry, and beyond. As a scholar of music, painting, or photography at a fine arts institution or university, this style of philosophical and aesthetic education would generally coincide with the more practical studio work that we commonly view as the core aspect of an artist’s training.
By prioritizing the artistic aspects of photography over its practical elements, Ted’s book indeed charts a less common course in photography literature. Therefore, I regard it as an essential read for photographers. Such works appear infrequently, and I would assert that Visually Speaking rightfully earns its place on the shelf alongside other canonical texts that are deemed “must-reads” for photographers: Susan Sontag’s On Photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson’s The Decisive Moment, and Roland Barthes’s Camera Lucida, to name but a few.
The significance of this type of artistic education for an aspiring photographer cannot be overstated, and by “aspiring photographer,” I refer to any photographer who—regardless of their experience—remains dedicated to the beautiful, limitless, and lifelong journey of learning and self-discovery that photography offers the practitioner. Numerous distinguished photographers, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Edward Steichen, and Saul Leiter, were painters before transitioning to photography, and the profound aesthetic sensibility they gained throughout their artistic education is evident in the powerful expressiveness of their images—in their exceptional manipulation of light, color, composition, and timing.
This kind of aesthetic insight and practice that transcends mere technical skill is often informally labeled as “developing an eye,” and I would contend that, broadly, this concept of nurturing your eye as a photographer is the primary focus of this text. With this in mind, some of the later sections of the book aim to assist the photographer in advancing their art—providing direction on how to commit to the practice of photography, how to incorporate the visual concepts presented in previous chapters into their artistry, and ultimately, how to discover their own distinct voice as a photographer. While these later chapters expand upon and build on the earlier sections, one aspect I genuinely appreciate about Ted’s book is its non-linear readability. This is a volume you can easily pull off the shelf and refer to for inspiration whenever needed, with each chapter serving as a relatively self-contained mini-essay on a particular facet of the art of photography, adorned with stunning examples illustrating the principles it covers.
Visually Speaking provides an enriching and motivating experience that any aspiring photographer should greatly appreciate, irrespective of their duration of practice. There genuinely is valuable insight in this book for photographers of every level. As someone who (like many others) has been significantly inspired by the works of various photographers, I believe this book complements the numerous remarkable photography monographs that fill my own shelves. After absorbing Visually Speaking and reflecting upon the works of those photographers who have influenced me, I feel I possess a better understanding and appreciation of what makes those outstanding photographs resonate so powerfully, and perhaps most crucially—how I can integrate these principles into my own practice and evolve as a photographer myself.