John Berger Understanding a Photograph /anglais

if you're an aspiring photographer, this book is essential.

A very clearly written book on the meaning of a photograph

This is a book of essays explaining the fundemental role of photography and what photography's essence is, nothing more. The downside in my view is the paperback book I received has its print so small, I simply couldn't read more than a page a day because it gave me headaches. I've never seen a book with such small print. I've attached a photo.

While I try to understand a photograph by reading this book, I fail to understand John Berger in many of the essaies. It is a book about John rather than about photographs. If you want to know him better, read hard but I won't guarantee success.

Spare yourself the vacuous ruminations of a neo-Marxist take on photography. Like all Marxists, Berger has nothing but complaints about photography, it's invention as a capitalist oppressive instrument, yet offers no positive solutions. That's because there are no solutions necessary to "defend" photography from a non-existent problem. The best thing you can do is avoid this book, and get another that just shows photographs. Come to your own conclusions without the "lens" of Marxism to infect your psyche. You will not understand a photograph from this author's diatribe, but only the melancholic sadness that is the heart of all Marxists, wishing for another world, but not knowing what that might be. I will be returning my copy, where it can join Susan Sontag in the dustbin of history.

It's quite out of date now - but that said a good piece of historical writing. Not so useful for current students who have no perspective on this history.

Bought for an English class focused on photography. Not really a fun read and I disagree with a lot of the author's views.

The book is a classic. John Berger's book deconstructs much about photographs, and reconstructs them again. The writing may seem simple enough, but it delves deep into the art and philosophy of photography, as well as the art of some of the photographers. It is, however, advisable to read up on the photographers he talks about before you read the book, else some of it may not make too much sense. Or, read about them after you read the book, and then re-read the book. I am not sure why he held such a high regard for Susan Sontag's "On Photography", but then you can't have it all.