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Photographic Possibilities:
The Expressive Use of Equipment, Ideas, Materials, and Processess

Seizing the Light: A Social and Aesthetic History of Photography

Exploring Color Photography, From Film To Pixels

Transformational Imagemaking

Light and Lens: Photography in the Digital Age




Seizing the Light: A Social & Aesthetic History of Photography

By Robert Hirsch
©2017 – Focal Press
596 pages | 370 Color Illus.

About the Book

The definitive history of photography book, Seizing the Light: A Social & Aesthetic History of Photography delivers the fascinating story of how photography as an art form came into being, and its continued development, maturity, and transformation. Covering the major events, practitioners, works, and social effects of photographic practice, Robert Hirsch provides a concise and discerning chronological account of Western photography. This fundamental starting place shows the diversity of makers, inventors, issues, and applications, exploring the artistic, critical, and social aspects of the creative process. The third edition includes up-to-date information about contemporary photographers like Cindy Sherman and Yang Yongliang, and comprehensive coverage of the digital revolution, including the rise of mobile photography, the citizen as journalist, and the role of social media. Highly illustrated with full-color images and contributions from hundreds of artists around the world, Seizing the Light serves as a gateway to the history of photography. Written in an accessible style, it is perfect for students newly engaging with the practice of photography and for experienced photographers wanting to contextualize their own work.


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