Feininger A. Advanced Photography: Methods and Conclusions

Prentice-Hall, 1952. — 128 p.This book is intended for photographers who have some practical knowledge of photography — too much to be satisfied with one of the basic textbooks, yet too little to enable them to do outstanding work of their own. It is a sequel to my book "Feininger on Photography". References to this volume are for the benefit of readers who want basic information on certain aspects treated summarily in this text.In Part 1 of this book, "Thoughts about Photography," the reader is acquainted with photography in general, with seeing and thinking in terms of pictures (as opposed to literary thinking). Basic qualities and potentialities of the photographic medium are analyzed and the principles for
differentiating between good and bad photographs are stated.Part 2, "Experimentation," deals with the testing of equipment, materials, and methods. I describe the methods of experimenting systematically with various means a n d techniques. Such experiments are necessary to familiarize a photographer with his tools and their use. Nothing builds skill and confidence faster than a background of personal experience.In Part 3, "Observation," the reader becomes acquainted with the basic factors of photography, such as black and white, contrast, line, form, volume, space, light, texture, and other picture components. He learns how to observe these components and how to utilize them pictorially to
translate objective nature into subjective photographs.In Part 4, "Imagination," I show and analyze a great number of original and imaginative photographs to illustrate how familiar objects can be photographed in new and exciting forms. My objective is not to encourage imitation but to stimulate and inspire potentially creative photographers to develop and use their own imagination.