The Nature of Photographs: A Primer (2010)

The Nature of Photographs is an essential foundational work on how to look at and understand photographs – written by one of the world’s most influential photographers: Stephen Shore.

The book originated from a university course that Shore taught over many years. Its aim is not to discuss the content of an image – the subject matter – but to describe the physical and formal attributes of a photographic print: the elements that form the photographer’s toolbox for defining and interpreting meaning. By showing us how to look at photographs and how to see through the eyes of the photographer, Shore also teaches us a new way of seeing the world around us.

The Nature of Photographs is a key tool for the critical analysis and understanding of photography. As one of the photographers who established color photography as an artistic medium in the 1970s, and as an influential teacher of both theory and practice, Shore is the ideal guide to the question of *how* to look at photographs. He puts himself in the position of the photographer and imagines the thoughts or concepts they may have had when taking the picture.

In addition to a selection of his own works, the book includes photographs from all periods – from classics like Walker Evans, Brassaï, and Eugène Atget to contemporary artists such as Bernd and Hilla Becher, Cindy Sherman, Joel Sternfeld, Thomas Struth, Richard Prince, and Andreas Gursky. It also features works by unknown photographers – such as snapshots or aerial photographs from geological surveys.

Alongside Shore’s clear and accessible writing, the book demonstrates how the world in front of the camera is transformed into a photograph. It is an indispensable tool for students, teachers, and anyone who wants to take better pictures or look at photographs more consciously.