Photography: The Key Concepts

Description

Providing a thorough and comprehensive introduction to the study of photography, this second edition of Photography: The Key Concepts has been expanded and updated to cover more fully contemporary changes to photography. Photography is a part of everyday life; from news and advertisements, to data collection and surveillance, to the shaping of personal and social identity, we are constantly surrounded by the photographic image. Outlining an overview of photographic genres, David Bate explores how these varied practices can be coded and interpreted using key theoretical models. Building upon the genres included in the first edition - documentary, portraiture, landscape, still life, art and global photography - this second edition includes two new chapters on snapshots and the act of looking. The revised and expanded chapters are supported by over three times as many photographs as in the first edition, examining contemporary practices in more detail and equipping students with the analytical skills they need, both in their academic studies and in their own practical work.An indispensable guide to the field, Photography: The Key Concepts is core reading for all courses that consider the place of photography in society, within photographic practice, visual culture, art, media and cultural studies.

David Bate is Professor of Photography at the University of Westminster, London, UK. An established photographer and writer, he is the author of many essays and visual works. He is also co-editor of the journal Photographies.

"David Bate's engaging book captures both the big picture and significant detail of photographic theory. An excellent starting point, it also rewards repeat reading. - Lucy Soutter, Royal College of Art, UK Managing to be simultaneously introductory and comprehensive, Photography: The Key Concepts ably guides the reader through the complexities of its chosen topic, examining photographic practice and discourse with equal acuity. Brought entirely up to date, this new edition is an excellent first stop in any student's quest to understand the nature of the photographic experience. - Geoffrey Batchen, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Using genre as a conceptual framework to understand both what photographs are and how they operate across a myriad of contexts, this revised and expanded edition has lost none of its theoretical rigor or real-world usefulness. This essential book will continue to be a mainstay of photography courses worldwide. - Erina Duganne, Texas State University, USA This new edition builds on the legacy of photographic theory and practice deftly presented in the first edition, while incorporating visual content and contemporary issues indicative of a more socially connected global age. Beautifully illustrated with relevant images, Bate makes vivid with great clarity the intellectual terrain upon which theory resides without losing sight of its application and relevance to practice now. - Angela Kelly, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA The second edition obviously benefits from a greater number of illustrations, and colour plates, making the publication more enticing and accessible but also allowing the text to be most beneficial and worthwhile. The additional chapters are of course important in terms of acknowledging a few of the dramatic developments in the medium in the years since Bate's first manuscript. The prose is deeply engaging and Bate does not mince his words, providing thoughtful and wise insights to the medium, and also inspiring the reader not to be afraid to formulate and adopt their own point of view. - Jesse Alexander, Falmouth University and Open College of the Arts, UK A concise, engagingly written overview of the key debates and ideas in Photography Theory. A key text for undergraduate study. - Tracy Piper-Wright, University of Chester, UK"