A Beginner's Guide to Pictures

About the Book

A Beginner's Guide To Pictures takes you into the world of visual communication by showing you how to read pictures. How do you approach a photograph, in order to understand what it might express? What do you think it says and is the photographer really trying to say that--or is something else in the photographer's mind? The various concepts about pictures are thoroughly explained (such as lighting, design, tonality, space, symbolism etc). A section of photographs provides examples and descriptive material to help your understanding. And, the author walks you through the analysis of a picture step-by-step.

About the Author

Stuart Oring, the author, studied photography under Minor White, Charles Arnold, and Ralph Hattersley at R.I.T.--where he obtained his B.F.A. in photography illustration in 1959. In 1970, he earned an M.A. in Communication from American University. Mr. Oring has worked in various advertising studios, worked for the Office of Economic Opportunity and Dept. of Agriculture, and has conducted original research on the subject of "understanding pictures". His biographical information is included in: Who's Who in the World and Who's Who in America--in addition to various other references. His book: Understanding Pictures--theories, exercises, and procedures has been sold to prestigious art and photography museums. In 1992, Mr. Oring founded Isis Visual Communications. Since then, he has lectured on the subject of "understanding pictures" at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and before the American Society of Psychopathology of Expression--where he is a board member.