Books That Matter for Photographers: John Szarcowski and ‘The Photographer’s Eye’ — The Thing Itself, The Detail, The Frame, Time, and Vantage Point

In this episode of Beyond the Lens, Richard revisits John Szarkowski's 1966 classic The Photographer's Eye for the latest episode in the Books That Matter series. Szarkowski spent nearly thirty years as Director of Photography at MoMA, studying thousands of images across every era and genre. What he discovered was a quiet internal logic that the best photographs share, regardless of style or subject.

Richard breaks down all five of Szarkowski's core themes, including the tethering of photography to reality, the power of isolation and detail, and why a camera is, at its heart, an instrument of selection rather than invention.

Notable Links:

• John Szarcowski
• The Photographer's Eye
• Beyond The Lens Episode 106: Steven Pressfield and 'The War of Art'
• The Thing Itself essay on Substack
• The Frame essay on Substack

This episode is brought to you by:

• Muench Workshops - Photography workshops and expeditions to the coolest places on the planet.
• Luminar Neo - Try Luminar Neo today at skylum.com, and use promo code "RICHARD" for a 15% discount, just for my listeners.
• Kase Filters - My listeners can get 10% off the Kase Filters Amazon page when they visit. beyondthelens.fm/kase and use coupon code BERNABE10

Follow Richard Bernabe:

Substack: https://richardbernabe.substack.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernabephoto/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/bernabephoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernabephoto

Photographer Ami Vitale: National Geographic Explorer at Large on Przewalski's Horses, Jane Goodall's Legacy, and Finding Hope in the Face of Extinction.

Ami Vitale is a National Geographic photographer, documentary filmmaker, writer, and a newly-named national Geographic Explorer at Large who has traveled to more than 100 countries. She began her career as a photo editor for the Associated Press before becoming a contract photographer with National Geographic. A six-time World Press Photo award winner, she has also received the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting, the Lucie Humanitarian Award, and was named Magazine Photographer of the Year at the International Photographer of the Year awards. She is a Nikon Ambassador, a Royal Photographic Society Honorary Fellow, the author of the bestselling book Panda Love, and the founder and Executive Director of Vital Impacts, a nonprofit that has raised millions of dollars to support conservation projects worldwide. She is based in Montana.

Notable Links:

• Ami Vitale Website
• Ami Vitale Instagram
• Vital Impacts
• Przewalski’s Horses Story for Nat Geo
• Jane Goodall Institute
• Roots and Shoots
• BioRescue Project
• Beyond The Lens Interview with Ami Vitale, Episode 53, January 10, 2024 on Apple Podcasts

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This episode is brought to you by:

• National Geographic Museum of Exploration - Discovery begins here.
• Muench Workshops - Photography workshops and expeditions to the coolest places on the planet.
• Luminar Neo - Try Luminar Neo today at skylum.com, and use promo code "RICHARD" for a 15% discount, just for my listeners.
• Kase Filters - My listeners can get 10% off the Kase Filters Amazon page when they visit. beyondthelens.fm/kase and use coupon code BERNABE10

Follow Richard Bernabe:

Substack: https://richardbernabe.substack.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernabephoto/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/bernabephoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernabephoto

Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Photographer on Solar Eclipses on All Seven Continents, Art of the Night Sky, and a World United Under One Roof.

Babak Tafreshi is a National Geographic photographer, science communicator, and founder of The World at Night, an international project dedicated to documenting and protecting the night sky.

In this episode, Babak shares what it was like growing up in post-revolution Iran and how a feeling of isolation drove him toward the stars. We talk about the four elements of a great photograph and which two most photographers consistently get wrong, the meticulous planning behind a single night sky image, and why light pollution is far more than an inconvenience for photographers. It's a public health crisis and an ecological emergency. We also get into the alarming and largely unregulated rise of commercial satellite constellations and what they mean for the future of the night sky as a shared human heritage.

Notable Links:

Babak Tafreshi Website
Babak Tafreshi Instagram
The World at Night
National Geographic

*****

This episode is brought to you by:

• National Geographic Museum of Exploration - Discovery begins here.

• Luminar Neo - Try Luminar Neo today at skylum.com, and use promo code "RICHARD" for a 15% discount, just for my listeners.

• Kase Filters - My listeners can get 10% off the Kase Filters Amazon page when they visit. beyondthelens.fm/kase and use coupon code BERNABE10

Follow Richard Bernabe:

Substack: https://richardbernabe.substack.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernabephoto/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/bernabephoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bernabephoto