Larry Fink on Composition and Improvisation: The Photography Workshop Series

– Eye MagazineIf his energy on the page is anything to go by, a workshop encounter with Larry Fink must be like grabbing a power cable firing out sparks. – Eye Magazine. As a reading experience, the books feel more like monographs with expansive captions than generic how-to guides

I was about to ignore this book I bought the book because I recently purchased a new camera and wanted to learn how to use it properly. Maybe it was because the cover was so un-interesting, I don't know, but it was a couple of weeks before I picked it up to read. I must say, I learned more in the two hours it took to read than any course I had ever taken. I guess I'am a visual learner, but I started to understand the various teachings and insights on photography composition - it truly was a workshop experience. A great book about a somewhat vague subject matter.. it would be best for all concerned if you sold your photography equipment To be honest, if you can't appreciate Larry Fink's photography, it would be best for all concerned if you sold your photography equipment and took up playing the piano or perhaps dart making. The foundational mindset, the nugget of artistic spark, the compassion for all humanity, required to understand the true purpose of all this infernal shutter clicking is missing from your soul ;) Move along, there is nothing for you here. Perhaps take a selfie instead.. "Highly Recommended - Full of Insights" according to William D. Hooper. I just finished reading this workshop book, and even after 50 years of photo / art work, I can say that I gained a number of insights from it, some profound. There are a few places in the work where you may say "Oh, come on", but in many others I think you will say "Wow". I highly recommend this book to people serious about their photography, from students to working pros. Enjoy!

Its goal is to inspire photographers of all levels who wish to improve their work, as well as readers interested in deepening their understanding of the art of photography. In this series, Aperture Foundation works with the world's top photographers to distill their creative approaches, teachings, and insights on photography—offering the workshop experience in a book. Photographer Lisa Kereszi, a student of Larry Fink, provides the introduction.. Each volume is introduced by a well-known student of the featured photographer. Through words and photographs, he reveals insight into his own practice and discusses a wide range of creative issues, from connecting with the subject in front of the lens to shaping a vision that is authentic. In this book, Larry Fink—well-known for his layered pictures in social settings—explores composing photographs and improvising within a scene to create images with both feeling and meaning

She has published five books, including Fun and Games and Joe’s Junk Yard. Larry Fink has been a professor at Yale University School of Art; Cooper Union School of Art and Architecture; Parsons the New School for Design; and Tyler School of Art, Temple University. Her work is in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, Ne