Let me be enthusiastic from the very beginning.
You need to go out and get this book. Right now. As a matter of fact, you should get two copies because in five years, when your first one is worn and tattered, you’re going to want the second one to pull out in its pristine form to enjoy once again.
It’s that good.
“Visually Speaking: Mastering the Art of Photography” by Ted Forbes
Published by Whalen Studio Editions, 2024
Review by W. Scott Olsen

Ted Forbes’ Visually Speaking, Mastering the Art of Photography, at first glance, appears to be a how-to book. And I suppose, at one level, it is. However, this book is also completely different and fresh. As Forbes says at the beginning, “There are books in just about every aspect of photography, except for the actual act of photography itself.”
This, in a nutshell, is the distinguishing genius of this book. While there are sections on just about every aspect of photography, the approach is not the technical or, frankly, simplistic approach of others. This is a book filled with considerations of photography that include technique but really borders on philosophy and aesthetics, and, most importantly, intentionality. Something as simple as focus, in Forbes’ book, is not so much a technique as an idea. When he talks about sub-framing, to pick another example, he doesn’t talk about how as much as why, which makes this book for both a beginner and a seasoned photographer, a complete and oftentimes profound joy.

The differences are apparent from the beginning. Chapter One, “What Is A Visual Language?” is a brief history lesson intermingled with aesthetics, covering cave art to digital art. When he talks about philosophy versus art, or introduces the idea of intention, Forbes is offering what is often called the warrant, the why it matters. Once I know why something matters, I’m ready to dive into every nuance and minutia.
Visually Speaking is written in the first person. We learn about Forbes’ own history, his likes and dislikes, and the things that have moved him, which gives the book a friendly and personal feel. It’s also persuasive, and the enthusiasm is infectious.

Long before the book gets into technical matters, he discusses photography as a practice, the ability to look at your own work, issues of subjectivity, and more. Chapter Five, titled “What To Shoot,” for example, includes this paragraph:
A finished picture is a presentation. It’s an intelligent statement. The final picture needs to say something in a cohesive manner–even if that is something simple. There’s nothing wrong with a simple, beautiful picture as long as the intent is clear. History is full of them. One example that comes to mind is a photograph by Edgar Degas. Degas was known as a painter, but he took photographs for reference. Very few photographs actually survive, but the example here is one of my favorites. In fact, I think is one of the best pictures ever made. It is of a dancer. The surviving sample is weathered with age, which adds to its high contrast, questionably focused ambience. It is far from technically perfect. Perhaps the image is accidental (especially with the focus) or perhaps completely intentional. This makes no difference. The final result is what’s important. It is haunting, mysterious, and fundamentally powerful. It is not a conceptual image with some powerful statement being made. It is simple, beautiful, and perfect.

In Chapter Six, “The Figure/Ground Relationship,” some familiar topics creep up: aspect ratio, portrait versus landscape, balance, perspective, scale, depth, etc. But note that this is Chapter Six. We are already 100 pages into thinking about photography as a language, as a way to express ideas, as a way to explore. Once we have all of that in the air, we’re ready to think again about stuff we already knew.
The book gets more specific in its technical advice as it goes on. There are sections on negative space, edges of photographs, black and white, color, and focus. But even as the book gets more technical, it never loses its foundational relationship to photography as a language and as an art form.


Of course, one of the most brilliant parts of this book is the inclusion of a great many images. These are not illustrations of the text. They are companion pieces. They are images to make you think about whatever is being discussed and a great deal more. Forbes’ images range in location and subjects and years, and each one—especially in the middle of a conversation about craft and purpose—is inspiring.
A side note: One of the particular joys of this book is the fact that Forbes has a degree in music from the University of North Texas, a renowned jazz school. Oftentimes, throughout this book, Forbes resorts to musical terminology as a comparison to the visual language. This kind of comparison to something completely nonvisual is adroit and insightful and works every time. To bring up the idea of tempo, for example, which has no visual component at all, and yet make it apply, makes this book leap off the page with insight.
If we can define rhythm as dividing patterns into something predictable, the next question should be “at what speed?” This is again borrowed from music. As you’ve likely experienced through music, faster tempos have a higher energy to them in contrast to the lower energy of slow tempos. Both fast and slow tempos can be dramatic and interesting…One of the core concepts that Dr. Rutherford taught me was, if you had higher energy, you needed less harmony. Less energy required more complex harmony…Visual tempo is exactly the same.


The subtitle of this book is “Mastering the Art of Photography,” not mastering the techniques of photography. Therein lies its real success. It does not matter if you are beginning your photography journey or you’ve been holding a camera for the last 100 years; this book will invite, inspire, inform, delight, and give language to the ineffable.
Ted Forbes is a photographer, author, and YouTube creator. He has reached international acclaim with his channel, The Art of Photography. Using his platform as a way to inspire and educate, Forbes has created over 1,000 videos since 2008, covering topics from composition and technique to technical reviews and optics.
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