O’Reilly news

Why Photographs Work--New from Rocky Nook

Living in Calgary, Canada, George Barr has been an avid photographer since age 12, working initially with a WWII Zeiss Ikonta and in a basement darkroom. He progressed through medium format, 4x5, and now uses DSLRs. He is a family doctor with a special interest in psychiatry, but his primary passion has always been the fine art photograph.

By the time George closed his darkroom, he was making very high quality prints and he carried on this level of excellence with digital cameras and inkjet printing, producing some of the finest inkjet prints made.

George's major milestones include learning from Fred Picker how to make high quality prints; learning from Hubert Hohn of the Edmonton Art Gallery how to "see" photographs; studying original, bare Edward Weston prints; and attending workshops, working with galleries, and being published. His images have been published in Black and White Photography, Black and White, Focus, Lenswork, and Outdoor Photography (British version).

George has been a long time teacher of medical students, patients, and fellow photographers. As a writer of patient newsletters, it was a short step to writing books and essays on photography. Once again, George has bravely tackled writing on the challenging subjects of aesthetics, seeing, and composing, in a style that is clear, practical, and accessible to all.