The Tao of Photography

February 15, 2001
One might reason that the essence of all photographic art is a spiritual feeling for one's surroundings, but what is most refreshing about these two books is that by explaining the relationship between Taoist beliefs and creative photography they explicitly seek an understanding of this connection. Taoism, which may very well be at the heart of all creative work, seems especially relevant to photography, which relies so deeply on the acceptance of a given subject and the light in which it is situated. Nicely illustrated and filled with wonderful insights, both books function admirably as "how-to" manuals, with an emphasis on approach rather than nuts and bolts. In fact, there is little differentiation other than format Ang's book has a larger trim size while Gross and Shapiro's is more compact. Both are highly recommended for general and specialized photography collections in public and academic libraries. Raymond Bial, Parkland Coll. Lib., Champaign, IL

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