Looking at Images with Brooks Jensen

Brooks' commentary

Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and so is the overwhelming personal experience of viewing a photograph. Every photographer I know has a few images that go far beyond appreciation and approach a reaction that is almost a form of worship. I clearly can recall the first time I saw this breathtaking image from Bruce Barnbaum. It's from his cathedral series, all of which are stunning. This one, however, is one of those very rare images that to me are immersive. Every time I view this photograph I have the feeling that I'm in the photograph, not merely viewing it from a distance. It would be easy to attribute this feeling to the receding lines of perspective. I don't think that's it. Perhaps it's the light or the structure of the stones. I've never been able to put my finger on it, but this image pulls me into it in a visceral three-dimentionality. There is an audible quality to this composition. There is a temperature component, too. I think it would also be a mistake to assume that all of this comes from the subject photographed. I've seen other photographs by other photographers of this same structure. Only Barnbaum's exhibits these extra-photographic qualities. That means that part of what makes this image special comes directly from the photographer and his response to the scene. I can't think of a better example to demonstrate the fundamental idea that fine art photography is a function of the maker's response to the scene, not just the scene itself.