The Pleasures of Good Photographs is an award-winning collection of twenty-five essays by the acclaimed novelist, architect, and critic Gerry Badger. In this volume, Badger moves away from the dense, academic jargon that often plagues art criticism, offering instead a “lucid and provocative” exploration of the medium. The book examines a wide array of photographers—from legendary masters like Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange to contemporary figures such as Martin Parr and Stephen Shore—while pondering the fundamental question: what makes a photograph work? Badger explores the “pleasure” of looking at images that are not just technically perfect, but emotionally resonant and intellectually challenging. This volume is an essential resource for anyone looking to deepen their visual literacy and understand the enduring power of the still image in a digital world.
