When we were sent a copy of A Fearless Eye: The Photography of Barbara Ramos, we didn’t realize know what to think. We were pitched the book back in October, and my email trails talk about how incredible the images are — which is something that I wouldn’t say lightly when staring at my inbox. But then I got the book in and looked back at the original pitch. Of course, I was pitched with some of the best photographs from the book — and there are more buried deeper in the pages.
A Fearless Eye: The Photography of Barbara Ramos is published by Chronicle Books. And you can get a copy on Amazon.
The press release for A Fearless Eye: The Photography of Barbara Ramos compares her to Robert Frank, Vivian Maier, and Diane Arbus. I’ve been in this industry for over two decades at this point, and it’s the first time that I’ve heard of Barbara Ramos. That’s because she shot the images from this book in the 1970s and only started sharing them on her Facebook in 2020. Barbara is still with us to my knowledge, and so I don’t think that we’re discovering a treasure chest the way that we did with Maier. She also, to my knowledge, hasn’t captured a wide swathe of America the way that Robert Frank did. But she totally leans into Diane Arbus’s street photography and even mixes in a bit of what Vivienne has done. However, I don’t get the idea that Barbara was shy — instead, I think that she just shot photos the same way that any modern street photographer would do.
As I page through the book, I’m impressed and relieved at the layout. Every single photo has its own dedicated page — and it’s all in square format. That also means that every image is centered along with the book’s square design. When it’s under the right lighting conditions, the images pop so much. Clearly, there was thought and careful analysis put into the actual experience of the photo book.
Going through the photos, you’re bound to see some bangers. But at the same time, I think that there are also some images that I wouldn’t have chosen to be part of the book. I see why Barbara would’ve shot the photos that we see in the book as they all have something about them that’s very strong — whether it’s composition, storytelling, or the actual moment itself being an incredible one. The photograph of the child upside down, contrasting with the house, is so incredibly playful — yet I’m oddly bothered by the pole in the middle.
Everything is also in black and white. At times, I wonder how color would’ve made the images better. I could imagine some of these scenes colorized — and with that, I think that maybe they would’ve made for even stronger moments.
For the very affordable price that it’s going for, A Fearless Eye: The Photography of Barbara Ramos is a really good book. And I hope that we see even more from Ms. Ramos in the future. All of the images she’s made are from LA — at least the ones from this era are from LA. So with that said, don’t go into this book expecting many of the more iconic scenes of America that you might be used to.
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