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Be Extraordinary

Philosophical Advice for Photographic and Other Artists
By Guy Tal
Brief Description
An inspiring, educational, and practical book about philosophy and art, and finding a personally meaningful life. Teacher, philosopher, and author Guy Tal has written several best-selling books on photography, creativity, and expression. While it would be understandable to label Guy a 'photographer', it is more accurate... Read More
Format: Hardback
$8700

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An inspiring, educational, and practical book about philosophy and art, and finding a personally meaningful life.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

An inspiring, educational, and practical book about philosophy and art, and finding a personally meaningful life.

Teacher, philosopher, and author Guy Tal has written several best-selling books on photography, creativity, and expression. While it would be understandable to label Guy a 'photographer', it is more accurate to call him a philosopher and artist who has forged a creative life on his own terms: a life shaped by his love of nature, his interest in science and philosophy, his individualistic temperament, and his desire to create art that is expressive and significant in the ways most meaningful to him.

In Be Extraordinary: Philosophical Advice for Photographic and Other Artists, Guy shares his knowledge of philosophy and art, then offers advice on how to implement it into your own work. In the first part, 'Foundations', Guy lays out a conceptual framework for the book with short essays about philosophy and art. In the second part, 'Practical Advice', he offers a series of brief essays aiming to enable and empower you to apply the foundational philosophies to your own life and work. Together, the two parts demonstrate how Guy has carefully fashioned his own perspective on philosophy, art, and life, and offer you a set of tools for finding your own path.

This is not a how-to book of techniques and tips. The goal of the book is to make you think, to pose hard questions, to challenge you to question common beliefs and attitudes, to nudge you out of your comfort zone, and to help you find the courage to become who youโ€”and only youโ€”are. And in so doing, to create a life and art that is meaningful in the deepest ways that life and art can be meaningful, which is to say: meaningful to you.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9798888142042

Publisher: Rocky Nook

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 12 December 2024

Country: United States

Imprint: Rocky Nook

Illustration: illustrated

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 178.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 240

About the Author

Guy Tal spent the first 26 years of his life in Israel where he was born, served a mandatory military service, and studied and taught at the Tel Aviv University. As a youth, he loved to explore the natural areas around his home by the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Negev Desert and the Golan Heights. It was during one of these outings that Guy first picked up a camera to document the things that fascinated him about the natural landscape and its wild inhabitants. This prompted a passion for and deep interest in photography that continues to grow and intensify to this day three decades later.

At odds with the political turmoil and rampant urbanization of his homeland, Guy immigrated to California where he embarked on a career in information technology. He also began an enduring love affair with the wild places of the American West. Guy found that he was unfulfilled by the urban, career-driven life, and decided to move closer to his beloved deserts and mountains of the Colorado Plateau. He ultimately settled in a tiny, remote town at the foot of Utah's Aquarius Plateau, on the edge of Utah's famous canyon country a place that inspires him deeply and where he practices most of his work.

A lifelong learner and explorer, Guy's interest in art, science, and philosophy converged with his intense love of wild places, which he expresses through his photography and writing. He is a public speaker, educator, and frequent contributor to several photographic publications. Guy's first book, More Than A Rock, was published by Rocky Nook in 2015.

Also by Guy Tal

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  • More Than a Rock
    A deeper look at the creativity, art, expression, craft, and philosophy of landscape photography. More Than a Rock, 2nd Edition is a passionate and personal book about creativity and expression. In this series of over 70 brief essays, photographer and teacher Guy Tal shares his thoughts and experiences as an artist who seeks to express more in his images than...
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    A deeply thoughtful and inspiring collection of essays about visual expression, art, creativity, and a life in photography. Photographer, teacher, and author Guy Tal has been photographing the landscape for more than 30 years. In that time, he has also consistently contributed to the literature of photography, writing not about the technical aspects of the photographโ€”such as the gear, the...
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