Book Description

This best-selling introductory photography text teaches students how to use the medium confidently and effectively by emphasizing both technique and visual awareness.Comprehensive in scope, this book features superb instructional illustrations and examples in its clear presentation of both black and white and color photography. London offers extensive coverage of digital imaging and the latest technological developments, such as Web page design and formatting photos on CD-ROMs. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

The 3rd edition was nicer
After reading the third edition of Photography by the Uptons, Idecided to buy the sixth edition. There are new things in this editionnot found in the third but I was quite unimpressed with the mediocre graphics. Some of the illustrations look like they were done by a high school student learning how to do airbrushing. In this the third edition is far superior. I liked the profiles on living photographers in the third that is not found in the sixth. However, the section on problems with developing black and white film is exceptional. If you have any technical struggles this section can pinpoint immediately what the problem is. Also the book always has one entire theme or idea on the two full pages in front of you. It is an easy book to find your way around in and it really is one of the very finest books on photography available. It would be good of them to update some of the older photographs. I am tired of seeing models from the 70's in an almost year 2000 book. The book also is pricey. It should be available in hardcover for those who use it as a teaching manual or textbook. It would certainly last longer. I do recommend every student who enters college and majoring in photography to add this one to their library. This edition is also 28 pages shorter than the third edition. Why? It shoud have been longer!

Excellent reference guide & teacher, but expensive
This is a fantastic book that has something for beginners and advanced amateurs alike. I bought this book for my photography class at Temple University, and it will happily be on my bookshelf and referenced for a long time (or perhaps until the 8th or 9th edition)?

The book contains many useful lessons for beginners, if that is your level, for basic photography. I would have liked for there to be more about digital photography though, but I'm sure that will come in later editions as that medium evolves. There is also plenty to offer a budding photographer about lessons in the darkroom, and that was very useful and continues to be.

This is the ultimate photography book that will more than get a beginner started, or be a big help as a refresher to an amateur. However, the price is a tremendous drawback - it's a lot of bang, but for the bucks you pay, I'd try getting a used copy - there are many great dealers on Amazon that can help. This book is well worth owning though. It misses the 5-star mark because of cost.

Rating the seller
This book was said to have some highlighting!As is does, I purchased it used and just received it in the mail. Shipping was fast,BUT the seller NEVER mentioned the book also has water damage to the corners causing the book to lift and be stiff. I am NOT happy with this seller and would not trust their description on anything they sell used.

The book I would rate as a good beginners book and has lots of information for the beginner. Would also be a good book to keep around for reference. We can all use a reminder now and then.

MUST be on your bookshelf.
For those impatient enough: if you are to buy one book that would teach you photography - this should be the one. This book has survived seven editions and it has enough information to make your head hurt. Needless to say, this book does not offer a silver bullet that would make you Ansel Adams, but it has enough information to build a solid technical foundation upon which you could leverage your creativity.

Make no mistake: this book is first and foremost about film photography. While there is a somewhat obligatory chapter on digital photography, it is hardly more than a very brief introduction. The rest of the book implies film photography (needless to say, that information on exposure and lens is generally applicable to both film and digital photography techniques).

Furthermore, the book is seriously geared toward black and white photography. There is plenty of information about the color process but it feels complementary to the narration.

On the negative side, there are only a couple things to note:
- Having so many precise instructions, this book ought to have an appendix containing all data in one place (from reciprocity failure correction numbers, to N+2 development time increase, to film processing checklists). It is a shame, the book doesn't have such a reference chapter.
- The price of the latest edition is way too steep. While I am far from suggesting sacrificing quality for lower price (as unfortunately so many other books do), I still think that the price has risen way too high compared to older editions.

All in all, it is an excellent basic reference. It is unlikely to be the only book on your shelf, but it will definitely be an extremely useful one while you are mastering advanced photography. Bottom line: buy this book now.

Complete Photography, but change the size of the book.
The book is just "ok" when it comes to topics. I prefer not to have sections on developing but more on actual equipment and technique. I thought the digital section was well written but more should have been said since it's eventually be the main part of photography for the future.

I prefer to have a reference book written in a traditional school text book format. I don't care for the "chopped up" sections for every page. To me it's chaotic and not well organized. The first chapter is rather elusive and vague. I would have prefered a general introduction.

I did not like the physical size of the book. It's hard to hold and I would have prefered for a book of this cost a hard bound edition. If any of you old timers out there remember an excellent book, "The Amateur Photographer's Handbook", by Aaron Sussman, I would have liked "Photography- 7th Edition" to be similar in physical size and content. I have been using, "The Amateur Photographer's Handbook" for so many years and it's just too old for todays photography, that is why I purchased this one. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Muscle men, midgets, socialites, circus performers and asyluminmates: in the 1950s and '60s, photographer Diane Arbus (1923-1971) cast herstrong eye on them all, capturing them as no one else could. Herdocumentary-style photos of society's margin-walkers were objective andreverential, while she often portrayed so-called normal people looking farmore freakish than the freaks. Her powerful work was well-received in itsday. Arbus received Guggenheim Fellowships in 1963 and 1966 and wasincluded in a major show at MOMA in 1967. But her work entered the realm ofnear-myth after her 1971 suicide.

Reviews (6)

Warning! For hard-core Arbus fans only
I enjoy Diane Arbus' photos, but this book is too much for me. Her photos are only a small part of the book -- the majority of the book is a catalogue of her life. The contact sheets are quite interesting, as they reveal a lot about how she approached a subject. The rest will likely appeal only to hardcore Arbus fans.

The Monograph as Art Form
DIANE ARBUS: REVELATIONS is one of the most beautiful monographs of an artist I have ever seen or read. This over-sized, beautifully bound, highest quality paper, extraordinarily fine reproductions of photogravure, and sensitively designed and written catalogue for the touring museum exhibition of Diane Arbus Photographs is simply magnificent and well worth the rather steep price. But a state-of-the-art monograph would be of little consequence were it not about one of the most controversial and phenomenally gifted photographers of the last century. Arbus had an affinity for capturing people she encountered because they produced a source of wonder in her. Her eyes were attracted to the edges of normal appearance and anatomy where she captured luminously tender photographs of developmentally challenged fellow human beings. There are countless images of children and adults who have survived a life of 'non-normalcy' and she framed them in her camera's eye with no sense of the voyeur, but instead with a great sense of humanism. Here are portraits of giants with their parents, patients from mental institutions, carnival folk, transvestites, anatomic wonders, as well as simple twins, people she found fascinating, populated places that struck her imagination. The photogrpahs of Diane Arbus have become icons and the contributors to this volume help to propel her already praiseworthy status to that of a genius: Sandra Phillips' essay 'The Question of Belief', photographer Neil Selkirk's intimate 'In the Darkroom' (Selkirk is the only person allowed to develop prints of Arbus' output), and the beautifully conceptualized and constructed Chronology by Doon Arbus and Elisabeth Sussman bringing to us rarely seen portions of Arbus' output and thoughts - all of these are rendered in the best of taste and finest of scholarship. Finally, here is a volume that fleshes out the magnificence of the art of Diane Arbus. This bibliophile's dream of a book deserves awards and most important, deserves your attention. Highly recommended as a true collector's item.

Revealing, revalatory
I own two Arbus monographs and have lived with them for over 20 years. Many of those works are reproduced in this volume. There is a lot of talk about "the human condition" and I suppose all artists in one way or another wrestle with the notion. Arbus has always meant to me someone who seemed to reveal who we are beneath the fashion, the roles, the sex, the culture. I used one of her images as a means to illuminate a poster for a Sam Shepard play called Icarus' Mother - it was of a very young New York boy holding a toy hand grenade in a threatening way during play in Central Park - once seen never forgotten.
Nor will I forget her self portrait, naked pregnant, in this latest volume. So much. So much. This is the volume Arbus lovers have been waiting for. Printed in Germany, beautifully bound, positively packed with images, diary entries, extracts from letters, comment. A bargain.

Arbus according to Arbus
This is the catalog for a show that opened this week at SFMOMA. It is also a document of considerable authority and very little of the cult shrine that is part of the show. There is no doubt that this is a thorough assessment of Arbus' place in the history of her medium. The first chapter of of the written material is scholarly and completely devoid of the overstatement usually plastered on Diane Arbus. Instead, the author relates her work to that of her various teachers and influences, Lisette Model, Gary Winogrand, Lee Friedlander, August Sander, and many others. There are numerous references to and from her notebooks as well as the notes of others but the writing is neither superfluous nor voyeuristic. It is art history at its best.

The selection of her photographs is comprehensive and well organized as you would expect from her estate which owns them all. No doubt the Fraenkel Gallery near SFMOMA had a lot to do with the quality of the show and book. Read it before you attend the show and you will learn a lot even if you've never heard of her.

Coupled with the detailed chronology of her life, the images give a clear picture of a character which has been obscured by mythology and rumor for 30 years. I am not a fan of Diane Arbus (and certainly not a detractor) but I gained a lot of respect for her as an artist as I read her notes and quotes about her own work.
If you are looking for a biography of a brave young woman artist in the mid-twentieth century, this one is good. It is thorough and not editorialized with adjulation. The only gratuitious facts that I would have left out are the cold details of her death in the coroner's reports at the end of the book. Yet I get the impression this is the way she would have wanted it. This is the book she would have written. Absent some equal scholarship to the contrary, this is the truth about Diane Arbus.

A Powerful Book
Thank you Doon Arbus for publishing it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

By a recent count, the continent of Africa comprises some 1,300 cultures. Some of them number millions of people, some only a few families; some are thriving, while others are in danger of disappearing, the victims of acculturation or, in extreme cases, of genocide. This diversity--and the dangers to it--is little known outside Africa. PhotographersCarol Beckwith andAngela Fisher highlight both matters in African Ceremonies, an extraordinary two-volume collection of some 850 full-color images. The two artists have traveled to almost all the continent's 53 countries in the last three decades, documenting traditional tribal life in earlier books and articles for National Geographic, among other publications. Here they focus on the religious customs of several dozen peoples, combining stunning images with well-written essays to illustrate the enduring power of traditional beliefs.

Among the book's finest moments are a record of the Fulani cattle crossing, when for 10 days young males drive their herds across the wide Niger River to receive gifts from their grateful compatriots; a sequence showing a healing ceremony of the Himba people of Namibia and Angola, whose "wild women," possessed by lion spirits, are riveting actors on the page; and a remarkable series of photographs of Wodaabe courtship dancers, who compete to attract wives by charming them with exaggerated smiles and the skilled use of cosmetics. The authors note that, as women, they entered places men never could--and as foreigners, they were also often welcomed as "honorary males" and allowed to witness male-only ceremonies. Many of these rites are in danger of extinction as old ways are forgotten and in some cases suppressed. Beckwith and Fisher have captured them before it's too late. Beautifully designed and manufactured, African Ceremonies makes a fine companion toHenry Louis Gates Jr.'s Wonders of the African World, and invites leisurely reading--and constant revisiting. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Finally!A Nonethnocentric Perspective on African Traditions!
The New York Times Sunday Book Review section today had a wonderful review of this book (2 volumes in a slipcase). The documentation of ritual and people performing rituals as the seasons change in Nature and life cycles turn for People is a sacred task. The photographers appear to have embraced their subjects with care and respect - perhaps others will follow in this way in the future. What strikes me most about the book and the reviews is the genuine approach of the authors to the dignity, honor and respect of the African People they have photographed and documented. This alone makes the book a winner for me.

Regarding the book, I am particularly impressed by their treatment of sacredness without judgment and jaded lens. Indeed the art and form of ritual itself creates tradition. The music of these images is at once visual and alive celebrating the sacred as timeless expressions of culture and community.

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
HOW CAN ANYONE SAY THAT THESE CULTURES DON'T EXIST ANYMORE, OR THIS IS AN AFRICA THAT NO LONGER EXISTS. THEY TOOK THESE PICTURES WITHIN THE LAST 10 YEARS.. DIDN'T THEY ? DUH ? EVERYONE KNOWS THERE IS A COMMON EVERYDAY AFRICA.. GOING TO WORK GENERAL LIVING ( JUST LIKE US HERE IN AMERICA FOLKS) BUT STILL THERE IS AFRICAN TRIBAL SPLENDOR. JUST LIKE IN AMERICA INDIAN'S GET TOGETHER FOR TRIBAL POW WOWS. THEY STILL EXIST TOO. THE PICTURES IN THIS BOOK ARE SHOCKINGLY GORGEOUS...AFRICAN PEOPLE STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL. PLEASE! THE MEN ARE HANDSOME, THE WOMEN WONDEROUS. IT JUST MAKES ME WONDER WHY THE EUROPEAN STANDARD, HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE "STANDARD" OF BEAUTY. THIS REVUE MAY SOUND SHALLOW, BUT IF YOUR INTO THE HUMAN HAS ART FORM ...BUY THIS BOOK!!

See it before it disappears
A beautiful look at cultural conventions that may soon be relegated to the quaint and unusual.

An Africa that *does* exist, but that is vanishing
The "concise edition" of AFRICAN CEREMONIES opens with a preface by Dr. Malidoma Some, president of "Echoes of the Ancestors" and author of his autobiography OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT and THE HEALING WISDOM OF AFRICA. Malidoma is from the Dagara tribe of Burkina Faso. His name means "make friends with the stranger/enemy," and that is why he now lives in the West.

I have met Malidoma on a few occasions (participating in some of his rituals) and I corresponded with him for a time. He has been incredibly helpful and supportive in my own spiritual journey (he is an initiated shaman of his tribe and has recently become the youngest initiated elder), and therefore I trust what he says. Malidoma's preface makes it clear that, sadly, AFRICAN CEREMONIES documents a world that - unlike the claims of some - is not entirely gone, but that is quickly vanishing. Malidoma comments that these photographs are very important because they show the last time that some of these ceremonies will be performed in such elaborate nature, and perhaps they will never be performed again at all.

AFRICAN CEREMONIES continues the tradition of these well respected photographers by providing a beautiful volume of beautiful peoples.

Buy it for what it is
Buyers should understand what this is - a beautiful coffee table book. Beckwith and Fisher present their usual quality of brilliant, sensitive photography. But understand that this is, for the most part, capturing a memory, a fantasy. This Africa no longer exists. Don't buy the book to learn African culture. Buy it if you like photography. As a historical record, it's lacking. One can capture a visual from the outside, but one cannot capture a cultural understanding as readily. ... Read more

Book Description

Gardens are unique creations, reflecting not only the landscape, flora, and climate of their environments but also the heritage-the history, architectural styles, and influences-of the cultures that made them. From the fountain gardens of the Iranian desert to the whimsical "Garden of Cosmic Speculation" in Scotland, from the Zen gardens of Buddhist temples to the Impressionist gardens in Giverny, the huge variety of gardens around the globe is a testament to our age-old desire to tame and refashion nature.

In The Most Beautiful Gardens in the World photographer Alain Le Toquin celebrates the diversity of these manmade landscapes, capturing 31 of the greatest public and private gardens on five continents, including Majorelle in Morocco, the Versailles gardens outside Paris, the Keukenhof flower show park in The Netherlands, and the Huntington Gardens in California. With more than 150 images and 12 gatefolds featuring spectacular panoramic photographs, this gorgeous book will captivate travelers and garden admirers alike, and will inspire gardeners themselves with fresh ideas for design, horticulture, and use. AUTHOR BIO: Alain Le Toquin, a former specialist in ornithology and animal ecology at the Natural History Museum in Paris, has been a photographer specializing in both culture and nature for more than 20 years. Jacques Bosser, a writer and translator for design and photography books, was a contributor to Abrams' The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World. Michel Baridon leads a history and research group for the French National Council of Parks and Gardens. He has published several books on gardens. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Richard Stolley knows a bit about what we want from the pictures of our century. He's the LIFE magazine guy who acquired the Zapruder film of JFK being shot (the fatal instant is depicted in this book), and he basically created modern celebrity culture as the founding father of People, where he articulated his famous rules for cover photos: young is better than old, pretty better than ugly, rich better than poor--"and nothing is better than the celebrity dead." All of the above are found abundantly in Stolley and Tony Chiu's lively, cannily selected, and sumptuously produced photo album LIFE: Our Century in Pictures.

It's not just a grab bag of 770 arresting, touching, scary, funny, alternately famous and unfamiliar images. It tells a semi-coherent story by breaking up the century into nine "epochs," each introduced with a brief essay by a leading intellectual light (David M. Kennedy, Paul Fussell, and Garry Wills do especially well). There are fun facts aplenty: did you know Columbia Pictures' Lady Liberty-like logo was inspired by a debutante in an anti-Hun propaganda poster? Or that Ike almost chose Margaret Chase Smith instead of Nixon? Each epoch gets assigned a "Turning Point," sometimes a defining moment or a flashy burst of upbeat cultural documentary to offset the sometimes stark violent-event photos. The World War I section breaks up the black-and-white trench-fighting scenes with a quickie history of the American musical, pages as radiant as a rainbow. Each chapter ends with "Requiem" photos of people whose passing is still news.

The layouts are often superb: you have to open the book to see how perfect a Mondrian looks next to a photo of college girls doing patriotic calisthenics that transform them into a similarly energetic grid. There are heftier historic-photo collections, like Bruce Bernard's true test of coffee-table construction, the 1,120-page Century: One Hundred Years of Human Progress, Regression, Suffering, and Hope. But you're not going to find a more popular book of its kind than Stolley and Chiu's. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Unmatched Photo History
A great book for kids to learn about the past and adults to be reminded of it. It's a bookmark of the time we left behind. A great opportunity to teach and entertain at the same time, although some photos might require a bit of explanation for the younger readers. But if a picture is worth a thousand words, then this is War and Peace times 10! It brings history to life (no pun intended). You'll go through it over and over. It's a great coffee table or bedside book. You'll laugh and cry again, because the emotion and griping tales just leap off the pages at you. A must for anyone interested in our recent history.

Captivating images of our times
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. They were right! This fine pictorial collection of historic photos brings history to life as well if not better than the best historical novels of the year. 'War of the Rats', 'Charlotte Gray', and 'the Triumph and the Glory' triggered a fascination in recent history in our family and LIFE has sustained it by offering this superb book. We are always looking through it again and again.

A scrapbook of the century...
Life has done a superb job of pulling the whole century together into one book.I wont't tell you what picture was the first picture the started the book off with.But I'll tell you this;they got it right! This in not only the most important and best picture of the 20th century, but also; the most significient picture to portray what man has done;ever.

A great book.
How do you shoe the history of the past century in pictures. Life has come as close as anyone can to do this. This is a great book and should be viewed by everyone. Photographers would be especially taken with the presentation. One must take time in looking through the book as there is so much to cover. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Life
This book contained a very biased segment of American life, mainly that of immoral Hollywood and Washington. What of the families and individuals of America that put this nation together, the farmers, school teachers, workers, the miners, soldiers, etc. whose contributions are not protrayed adequately in this book. ... Read more

Book Description

San Francisco,

For more than a century, writers and poets have tried desperately to grasp the elusive Camelot. It is, perhaps, more a quest for a photographer. Surely its God-given beauty has never been more thoroughly captured than in these exquisite photographs by Robert Cameron. From his helicopter soaring over this idyllic setting, Bob Cameron has looked down with a God-like eye and recorded with his camera what God sees. He has recorded it for you, gentle reader, and for generations yet to come. Here in these pages is proof that, yes, once there was a Camelot.

With introduction and text by Art Hoppe. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Photos
This is a great photo book of the San Fransico bay area. It includes just about every area around, including San Jose, Oakland, Stanford, etc. It has photos of the city, Silicon Valley and most of the major Computer companies and chip makers such as Intel and AMD. Living in this area, I really like this book as I can see what my area looks like and there are a lot of photos, including every major bay bridge.
...

Very nice, but really "Bay Area from Above"
Very nice. Title should be "Bay Area from Above." It covers Silicon Valley, San Mateo, Marin, and many other parts of Bay Area -- with SF. My only complaint is the 25 overhead views of wineries out of 200 pages -- they all look pretty much the same... Overall, a very good book.

This book is totally awesome
I love the before and after pictures contrasting the same street now vs. 100 years ago. Susan likes it too! ... Read more

Book Description

Seventh heaven

Nothing could be more luxurious, pleasurable, or refreshing than pampering yourself in a sumptuous spa. The best ones are designed to look and feel like paradise—and they do. In this book, you’ll discover the most exceptional historical, thermal, thalassic, wellness & health, resort, new age, adventure, day, and hotel spas around the world—from Paris to South Africa, Bangkok to Texas—beautifully photographed and accompanied by pricing, service, and contact information. Use the book to scout out your ideal spa-destination and take yourself one step closer to nirvana. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A lovely book filled with photos and ideas
Nothing is more lovely or inviting than a spa, and the best mimic pools and lovely outdoors environments. Whether you're a traveler seeking the ultimate spa or a homeowner seeking ideas for reproducing paradise in your own backyard, Spa is the book of choice for locating both ideas and destinations. Spas around the world, from resorts and hotel spas to, are profiled and packed into a lovely book filled with photos and ideas. Spa prices and services will appeal to destination-oriented travelers, while the extensive color shots of spa surroundings, both interior and exterior, offer plenty of ideas for homeowners who would create smaller versions of paradise.
... Read more

Book Description

For serious amateur photographers who already shoot perfectly focused, accurately exposed images but want to be more creative with a camera, here’s the book to consult. More than seventy techniques, both popular and less-familiar approaches, are covered in detail, including advanced exposure, bounced flash and candlelight, infrared, multiple images, soft-focus effects, unusual vantage points, zooming, and other carefully chosen ways to enhance photographs. The A-Z format make sit easy for readers to find a specific technique, and each one is explained in jargon-free language. Top Tips for each technique help readers achieve superb results, even on the first attempt. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Eugene Smith... what can I say!
Superb. I am a professional photographer, and i really admire Smiths work. This book is a great collection of some of his images.
The publishers did a good job reproducing the photographs, nice detail and tone. Definitely worth the price.

Staff Photographer, Seattle Times, Seattle, Washington
An excellent display and text of one of one of the world's great photojournalists. I would recomend this book highly to any fan of E. Eugne Smith

Review of Smith book from an old friend
SMITH BOOK REVIEW

Having risked hernia to browse the impressive new book of an old friend and neighbor, ( W. Eugene Smith; Photographs 1934-1975 John T. Hill/Gilles Mora) what first grabs is the space, air and light enveloping these intense images with almost a loving caress, a sense of freshness and sunlight never possible in our dim, dingy-dusty claustrophobic Sixth Avenue loft building, where, just outside my studio door, were piled stacks upon stacks of his work mounted on black 16x20 dogeared mats, just waiting to be stolen, but which were, in fact, attributed by many visitors to some magical drugstore, and could I, please, arrange to have their wedding pictures made there, too? Gene couldn't sell one print for even twenty-five bucks in those days. Every night when I came home to sleep there was the despairing Clement Attlee staring upward at the bare light bulb over my doorway.

That was forty years ago, and twenty since Gene went to that great blast of ferrocyanide in the sky, and much ado about him has taken place in the interim. New York fifties mindset was Freudian psychoanalysis; everyone went to a shrink. Any prominent individualistic tendencies were often condemned to one definition of neurosis or another, and in the rather small and specious world of photography , Gene's maverick determination stood out in high relief. Businessmen photographers-- like the young Lee Friedlander, himself awash in Freudophilia, considered Gene a 'spoiler', pretentious-precious, and went instead to sit at the feet of the polymorphous Walker Evans; yes, "pomposity" was pretty much the legend that Gene's exit from LIFE brought down around his head. Not a team player at all; tsk tsk. And in his brave repudiation of corporate moloch, Gene valiantly pratfalled himself right into the lap of utter poverty.

To large extent, Gene's persona seemed to require a struggle against impossible odds; it focused and sharpened him to the high standards he demanded from himself , and he was no slouch when it came to grandstanding, often with tears, his anti-Goliath position. He built his own Myth of Smith, his self-invented public (relations?) image, fine when LIFE was footing the bill, but now, inside our firetrap former whorehouse , there was real rent to pay, real electric bills, bona fide empty refrigerators. That is about when we began to get acquainted--- I never really bought the Myth; for me he was just the strangely interesting guy downstairs who became a great pal.

Outside the loft, Gene was quick to acquire the packagable cliche of the garret-starved self-destructive artist. Compared to Van Gogh, he earned some residue of American Puritan contempt; this man whose great humanity was most evident in his work was treated most inhumanely by his peers.

Inside the loft, for many years the two of us were in daily contact, working and trying to exist under extremely difficult economic circumstances, and we often had one helluva good time!! I found him to be a genial, generous, courageous---often outrageous-- warm wildly witty man, always humble, sensitive, shy and hard-working, sharing a great interest in art, with a remarkable philosophical perspective. We jabbered of Welles and Chaplin , wide angle lenses, witches, Goya, Haiti, Satchmo, Stravinsky, O'Casey, Joyce, Kazan, war, suicide, politics, cock-fought over girls, guzzled cheap scotch, and swung with the jazz that regularly took place in my studio , as if great mind trips could avert the cold fact of the necessity to eat. I remember one hot summer day, making cream cheese and molasses sandwiches for us on cinamon bread. Gene argued that we didn't have to buy the molasses because we could get the iron from our rusty tap water. As a rule, his antic humor and punning sense managed always to keep things slightly off-balance; this man who had such a profoundly dramatic instinct and attraction for the tragic had also a capricious spirit of the absurd in the way he conducted his daily life; Van Gogh with a manic dash of Robin Williams.

And astonishingly productive. Yet always the gloomy impassioned chairoscuro came out of the darkroom-- prints blacker than black, then mounted on black, dense, intense, often in layout strangulation, making sure; I , W. Eugene Smith , won't let you go gently into that unferrocyanided good night. Sans assignments, now more artist than journalist, for years on end Gene shuffled his prints, made and remade PITTSBURG, photographed our jazz and our personal La Boheme, tried a failed book, a failed magazine, and finally luck brought him The Jewish Museum show and then his crescendo, Minimata.

One night in Bradley's in 1975, Gene said, "Well, Dave, I finally got there at last. I've got ten thousand dollars in the bank for the first time. Of course, it's only going to be there about a week."

Jump cut posthumous; an icon, passed away amongst us, is now suddenly acknowledged. Many who jeered him, refused him recognition, now come out to sycophant, to pedestal, to celebrate his life-- including LIFE itself. Gee, we're SO sorry; but let's exploit!

Those twenty-five dollar prints buckled the registers at auctions, and giant profits were made; yes, the same old art-woe story--- just at the time Vinnie the Gogh himself was pulling down millions in Sotheby sales. The dark side of Gene, finally, surely, took care of his children and at least one of his wives.

We get a brilliant and sensitive biography by Jim Hughes, a soso documentary, worldwide traveling shows. And then it seemed over. "There's no money left around for Gene Smith anymore" comments executor John Morris in the late eighties, handing his stewardship over to Gene's bastard son.

Now, surprise! comes this current coffee table dominatrix which gives Gene's babies, his pictures, the opportunity to have a life of their own in renewal. SNAP!! Of course one can argue anew the merits of the individual essays and which choices are the best, etc., but for myself-- having gone to bed amidst these images for many years, there's something new about them now; suddenly welcome. There is a spank-spank/no-no here; not all of what we see are Gene's own prints, very much against the artist's wishes, but the damage is by no means on the level of, say, Clement Greenberg's sanding off the paint on David Smith's sculptures after his death. And most of these choices help illuminate Gene's way of seeing and working. There are also textual inaccuracies; Hall Overton did not own the loft bldg. I had rented three floors, and Hall rented originally from me, and my friend Sid Grossman sent over Harold Feinstein to share Hall's floor. When Harold left, he brought in Gene.

I liked John Hill's technical essay at the closure. I was with Gene the night MAD EYES burnt out all the surrounding background, with ritual Clan MacGregor celebration, for neither of us-- one painter, one photographer-- gave a whit about 'objectivity'.

This spacious book-bomb adds honor and light to these master photographs, allowing them their own life and breathing room not usually available. Gene's insistence on control force-gilded his lilies, giving barely any space in his layouts to let the eye feel free to wander on its own volition. Now one can look afresh with impunity, and they look a bit different--even better.

In any event, Gene, now busily groping angels, can no longer argue in his own defense, no longer joke, weep, holler, cajole, rage, pun. And he doesn't need to.

You know? This fellow really had one goddamned great eye and sense of when.

David X Young

Oct 22 1998 ... Read more

Book Description

The photographs by Annie Leibovitz in Women, taken especially for the book, encompass a broad spectrum of subjects: a rap artist, an astronaut, two Supreme Court justices, farmers, coal miners, movie stars, showgirls, rodeo riders, socialites, reporters, dancers, a maid, a general, a surgeon, the First Lady of the United States, the secretary of state, a senator, rock stars, prostitutes, teachers, singers, athletes, poets, writers, painters, musicians, theater directors, political activists, performance artists, and businesswomen. "Each of these pictures must stand on its own," Susan Sontag writes in the essay that accompanies the portraits. "But the ensemble says, So this what women are now -- as different, as varied, as heroic, as forlorn, as conventional, as unconventional as this."

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Reviews (42)

I'm not Thomas, I'm his daughter, he used my computer to ord
er from Amazon and Now His Name is Stuck on My Account

So much for a title.

Annie Leibovitz's book requires no words. Sorry, Susan, I didn't read your text. The best way to enjoy Annie's photos is to set aside your search for a defining message about women. There isn't one. Women are varied creatures just like the rest of humanity and nature.

Don't you just love looking at them? Don't wish you could get a closer look? Don't you wish the interesting one's would stand in just the right light so you could get a better look? Didn't you always think Hillary C. was beautiful, but you didn't know why?

Thank you Annie Leibovitz for taking the interesting women and standing them in a beautiful light and binding them in a huge book so we can stand and stare as long as we want.

Enough said.

Image as Everywoman
Fiction is my preference when writing book reviews, because I love the complexity of words, stories, and the vagaries of human nature with its endless permutations. But when I received Leibovitz's astonishing compilation of photographs as a gift, I thought I might attempt an impression of page after page of females, as seen through the professional eye of one of the most important photographers of our generation.

Who has not gazed in awe at Leibovitz's unusual perspective, the beautiful made even more so? But I want real women with wrinkles and dirt under their fingernails, the kind of women overlooked in the rush to worship human perfection. I want to see if there is a balance, not just the too thin, too gorgeous, too self-indulgent. In that regard, I believe Women contains a preponderance of well-groomed elegance, albeit impressive, for instance a breathtaking portrait of Gwyneth Paltrow and her mother, Blythe Danner. This particular image contrasts a young woman in the blush of her feminine power with the graceful progression of years that adds to a woman's complex attraction. To be sure, there are folios of celebrities, socialites, all those who live in the rarified strata of entitlement.

While not as numerous, the presentation of real women like me, those who inhabit my world, are so powerful as to diminish the bland compositions of society's darlings. The studies of abused women jump off the pages, eyes glazed, the immediacy of domestic violence tattooing their faces, staring into a future devoid of hope; a remarkably insightful photograph of Ellen DeGeneris, virtually unrecognizable under a layer of cracked white greasepaint; two pre-adolescent girls in the back of a pickup truck, displaying a row of leggy blonde Barbie's, with Ken in a faux high school letter jacket, his plastic Prom Queen sporting a crown atop hair that cascades down the length of her body; three young Latino women glare accusingly at the lens, displaying gang colors with pride, ambiguously dangerous; the lines of age score lived-in faces, eyes shadowed by years of struggle, etched finally by the exhaustion of daily survival. For me, these pictures contain the essence of womanhood, untainted by ubiquitous vanities.

In all, Leibovitz "sees" these women, their strengths, frailties and vulnerabilities. This series of images is a walk through the multi-hued, textured world of women, esoteric, generous, often brutally honest and unflinching. Luan Gaines/2004.

A moving and exceptional book
This is definately my favorite book, and one I enjoy giving to special women friends. Annie Leibowitz has managed to capture the full spectrum of women, from the subdued and simple to the succesful and sophisticated. It is a moving book and a celebration to women's individuality and uniqueness. I warmly recommend it.

Just a name
Although the idea of this book is worthwhile, I am amazed to find so many of the images out of focus. She is supposed to be a fine photographer, but maybe it is this title that has allowed her to feel okay with displaying such poor examples of portraits. It seems she rushed through the work just to get the book published as I don't sense that she put too much heart into the work.

Very Enlightening
I loved the book "Women," this book not only gave information on what all these amazing women do for a living, but it showed the pictures of them at work. A lovely tribute to WOMEN all over the world! ... Read more

Book Description

During the golden age of American theater on Broadway, the names of stars such as Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, and Ethel Merman were writ large on theater marquees. Playwrights such as Eugene O'Neill, Thornton Wilder, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller offered a new play every season.

Photographer Eileen Darby came onto the theater scene in 1939 and eschewed the stiff portraits and fixed tableaux that were in vogue. Her style of photographing not only onstage but also backstage and during rehearsals allowed an intimate look at the creative process of theater.Darby photographed more than six hundred shows during her career, and her portfolio has become the definitive photographic record of theatrical history.STARS ON STAGE is the culmination of Darby’s career in the theater’s golden age and includes dozens of previously unseen pictures of stars such as Lucille Ball, Montgomery Clift, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, and Gregory Peck.As well as the people who created the shows, including Rodgers and Hammerstein, George Abbott, irving Berlin, and Anita Loos.With an overview of the theatrical period by John Lahr and a biographical portrait of Darby and her work by Mary Henderson, STARS ON STAGE is one of the most dynamic books on this most fascinating period of American culture. ... Read more

Book Description

For over 50 years, Richard Avedon (b. 1923) has captured the creative genius of our time with dazzling insight and incomparable style. Spanning the artist's entire career, from the late 1940s through his most recent work, Richard Avedon Portraits offers a superb selection of his photographic portraits.

With uncompromising directness, Avedon portrayed his subjects against a white background, with no extraneous details to distract from the essential specificity of face, gaze, dress, and gesture. This challenging innovation, coupled with the artist's intense interest in his subjects and mastery of his craft, resulted in mesmerizing portraits-among them Truman Capote, Willem de Kooning, Samuel Beckett, Francis Bacon, and Marilyn Monroe, as well as the uncelebrated Americans of his project, "In the American West"-that rival the greatest works in the portrait tradition.

Richard Avedon Portraits is published to accompany a major exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. With its innovative accordion-style design and superb reproductions, the book is a virtual stand-alone mini-exhibition in its own right. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Marriage of Book and Exhibit
Richard Avedon wears several hats. As an artist creating innovative commercial images; He is behind the most dynamic magazine pages of the day,... He is witness of the greatest generation to social and political fact; He tells stories of icons and common men. He places them alike: actors, writers, poets, politicians and artists. The poet who recites through his lens.
Published to accompany a major Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, Richard Avedon Portraits celebrates His lifetime of achievements and almost does justice to the work.

The Book as Art
RICHARD AVEDON PORTRAITS is a stunning work, not only because of the usual expected glory of his photographs, but because of the genuinely artistic concept behind this catalogue for a Museum Exhibition. Slipcased, the book opens as an accordian with single and diptych/triptych photographs viewable by placing the unscrolled book on a tabletop or bookshelf. Not that there are any new moments here: this is a collection of some of Avedon's famous faces and bodies, curated for a specific purpose. But to view Andy Warhol together with his co-creators of his photos and films standing on one page clothed and on another nude intensifies the manner in which Avedon's manner of capturing the star's works so well. We are treated to a full face of Francis Bacon and in the next panel a partial view of his entire body. All manner of odd characters inhabit these deliciously synchronous pages. The back side of this tableaux discusses Avedon, his influences and appropriations from painting and other art forms, and does what it sets out to do - make the pieces of the tableaux relevant in the history of the time in which they were photographed. This is a clever and rewarding book and the book itself becomes art. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

'...and now, the rest of the story'.
On page six of this large book, Stephen Shore writes, in the Artist's Note, 'The book you are holding in your hands amounts to what might be called the photographic equivalent of a director's cut.' and in the nature of such things you now get an additional ninety-four photos with the forty-nine that were in the original 1982 Aperture edition of the book, though this is not strictly true because some that were in the original are not in this edition.

I bought the original book because I loved the way Shore captured the everyday urban American outdoors and of course the amazing color and detail. This new edition is even better because the photos are now larger (mostly 10.5 by 8.25 inches). The other thing I love about some of these photos is the way Shore captures the street corner, this seems to be a favorite composition (stretching back to the famous FSA photos of the Thirties) with contemporary photographers and Photorealists painters like Richard Estes or Davis Cone. Shore's 'El Paso Street, Texas, July 5, 1975' could just as easily be an Estes painting. There are several corner photos in the book and they are just stunning.

Another reviewer has commented on the amount of detail in these photos, helped of course by the two hundred plus dot screen, the original book used a 175 dpi. Apart from the screen it is interesting to compare images that appear in both books and the color does vary. 'Beverly Boulevard, June 21 1975' in the original (page 39) is predominately brown for the street area, in this edition (page 115) it has changed to a predominately blue cast. I wonder if this is the sort of thing that concerns collectors of first edition photo books?

In addition to the photos in this beautifully designed and printed book there are two text pieces, the first one, by Stephen Schmidt-Wulffen, includes twelve photos from Shore's 'American Surfaces'. The back of the book includes biographical notes and a useful bibliography.

This latest 'Uncommon Places' will be a book I'll look through for some years to come.

Between Gorsky, Sternfeld & Eggleston
This is a book I've been waiting for. I saw some of Stephen Shore's work in a New York gallery last fall and was very impressed. I was sad not to see some of this work in the new Thames & Hudson book, but I am by no means heartbroken.
Shore has added quite a bit of weight to previously published Uncommon Places and the book is well suited to anyone interested in the development of his style.

The work demonstrates a very interesting vein in the "new republic" tradition running very excitingly through American photography now. It is a very democratic body of work. It lacks the now 'oh-so' tired irony that was a hallmark of much late nineties work both in the US and UK.

The photographs that are presented to us are -on face value -seemingly humdrum. A street corner with telegraph poles, a motel bathroom with water in the bath. But on closer inspection there is a haunting beauty to the images; an aching sadness of dislocation, but at the same time oddly uplifting.

These "any-town, anyplace" photographs are perhaps a celebration of our own lives in our own environments. The familiar denies the beauty of our surroundings. What Shore does so eloquently is show us how to look at our world again. There's no politics here, no judgement; this is a straightforward depiction of our homes, towns, cities and countryside that we don't see because our lives are too rushed and complicated to stop and for half an hour stand by Mr Shore's shoulder and take a peak at what he loves about his world. This is a beautifully contemplative set of pictures, the antithesis of the brash, ironic-political, scathing nature of New British Colour.

As with Sternfeld, Shore uses large format and (what I can only assume is) slow speed colour film to draw out a huge amount of detail from his low contrast images. As one looks closer and closer at each print, one cannot help being mesmerised. It almost seems like there's more detail here than in reality. If we were to analyse at this level of detail some of Mr Shore's subjects (if ever we stopped to see them) we'd probably get arrested, or maybe committed. But we get two opportunities with Uncommon Places; we get the chance to spend time absorbed by the huge detail of these scenes, and we get the enormous benefit of seeing the world as through Stephen Shore's eyes. And the world is a better place for it.

Color is Good
This book is an excellent journey through color photography. Stephen Shore uses space and color in a way to descripe a place like no other. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Worth the wait
I can remember when the book was first published over ten years ago, and I had a chance to go the the exhibit in Los Angeles. I balked at going and I regretted that chance. Now, eleven years later as a treat to myself, I bought the book without hesitation. "Bear Pond" has to be one of the most sought after if not the most referenced collection of male nudes. Bruce Weber is the master of photographing young men in the most natural and unaffected ways. Here, he manages to capture the innocence and provocativity of each of his subjects without seeming exploitative or lecherous. Although the book cost me much more than its original $50, I am so happy that I finally had a chance to add it to my collection of treasures. ... Read more

Book Description

Countless black women would rather attend church naked than hatless. For these women, a church hat, flamboyant as it may be, is no mere fashion accessory;it's a cherished African American custom, one observed with boundless passion by black women of various religious denominations. A woman's hat speaks long before its wearer utters a word.It's what Deirdre Guion calls "hattitude...there's a little more strut in your carriage when you wear a nice hat. There's something special about you." If a hat says a lot about a person, it says even more about a people-the customs they observe, the symbols they prize, and the fashions they fancy.

Photographer Michael Cunningham beautifully captures the self-expressions of women of all ages-from young glamorous women to serene but stylish grandmothers. Award-winning journalist Craig Marberry provides an intimate look at the women and their lives. Together they've captured a captivating custom, this wearing of church hats, a peculiar convergence of faith and fashion that keeps the Sabbath both holy and glamorous.
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Reviews (26)

Symbols of Reverence
"Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats" is a genuine treasure and a breathtaking illustration of fine art. Photographer Michael Cunningham and journalist Craig Marberry exemplify the meaning of a queen with their artistry. The first portrait invites you to begin a journey that will lead you page by page through history with the inspirational and candid stories of each woman bearing a Sunday worship service crown. Truly this book extends to all religions by exploring one simple, but ever important symbol of showing reverence to God.

Insight into why "We" wear hats!!! It's me all over!!!
I am called the "Hat Lady". I relate to the queens in the book. In fact, some of the ladies made comments that I found to be very profound, i.e, wearing a hat in a coffin. I wear hats and love them. Like the ladies, when I put on a hat I stand taller, walk with a strut, and feel I am invincible. It's something about a hat that seems to add to my stature. "Crowns" gives a lot of insight into why we look so good in hats. It's true it's all about attitude and self-esteem. I try to wear them at all times. "Crowns" is relative. I felt so good about myself after reading it. The queens really put hats in their proper perspective in relation to African-American women. I always get a compliment like, "Girl, you're wearing that hat" from one of my sisters and from strangers I hear, "That's a bad hat you got on." (Mostly males) Several times I saw myself in those. I smiled and shook my head at the comments. It is a story that needed to be told. I commend the author & photographer, for I found no fault with "Crowns". A good read.

Hooray for Hats !
The black and white photos are as expressive as the wonderful stories about how these charming ladies began their love affairs with hats. Each story is unique and also very much like the others. There is lots of unexpected humor. I have been inspired to continue wearing and buying more hats. Love the book. Thank you Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Marberry and all the ladies who shared their thoughts and their hats.

Gorgeous elegance
"Crowns: Portraits of Women in Church Hats" brought to memory many Sundays in church when I was a child. Women walked with regal grace when wearing their church hats. I saw some of these women during the week and many were plain and quite ordinary in appearance. But at 11:00 on Sunday morning, they were elegant and stately as they strutted, in their church hats, towards their seats in the sanctuary. The photgraphs are as beautiful as the women they portray. This is a "must have" book for any woman who loves gorgeous hats and the women who wear them.

A Must Have for Students of American History
This is THE book that friends will pick up FIRST from the top of your coffee table at home or at work.

Beautiful message, pictures and content. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

It's all about Peter Johnson
I love Bruce Weber's latest book with the exciting sexy photos of my now favorite model Peter Johnson. He is the most photogenic person I have seen in a while. I was thrilled to discover another photobook that was released at the same time as "the Chop Suey Club" called "The Class of Click" featuring Peter Johnson again. This book represents the hottest fashion model of the agency Click in a highschool yearbook format. Needless to say that Peter takes on different roles in that hyperreal set highschool and looks amazing. It's all about Peter Johnson.

The Chop Suey Club
This was the first Bruce Weber book i bought & i was very pleased. In The Chop Suey Club, Weber chronicles the growth of young wrestler Peter Johnson for 3+ years as a late teenager. Bruce has a great eye for spotting beautiful men and his 3 year photologue, The Chop Suey Club, demonstrates this well. Weber captures Peter's beauty in everything from a speedo to exotic dress clothes and various states of dress & undress in between. Weber uses a wide range of poses and ideas in these photos with his usual emphasis on the erotic. Several poems, still-life shots, & photos of nature are also included in The Chop Suey Club, but the emphasis is on young Peter Johnson. The book is in a smaller format than most Weber books, but it is thicker & has more photos than most of his other books. Weber also uses color photos much more so than in his other books. The Chop Suey Club is the kind of photography book you page through slowly when you first get it & you then later refer back to again and again. I like this Weber book the best & i recommend it to those who appreciate male beauty & fine photography, especially when viewed through Bruce Weber's lens.

wow!
my reaction upon viewing this book----what a piece of work is man---I guess we're not in Kansas anymore Toto---Heart attack---I guess you might say I liked it.

Well named, but the joke is on the buyer
Like the old joke about Chinese Food, "Eat and half an hour later, you're hungry again", this book leaves a reader with the sense that the money for the book was not well spent.

With Abercrombie & Fitch catalogues and at least a dozen fashion-oriented magazines featuring photography that's as good (or better, depending on your tastes and preferences), this book is not worth getting excited aobut...probably the reason it's out of print.

David Morgan, Patrick McMullan, Bel Ami, and several other photographers have far better 'product' availabl...

The Chop Suey Club
Finally Bruce Weber has assembled a collection which is heartfelt, sincere and passionate. If you skip a few vulgar nudes, most of these portraits are outstanding and lively. They key of this success relies on the intimacy and passion that every photo reveals. Each photo is a tassel in a perfect yet articulate mosaic that goes from fashion to portrait, into documentary. Both a document and an act of love that spans across five years. Not only the work is honest but it's technically far superior to any of his previous collections. By far his best collection and a must for every fashion photography lover. Well done! ... Read more

Book Description

Over the last two decades, photographer Greg Gorman has carved out a classically refined style that is uniquely his own. In his portraits of Streisand, DiCaprio, De Niro, and Travolta, his fine art work, and his major ad campaigns, Gorman’s images suggest a mastery of the medium that few have rivaled. Continuing his exploration of the male nude, Just Between Us is a highly charged work focused exclusively on one model. During a year of shooting, an unusually collaborative relationship evolved between artist and subject. What unfolds is a photographic narrative unfettered by convention — a bold compilation of images unmatched for its candor and sexuality. 250 photographs are featured. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Greg Gorman's "JUST BETWEEN US" - a special book.
Greg Gorman's "JUST BETWEEN US," recently released by the "boutique" publishing house, Arena Editions, is a collaboration between the very well known and admired photographer and his subject, Greg Knudson. The quality of the work is exceptional in several respects. Gorman, has long ago established himself as a master photographer and has nothing to prove further concerning his considerable skills. What Gorman has created here is a photographic essay featuring one gentleman, Greg Knudson. In certain respects it is not unlike the collaboration between Bruce Weber and Peter Johnson in Weber's now famous "The Chop Suey Club" which was also published by Arena Editions. However, Weber certainly took into consideration that his model (at least at the beginning of their effort) was quite young. Weber appears to have been very sensitive to this fact and produced a beautiful book that showed great respect for his model, Peter Johnson. In Gorman's collaboration with Mr. Knudson, a mature gentleman, both photographer and model could in good taste go much further than Weber did with Chop Suey. The book, with Greg Knudson as its striking focal point is certainly sexy and sexual. It is without a doubt a "no holds barred" work on the male nude, and goes well beyond what one might expect in a serious photographic essay on the male nude. For all who encounter the book, it will certainly be striking, while for some it may be shocking. However, no one will walk away from the book considering it ordinary. It is anything but that. As for the volume itself, it is beautiful and well-made. The paper used is of high quality heavy stock; the clothbound cover is beautiful and a great deal of attention has obviously gone into the production of the volume as a whole. How a volume of this quality ands size can be retailed at such a low cost is amazing. The first printing will probably sell out before I finish writing this piece - AND IT SHOULD!!

Just Between You, Me & Our Darkest Fantasies....
Greg Gorman, the sensation behind, " As I See It, " once again expresses with the lens why it is that he is THE name when it comes to male nude photography. Unlike that "other" photographer iin this genre, Gorman produces a photographic journal that leaves viewers weak and panting for more.
Using a single model may be deemed as shallow and superficial by some, but its an arousing journey into discovering the individual elements of a young man on the brink of manhood that combine to explosive results. Greg Knudson is an innocent angel on one page and a full fledged sex puppy on the next -- arousing a unique combination of sensations and emotions in the viewer. It feels like a voyeuristic peeping tom excursion, only having received previous approval from both Gregs as it were.
This book represents quality at its very best from the cloth binding to the textured sepia prints .. all 200 plus pages.... plenty enough to allow for even the most jaded skeptics to fall panting at Greg's ( in this case, the model ) feet. To be devoured time and time again.

Mr. Johnson this is for you
Boring, tasteless and unoriginal. Photographer has an obvious fixation...which has kept him from paying attention in many cases to contrast, tone, and line. One star for the big you know what, the real model here. I'm sure book has its merits, but they aren't artistic. Putting my copy up for sale!

A Picture is Worth How Many Words?
The dust jacket description of this book as "Shocking" is the gravest underestimation I've heard this week. I never imagined newsstand fleshmag material elevated to fine art, the model expressing the same delightful tone of tawdry sexuality and the photographer the same intent as those (not so cheap anymore) monthly thrills, pictured for posterity. Bruce Weber's "Chop Suey Club" (which I bought the same day as this one, triumphantly for only a couple hundred dollars) is sentimental, but I would say this collection is more valuable for its daring. Therefore, if you have any inclination towards this book BUY IT NOW!!!!!! I won't feel sorry for you when you have to bid at auction