Book Description

Since the mid-1930s, Helen Levitt has photographed life on the streets of New York, capturing the pulse of the city at moments when sidewalk life becomes an urban portrait. Crosstown is the most comprehensive monograph devoted to this master photographer. In pioneering pictures of 1930s and 1940s Harlem, an innovative color series completed in 1960, and black-and-white images from the 1980s and 1990s, the book reveals the changes in New York street culture as well as the evolution of Levitt’s photographic eye. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Manhattan Images Must Have
This is my latest favorite photography book. I have a large collection that includes many with Manhattan as subject. The images captured by Levitt are stunning and the binding of the book itself is wonderful.

Taking Time To Look Around
Helen Levitt is not one of those New Yorkers who look neither to the left or right as they travel the streets of the city. This is a book about life. The neighborhoods she shoots are generally poor ones, yet we see people that are involved; people who are actively engaged in life even when they seem to be doing nothing. Her subjects -often children- play, they love, they communicate, they are lost in thought, and occasionally are sleeping.

A fine sense of humor permeates many of the scenes. Some subjects are caught in contorted, puzzling positions. We see the incongruous position of objects: an old 33rpm record in the street; a pair of shoes sitting by themselves on a sidewalk; three chickens wandering around a decrepit room -where did they come from? A mother's head is buried in the bottom of a baby buggy while the tyke yelps with joy. A dog is caught in the act of mistaking his owner's leg for a fire hydrant while she talks to a friend.

In general HL catches the warm side of humanity. Only a couple of pictures look like they were taken from a file of Jacob Riis (a 19th century photographer of New York tenement life). There was one particularly sad shot of a woman and her three children sitting on their front steps. They are obviously impoverished. The two youngest children seem quite content, but the mother seems weighed down with her life, and in the teen-age daughter we see the beginning of lost hopes.

This book is a must for anyone interested in street photography. It will take you a long time to get through this book as each photograph will hold your attention for some time.

A classic book of street photography
Helen Levitt's name is less well known than some of her images of New York street life. Perhaps that is the way she would wish it since she seems to have never sought fame. The book is as reticient as she and there is little commentary, but in truth little is necessary though I would love to know more about her and her work. This is a beautifully printed, organized and designed book and it was a pleasure to spend hours looking at the photographs. Often it was difficult to turn the page because each image is so compelling and resonates on many different levels. In a way, they are the perfect street images; they have the look of a snapshot but are so much more than that. Though they are all of New York they have a universal quality and speak about the truth of people's lives in a profound way. I admired the formal qualities of the photographs but what resonates most is the deep humanity of what she does, what she sees and records. It sometimes seems to me that photographers, in their quest for a good images,treats subjects with a level of distain and distance that is uncomfortable and ultimately manipulative. Crosstown is nothing like that and even when the photos are funny, and several are, they are funny in a very human way. There is nothing saccharine or trite in her work either and she has a great gift of photographing children without slipping into cuteness. I am a photographer and I treasure this book. I would certainly recommend it to others interested in photography, but I thinks its' appeal extends to anyone interested in the human condition and how we relate to one another.

Great Book
This book has a number of unique photographs. Ms Levitt with many of these wonderful pictures,leaves you wondering what happened before or just after the picture was taken.
You can I believe see some connection to the style of Cartier Bresson with whom I understand she spent some time working.
I recommend the book.

Don't miss it
If you admire the warmth and humanity of Helen Levitt's endearing photographs of New Yorkers, don't miss this book. The selection of photographs is superb and the printing and binding quality are first rate. This book could go out of print soon, from which time its value will grow quickly. ... Read more

Book Description

Night Chicas is a complex, anthropological tour through a damaged landscape of various Guatemalan prostitutes. Tackling the difficult subject of prostitution with scrutiny and sensitivity, Hans Neleman traveled to Guatemalan brothels to photograph the women and girls who make their livings there. The result is over 200 color photographs, giving us a compassionate portrayal in which Neleman deftly fills the gap between documentary and rigorously staged portraiture, and ultimately restores the human value of these marginalized women. Essays by Ana Castillo, George Pitts, A.D. Coleman and Laura Asturias are featured. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Brutal beauty with an edge of pain
Hans Neleman's Book " Night Chicas" is brutal. Neleman shows us the hard core reality female sex workers in Guatemala have been forced or simply spiraled into. The strength of this photographic body of work is that it appears non judgemental; it is neither condescending nor pitying, in fact there is an incredible dignity in how the women are portrayed. The work just feels honest. There is a huge crescendo of emotion in the portraits, some prostitutes stare into the lens with a spirit that cannot be broken, while others reveal their hurt with urgency. Hans Neleman shows us their stories through intimate revelations; bodies, eyes, scars, environments and possesions. Every detail is essential and is there for us not to pass judgement but to help us understand their lives and their humanity. Night Chicas contains some of the most important and powerful images I have seen in this genre of photography and in fact through his unique approach which is neither documentary nor artifice, he presents us with powerful insightful and visually stunning impressions which to me are simply timeless painterly observations. I could go on endlessly and talk about the beautiful light, the lush colors, and the artistic compositions, but that is not the point of this work yet they are bonuses that only support my belief in this artist's talent.
Night Chicas is Neleman's third book and like his other monographs Moko - Maori Tattoo and his still life work in Silence a must have for every photography enthusiast. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

GREAT SPONTANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHY!
It is often said that in order to take a phenominal photograph, one has to be in the right place at the right time. Some of these photos, were obviously taken at the spur of the moment by someone who was indeed at the right place at the right time. Any book put out by Life Magazine immediately captures my attention and this one was no exception. While there are many spontaneous shots here, there were also several that looked just too "posed and stiff for my liking." For example, there is one of a white poodle posing for the camera that looks cute in a book, but you better hope the guy never takes off out the back door and heads for the woods! His brushed out poodle cut rather resembles one of Dolly Parton's wigs. My preference is natural photographs that are taken when one least expects the click of the shutter and, thankfully, there are several of those here as well. This is not one of my favourite books on canine photography, but it is still one worth having.

Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul
It you appreciate great photography and love dogs, this book is the perfect blending of both! Our pooch pals are captured in numerous poses and activities documenting the many ways they are an integral part of modern life. This is a book I reach for if I want a good laugh, or some tugs at my heartstrings. Dog lovers---enjoy! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Perfect example of what a fine photography book should be.
This book represents all the finest points of an excellent photography book. It is well written and imformative for the novice to the professional. You will find only the highest quality work throughout the book. It covers everything from black and white to color picture taking to final print development. The hundreds of photographs that illustrate each aspect of photography are beautiful. I highly recommend this book to everyone. ... Read more

Book Description

The J. Paul Getty Museum holds nearly 1,200 prints by master photographer Walker Evans, spanning four decades of his professional life.Many of them have never before been published.This catalogue brings together all of the museum's material on Evans.Included are images both familiar, such as his photographs of tenant farmers in the 1930s, and unfamiliar, such as those he made in Florida in the 1940s and his very late Polaroid studies from the 1970s. Judith Keller's lively text provides essential background on the major phases of Evans's artistic development. In the wealth of biographical and bibliographical information assembled here, even the reader well acquainted with Evans's work will find much that is new.Walker Evans: Catalogue of the Collection immediately becomes one of the essential studies of this American master's long and influential career. ... Read more

Book Description

Horst P. Horst's images are the essence of elegance. Glamorous and sexy, they capture the celebrity and style of the 20th century. In this, the first book devoted specifically to Horst's portraits, 170 full-page photographs immortalize the actors and artists, designers and models, royalty and socialites who sat for him during his 60-year career. Coco Chanel, Joan

Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Gertrude Stein, Salvador Dalí, Steve McQueen, Noël Coward, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Calvin Klein are just a few of those pictured. Culled from private collections as well as from the archives of American, British, and French Vogue, a number have never before been published.

Horst Portraits includes an informative introduction, extensive notes on both the subjects and the sittings, and a complete chronology.
150 photographs, 130 in duotone and 20 in full color, 212 pages, 9 x 11" ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Elegant, Stylized Classical Portraiture
Horst P. Horst was at the top of his game as a photographer for a career that spanned 60 years. The key to his appeal lies in a sound foundation in portraiture composition of the sort that the great painting masters used. To this, he added echoes of form, sensuous light and shadow, and a frequent ability to catch people at their best. While I find his faces often over or under lit for my taste, this book contains dozens of virtually flawless images that you will cherish. One of the nice elements of the book is that Mr. Horst was adept at color photography, as well as black-and-white. The book contains 130 duotone images and 20 in full color. His subjects are usually actors, models, fashion designers, and artists. The three Vogues (American, British, and French) were his most frequent employers. The volume is greatly improved by an introduction that explains how his career developed and his relationship with other photographers and magazine editors. I thought the detailed captions for the photographs were very interesting and impressive, giving the volume a depth that most fine photography books lack. The quality of the book, paper, reproduction, and design are all superb. This show will open in Boston in mid-October, and I plan to see it then!

Here are a few of my favorite images: Noel Coward, 1933; Coco Chanel, 1937; Deanna Durbin, 1936; Ethel Waters, 1939; Lud, 1938; Janet Gaynor and her husband Adrian, 1940; Merle Oberon, 1942; Salvador Dali, 1943; Muriel Maxwell, 1940; Loretta Young, 1943; Lisa Foussagrives, 1940; Gloria Vanderbilt, 1941; Carmen Dell'Orefice, 1947; Lady Diana Cooper, 1946; Rita Hayworth, 1947; Tallulah Bankhead, 1940s; Carlos Chavez, 1946; Irving Penn, 1951; Lucie Bose, 1952; Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and her sister Lee Radziwell, 1955; Maria Callas, 1952; Franco Zeffirelli, 1964; W.H. Auden, 1970; Diana Vreeland, 1979; Kerry Harper, 1980; Duran Duran, 1986; and Catherine Bailey, 1989.

After you examine these thoughtful portraits, ask yourself what you want to learn from a portrait. Personality? Occupation? Habits? Relationships? Beliefs? Soul?

Exude your desire to connect and help others . . . so they will turn to you for aid!

... Read more

Book Description

With the words of the great English poet in mind, contemporary photographer Barbara Bordnick has embarked on her own intimate reading of Nature, one that reveals the world of flowers to possess an abundance of secrets in the form of shapes, textures, and colors of deep and mesmerizing allure.Once smitten, Bordnick confesses, "I became enveloped and absorbed by the indescribable color, the surprising twists, the curls, and the artful reaches of their bodies - their secret landscape." Indeed we see that close up, a flower, or even just a detail of one, has an almost mystical power to consume one's attention and imagination. As small and as contained as they are, their unique combinations of textures, patterns, and colors reflect a vast, inviting universe - one filled with moments of intimate encounter, where something eternal feels glimpsed. Searchings is one photographer's personal journey to record these moments. With each of her images, Bordnick quietly underscores the unlimited nature and form of flowers, while celebrating their unique and exquisite beauty. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Unbelievable Beauty
This book by Barbara Bordnick is the most extraordinary work of photography I, as well as the other members of my family, have ever seen. The pictures absolutely defy description. It is truly remarkable artwork by an obviously remarkable photographer. This is a "must" gift for any friend or family member.

Breathtaking
This book defies description...one must buy it to truly understand what flowers can mean in all of their various contexts. I've given the book to my family and friends and received very similiar responses....WOW. Even a 5 year old little girl named Sofia wants to buy one to give to her teacher as a gift at the end of the school year. She thinks it is the most beautiful book she has ever seen in "her whole life". You must have this book on your coffee table!

Magnificent Beauty
I purchased Barbara Bordnick's book as a gift for a family member. The book is absolutely breathtaking in its beauty and presentation of flowers in photographs. It is hard to believe you are looking at photographs and not paintings. I strongly recommend this book particularly as a gift for a family member or loved one. The price for a book of this quality is quite attractive. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When David Doubilet was a child, he photographed swimmers in the waters off of New Jersey. Water Light Time is a collection of images that capture the underwater magnificence that seized the photographer's imagination in childhood and spurred a lifelong fascination. Underwater plant life floating like snakes, bright blue water filled with schools of silver fish, a diver immersed in a throng of bubbling yellow jellyfish, a close-up of pink and white sea anemones looking all the world like a floating bouquet of flowers--each image in this book is exquisitely photographed with preternaturally clear colors, full of detail and depth. Some images toy with perspective, creating surreal tableaux as a crustacean leg pokes out of the yellow-green water to appear almost as large as a nearby tree.

With a career that started as a National Geographic photographer in 1972, Doubilet has a lifetime of experience from which to make such a marvelous meditation on this otherworld that is vaguely familiar to most readers only through pictures and visits to aquariums. Doubilet captures what must surely be his own awe at the uniqueness of being a human in this nonhuman environment, and the reader can marvel at both the lushness of life in the water and at the beauty of the photographs themselves, which dominate almost all of the book's 240 pages. --Jennifer Cohen ... Read more

Reviews (18)

The most impressive ocean imagery book I`ve ever seen
This book is really IMPRESSIVE.
It is an oversized,full color photo book about the ocean realm.
David Doubilet revolutionized UW photography in 1989 with "Light in the Sea",which was a remarkable book. This is like a sequel book,released ten years later,which is even more remarkable.
Because it is so huge,it is usually too broad for most book cases. Therefore,I have it laying in my bookcase,instead of standing.
The book is introduced with a story of Doubilet`s life and how he came in contact with the underwater world.
Every picture is worth a thousand words,but I have got some favorites among them.
One is a picture of a tuna skeleton,which is very unusual - a tuna that has met a natural death,not captured by man. The stingray pictures (one of them the cover pic),are also very remarkable,and truly portrays the grace and beauty of these magnificent but dangerous animals.
The black and white photos of Sea lions and Mantas are also spectacular,and in b/w,they become even more artistic.
The enormous schools of Jellyfish are also rather impressive. There are many good pictures of sharks in this book,especially white-tipped reef sharks and an incredible picture which truly portrays how fearsome a 20-foot great white really is,when throwing it`s jaws against the cage.
There are also some ultraviolet photos of corals,which are quite spectacular too. And so are the scorpionfish pictures,especially of the Rhinopias,which is the most well-camouflaged fish in the world.
And there are so many more,which would take an entire book to mention. As my review cannot be that long,you`ll have to buy the book for yourself and find out what the other images are.
The book perfectly captures the beauty,mystery,danger,and wonder of our oceans,with a varied library of images. It is quite inspiring,and my stories "The Magic Shell",which are about marine animals,will partly be based on the look of these habitats and animals. It really makes your fantasies lift off. Just open the book and look at the intro picture of a sardine school beneath the waves. It will blow you away!

Doubilet -- The Underwater Picasso
After flipping through the book once, I was stunned at Doubilet's ability to capture the art that abounds under the sea. I've seen many of the images in National Geographic, but I've never lingered over them like I do in this book. Although the sea is filled with light and shadow and color, I think his most stunning photos are in black and white. They capture an almost etherial emotion and reduce the images to simple forms of light and contrast. I feel that this is Doubilet's Magnum Opus, and perhaps solidifies his position as the great underwater photographer of our time. Buy the book, study the photos, read the captions and dream of diving in some of the most beautiful places on earth.

An adventure all on its own
The pictures are amazing. You feel like you are diving with Doubilet only he lets you see things that you may never find on your own. I would definately recommend this book to anyone!!

Day Dream your way into new worlds looking at these photos
You'll feel a profound sense of wonder as you wander the depths of these pages. There is joy, and there is sadness. The world is an amazing place, and this life's work capturing part of it on film will transport you up and out of yourself. Wafting through the views is like taking a vacation. You will come back changed.

Transcendency
This is a stunningly beautiful book. David Doubilet has broken a visual barrier, between water and earth. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nearly every one of the 500 black-and-white pictures in this book is a miraculous blend of composition and content, placing photographer Elliott Erwitt right up there with the other postwar, 20th-century masters of moment and meaning. Erwitt writes in his introduction, "This is not a book of dog pictures but of dogs in pictures." It is the photograph that counts, above and beyond its subject, for the photographer of genius. But Erwitt is bound to be called a sentimentalist because he photographs dogs, whom we, in our species-centric way, tend to think of as, well, animals. If Erwitt proves anything, however, it is that our close relationship with these furry fellow travelers is due to mutual resemblance. There is a Native American myth that when the world was created, a great fissure began to split the earth. Humans were caught on one side of the chasm, animals on the other. The dog, however, seeing the gap widen, leaped across to the human side, where he has been ever since. This book captures the pleasures of our loyal, dependent friends, as well as their sorrows and disappointment when they are forced to adapt to human callousness, neglect, or even love. Erwitt sees the dignity of the ankle-high Chihuahua; the anxiety of the homeless hound; the smugness of the adored dachshund, sitting on its chaise longue in the noonday sun; the patience of the pom-pommed poodle; and the gormless joy of a homely but well-loved pug. In his vast range of emotion, and in his easygoing but precise mastery of the abstract elements of composition, Elliott Erwitt has made himself the Cartier-Bresson of the canine world. --Peggy Moorman ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great pictures, with dogs
Without a doubt this is a collection of great photos of dogs (820 dogs, in 512 pages - also horses, pigs, cows, cats, and many people) taken over many years and in many countries.

It appears to be wordless; the photographs begin on page one, and there is no text or even a frontispiece before them. If you dig a little, you will find that in fact, buried deep in the middle of this book are two choice bones: an essay, "My Dog Days," by Erwitt, and P. G. Wodehouse's "About My Friends," an appreciation of Elliott Erwitt and of dogs, in Erwitt's words, " easy, uncomplaining targets." Wodehouse traces his own colorful history of dog-owning with warmth and dry humor. Whereas Erwitt writes that "with dogs, as with love affairs, the first and the last are most vivid," Wodehouse seems to vividly remember many more than a couple of dogs.

Wodehouse is convincing, for example, in his assertion that Aberdeen terriers are so "full of the Calvinistic spirit that it is impossible for an ordinary erring human being not to feel ill at ease in their presence." He loves dogs, (some more than others), he doesn't apologize for it, and asks, finally, for "a standing ovation to all dogs," which is precisely what this terrific little book delivers.

A tender, touching book of beautiful dogs in pictures.
I adore this book, and carry it around with me. It cheers me up, when people get me down, just to look at the beauty of these animals in different situations. Dogs are wonderful, and Erwitt has an amazing ability to capture them in photographs. A picture book for the dog lover - you will love it! Great for browsing through when standing in line somewhere, riding, or just relaxing. It's my favorite "pick-me-up" and a perfect gift for any dog lover.

Great Street, also
Not only is this a great book for someone who loves dogs, but it just has some great street photography in general. Personally, I love the mass quanities of photographs. Whenever I look through a book by Cartier-Bresson (or anyone else, for that matter) I always want to see what else he shot besides what ultimately made it into the book. Someday, I hope someone will publish a book of contact sheets, and this is close to doing that.

a sweet little book
this is a sweet little (inexpensive) book of dogs. there are around 500 photos in this collection, which is why i only gave it three stars. erwitt should have culled through the photos a bit more. because of the sheer quantity of pictures in this collection, you have an over-abundance of mediocre and "average" shots, and a few bad ones. but there are many good phtots in this collection, but i think the book would have been strnoger if erwitt had cut it back to a hundred (or less) photos.

Univerally Canine
This collection is overwhelming in its enormity - there are many wonderful photos - an embarassment of riches. The fact that these photos were taken over 50 years and all over the globe is inspiring and humbling at the same time. I would have given it 5 stars but it's not edited concisely enough to REALLY have a consistent point of view. Sometimes "more" is NOT necessarily "better"!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Terrific
Great book for anybody interested in Penn's wor ... Read more

Book Description

No Western photographer is as intimately acquainted with China as Yann Layma, who speaks Chinese and has spent nine years working there over the course of a 20-year career. Layma's reportage of this vast country is extraordinarily complete: he portrays city and country; traditional customs and the shock of modernity; and every aspect of public and private life. His style is personal and poetic, and he is alive to nuances of gesture and expression. From the classical architecture of the Great Wall to the skyscrapers of up-to-the minute Shanghai, he captures the essence of one of the world's great nations.

With an introduction by Layma and five essays by highly regarded writers-including Dai Sijie, author of the celebrated novel Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress-China is the most significant and comprehensive visual book on its subject to be published in our time. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A masterpiece!!
This is clearly a labor of love. Most of the photos are printed centerfold style across both pages and bled to the edge. Each of these photos deserves to be displayed this way. The captions are in a separate section at the back of the book. This forces you study the photo without surrendering to the superficial urge to have someone explain what you're looking at. The subtle detail, the awesome colors, light and shading, the absolutely incredible eye of this photographer are truly amazing. The text is as descriptive, informative and creative as the photos. I've sat for hours at a time with this book and look forward to studying it for many hours more. This book is giving me a whole new perspective for first trip to China this summer. For anyone who wants to glimpse the heart of China this is a "must have".

take a look
for me purchasing this book of photos was a gamble. i did not get a chance to flip through the various pages before taking it home with me. and for the first time i came out a winner. this hercules sized book holds various themes. for those who lived in china or been there, would find nostalgia as you turn the crisp pages. for those who never been to china, looking through this book would be a vacation all its own. the author not only tackles the traditional scenes but also the present. as describes above this book was a compilation of 20+ years of a journey throughout china. enjoy!

the only frown was the order of the captions. i felt that it should of been put in the order in which the picture was taken. other than that, it's great.

Spectacular photography
This is physically a huge book, very big and very heavy. It is a collection of spectacular photographs of China, plus some very interesting and informative writings. I saw it first in a friend's house, and thought it must cost a fortune. The price quoted in Amazon is amazing low.
After lugging it around my living room, I only wish there is a DVD version so that I can look at all the photos on my big computer screen and set up a folder of my own favorites. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Aloof and powerful, the once endangered bald eagle is slowly making a comeback, ecologically speaking, throughout much of North America, to which it is unique. For the last two decades wildlife photographer John Pezzenti has been recording this reversal of fortunes, traveling where the eagles do and bringing home images from his travels, some 150 of which are gathered in this volume. Many of Pezzenti's striking views come from the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, home to a huge concentration of bald eagles; some 20,000 nesting pairs are found in the region, nourished by silver salmon and other large fish. Pezzenti captures images of little-seen aspects of eagle behavior, including courtship flights that involve several males, who compete to mate with a female by exhibiting an "impressive display of calls and acrobatic maneuvers." He also provides the only photographic record yet published of eagles hatching in the wild, a sequence that alone is worth the price of the book. While noting that conditions are much improved, especially after the federal ban of the use of the pesticide DDT, Pezzenti observes that bald eagles are not yet wholly safe from harm; a thriving black market for flight feathers exists, in which a single white tail plume can bring a thousand dollars. For admirers of this spectacular raptor, Pezzenti's book is required reading. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (6)

without exception
John Pezzenti has the nobility of an eagle...the stamina of a panther and the endurance of an owl intent on it's foe. He is beyond any human explanation of what a photograher should or could ever aspire to be. When I experience his photograghs I am transformed to the reality that all mankind could benifit from his example. We are but players in the realm of a wonderous life cycle...not within our command but certainly within our protection. Thank You John for your gift and sharing it!

Pezzenti brilliantly captures spirit of American Eagle!
Prepare yourself for another exhilarating adventure by one of wildlife photography's most talented photojournalists. John Pezzenti, Jr. has the unique ability to take his reader on a journey filled with fascinating tales and unparalleled photographs. In the American Eagle Pezzenti brilliantly captures the very essence and spirit of an American treasure - the powerful and majestic bald eagle - photographed by many but rarely to such perfection. Depicting the bald eagle in every conceivable situation, Pezzenti begins his photographic journey from the Florida Everglades through picturesque New England and northwest to Alaska - his home territory. I thoroughly enjoyed Pezzenti's engaging stories and portrayals of the dedicated eagle protectors across America who work tirelessly toward the survival of this magnificent bird. The photos alone make The American Eagle a "must have" for anyone with an adventurous spirit and a love of America's national treasure. Once again, Pezzenti has proven himself to be one of wildlife's finest photographers working in the field today.

Stunningly beautiful images!
Not long ago I sat with John Pezzenti Jr. in his beat up Suburban that he uses for nature photography as rain pounded upon the roof. John showed me a pre-release copy of his newest book, American Eagle. My 13 year old nephew from California looked over my shoulder as I turned each page, stunned by the breadth and depth of John's photographic coverage of this symbol of America. To say this is a remarkable book is an under statement. My nephew summed up how magnificant this book is when we were driving back home. "John's pictures are amazing," Shane said. "I'm going to start saving today so I can buy that book when it comes out!"

Truely remarkable!
Wow!! From the time you see the cover, you are completely riveted to the spectacular images contained within the pages of this incredible effort. John has captured on film the story of the Bald Eagle like no other. From birth to adolescence, maturity and death Jonh's stunning images ( many never before photographed behavior)have given us the rare opportunity to glimpse into the world of this magnificent bird. The pages take you across the country illustrating the plight of the eagle, as well as conservation efforts to re-establish it throughout its traditional range. Each photograph illustrates John's dedication, passion and incredible ability. I look forward to seeing more from this extremely talented man. I highly recommend this book to all. Congratulations John, continue your groundbreaking work!

ONCE AGAIN, PEZZENTI'S WORK SECOND TO NONE
Finally, a book on our nation's icon that does not bore you to death in thirty seconds with facts and statistics. Instead, the information is laid in and between the personal and heart-warming stories of biologists, scientists, and unique people that are responsible for our eagle's return. The narrative, although short, gives us the true reasons the Bald Eagle is back and repopulating our skies. In relationship to Mr. Pezzenti's photography, it is clear that he is not only unparalleled in his field, but has taken nature photography to a new level. He is without a doubt, second to none.

After reviewing an advanced copy five times, my mind still could not absorb the imagery of Bald Eagles in this book. How on earth does Pezzenti capture not only eagles fighting in mid-air, but the multitude of eagle photos with clarity, precision, and artistic appeal? Impossible! As a naturalist and nature lover, I believe that Mr. Pezzenti would be hard-pressed to duplicate his Alaska book (actually, no one ever will). But his American Eagle certainly runs a close second. I love this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Expanded from an earlier catalogue of the same title, Still Time accompanied a traveling exhibition featuring more than twenty years of Sally Mann's photography.

Still Time celebrates an artist whose acute perceptions and imagination embrace not only the photographs of children for which she is renowned, but also earlier landscapes, and the unexpected, compelling forays into color and abstract photography.

The sixty images include abstract platinum prints, Cibachromes and Polaroids, landscapes, portraits of women and twelve-year-olds, and her celebrated family pictures.
... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not nearly as good as Immediate Family
I bought both "Still Time" and "Immediate Family" sight unseen after seeing her new book "What Remains". "Still Time" is a compilation of works from various periods. It is easy to see her promise, and there are some nice photographs. Her progress is interesting. But she really hits her stride when she photographs her children in "Immediate Family". Some of the early shots in "Still Time" seem sort of concocted and overdone-until the photos from "Immediate Family" which are breathtaking. Save your money and buy "Immediate Family".

After meeting Mann, the book was made more magical.
I am an English/photography teacher at a high school in southside Virginia. I had always been a fan of Sally's work and used this book as a teaching tool in my classroom. The way Mann has captured the human form and the "inner workings" of something as private as her family is breath taking in the flawless medium of black and white photography. I had an opportunity to meet her and after explaining to her how her book was used to inspire my students, she happily signed my copy of the book (my students went wild when when they saw her signature)! ... Read more

Book Description

In photographs taken over the past 60 years, Irving Penn brings his astute and austere eye to the venerable still life tradition. From his innovative ongoing work for the editorial pages of Vogue to the harsher personal work of his later years, which explores the visual intrigue of such inconsequential objects as street trash, bones, and cigarette butts, Penn has created images that have a wit, simplicity, and edginess that set his work apart. Penn has personally overseen every detail of this exquisite book's design and production. Still Life is certain to be one of the most powerful photography books of the new century. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

What's in a name?
This book should be titled "Food Photography and other Commercial Assignments" or "The Sixty-dollar Disappointment" or even, "How to make Money off of things I already got paid for.""Still-Life" is misleading as it indicates an artistic level this book does not attain to. If you're into Advertising photography, Penn is unique and often humorous but if you're looking for images to challenge you or reflect on, you will be disappointed, as was I. As for his personal work in this book, the question is, how many skulls and cigarettes do you want to look at? My personal opinion is, if you do something like that, do it, do it well, and move on.In short, most are sharp, well-lit, and well-printed but shallow, like most Advertising.

Classic Penn
Irving Penn has been making still life photographs for many decades, and this collection is a good representation of his work. Elegant black and white compositions of the 1940s,detailed groupings since the 1980s, and his in-your-face color that we see frequently in Vogue today, there is some of everything. My only complaint is this: I would like to see more of his ads for Clinique. Only two are reproduced here. There are hundreds more, and most are more interesting that the two selected for this book.

This is good but nothing new
Irving Penn is a great photographer and these images are wonderful. If you own other Irving Penn books, you probably have seen most of these. There's nothing wrong with mining old images and putting them in a book, but this is getting a little crazy.
Great images but if you have his other books, save you're money. If you want, you can buy me presents if the stuff is burning a hole in your pocket.

More for the Canon
A great achievement by the publishers, Little Brown, who are demonstrating committment to Penn's work with terrific reproductions and presentations of his work in this and the previous book devoted to the photographer's collaborations with Issey Miyake. Penn's still life work is an intriguing mixture of idiosyncatic, almost hermetic 'personal' photographs and his magazine work, mostly for Vogue. The range of subjects in the former category is diverse, from street trash to minimalist steel block constructions to animal skulls. The latter is similarly diverse, within the confines of the editorial demands of a glossy magazine. Stated simply, no-one does it better. When Penn trains his mind and eyes on a subject, it is made uniquely his own. These are works to ponder, not only because of their formal beauty, but also for the larger implications of people, objects and their inherent transience. John Szarkowski contributes his usual eloquent and generous prose in this very desirable book. Highly recommended for fans of Irving Penn and fine photography, old and new. ... Read more

Book Description

"To what extent can we love the developing American West? We know the urgency of that question because bitterness has sometimes made us exiles.~My first attempt to describe the region in a book (The New West, 1974) omitted pictures that might have helped. I am grateful now to be able to reproduce them. They record a geography that is still in some respects characteristic, one where we could do better but where the rest is faultless.~At about the time I took the pictures I read an interview with Raoul Coutard, Jean-Luc Godard's cameraman. In it Coutard noted with gratitude that 'daylight has an inhuman faculty for always being perfect.' It is one of the mercies, I believe, by which each of us is allowed to live."--Robert Adams, from Commercial/Residential Hardcover, 9 x 8 in./43 pgs / 0 color 0 BW0 duotone 40 Tritone~ Item D20170 ... Read more

Book Description

American photographer Terry Richardson has been called the "magazine world's Marquis de Sade." His photographs of friends and models in raucous abandon manage to achieve a delicate balance between the raw, spontaneous, and fun loving, and the poignant and very personal. Richardson began his career in 1990 with a series documenting New York's East Village undergound scene and, since the mid 1990's, has been working predominantly as a fashion photographer. His sizzling images have appeared in the pages of I-D, French Vogue and Harper's Bazaar as well as in campaigns for Gucci, Sisley and Armani Exchange. Books of Richardson's photographs include Too Much (2002), Feared by Men, Desired by Women (2001), Son of Bob (1999) and Hysteric Glamour (1996). ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Similar to David Parker's work.
Just a collection of thoughts: The original photographs are phenomenal, about 8 feet by 8 feet square. They truly should be exhibited along with the huge landscapes of David Parker, about 12 feet by four feet, which also feature natural arches in the landscape. Lynn Davis' original prints are subdued and of grade one or grade two contrast. (I'd prefer printing on grade three paper.) Lynn Davis has been doing icebergs for a long, long time. I notice that one of her iceberg photos, a color print from 1986, appears in the catalogue "The Indomitable Spirit" published by Friends United Against AIDS. What is missing from the book being reviewed is her most interesting recent landscape print, which can be seen on the card from the November 2001 exhibition at the John Berggruen Gallery. The print on the card is of a dramatic grade 3 contrast. This exciting print features an iceberg in the top left quadrant, with a dramatic inverted arch on the top surface of the ice, a nice reflection of the iceberg in the water appearing between the berg and the viewer, a thin horizon line consisting of a distant ice cliff, and in the sky, an archlike shape in the gentle cloudcover that roughly duplicates (or continues) the arch "scooped out" from the top of the berg. How excited the photographer must have been when she made the exposure. Too bad this print isn't in the book. Too bad the prints in the book are of low contrast. It is interesting that David Parker's book, "The Phenomenal World," also omits the most exciting image from David Parker's exhibition (from the Robert Koch Gallery), i.e., an arch extending from a cliff and into the ocean, with a tiny human figure standing under the arch.Both Lynn Davis' and David Parker's books would go well together, side-by-side on your art book shelf, if only as a reminder to go and see the original prints when they are on exhibit at a nearby art gallery.

The Power of the Sublime Image
Photographer Lynn Davis is one of the best living artists working today.Lynn has an amazingly rich quality in her work which is often simple in format.A purist's take on architectural, monumental sites, and naturalwonders.Her subject moves from nature to the sacred, as her travels havetaken her to places such as Greenland, Africa, Cambodia, etc.This book isa most suitable document for a very important contemporary photographer.

Lynn Davis=good photographs
Lynn Davis does a wonderful job with her book.I have also had the pleasure to view her work in life, and it is wonderful.I would say thatLynn Davis has an obsession with form.The shape of the monuments seemmore important than the monument itself.When I look at some of herpyramids, I forget that what I am looking at is a pyramid as wonder aboutthe forms and shapes in the photograph.I think some of her work has aminimal quality to it and others have very interesting compositions.Oneof my favorites:"Red Pyramid, Dashur, Cairo, Egypt."

A vivid and penetrating and unique look at the world.
Lynn Davis' photographs are some of the most breathtaking that I have ever seen.They capture the essence of places so deeply that you feel not onlyas if you were there, tangibly, but as if you are seeing them with bettereyes than your own.

Poor reproduction
I have collected photography books for years and have been thrilled with the improvements in reproduction especially with black and white images. This book however looks as if it was printed in the 50's. One can only hopethat the originals are better than the reproductions. The subject matterhas a nice theme but I could not get past the poor print quality to eventry and determine if I liked the subject matter. ... Read more