Book Description

When our perennial bestseller, Women Before 10 a.m. first made waves in bookstores worldwide, many of the women in Veronique Vial'spresciently delectable collection of portraits - Julia Stiles, Reese Witherspoon, Angelina Jolie, Milla Jovovich, Denise Richards, Laetitia Casta, Julianne Moore and Salma Hayek, among others - were up-and-coming celebrities.Now these fabulous femmes are the trendsetting stars of pop culture, making waves of their own.This deliciously intimate collection of portraits features some of the most captivating beauties and dynamic personalities in entertainment.Caught in the act of sleeping, snuggling, promping, canoodling, dressing, eating, smoking, bathing, parenting, or waking up are today's sexiest and most sought-after actresses, models, artists, and celebrities.Now in paperback, Women Before 10 a.m. meets its mate, Men Before 10 a.m. Too, launching our Veronique Vial franchise, Before 10 a.m., which will explore a multitude of faces and facets of pop culture.Stay tuned for the next release in this series, slated for 2002. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Candid Shots of Sleepyheads and Fast Starters
The concept of this book was to shoot candid photographs of women doing their normal activities in the morning, following on the successful book done with men in the morning. The purpose was to get the real person behind the polished facade of the famous. Ms. Vial wanted to see "raw, real, natural . . . no makeup, no posing, I wanted their souls." Each photograph was done without additional lighting and was based on a few candid rolls. The book notes the time when the photograph was taken in most cases. Most are from 7 to 10 a.m. The images catch the subjects in bed (alone, and with pets, a mom, children, and men), bathing, showering, with kids, wearing robes, wearing no robes, dressing, exercising, smoking (too many of these), brushing their teeth, drying their hair, putting on make up, having coffee, meditating, making breakfast, eating breakfast, and even working. The concept works best for those who are still half conked-out while they are being photographed, and those who are not professional models. The bright-eyed professional models look just as great as they would on any fashion shoot. It's testimony to their talent for posing without direction. The book contains lots of notes about the subjects, both written in calligraphy and in printed captions at the end of the book. The book would have been a lot better with much more editing. Many of the images add little, other than to make the people look bad. Some of these women looked like they were coming off an all-night drunk or a drug-based party.

The images here would often earn the book an R rating if it were a motion picture. There is total nudity in some cases, but of the modest sort.

A major drawback to doing candid shots in available light is that many of the images end up looking like semi mug shots, because the light was so poor. I feel that more of these should have been eliminated.

The brief foreword by Sean Penn didn't do anything for me. I suggest you skip it.

One of the touching photographs in the collection is of Demi Moore in bed with her dying mother.

Other touching images include mothers playing with their children, pregnant woman struggling with their temporary girth, and women with their pets.

Despite the limitations of the book, I liked many of the photographs either because they did give a window on the soul or because the woman was just so beautiful or interesting that she overcame the circumstances of the photography.

Here are my favorites: Reese Witherspoon; Helena Christensen; Uschi Obermaier; Julia Stiles; Laetitia Casta (7:17 a.m. and under water); Ingrid Seynhaere; Emily Watson; Mia Kirshner (2); Sophis and Tess Medina; Charlotte Flossant; Amanda De Cadenet; Emma Thompson (2nd one); Dyan Cannon; Frederique van der Wal (2); Diane Warren; Eileen Ryan Penn; Debbie Morgan; Sofia Coppola; Sigourney Weaver (2); Joely Fisher; Lisa Marie; Lumi Cavazos; Angie Everhart; Cheryl Tiegs (2); Gina Gershon; Lois Chiles; Jennifer Beals; and Emmanuelle Sallet.

After you finish enjoying this book, I suggest that you do your own version of this photography with the people in your family. Get them at various times in the day when they are at their most open. It will make a wonderful scrapbook!

Find the natural person behind the prepared mask and response, . . . and cherish them!

GREAT
I LOVE THE BOOK... IT IS A COMBINATION OF GREAT ART AND ENTERTAINMENT!

beautiful!! and full of life
I normally don't like to write these reviews, I feel art and music are such subjective experiences, you really need to check it out for yourself. But I had to say that this was a very beautiful book. Its an intimate view into a world, most of us men rarely get to be a part of, especially living in such a fast paced world. Veronique Vial captures these passing moments, tip toeing her way through the homes of some well known and before-they-were-famous woman. All the more reason to appreciate this book. Being a photographer, I can also appreciate the clean straight forward layout, that really shows off her great work. Her previous Men Before Ten am, I found too dark and over designed. Its hard to compare the two, because of the subject, but the printing on Women is superior and it has brighter and livelier feel. Her photographs really capture the moment, which is what great photography is all about.

I would compare her to the likes of the great Magnum photographers like, Bresson, Bruce Davidson, Elliot Erwitt. Her ability to capture the "life" in her subjects and "the moment" shows through in these photographs and her other work (see O Cirque du Soleil).

I gave five of these as gifts to woman friends and they loved and enjoyed this book, seeing themselves captured in these beautiful moments.

Before 10am
I like this book alot, I love b&w pics, I feel that the ladies are not being completely natural for as soon as they open their eyes they see someone with a camera. Great pics though.

Intimate and lovely
I love portraits. I like to see how complex and how powerful and how beautiful we can be as humans. I love to histories and hopes etched into people's faces and bodies. _Women Before 10 A.M._ successfully and repeatedly evoked these kinds of powerful emotions in me. I would have bought it at twice the price. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Technically perfect and artistically peerless
American steam railroading should go down in history as the most evocative and romantic aspect of the industrial age. Winston Link understood what was happening during the 1950s, and he took care of it. Times were changing, the cheapness of the airplane and automobile were replacing the steam railroad with its giant fire breathing behemoths--indeed the most 'human-like' machines, in my opinion. Link primarly photographed at night using indepedent flashbulbs and reflectors; this way he could control the lighting. This makes his images haunting, yet nastolgic and desirable.

My favorite shot in this book is titled "Highball for the Double Header", one of the last images Link photographed of the railroad, and one of the few in which he used color film at night. In it you witness his mastery for composition as well as symbolism: two articulated steam locomotives being given the all clear by a switchman's lantern, the man being dwarfed by the giant engines and their cloud of steam reaching far up into the night sky--all perfectly illuminated by Link's flashbulbs. A fitting end to Link's oeuvre.

Get this book, you won't be disappointed. Check out the new museum dedicated to his work in Roanoke: www.linkmuseum.org

A Book of Masterpieces
O. Winston Link, in my opinion, was the best train photographer that ever lived. He knew where to aim the light, how much light to have, and the best places to take photos. Most of Link's photos are taken at night, which enhances view of the massive amount of pure white steam.

This book defines nostalgia more than clearly. Being a railroad and steam locomotive enthusiast myself, I dream about the living in pictures that Link took. In the book, Thomas Garver, one of Link's assistants, illustrates the sounds, details, and reasons for the trains being where they are in each photo.

The Norfolk & Western was the last major railroad in the U.S. to say "good-bye" to steam power. When Link heard of the inevitable decision, he immediately began to "document" the railroad as it was before steam was gone. From about 1955 to 1958, he spent countless hours taking thousands of photos of the steam engines on the N&W. "The Last Steam Railroad in America" brings out some of the best photos he ever took.

I like the photos in this book that pertain to the "Abingdon Branch" of the N&W. I used to live in Damascus, VA, a small town that was one of the major stops on this line. The railroad bed is now a bike trail and I have found every spot that Link stood at in order to take his photos of the Abingdon Branch.

I highly recommend "The Last Steam Railroad in America" to any train enthusiast, photographer, or anyone who has memories of a steam locomotive roaring by their home. It will always have a special place on my bookshelf.

Filled with nostalgia and great photos of mighty machines
I'm far from an expert on railroading, but I still get nostalgic looking at all these great photographs. "The Last Steam Railroad in America" was an impulse buy from an art museum primarily because the title caught my eye and I am a big fan of black and white photography (historical or otherwise). Yes, the pictures are fantastic, and I was even pleasantly surprised with the reading.

Winston Link was a fine photographer who took it upon himself to document the last years of steam railroading by traveling the Norfolk & Western Railway routes in the 1950's. His project started with nighttime b/w photos, and later expanded to daytime b/w's and color photos. His work has made it to numerous museums and art collections, and it's easy to see why: the photographs in this book are stupendous.

Mr. Link had a kind of "photographic vision" that produced something interesting to admire in virtually every photo he published. I'd call every one in this book a work of art. In addition to portraying the "machines," the human element has a strong presence as well, from those who toiled for N&W, to those who are shown just watching the trains go by. Their faces will forever be a part of Mr. Link's chronicling of steam railroading. The color photography has some amazingly striking depictions of rural scenes, almost to the point of making the train a welcome denizen of the countryside.

Thomas H. Garver provided the text, both the biographical documentation of Mr. Link's photographic/artistic endeavors and the captions supporting the illustrations (over 150). Photo historians will enjoy the former; Americana buffs will love the latter.

It's our history!
The reason this book is especially special is a picture of my husband's father and little brother found on page 75. The photography is wonderful and brings back so many memories for some older folks here. The Virginia Creeper came through our county so this is a piece of our history.
And that is why I am ordering another one for a family member.
Thank you

A Rare Masterpiece
Link is to his corner of history as Atget was to Paris. He knew what he wanted and went about photographing it his way and created a body of work nobody could anticipate and which nobody will attempt to match. His work should be part of contemporarly art history curriculum, as an example of the best personal statements made with a camera. This book is not about trains but about art. It is perhaps a narrative poem about some trains. There is nothing new about the subject matter and technically the photographs are just as good as they need to be, no more. The same could be said of Walker Evans, Atget, Hine, Nixon and others who have made their marks by their direct personal vision and complete "ownership" of their subjects. If you are a photographer, you should buy the book just to remind you of how far you have to go before you've done anything unique of lasting value. Give this book to a kid with imagination and you may start something. I watched a bunch of 7th graders at a show of Link's prints and they immediately caught on that the work isn't about trains but about dedication to an idea and the art of project management. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hungarian photographer André Kertész eventually became famous for his wryly poetic images of everyday life. But achieving that distinction was a long slog, and Kertész--who emigrated to Paris in 1925and New York in 1936--struggled for decades in near-obscurity and despair. Andre Kertész traces the artist's career with an engaging text and 250 exquisitely reproduced black-and-white photographs that span his long career.Throughout, he used his camera to create a visual diary of his life—haunting images suffused with a loner's sensibility. As a young man imbued with the romantic ideals of Hungarian nationalism, he photographed his handsome brother Jeno as Icarus, his exultant body silhouetted against the sky. Unable to find work after returning from the battlefields of World War I, Kertész tried his luck in Paris. It was the best move of his life. The City of Light was hungry for photographers to fill the new illustrated magazines. Avant-garde painters and sculptors opened up a new world of experimentation that prompted Kertész to photograph a series of female nudes seen in a funhouse mirror. And the new, lightweight Leica camera enabled him to snap scenes on the sly—a bum inspecting his toes on the banks of the Seine or a legless flower seller trying to tempt a passerby.

Book Description

Reviews (10)

Greatest Living Photographer
Salgado is without a doubt the greatest photographer alive today. His pictures are like paintings in black and white, where he has taken the light and applied it with a paint-brush as if he were Rembrandt or Caravaggio. He is that good.

But you must also take a step back at some point and remember what it is you are seeing: misery and suffering and depravity on a unbelievable scale.

And that is the tension within Salgado's work and the source of the criticism of much of his work.

His photographs of the Brazilian gold mines are unforgettable and feel as if you were witnessing something biblical. His photograph of the refugees in the Sudan, starving huddled under a tree with the sun streaking in behind them is a painting, of unparrelled mastery of light and shadow and raw human misery. His photograph of the a mother bouncing a her baby girl on her lab in a refugee camp for victims of Rawandan's genocide, the steam rising from the pot next to them, the sun rising over the mountains in the back, the other refugees shivering with their coats over their heads, and the little baby and her mother smiling broadly -- it is haunting.

Salagado is a master -- there is no question about it. From someone who dreamt of being a photographer himself, when I saw his pictures for the first time, my immediate feeling was to throw away my camera. There was no competing. He is the best and the standard by which all photographer working today are to be judged against.

The epitomy of photojournalism
If you don't feel something while looking at the photos in this book you are dead inside.

A piece of art
I dont think Sebastiao Salgado needs any praise but this is the most beautiful book i have ever seen. The photographs are not only absolutely perfect but, most important, they tell us a story. the story of the movement of humanity. and make us think that we are only one, that borders should not matter.

The right combination
Ex-economist Salgado keeps a rational mind while making exquisite emotional photographs, reproduced to the highest standard. As much as anyone could want to know about the world's unsettled peoples.

An Intense, Emotionally Gripping Look At Poverty
Sebastiao Salgado has earned numerous accolades for his dignified photographs of impoverished humanity. This, his latest book, covers work he has done over the last few years, documenting forced migrations and economic squalor throughout the world. He is certainly a keen observer of the human condition. However, I felt completely overwhelmed looking at his work from this book when it was exhibited a few months ago at New York City's International Center of Photography. Looking at this book allowed me to step back, and catch my breath, studying each image at my leisure. Those interested in looking at some of the finest current work in black and white documentary photography will not be disappointed with this excellent collection. ... Read more

Book Description

Carlo Mollino (1905–1973) was one of the most inspired mid-20th-century architects and designers. In a career that spanned more than four decades, Mollino designed buildings, homes, cars, aircraft, women’s fashion, and theater sets. He was a renaissance man who sought to articulate movement and sensuality in his designs. Even more compelling are the magically surreal Polaroid images Mollino made in his Turin studio during the last 14 years of his life, seen here in the first-ever collection of Mollino’s carefully honed erotic photographs of women. From 1,500 works, the Ferraris have culled over 250 representative images in which Molino posed his models in evocative clothing, staged the backdrops, and finally, altered the photos with a microscopic paintbrush to attain his ideal view of the female form. Only a few of Mollino’s Polaroids have ever been viewed by the public. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A range of small color vintage photos of women
Fulvio Ferrari's Carlo Mollino Polaroids gathers a range of small color vintage photos of women. Chapters provide intriguing images which are diverse and unusual. An excellent art library acquisition, especially for collections strong in photography. ... Read more

Book Description

Based on Abrams' hugely successful Earth From Above: 365 Days, this new and improved edition includes 60 additional pages and almost 200 brand-new, eye-popping images by renowned aerial photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Reaching across the continents, from the icebergs of Antarctica to the cotton fields of India to the olive plantations of Spain, the breathtaking, full-color photographs are accompanied by informative new captions that illuminate what we see and describe the environmental concerns related to each location.

In addition, all 12 chapters of the book now open with an insightful introduction by one of several noted authors who address a wide variety of subjects critical to the present and future health of our planet: agriculture, biodiversity, sustainable development, energy, forests, fresh water, seas and oceans, global warming. Earth from Above: 366 Days offers us a valuable new perspective on our spectacular but fragile environment. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautiful photos spoiled by propaganda.
The photos get 5 stars, Unfortunately, the text is a constant stream of preachy eco-alarmism. Various leftwing "intellectuals" introduce each chapter with astonishingly naive tracts: the one on "poverty" could have been exerpted directly from the communist manifesto.

Enjoy the photos, but ignore the text and read instead Lomborg's "Sceptical Environmentalist" and Norberg's "Defense of Global Capitalism"

Another Stunning Collection from Arthus-Bertrand
I have both Earth from Above (the BIG book) and Earth from Above: 365 Days. Both books contain hundreds and hundreds of images that I find extraordinary -- intoxicatingly beautiful images of our world. I am happy to report that this newest volume adds many more absolutely stunning NEW images to the Arthus-Bertrand collection.

This new volume is not just an expanded and/or revised version of older editions. At least eighty percent of the photos are entirely new. Another ten to fifteen percent contain either DIFFERENT photos of a given geographic site (e.g., the famous "heart" on New Caledonia) or explore the same theme in a new area (e.g., the photo of a windmill farm in this edition is in Denmark instead of California.)

The only criticism I can make of this new edition is that it occasionally flirts with tourist kitsch. I'm thinking of the photos of Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria and Tower Bridge in London. Still, even these rather tame and familiar images are balanced with other fantastic views of less familiar landmarks on the world tourism trail. (The photo of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, India is absolutely the finest picture of that magical city that I have ever seen.)

If you already own Arthus-Bertrand's other books, you will not be disappointed by this latest collecton. If this is your first exposure to his photography. . .well, I envy you. Please check out his other fine books. He offers a multitude of images that never fail to beguile and astonish. ... Read more

Book Description

After the global success of "First Exposure", his first book of photographs, Californian Photographer/Architect, Sam Carson continues his homage to the unspoiled, innocently erotic young men in this exciting new book of portraits. Carson presents new faces and fresh youthful bodies, specially cast in a creative and sensitive light. The final cover comes off only rarely. Sam Carson’s art is original and unique in the realm of gay male photography. 80 pages of unsullied and unobtrusive eroticism is revealed for all to see. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Brilliant Second Act
Sam Carson, who in one of his lives is an architect, has given us another superb collection of handsome young men in what could be called a sequel to his beautiful FIRST EXPOSURE. The format here is similar to his initial offering. The models are all young, wholesome, more attractive than the boy next door and photographed in color, in nice, soft, flattering light. On the other hand, how could one photograph any of these men in a way that would be unflattering? Many of the models are wearing underwear-- Calvin Klein and Abercrombie & Fitch owe the photographer big time-- proving once again that often beautiful people are sexier partially clad rather than completely nude. A couple of the men have tattoos, I spotted an earring or two; but for the most part, these are all boys you could introduce to your prim Aunt Helen.

Mr. Carson's biographical notes indicate that he has photographed 5,000 young men so there's obviously plenty more where these photos came from. He is one of a handful of photographers currently doing this kind of photography whose work stands out from the rest of repetitious, generic-like images. For me, the mark of a fine book of photography is one that I come back to again and again. This one definitely makes the cut. ... Read more

Book Description

A Purple Heart is the token honor given to soldiers for their wounds. It makes them heroes. It is the title that Nina Berman has given to her photographs of American soldiers gravely wounded in the Iraq war, who have returned home to face life away from the waving flags and heroic send-offs. The images are accompanied by first-person interviews with the soldiers, who discuss their lives, reasons for enlisting, and experience in Iraq. They provide a glimpse into the myths of warfare as glorious spectacle through the minds of young men desperate to believe in the righteousness of their actions.

One soldier explains that he always wanted to be a hero. He thought the military would be fun--he would jump out of planes. He never imagined it could be ugly until he saw Saving Private Ryan. He is now a cripple, doped up all day on pain medications, flat broke, with one kid and another on the way. Another soldier describes how he called a recruiting station after watching an MTV-style commercial for the Army on TV. An immigrant from Pakistan, he was given his citizenship following his injury. It's a fair trade in his mind: a leg for an American passport.

Berman's photographs are accompanied by essays from Verlyn Klinkenborg, a New York Times editorial page writer, and Tim Origer, a Vietnam veteran and former Marine who fought in the Tet offensive and returned at age 19, an amputee. Essays by Verlyn Klinkenborg and Tim Origer. Paperback, 8 x 8 in. / 176 pgs / 100 color. ... Read more

Book Description

Award-winning nature photographer Jim Brandenburg gave himself a challenge: for ninety days between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice, he would take only one photograph each day.This exquisite book, now in softcover, is the result of that bold and immensely personal project.Through the accompanying essay, Brandenburg shares his innermost thoughts and passions as he witnesses the cycle of nature near his home in the northwoods of Minnesota.Brandenburg also contributes new photos and an Epilog that illustrates and discusses the devastating summer wind storm that wreaked havoc on the locations photographed for the original project. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

I normally hesitate to use this word, but...profound.
I'm a verbal type; I'd rather read a beautifully written description of a frozen lake than stare at a picture of it anytime. Even knowing that, my mother gave me this book several years ago, and I fell in love. I sat with it for hours, seeing, dreaming, and I still take it down often to do the same again. The photographer, Jim Brandenburg, set himself the challenge of taking only one photograph each day for three months, in the boreal forest where he makes his home. The result is a portrait of life as many of us can never experience it: not just "calendar shots," but pictures that show the cruelty of man, the certainty of death, the very simple beauty of a single bright leaf burning on the dark, still waters of an evening pond. Some photos are amazing in themselves and some seem ordinary in the extreme, but it is important to take them as a whole, and see what you learn from the journey.

Gorgeous and thought provoking
Jim Brandenburg has stepped beyond the comfortable environs of the successful photographer and created a true work of art. The premise is audacious... take only one photograph per day for ninety consecutive days and set them in order to illustrate the minimalist way of thinking so often absent in photo assignments. With typical photo-journalism assignments for publications such as National Geographic resulting in up to tens of thousands of photos, the presentation of ninety varied and spontaneous images exposed Brandenburg to the very real possibility that the result might be unwieldy and chaotic. The genius in this book is the way the images, supported by a gentle and well written narrative, weave a seamless tapestry of a three month journey. Lest one think this book is simply pretty pictures, look at the photograph of a poacher's kill... haunting, visceral and yet not gratuitously graphic. Images such as this give this book an edge that is gripping and very meaningful. Brandenburg is a "wolf person" extroardinaire... but here he expands his subject matter while paradoxically stripping his assignment down to the very barest of essentials. He presents some of the most flatly beautiful images I have ever seen in print. Lake Superior is not only a national treasure, it is Hiawatha's water... haunting, ethereal, powerful and fundamental. Brandenburg shows us several of the great lake's moods. The Boundary Waters area is a primordial wilderness still relatively unmolested. Brandenburg brings the delicate tracery of these waters and the winter's embrace alive. The Aurora Borealis is vivid, the midnight sun is brooding and the frozen waterfall speaks of latent, pent-up power awaiting spring's release. This book almost talks. Impressive, beautiful, moving and pretty amazing.

Challenge Achieved with Grace
I gave this book to my parents several years ago and still leaf slowly through its pages whenever visiting their home in northern Minnesota. For amateurs and professionals alike, his is a fascinating photographic concept: your own property? a favorite park? your family? or pet? a holiday?

Old fashioned and wonderful
It's so more agreable to have this engagement calendar on your desk than a modern and dull looking electronic device. Use an old fountain pen to take your notes, and wait till the ink is dry before turning the page! Wonderful pictures under your eyes every day of the year! You can escape and image yourself so far from the busy and noisy modern world. I'm waiting for the 2003 edition.

Simply amazing, on many levels
Jim Brandenburg has been among my favorite photographers for years, and I've always been overwhelmed by his ability to capture a moment in time so perfectly. _Chased by the Light_ definitely didn't disappoint me at all; in fact, it gave me an entirely new respect and admiration for this amazing man.

Most folks know that published photographers often shoot dozens or hundreds of rolls of film for every shot that is published, and Jim is no exception to the rule. What he's done with this self-assignment, only one frame per day for 90 days, shows his courage as well as his commitment to his art. I can't imagine the number of beautiful scenes he must have passed up, perhaps in anguish, knowing he could capture it, if only he broke his own rule "just this once." But, he pressed on, searching for His Perfect Moment of the Day. Truly remarkable.

Some of the photos presented in this book are less than perfect; Jim's willingness to publish them as is (apart from a bit of cropping, tone and color correction, he says) demonstrates his love of photography, his humbleness, and his human-ness. Most of the shots are better than many of us could take on our best days, with a full roll - that he is able to take only one picture, and come up with something like his 'Maple leaf in pond" piece is beyond amazing.

His narrative is really what makes the book, though; read any of his books, and you'll find yourself drawn onward by his voice as well as his photos, because he gives you a peek of what goes on behind the lens, who the person is who takes the pictures, and why a particular shot appealed to him (or how he stumbled upon it completely by chance.) Jim's photos makes it look easy, but his words let us know his struggles as well as his passion for his subjects.

It takes remarkable skills to find the wildlife shots he has - his abilities as a tracker must be absolutely incredible. Most of us will never see the animals shown here in their natural, undisturbed settings. Fortunately for us, Jim brings back some of his experiences by which we may experience a vicarious thrill.

I have only a few people in this world whom I call "role models," but Jim Brandenburg is among them. Thanks to this book, I now have even more reason to love this man, his devotion to nature, and his photographs. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When Gianni Versace was shot dead outside his Miami villa on July 15, 1997, few believed that his fashion empire would survive. The chutzpah and flamboyance of Versace the fashion house seemed inseparable from Versace the man. And yet, a year later, Versace remained buoyant, its reputation and market position if anything enhanced by its creator's tragic fate.

This book goes some way toward explaining why. From his first 1980 collection, Versace cannily engaged a great photographer, Richard Avedon, who stylishly wedded his designs to a potent blend of celebrity, beauty, flesh, sex, and humor, which became instantly identifiable as Versace--poised, pansexual, tongue firmly in sculptured cheek. Whether in trademarked group shots of intricately entangled supermodels, Stallone nude and stone-faced, Elton gleeful in drag, or Bon Jovi proudly strutting his buff bod, Avedon equals Versace--to the extent that he can show Kate Moss, without a stitch of Versace (or anything else), and we know that she is thinking Versace. This gorgeous volume collects more than 170 photographs, and gives us, as it justly proclaims: "A glimpse of the impassioned shameful opulent titillating sewmanship of that daredevil magician of art and artifice who was and will always be Gianni Versace." --Alan Stewart ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nostalgic and somewhat delightful
This is an archive of the advertisments and editorials for Versace. His pictures, like his clothes are refreshing, and surprising. Those who buy this book will encounter some director's cut images. However, "The Naked" lacks the better Versace campigns. Those familiar with Versace photographs will wonder why they did not include the better shots... Some pictures are amazing, yet, some didn't have the luster. And unfortunately, the bad outnumber the good. With the price, it is still a good buy but leaves you craving more. ... Read more

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Each One Believing isn’t your standard tour memento, but then the tour it chronicles was pretty extraordinary, too. Paul McCartney’s 2002-2003 world tour demonstrated just how much mania an ex-Beatle could trigger more than three decades after the demise of the Fab Four. McCartney, who was approaching his 60th birthday when the tour began, headlined a rapturously received extravaganza that took him from Milwaukee to Moscow, from Tokyo to Tacoma. Each One Believing attempts to capture the tour from all angles via numerous on stage andbackstage photos, interviews,and press quotes (no need to toot ones own horn when you have a Mexico City newspaper tagging a performance "the most legendary in history forever"). Don’t expect anything in the way of grit in this road tale; the clean-living superstar and his entourage dine on the best vegetarian food money can buy and the youngish sidemen are simply delighted to be performing "She’s Leaving Home" with the legendary Sir Paul. Each One Believing isn’t revelatory in the least, unless one is desires how many crewmembers it takes to construct a stadium-sized rock stage these days (some 140, it seems). But the many who saw McCartney on the triumphant excursion (or Back in the U.S. DVD) and diehard Beatles fans will find it to be a breezy, eye-catching coffeetable book.--Steven Stolder ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (19)

Lovely Work
Well crafted photographs of naturalists, mostly in the seemingly obligatory beach milieu. Many of the subjects are living 'the last day of summer' -- that is, the particular halcyon moment of adolescence wherein anything is possible. Yes, they are predominantly nudes, but photographed with respect and compassion. A special few are among the finest portraits I have seen, truely bringing forth the soul of both photographer and subject. My only complaint is that some of the pictures in the book inexplicably cross the fold in the binding, disrupting the image. A slightly smaller format on just one page would have been prefered.

Superb artist, not quite so superb book
A slightly less than perfect monograph by one of my favorite artists.

Regarding the work itself, i've not seen any work that surpasses, and little enough that matches, the beauty Sturges portrays. His models are not chosen because they are exemplars of some cultural standard of beauty. They are not high-fashion, trendy, or striking in the ways most people are used to seeing.

They are simply ordinary people. The girls are unenhanced, average girls. No different from any other you may know. But therein lies their beauty. Sturges shows them with a warmth and intimacy borne of long aquaintance; capturing the inner beauty present in all (though hidden in most).

His models are comfortable with themselves and their surroundings; and show that comfort in their unashamed attitudes. They look at the camera, as they would look at one another, not hiding or embarrased; just being who they are. He shows them as humans beings, with their friends and families; rather than the iconic or archetypal abstractions that most photographers portray.

The images themselves are exquisite. There is a gradual smoothness to the tones that echoes the bodies of the models themselves. Lighting and contrast reproduce in the sand and water of the beach scenes the skin tones of the models -- so much so that the girls almost seem to meld with their environment. Both seem to glow in the early morning and late afternoon sun.

Unfortunately, my praise for the book is more reserved. The quality of the printing is excellent. Having seen the original prints in several gallery showings, the duotones in the book do a very good job of capturing the feel of the originals.

A few quibbles, however. The arrangement of the photographs in the book are not in the chronological order that Sturges originally intended; so the progression of his models from youth to adulthood is lost. Many of the images are spread across two pages, instead of being printed on one; which is results in a degradation of the quality of the image.

Sturges himself was not happy with the Aperture monographs (_Last Days of Summer_, _Radiant Identities_) for just this reason (as well as some other problems with the Aperture staff); and has re-released most of these images through Scalo.

Unfortunately, there are some images in this book and the other Aperture monograph which are not available in the Scalo release. I would recommend buying the Scalo book, titled _Jock Sturges_, to see the images as the artist intended; and the Aperture books for the additional images.

More beautiful photography
These are some of the most beautiful photos I have ever seen.

Sturges has an incredible way of capturing his subjects. Not subjects, really, but collaborators, they are the people in front of the camera who help him make pictures.

The scenes with two or more people are the ones that hold my interest most closely. Parent and child, siblings or friends - there is so much more at work when I see the people together. There is contrast, or affection, or the young woman's later life shown in her mother. Some of the subjects themselves seem to evoke both the children they were and the adults that they will become.

I just have to say it again: these are incredibly beautiful pictures.

STUNNING book
"The Last Day of Summer" is a MAGNIFICENT work. Sturges' photographic style is breath-taking and hypnotizing. I've owned this book for several years and still find myself completely and totally enraptured by these portraits. (...)

A significant, beautiful work
This is a beautiful body of work that I am proud to have in my book collection. Beyond the fact that they are expertly executed, Sturges' photographs are intimate, direct, and above all, honest. They hide nothing, and in fact reveal much - about the subject, photographer, and the viewer. They reveal a level of trust and understanding between photographer and subject that I challenge anyone to find anywhere else. And this is a critical aspect of Sturges work. He does not haphazardly choose subjects, moving from place to place with no long-term interest in the people he photographs. Rather, he will photograph the same people in the same places year after year, photographing the same individuals summer after summer, essentially creating an intimate photographic chronology of a person that may span decades. He is close to his subjects. And unlike so many other photographers, he is truly interested in the lives of these people, and more importantly, the people themselves.

I find it unfortunate at best that Mr Sturges' work has so often been met with such hateful and often irrational opposition as it has. In my opinion, the controversy surrounding his photographs is wholly unwarranted. More often than not, the most violent objections come from (what I would call) religious extremists who claim to be speaking up in defense of his subjects, who they apparently feel have been exploited. A lot of the problem seems to stem directly from a willful refusal to distinguish between what is sexual and what is erotic. Sturges' work is sexual, yes, but it is not erotic. Sexuality is an inherent aspect of the human experience that can hardly be excluded in an honest image of a person. We are sexual from birth. And to find fault with Sturges' work because it doesn't deny this detail of humanity is a rather backwards way of looking at things. But regardless of what minor sexual element may be contained in his images, it is important to note that these images are not erotic. They are neither meant to be sexually arousing nor do they have that effect. If the contrary were the case, then maybe his biggest detractors might have a point, but in fact this is not how it is.

Sturges work is significant. And if you are willing to approach this or any other volume of his photographs with an open mind, I think you'll understand. The photographs and words contained herein are luminous and not likely to grow old with many goings-over. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. ... Read more

Book Description

First published in April 2000, The Children and its companion volume, Migrations, have been garnering tremendous international attention ever since. Exhibited across the globe, from Brazil to Paris and Germany to New York, Sebastião Salgado's photographs continue to tour and to transform the perceptions of those who view them. As a testament to both their power and their relevance, a major exhibition of photographs from The Children was mounted as part of the United Nations Millennium Assembly in 2000.
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Reviews (5)

The Children by Sebastiao Salgado
Sebastiao Salgado has produced many works under the topic of "concerned photography" and this book effectively displays some of these works. The Children compiles a number of photographs of children from around the world living in poverty and under the most destitute conditions imaginable. Upon reading the introduction, the reader is given a background to what Salgado has intended to do with these photographs and what he experienced while taking them. In an instant, the reader is placed in Salgado's shoes with a camera in hand and eye peering through the viewfinder.

From looking at these portraits alone, many questions come to mind: "Who is this kid?" "Where does he/she live?" "How old is he/she?" "What does the future have for them?" The way Salgado took these portraits yields a story behind each child. Black and white film is used perfectly to display the feeling of passion and intensity. It is amazing to see some of these children smile despite their living conditions. It gives a sense of hope for both viewer and subject. The look on their faces and the stare of their eyes creates a great feeling of sympathy for anyone who chooses to view the photographs. This is exactly what Salgado wanted to do. "We cannot afford to turn away."

If You Are Going to Save the World, Save the Children
Salgado shows us what war, poverty, and disaster does to the innocent. He has captured faces of children, who through some cruel fate have reaped only hardship in short time on earth. Yet, despite conditions of despair, some of these children manage a smile, a look of hope, and an attitude that defies their situation.

No words or captions are attached to the photos, rather Salgado lets each child convey their own message to you through their portrait. He brilliantly uses black & white film to heighten the intensity of each face, a face that looks you right in the eye and I swear, talks to you. If you want to know more about each photo an appendix is provide with date/place.

This is book that will stay in my collection, as it should, it is brilliantly done! "Children, Refugees and Migrants" desires to be prominently displayed in my house and it will be. Highly recommended

Children
Look at the hands, expressions and in the eyes of those children. Now, try to understand why Mr. Salgado took those pictures. When Mr. Salgado arrived in the refugee camps, a lot of children became curious about his job, about the equipment and so on. Then, Mr. Salgado took those pictures to avoid that a lot of small eyes follow him during all the time. But, the quality of those pictures are so good, that when those forgotten rolls were developed, he could see that those eyes, hands and expressions could tell a different story. As a Brazilian I am very proud of Mr. Salgado and his work. Suggestion: Migrations and Children have a exposition that will be in 19 countries around the world. Try to see those expositions. Natural size pics will give you an amazing view.

Famous Photographer, Nameless Children
These stunning portraits of displaced and refugee children are dismaying. They provoke an immediate response: grief, and then - one hopes - an immediate check in the mail to "Doctors without Borders" or a comparable international relief organization. What seems strange and distressing, however, is the intentional namelessness of each child. Each startling and heartbreaking portrait is captionless. Maybe Salgado believed them to be more effective, that way. You check the terse notes at the back of the book. The subject, in this case a boy missing an arm, stares forthrightly as the photogrpapher. He is identified as (for example): "38. The Natinga School Camp for displaced Sudanese. Southern Sudan, 1995." This Euro-bureaucratese is followed through-out. Each child is unnamed by the author, and this is a failing of this book, and one which serves to reinforce the initial crimes committed against these young people.

Nothing new!
I know all the Salgado's books but after so many years from his last project I was waiting for something new and more challenging it's always the same soup! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

An amazing journey through Heaven on Earth.
This book is absolutely brimming with gorgeous pictures. I bought it the minute I finished looking at it for the first time four years ago. All photographs are tastefully done and convey a sense of wonder at what God has put here on this earth for us all to enjoy. You absolutely have to have this book!!!! It is stunning!!!!!

How to make a boring picture
Pretty amazing -- David Hamilton takes some pictures of some very attractive subjects, in extremely attractive backgrounds, with extremely expensive equipment, and manages to make them look worse than the worst of my holiday photos. Boring, self-conscious... basically, not worth a look. If you like the subject matter, I highly recommend Jock Sturges (for some very laid-back, pretty pictures) or Sally Mann (for some slightly more disturbing overtones.) But skip Hamilton, he's a waste of paper

Rehash of trite commercial images
This collection of Hamilton's work contains bland landscape photography that would fit the formulas of the Sierra Club desk calender; bland images of young girls in the same poses we've seen dozens of times in his other work, saying nothing new and with all the personality of a jeans ad; and self-conscious photos of some Beautiful People that look like they were intended for ads in a fashion magazine. Of course, none of this should be surprising considering that most of Hamilton's work is blatantly commercial and self-indulgent, but some of his earlier books -- Sisters, Private Collection, and so on -- contained genuinely unique, well-composed, and evocative pictures. (Age of Innocence was as boring to me as this book.) The only images that worked for me in Place in the Sun were the photos of flowers, which are very pretty. Seeing one photo of a "native" couple titled "The Noble Savage," and another of a young woman holding handfuls of fruit at crotch level titled "The Fruits of Love" (or something similar) gave me a laugh. For some reason, Hamilton has never gotten over his addiction to silly quotes and captions that cheapen his images. I would certainly prefer that he let them speak for themselves, but then the viewer might have a chance to experience his own response to them, rather than being directed by Hamilton to Hamilton's own narcissistic fantasy.

The "Perfect" Hamilton book for your coffee table!
David Hamilton is perhaps the most talented photographer in the world... This volume is proof. While his other US releases, "The Age of Innocence" and "Twenty-Five Years of an Artist" focus almost entirely upon his obsession with nude girls between the ages of 12-18, "A Place in the Sun" incorporates the beauty of a young girl into the larger, greater beauty of the tropics; Making the beauty of her nude physical form into just one part of the whole of the surrounding beauty of the water, the sky, the beach, and the flora and fauna of the environment of which she is a part. This book is a true journey into fantasy! The topless girl standing on the beach looking out to sea on page 44, the single cloud over the Bali sea on page 104, the peaceful young goddess sleeping in the hammock on page 46... These pictures alone would be with the price.

This is THE most beautiful photography book I have ever seen, and far less controversial than his other US releases... Buy this book. It will one day be a collectors item.

Beautiful girls in the nude
This book contains a variety of beautiful pictures of various things, from deserted beaches, to storm-encroached seas, to even a mule! It also has some excellent photos of young girls, some of which are extraordinary in their perfection of beauty and their playful attitude toward life. I would say there are 10 to 20 photos of beautiful girls in this book. They are well worth the asking price of the book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lust and Trust: Nan Goldin
Nan Goldin is one of this decade's most influential photographers. She is very much a part of the world that she photographed and therefore she has unlimited access to her subjects. There is no sense of exploitation even though these people, who are on the margins of society, are often caught off guard in private moments. Her work is raw and snapshot esthetic--a recurring theme is that the subjects never quite belong and are lost and lonely in what can often be a bleak and hostile urban environment. She shares with us quite eloquently a form of diary; one can relate so much of their own lives, fears, desires, and pain. She put it best: "I used to think that i could never lose anyone if i photographed them enough. In fact, my pictures show me how much i've lost." ... Read more

Book Description

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the architectural and engineering wonders of the world. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Bridge of Dreams
The photographs in this book vividly capture a very unique period of the Brooklyn Bridge as it was being restored in the late 1980's. The use of black and white photography, together with the unusually decorated subject matter, namely the Brooklyn Bridge draped in safety nets, make for a visually stimulating combination.

Bridge of Dreams
One of a kind photographs of the Brooklyn Bridge as it has never been seen before, mysteriously draped in safety nets. A a real treat for the eye. ... Read more

Book Description

Acclaimed American documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark (b. 1940) made her first iconic pictures when living in Turkey on a Fulbright Fellowship in the mid-1960s. Her photographs of Bombay brothels, shot in the late 1970s, were published in 1981 in Falkland Road, a book that became legendary and confirmed her status as one of the most prominent and provocative documentary photographers working today.

Mark’s pictures are a celebration of humanity in its most diverse and eccentric forms. Circuses, gypsy camps, children yearning for adulthood, the poor and destitute are some of her recurring themes. Mark has the unique ability to capture gestures and expressions that translate the intense emotions of her subjects. Compassionate but never literal, her pictures can be humorous, tragic, enigmatic, shocking, and oftentimes all of these simultaneously.

This book presents for the first time a selection of the strongest pictures of Mark’s forty-year career, drawing from emblematic series such as "Falkland Road," "Indian Circus," and "Twins," as well as a selection of previously unpublished images. The photographs are accompanied by an introduction by Weston Naef, and an interview with Mark that provides context and behind-the-scene anecdotes. Together Mark’s images and words provide intimate insights into the lives of others, presenting compelling stories of human strength and suffering. ... Read more

Book Description

Whenever John, Paul, or George went on a trip, they would send Ringo a postcard. Now, for the first time, Ringo Starr is opening his private archive to share this delightful and very intimate correspondence. Whether it's John advising Ringo to record a "great & simple" song like Blondie's Heart of Glass, Paul and Jane Asher dropping a note from Rishikesh to report on their meditation lessons with the Maharishi, or George writing from the Great Barrier Reef to confirm plans for Christmas dinner, each postcard is a warm and personal snapshot of life in (and after) The Beatles. The 51 postcards -- many of which are covered in whimsical drawings -- are colorfully reproduced, both front and back. Ringo's droll commentary fills in the blanks, though he does confess that at times he had to consult the Internet for details! Often funny, occasionally bittersweet, and always revealing, Postcards from the Boys is a must for Beatles lovers. ... Read more

Book Description

"The virtue of all-in wrestling is that it is the spectacle of excess." - Roland Barthes, The World of Wrestling.

It is human nature to enjoy watching other humans compete in a one-to-one physical challenge. Naturally, there are sexual connotations to such an activity, notably in a derivative of pro wrestling known as "apartment wrestling." Pitting women clad in bikinis - or, having been stripped bare by their opponents, nothing at all - against one another in a staged photography set, apartment wrestling is what many a male fantasy is made of, and there is no better way to appreciate the merits of this unique and rare "sport" than in the classic photographs of Theo Ehret.

Theo Ehret spent a good twenty years, beginning in the sixties, as a professional photographer in the Los Angeles pro wrestling scene. By the early seventies, he expanded his subject matter to include a new genre, apartment wrestling, which was gaining popularity. Using elaborate sets and meticulous lighting, Ehret was a master at capturing his subjects in the most compromising of catfight positions. Wearing feathered hairdos, lip-gloss, and determined grins, the girls in Ehret's photos look like they're having a ball pinning one another to the floor and tugging each other's hair. Capturing the theatrical, sensational, and erotic aspects of his subject matter with healthy dose of objectivity, Ehret's style is both lighthearted and sophisticated.

Edited by artists Cameron Jamie and Mike Kelley, Exquisite Mayhem features the best of Ehret's work from the sixties to the eighties, bringing together Ehret's pro wrestling and apartment wrestling images. With over 400 illustrations, an essay on wrestling by Roland Barthes, biographical photos, and an interview with Ehret, Exquisite Mayhem is not just for fans of wrestling - it's an adventure into a lesser-known side of one of America's most popular forms of entertainment. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great Photos, Very High Quality
This is a very high quality book with terrific photos; it's so heavy that you may have to reinforce the glass on your coffee table before placing it there (just kidding, but it is very heavy). Many of the photos are obviously posed, but they're exciting anyway. There's lots of nudity, some full frontal nudity, so some parents might not want to leave this out where the kids will find it (I think that was the complaint of one reviewer who didn't actually spell it out). The well endowed cover model is adult film star Seka, who doesn't appear in any different photos in the book. There's even a couple of boxing photos in here, incuding a striking photo of an exhausted looking Sugar Ray Leonard. A fine mixture of erotic photos in a wrestling setting.

When wrestling mattered
No one visits my house without spending a nice chunk of time flipping through this book and saying, "do you think she's hurting her?"

Devastating Societal Commentary
Make no mistake about it--- the palmellenic balance of overt sexuality and aggressive pop culture pathos is a vehicle that is best expressed in the apartment house wrestling craze that took pro wrestling magazines by storm in the 1970s. It mixes well with the presence of pro wrestling, combining the posed Amazon criteria with the bloody pop-sport that has since evolved into the World Wrestling Federation.

Apartment house wrestling is a widely underrated chapter in the modern art world. In this monumental work, photographer Theo Ehret brilliantly poses the female warriors in such a still manner that they are obviously not actually engaged in combat. These fictional combat poses would look ridiculous on their own, but Ehret brilliantly derails the silliness by bringing out dynamic facial expressions on his models; the grimaces of rage and angst on the scantily clad women are simultaneously haunting and sensual. It is a mix of halted action and living Hellenic
desire that Ehret delivers in seemingly infinite doses.

Ehret distances himself from his brilliant visual existensial declaration by denying an active interest in his subjects; he claimed that both the pro wrestling and female combat photos were merely work assignments. Perhaps this is part of his statement: to capture erotic passion through the lense, place it in sensational pulp magazines, and then add a touch of performance art by portraying himself as a blue collar artisan who has numbed himself to the potential pleasures of sensual expression. Is this possible complex mix of photography and performance art a cry against the religious right's mockery of our progressive culture? Or could this be a literary hammer that pounds a nail of truth into the soul of the cowardice that is all too present in modern art.

An odd addition to this fantastic ocean of voyeurism is the popular essay on professional