Reviews (8)

An Excellent Collection of Art & Artists
This is one of the finest collections of pin-up art from the talented artists that brought these beautiful women to life. These were very risque for their time but they were a true celebration of women. This is the kind of open mindedness and genuine appreciation missing from today's society. Women are wonderful, intelligent, beautiful people and life would be a tragedy without them. There...I said it!

From The Garage To The Coffee Table
This is an excellent overview of the genre, on an artist-by-artist basis, from the classic era of the mid-twentieth century. All of the artists here are deserving of recognition, though only a handful of them are truly well-known and adequately documented in print elsewhere. All of the many artists here are well-represented; the reproduction is flawless, and the commentary is intelligent and well-researched. The original edition is my point of reference here, so I can't vouch for this one fully, but it appears to have maintained the integrity of the earlier printing and is a very handsome production as well.

A Marvelous Compilation
I simply want to echo all of the positive reviews of this book. It is a visual feast; highly informative; and a wonderful value. As one reviewer previously noted, the book's only major shortcoming is the lack of picture titles.

By virtue of being so comprehensive, this book provides an excellent starting point for assessing the importance of pinup art in our country's recent history. No matter what you might think about the moral implications of its racier subject matter or its value as "serious" art, you cannot deny the stunning achievement of the artists represented in this volume. Almost without exception, the women depicted in this volume are endearing, sexy and spunky. The author and the publisher are to be commended for bringing this unprecedented volume to print.

can't put it down
the pictures in this book absolutely comes alive. famous pin-up artist's best works are included as well as their bio. I would have liked little more Elvgren and Vargas works but overall picture, it is sexy, gorgeous and I love every page!

"The Classy Pin-Up Book"
"Most of the art work displayed in this book,"The Great American Pin-Up", is that of some of the best influential pin-up artists of our time. I believe that the creativity (then) is what makes the impact on what great pin-up art was (and still is) all about. From my point of view as a pin-up artist myself, that Vargas, Petty, Elvgreen, and so many others, are the reasons for my influence on the way I draw and paint the female form. I think that is how pin-up art should always be appreciated, respected and remembered even in the way of today's standards." Peace, Jon Hul ... Read more

Amazon.com

Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph was originally published in 1972, one year after the artist's death, in conjunction with a retrospective of her work at the Museum of Modern Art. Edited and designed by Arbus's daughter, Doon, and her friend and colleague, painter Marvin Israel, the monograph contains eighty of her most masterful photos. The images in this newly published edition, marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the collection's original publication, were printed from new three-hundred-line-screen duotone film, allowing for startlingly clear reproduction. The impact of the collection is heightened by the introduction, which contains excerpts of audio tapes in which Arbus discusses her experiences as a photographer and her feelings about the often bizarre nature of her subjects. Diane Arbus's work has indelibly impacted modern visual sensibilities, evidenced by the intensely personal moments captured in this powerful group of photographs. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

the normalcy in life's freaks, the freakishness in normalcy
This collection of 81 black and white photographs by Diane Arbus was edited and designed by her daughter, Doon and friend Marvin Israel and published in 1972 after her suicide the previous year. The photographs are preceeded by text of tape recordings of classes that the photographer gave the year she died, as well as excerpts from interviews and some of her own writings on photography. The text illuminates Arbus' concerns about her art and her subjects. Although she did do studies of objects, such as Disneyland, a hotel lobby, and a Xmas tree, Arbus was more interested in people, in particular the kind of people she had never seen before. Coming from a wealthy Park Avenue background, existing in an unreal environment, cocooned from adversity, Arbus felt her immunity painful, which explains her attraction to marginalised groups. One can compare Arbus' studies to those of Robert Mapplethorpe. Mapplethorpe moved from harsh presentations of marginalised gay men's sexuality to soft focus celebrity portraiture. Arbus moved in the opposite direction, from glamour fashion photography with her then husband Alan, to her reality marginalised portraiture. Arbus' experience with fashion provides her composition and while her camera can scrutinise, her photos never patronise. Perhaps this is due to the complicitity apparent from the subjects. These people want to be photographed, and Arbus presents them with dignity. But what makes them compelling is the what Arbus described as the gap between intention and effect, what you want people to know about you and what you can't help people knowing about you. Sometimes, often the thing we see is sadness, but we can't laugh at these people because they are so unguarded. Arbus' photos aren't posed. She tells us how she arranged her view rather than arranging her subject, so that they are planned observations. The photographs here taken between 1962 and 1970 cover the range of her interest in marginalised subjects including the freaks she classified as "aristocrats" who were born with their trauma so had passed their test in life, and made her feel a mix of shame and awe. Midgets, dwarfs, nudists, transvestites, identical twins and triplets, a giant with his parents, musclemen, carnival performers, a woman with her baby monkey, and the untitled retards. This is the world Arbus entered into. It's hard not to consider her suicide as being related to the subjects of her work. Arbus was interested in exposing the flaw, and her camera gave her licence to privacy, however the cold scrutiny of her camera may have been too much when it was focused upon herself. The self portraits I have seen show her looking uncomfortable, the photographer clearly lacking the skills she would apply to her own subjects. There is a rumour that Arbus set up a camera to photograph her own death, mentioned in the Patricia Bosworth biography, though no evidence was found when her body was discovered. Like the great ones, Arbus received acclaim posthumously, and this book is an ode to her genius.

Simple, Brave, Beautiful !
As Diane Aubus said, 'Nothing is ever the same as they said it was. It's what I've never seen before that recognize.' She liked to visit unknown places, taking photos for unknown people (transvestite, nudist campers, Jewish giant, twins, etc). Reading through this collection of portraits, it would be a discovery-like journeys. Her braveness to approach the subjects. and into their places, and then into their souls. Those people are sometimes not 'beautiful', but you can see the inner world of those people under their faces. The untitled series at the end of book taken with some retarded people, I found that is certainly striking. Finally she committed suicide in 1971, just like leaving an unresolved story ending in her works.

If you are into B/W photos, it is a must buy.

Our World in the Eyes of Diane Arbus
A rather interesting, yet democratic photographer, Diane Arbus was an individual who was never afraid. She was a motivational and influential photographer whose life possessed no limits. Her subject matter was unique in that the pictures she took were on the abnormalities of life. These subjects centered mostly on freaks such as midgets, drag queens, giants, hookers, nudists, and drugees. Taking pictures such as these shows that she was a person who was never afraid to display the irregularities of life to the world around us.

Diane Arbus lived life one day, one moment at a time. In this book, I get the feeling that her pictures show a meaning in the way she captured life, not just focusing on the photograph alone. Her subjects depicted on each page makes the viewer wonder how she got herself as well as her subjects in that position. Were they cooperative or not? Did she tell them to strike a pose or did they do it on their own? Each of her pictures in the book have a story behind it and some would seem more interesting than others. From her book, I see that the significance of her life and her photography is through this quote "The thing that's most important to know is that you never know. You're always sort of feeling your way."

Very Intriguing!
The photography of Diane Arbus has always intrigued me. Her photographs are beautiful to me not because of the composition or lighting or any tools a photographer might use. They intrigue me because of her subject matter and even more so because of the intentions behind her subject matter. She takes pictures of people that are not considered beautiful, people that are "freaks" or "weirdos", or in some way different. She wants the viewer to identify with her subject in some way. In a way she takes the ugly, the thing that you're afraid to look at on the street and forces you to look at it and beyond that see it as art. She is "not evading facts, not evading what it really looks like". I agree with her purpose. It is best to show thing as they really are and to photograph something familiar or something often looked at is sort of boring to me.

For her, taking pictures was not about the final image - because she believed that anything you plan never turns out the way you intend anyways - but it was about the experience. It was about learning and making connections with her subjects. This was interesting to me because I never thought of photography that way. Mostly when I photograph I am so concerned with the final product, but now I realize that I actually enjoy the process of taking the pictures and dislike the developing. So I see photography in the same way, it is some how meditative and the actual action of photographing helps me release a certain kind of creative energy that I harbor.

Seeing beauty and the beauty of seeing
When we see flaws in others, why is it so hard to look away? Does it make us feel somehow better about ourselves? Maybe that is the case for some, but not Diane Arbus. What her photography attempts to convey is that beauty can be found, even in the most unexpected of places. Although, her ideal of beauty isn't the kind that compels people to go to a plastic surgeon to make themselves "pretty", or more pleasing to the eyes of other, it is nonetheless valid because it goes much deeper than the hollow image that beauty has become in contemporary society to many. Indeed, just one look at her work will illustrate that as she simply prefers the common people who are found everywhere from suburban lawns to skid rows, strip clubs to asylums, dance halls to darkened rooms. Perhaps, most important to her vision is that these people have flaws, just as everyone does and it is precisely these "flaws" that attracted Arbus' to the subjects portrayed in this collection.
Although many of her subjects inhabit places that many of us would rather avoid, often coming to us in nightmares from which we struggle to awaken, by the snapping of the shutter somehow they are made real to us, safe, unassuming and even fragile. Looking, for instance, at a photograph entitled "Russian midget friends in a living room on 100th st, NYC" my initial thoughts are flooded by a kind of morbid curiosity, but then as I continue to gaze and I notice their, eyes and faces, their expressions, and their willingness to share their lives with us; yes we, the same people who so often greets them with cold stares and cruel words. Diane Arbus was able to see the beauty in that kind of courage, a kind that would make many of us shudder, and her photos reveals to us the brilliance of it. Like a flower sprouting from the mire and destruction of a battlefield, Arbus' photography hits us hard, but leaves no bruises. Hers are images that when viewing for only a moment, we will remember for years.
Through her depictions of dwarfs, giants, drag queens, nudists, crying children, transvestites, lonely women, weathered faces and mental patients, we are reminded that beauty can often be found where it is least expected. But this is not the beauty of celebrity or fame, perfection or contriviality, but that found in their shadows, in the dark and hidden places that exist everywhere and at all times. Through her daring and revolutionary work Arbus struggled to teach us how to see this often tortured beauty, and I think above all else her work accomplishes that, but only if we open our eyes and our minds and let that beauty in. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Amazon.com

Girls, girls, girls. And well-endowed boys. They're the subjects of Thomas Ruff Nudes, a book of photographs by a well-known German artist best known for his searching images of faces, night skies and architecture. The new photographs were pulled off Internet porn sites and enlarged, colored and blurred by the artist. The fascinating thing about these nudes is the way the indistinct tumble of imagery replicates the physical sensation of sex. Everything is hazy, incomplete, replete with longing--a giddy carnival of orifices and sex organs. Skin is suffused with the blush of sexual arousal. Women offer themselves to unseen men and to one another. Some might say that Ruff is "making a statement" about the easy availability of pornography. Nonsense. He is documenting, in his painterly way, the elemental human urges that attract us to each other’s flesh. The most interesting images in the book are the most abstract, revealing sexual appetite as the eternal pursuit of another body’s knobs and holes. Accompanying the photographs is an earthy, supposedly fictional, fragment by the controversial French novelist Michel Houellebecq. The narrator reminisces about the years when he and his wife visited sex clubs on the Riviera. He writes of "dark rooms where people make love without choosing partners, submerged in the flux of tactile sensation." This is the world of Ruff's most successful photographs, a place where the staginess of pornography is transformed into the realm of pure desire. --Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Book Description

Revered as a father of modern photography, August Sander (1876– 1964) so refined the art of portraiture that his moving images of his fellow countrymenhave been heralded both as an important sociological document and a photographicmasterpiece. But those images make up only a portion of this deluxe seven-volume set,which will stand as the definitive collection of Sander's considerable achievement.

The books include some 150 never-before-seen images and essays by leadingexperts on the German photographer's work. Praising Sander's "vision . . . hisknowledge, and his immense photographic talent," the writer Alfred Döblin said: "Thosewho know how to look will learn from his clear and powerful photographs, and willdiscover more about themselves and more about others." ... Read more

Book Description

One of the top hairstylists working in fashion today, Serge Normant performs his magic on the most beautiful actresses and models of our time. A tour de force of feminine fantasy, Serge Normant Metamorphosis is a dazzling summation of contemporary style, fashion, and glamour-as envisioned by this gifted artist and captured in images by the world's leading fashion photographers.

In transforming the looks of such well-known women as Kate Moss, Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Aniston, Liv Tyler, and Susan Sarandon, Normant draws on each woman's individual essence and then uses hairstyling, makeup, and clothing to turn her everyday appearance into something extraordinary. Whether it is a retro look made into a contemporary statement or a vision taken from the art world rather than the fashion pages, Normant's creations are not makeovers but rather journeys into a realm of enchantment. With a foreword by Julia Roberts and an introduction by Isabella Rossellini, this book will serve as an inspiration for all women seeking to enhance their beauty through the embellishments of fashion. ... Read more

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Reviews (9)

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.

A Most Touching Document
Without doubt Sebastiao Salgado is one of the greatest living photographers of our time. "Migrations" is the first book I bought after having seen his most interesting video tape "Looking Back at You".

In fact a most touching document on the migrations of people from all over the world-- having to escape from their native land to avoid being tortured or killed.

Apart from the technical excellence and quality Salgado's black and white photography has a certain magic about it that strongly reminds me of the work of photography greats like W. Eugene Smith or Henri Cartier-Bresson. However I have to admit that Salgado clearly has become my personal favorite. Being a photographer myself I highly admire Salgado's talent to produce such phantastic images of people in deep distress--showing things as they are, without having his subjects losing their dignity.

Some time ago a world famous photographer said that "...you can't photograph soul...". After looking at Salgado's work I think that's definitely not true.

This book clearly is a must have for every photography lover with special interest in black and white journalistic work. Can it get any better? This was my first Salgado book and it won't be my last... ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Stunning photography, a real bargain
This is a collection of some of the most beautiful and masterfully composed portraits I've seen. McCurry is a National Geographic photographer and almost every page in the book could be a cover photo. Many photos of interesting faces from India, Chad, Nepal, Afghanistan, Philippines, China, Mali, Tibet, and (a few of the most interesting) Los Angeles. Small format photos (about 5x7). Photos are printed full page (to each edge of the page) on the right-hand side, and opposite each photo is printed the city, country and year the photo was taken. Photos lack commentary or descriptions and are not categorized, but I found this rather nice. Page turns are often new locations, and the lack of commentary leaves interpretation to the imagination. Just look into the eyes of the subjects and you'll start to feel their story. Great book -- too bad it's so small. It's got a spot on the coffee table nonetheless.

Enjoyable but abit oversaturated
I have met Steve McCurry and viewed his slide presentation and am enchanted by his work. He captures his subject's mood and environment with a beautiful quality of light and color. Although I found it hard to maintain my enthusiam as there are so many images and no accompanying story with any of the images. I also wish that the book had been printed in a larger size. All the images are roughly 5x7 and larger images would have really made me feel as if the subjects were looking back at me. But please do not misinterpret this review, the book is a bargain. It is filled with pages and pages of wonderful images of people from areas many of us will never have the opportunity to visit, much less photograph with such intimacy. A great gift and a nice addition to anyone's table. I just wished it was bigger and had some text.

Overrated!
This book has been a bit of a dissapointment. I'm very interested in travelling and all the photography related to travel and people. Therefore, I buy anything related to it and I owned a good collection of this kind of books.

My impression is that Steve McCurry's work is a bit overrated. Some of the photographs contained in this book are excellent but many others are just plain and nothing special. There are some other photographers who are much better and not so well known as Mr. McCurry.

After a while, it becomes quite boring to peruse through this particular book. Asia has plenty of great moments and people to photograph. I've seen amateur pictures much better than the ones showed here. So it has not impressed me at all.

He is always going to be remembered by his pic of the Afghanistan girl. I have to thank him for that brilliant and unforgettable one!!!

A great photographer
I gave this book a 4 star review because the book would have been better if it were a coffee table size book, and that I wish there would have been stories next to the images just like most phaidon books do. Steve McCurry is a excellent photographer, he carries the emotions of the people in the potraits...too bad it's all in 5x7" format.

Stunning!
Portraits is an amazing glimpse into the souls of people all around the world. The photos - some of them humorous - most of them simply haunting are ones you will want to look at time and again. ... Read more

Book Description

A provocative look at today's leading porn stars combined with insightful, offbeat, and amusing texts by an all-star literary lineup.

In todays image-saturated, Internet-savvy world, the subject of pornography is out of the closet and all over the maintream media. XXX: 30 PORN STAR PORTRAITS, by renowned portrait photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, features paired portraits (one clothed and one nude) of the top stars in pornographic film. A cross-section of straight and gay men and women is represented, from porn legends to rising stars. Performers in the book include celebrities such as Jenna Jameson (the leading porn star of our time), Ron Jeremy, and Nina Hartley, as well as fast-rising names like Sunrise Adams, Belladonna, and Chad Hunt.

The book includes short essays on the intersection of pornography and culture by a wide range of distinguished writers, from Salman Rushdie to John Malkovich, Nancy Friday to John Waters. XXX is a landmark artistic work that will contribute to the ongoing debate about the pornification of the culture at large. ... Read more

Book Description

The first-ever collection from the archives of the legendary Chairman of the Board, filled with never-before-seen photos, letters, mementos, and more.

What is a legend? A legend is a man who, more than 65 years after stepping on stage for the first time, is still larger than life. A man who changed the way we wear our hats. A man possessed not of a voice, but The Voice. Frank Sinatra is a legend.

Created in conjunction with the Frank Sinatra Estate, THE SINATRA TREASURES tells the story of Sinatras life with rare and never-before-published quotes from those he loved and those he worked with--and from the Chairman of the Board himself. More than 200 black-and-white and full-color images from several Sinatra archives, as well as 30 removable facsimile reproductions of items, such as a script from one of his radio shows and a Sinatra family photo album, provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Sinatras world and talent. Also included is a new compilation CD of rare interviews, early radio appearances, and songs.

This celebration of the many elements of Frank Sinatra--as singer, as actor, as humanitarian, as friend--brings to life as never before the man who made the standards standard. ... Read more

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

Book Description

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

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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

Light is the key to quality glamour photography, and Lighting for Glamour Photography is for any photographer looking to take his or her glamour photography to the next level. Photographers learn how to analyze light; how to make it work for them; and ultimately, how to take better, high-quality glamour photographs. With clear and easy-to-understand diagrams next to each photo explaining how the shot was set up-the position of the lights, the filters, film, camera, and lens used-photographers will feel ready to choose the right equipment, set up their own shots, and get solid results from the beginning. This new edition has been completely updated to include information on digital photography, as well as to reflect current styles in glamour photography. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A mix of old and new
I had been on the waiting list for this new book for several months and finally it arrived today. The key here is that it is the "revised" edition of the one printed in 1994, with about half of the images and text coming from the original book (I have them here opened side-by-side for comparison). I was disappointed in how the publisher simply scanned the old pages of photos and reprinted them with much less quality than the original printing. So going through the book, though the pictures are quite professional and the models are gorgeous, the obvious lack of print quality (quite poor actually) for half of the book is a big detractant for the viewer. The remaining new material is printed well with some stunning examples of glamour photography at its best. David and Duncan - why did you allow Amphoto to ruin your excellent past work with such sloppy printing??!! If one can get past that (and it's difficult), the context of the book is top notch with great advise and new sections on shooting digital. I had to give this book only three stars since the photographic reproduction of the original book's photos were so poor. ... 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

Reviews (1)

The most complete collection of Herb Ritts' work.
This was the first book by Ritts I ever purchased.I found it to be an amazing collection of portraits of everyone from Madonna and Sean Penn to Pee-Wee Herman. A definite must have for a fan of Herb Ritts' work. He has become my favorite contemporary photographer at the moment.I strongly recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

Organized chronologically and illustrated with more than 150 photographs, Life Year in Pictures 2005 is a pictorial encyclopedia of the year gone by.Revisited in classic images and insightful text are the most notable people, places, and events of 2004.Also remembered are a years work of fashions, trends, films and foibles. ... Read more