Portraits Books - Page 4

In Focus: National Geographic Greatest Portraits

National Geographic Society

Amazon Price: $19.80 List Price: $30.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: National Geographic Amazon Marketplace: 68 new & used starting at $9.22

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photo Essays
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Portraits
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

National Geographic Greatest Portraits tells the story of portrait photography through the eyes - and words - of five accomplished National Geographic photographers. The book showcases images never-before-seen alongside award-winning favorites. New and fascinating text reveals photographers' individual experiences photographing people and their evaluation of NG portraits produced during each decade - from the late-19th century until today. In Focus opens with a beautiful and surprising look at National Geographic's contribution to the knowledge of the world's peoples through photography. Five chapters follow, each spanning approximately two decades and covering an era in world history and photographic style. The chapters are: Before 1930 (Exploring the power of photography), 1930s-1940s (The Great Depression and World War II), 1950s-1960s (Bright colors and perky smiles), and 1970s-1980s (Back to realism), and 1990s-Present (Everything is relative). Each of these chapters is a portrait of the world.

The Family Of Man

Amazon Price: $19.55 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: The Museum of Modern Art, New York Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $6.25

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Artists, A-Z -> ( S-U ) -> Steichen, Edward
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photo Essays

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Perhaps the best photographic book ever published 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I first found this book at Foyle's in London, about 35 years ago, and it struck me. Since then, I bought five copies of the Family of Man, but no one remained in my home, because ever I felt the need to give this book to someone I loved or trusted.
What is making this book so precious to me?
First the idea itself of collecting pictures from the whole world (remember, when Steichen launched his project, the Cold War and the related hysteria was at its peak). This to demonstrate that all the human beings have to pass through the same events in their life: birth, growth, education, emotions, work, love, children, reflection, death. This apparently trivial concept leads to a conclusion by far less trivial: we all do belong to one family, our species, the humans (by the way, this thinking had not so great success in the past, nor the present seems to be more benevolent).
The Family of Man is exactly the visual demonstration of such a concept, by comparing the same events as viewed from different geographic and cultural perspectives, by means of photos from renowned or unknown photographers (of course, the pictures from the US are prevailing in numbers for logistics and statistical reasons: it was by far more simple for an US photographer to even simply receive the news of the Steichen project than for a photographer in Rwanda or in the USSR).
Steichen and his assistants made an impressive selection, shortlisting 503 pictures from the over 2 million they received. By the way, Steichen was a photographer, and his selection also considered the aesthetic side of the question: most of the pictures selected simply are wonderful.
The result is this book. I think no one on this planet can miss it, because The Family of Man is representative of a large part of our culture and on our very nature.
To give an example, in my opinion this book is at the same emotional and rational level as Homer's Odyssey, Dante's Divine Comedy, Melville's Moby Dick, primo Levi's If this is a Man, or the ancient Greek lyrics, to quote some comparisons.
I hope it will continue to be published; we, the humans, desperately need it.

Editorial Review:

Hailed as the most successful exhibition of photography ever assembled, The Family of Man opened at The Museum of Modern Art, New York in January 1955. This book, the permanent embodiment of Edward Steichen's monumental exhibition, reproduces all of the 503 images that Steichen described as "a mirror of the essential oneness of mankind throughout the world. Photographs made in all parts of the world, of the gamut of life from birth to death." A classic and inspiring work, The Family of Man has been in print for more than forty years. The New York Times once wrote that it "symbolizes the universality of human emotions." First produced by a magazine publisher and sold by the hundreds of thousands on newsstands and in airport shops, The Family of Man has been in more recent years published by the Museum. It has been continuously in print since 1955; the present Thirtieth Anniversary Edition was prepared from original photographs with all new duotone plates in 1986.

Pin Ups (Amuses Gueules)

Taschen Publishing, Benedikt Taschen Verlag

List Price: $3.99 By: Benedikt Taschen Verlag Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $1.90

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photo Essays
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Portraits
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Foreign Language Nonfiction -> French

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

better than nothing 3 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This book is flawed but if you want the covers from Robert Harrison's magazines by famous pin-up artists this is good. One problem is the cropped covers that prevent the reader from seeing the whole effect. The images also cover the full page so there is no white margin to absorb finger marks and other edge damage from use without harming the image. Taschen should have focused on the pin-up artists rather than trying to make a book cover all of Robert Harrison's magazines. By changing focus to the artists they could have dumped the black and white photos and shrunk the book. They then could have published full covers in an oversized book.

Taschen has published the same material in two other books but they are also flawed. First, is the original volume "Girlie Magazines." With 60 fewer pages it is a significantly thicker volume because the pages are thicker. While "1000 Pin-Ups is a good value, in my opinion "Girlie Magazines" remains the better book, with better paper quality. Second, is a small selection of covers from "Girlie Magazines" titled "Pin-Ups" in the Icons Series by Giles Neret. I would just buy a good used version of "Girlie Magazines" for a little more and get 3-4X the illustrations.

Editorial Review:

'Girls, Gags & Giggles"--this was publisher Robert Harrison's recipe for dishing up the American pin-up to the U.S. male. In the 1950s his girls magazines sold by the millions, before becoming icons of pulp and trash culture. These skillfully illustrated girls with their curvaceous forms and inviting lingerie soon overlook America's national dessert, in terms of popularity, and even developed considerable potential as a cultural export during the 1940s. "Never show everything," was always the motto.

Ailey Ascending: A Portrait in Motion

Alvin Alley America Dance Theater

Amazon Price: $31.50 List Price: $50.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chronicle Books Amazon Marketplace: 31 new & used starting at $27.40

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Performing Arts -> Dance -> Modern
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Performing Arts -> Dance -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Performing Arts -> Dance -> General AAS

Editorial Review:

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Ailey American Dance Theatre, this lavishly illustrated book features 120 original dynamic photos of the dancers, the performances, and ultimately the vision that shapes this groundbreaking company founded by Alvin Ailey. The book features a preface by artistic director, Judith Jamison, and a foreword by writer Anna Deveare Smith.

India

DK Publishing

Amazon Price: $26.40 List Price: $40.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $20.25

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Portraits
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Travel -> Asia
Subjects -> History -> Asia -> India -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Beautiful, sweeping overview 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is not a travel guide, but rather a beautiful, sweeping overview of a country with a rich heritage. A great introduction to the many aspects of the Indian culture, covering various regions, landscapes and practices.

India 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent book. It is full of imformation and has abosolutely gorgeous picutres. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn about India or is planning a trip to India.

Editorial Review:

Just 60 years after winning independence from British rule, India's economy is booming and the nation is fast becoming a leading global power. With a population of a billion people, India's society is as varied as its awe-inspiring landscape. Home to a dizzying array of languages, ethnic groups, beliefs, and lifestyles, India can seem overwhelming in its complexity. India takes the lid off this cultural melting pot, showing how past events have shaped this diverse but unified nation, where tradition and modernity successfully coexist. Through stunning photography and insightful text, India offers an eye-opening, thought-provoking, and authoritative visual guide to one of the world's most exciting and vibrant nations.

Traveling On A High Frequency: Photographs 1978-2008, Jay Blakesberg

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Rock Out Books Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $22.87

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photo Essays
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photographers, A-Z -> General

Editorial Review:

Traveling On a High Frequency is 304 pages of pure rock and roll intensity created where light and motion, energy and magic all collide together and crystallize on a piece of film. This photographic journey includes images Jay Blakesberg made as a suburban NJ teenager in the late 1970’s of such diverse artists as Muddy Waters, Crosby Stills & Nash, Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, The Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan. After his arrival in San Francisco in the mid 1980’s, this serious hobby transformed in to a career with assignments from leading music magazines documenting the newly exploding birth of alternative rock. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Jane’s Addiction were all playing small clubs and starting their ascension to the top while Blakesberg was there to capture it on film. A 1987 assignment for Rolling Stone Magazine photographing a free U2 concert in downtown San Francisco was the beginning of a string of over 250 assignments for the venerable rock magazine. With higher profile assignments came opportunities to work with artists such as Carlos Santana, Tom Waits, John Lee Hooker, Radiohead, Neil Young, Sammy Hagar, BB king, Tracy Chapman and many others. Onstage, in the photo pit, backstage, on location, and in the photo studio is where Blakesberg spent a solid 22 years documenting the true zeitgeist of the pop culture experience known as ROCK and ROLL. Capturing that “Magical Musical Moment” for magazines, record companies, and the artists themselves required a combination of creativity, technical knowledge, and a passion for the music that was unfolding in front of his lens. The photographs in this book will take you on an exciting journey thru 3 decades of rock and roll seen thru the eye's of Jay Blakesberg.

Baby Love: An Affectionate Miscellany

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Andrews McMeel Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $12.49

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photographers, A-Z -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photographers, A-Z -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"It is the nature of babies to be in bliss." --Deepak Chopra

Award-winning photographer Rachael Hale turns her lens on a new subject, babies.

Rachael Hale's luminous four-color photography captures the essence of babies napping, laughing, and mugging for the camera. Whether the babies are splashing happily in the bath, dozing on the sofa, or gazing at the camera with wide-eyed rapture, Hale's images focus on the infants themselves, and her lens captures the inner soul, humanity, and character of each little one.

Baby Love combines more than 100 expressive baby portraits with a mixture of poetry and verse, along with surprising facts and historical details that celebrate all things baby. Readers will learn where birthdays originated and how different countries around the globe celebrate the annual milestone, as well as additional baby-inspired facts and trivia. Also included are lists of the top boy and girl names to help inspire moms- and dads-to-be.

Hale has been designated as a Master of Photography at the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography Awards and received her fellowship--the highest accolade a New Zealand photographer can achieve--in 2000.

Sleeveface

John Rostron, Carl Morris

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Artisan Amazon Marketplace: 53 new & used starting at $5.63

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Portraits
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

More than 200 witty images that are as addictive as popping bubble wrap but a lot more fun.

This hilarious book immortalizes the craze that began while DJ Carl Morris was having a bit of fun in a Wales bar. Here is how Sleevefacing works: You find an old-school vinyl record sleeve with a nice head-shot of your musical icon (Elvis or David Bowie or Debbie Harry will do nicely), put the sleeve in front of your face, and strike a pose. Now get someone to snap your photo.

This growing Web phenomenon has its own Web site (sleeveface.com), Facebook presence, and thousands of inventive practitioners around the globe. Sleeveface compiles the cleverest of these images: the faux Morrisseys, wannabe Bob Dylans, and lookalike Madonnas whose posture and clothing is in perfect sync with their idols’ most classic record covers. With essays that celebrate the merits of vinyl in an age when music has gone digital, it will appeal to record collectors, music lovers across the generations, and anybody—which is to say everybody—who ever fancied him or herself a rock god.

Coco Chanel: Three Weeks/1962

Douglas Kirkland

Amazon Price: $31.50 List Price: $50.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Glitterati, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $29.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General AAS
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

too fabulous for words 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book is so pretty and Coco is just divine. It makes me want to drape pearls around my neck. I bought it for my mother and it made a nice gift bc it is a rather fancy book for the price...and it's COCO! Also, my mom likes photography, so she appreciated that the photos were by Douglas Kirkland

Beautiful ... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Just beautiful. I felt the writer was speaking to me. Love the intimate photographs of Coco's apartment, they are probably the best photo's of the apartment I've seen, probably because they are candid. A really lovely book, I read it with a glass of champagne in hand and thoroughly enjoyed the moments.

Editorial Review:

In 1962, world-class photographer Douglas Kirkland spent three weeks with the most important fashion icon of all time, Coco Chanel. Over the course of this stay, Kirkland photographed Coco with her friends, on the runway, and in the privacy of her homes. Kirkland reveals these never-before-seen photographs in all their vibrancy, shedding new light on one of the world's most enduring, multi-faceted, and bestselling fashion legends of all time.

Portrait and Candid Photography: Photo Workshop

Erin Manning

Amazon Price: $19.79 List Price: $29.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $14.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Digital Photography
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

For the serious hobbyist 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I found this book (And the entire Photo workshop series) to be very helpful especially to beginning and intermediate level photography hobbyists.

It assumes no previous knowledge of photography, and explains such things as f-stop and how things interact to affect exposure without being overly technical.

Each chapter ends with a "Lesson" or exercise to emphasize the subject of that chapter. And being able to combine the book with the website (Free membership) to upload your lessons for group critique (Sometimes including from the author) is a good way to improve you photo skills.

Note that though this is part of a series of books, there is no sequence in reading them. For that reason, there is a degree of overlap in each book.

That said, you really need to be using a SLR type camera to be able to have the control of the camera that many of the exercises require. A point-and-shoot may not allow it.

But for the serious hobbyist, I would say this book (and series) is worth the money and time.

Editorial Review:

The secret to taking great “people pictures” is to observe your subjects, connect with them, and use your camera to its best advantage. Here’s how to work with lighting, location, angle, composition, physical characteristics, environment, and countless other variables, including the unique challenges of photographing babies, group activities, and action. Learn to capture facial expressions, tell a story with a series of candids, add interest to large-group shots, and more. Apply these techniques and watch your subjects come to life.