Reviews (5)

If Pictures are words
If pictures are words, this is an epic novel in the tradition of Dickens or Tolstoy. Read carefully and bring along the tissues so that -when you reach the final chapters -you won't leave the pages damp, as I did.

My Favorite Photographer
I waited in anticipation for this book's release.It was worth the wait.Annie Liebovitz, one of the world's most talented photographers, has released a book that will touch even those who have a limited interest in photograpy.From the opening pages to the closing pages, it's very evident that this is not just another Annie Liebovitz release.Instead, it's a special edition from her heart and soul.Whether it's photographs of her family and friends or famous people from throughout the world, she tells a story that you will not easily forget.

Beautiful, interesting and superb @}->---
Even if you aren't into photography, you can certainly appreciate the quality, professionalism and beauty of Annie's work.She's one of the most trusted photographers around and she's been in the business for so long doing amazing work.This book is delightful to look at.
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Subjects:  1. 1949-    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    3. Exhibitions    4. Individual Photographer    5. Leibovitz, Annie,    6. Photo Techniques    7. Photoessays & Documentaries    8. Photography    9. Portrait photography    10. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    11. Photography / Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions   

Subjects:  1. Expeditions & Discoveries    2. Photo Essays    3. Photoessays & Documentaries    4. Photography    5. Subjects & Themes - Erotica    6. Subjects & Themes - Nudes    7. Erotic art    8. Photographs: portraits   

Reviews (10)

Beyond art book, beyond photography
It is not really a book, but an art object: accordion folded and neatly ensconced in a box, its heavy cardboard structure makes it a durable thing, one that transcends the notion of a mere "book." It is an object of intrinsic beauty and the mere holding of it in one's hands conveys the good taste, fine quality, and the superb craftmanship that were blended to create PORTRAITS.
Many great portraits ...
... but it's not a book. I personally did not care for the strange format, which has a sleeve, a back and a front cover, and a sort of concertina arrangement of the intervening text and pictures.

'Portraits' was a beautiful composition of Avedon's work
Not only was I excited about the low price offered by amazon.com for this book, I couldn't believe the wealth of information it withheld. The book itself is innovating, working as an accordian-style setup with text on one side and full-size, beautiful portraits on the other. The written portions spoke of Avedon in his early years, what his inspirations were, and how the affected his work later on. As a young photographer, this was valuable information for me.
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Subjects:  1. Avedon, Richard    2. Celebrities    3. Individual Photographer    4. Photo Essays    5. Photoessays & Documentaries    6. Photography    7. Portrait photography    8. Portraits    9. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    10. Individual photographers    11. Photographs: portraits    12. Photography / Individual Photographer    13. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000   

Reviews (22)

Not exactly inspiring
I think people have very different expectations for these kinds of books, and this one did not at all meet mine. While Master Lighting Guide is very thorough and really gets into the basics of the different kinds of portrait lighting it totally fails to inspire. The photography in this books is very dull and really reminds me of the faded portraits you see plastered to the windows of sad photo stores and barber shops.
Great content, well written
I was very impressed with this book. Mr. Grey has done a fantastic job writing this book. It's obvious that he's very accomplished at his craft and has logged countless hours refining his skills. He also explains each scenerio with enough detail to make his intentions perfectly clear. All of the images in the book are crisp, sharp and well composed. Each sample includes a two dimensional diagram of the lighting configuration. Since there is no third dimension to the diagrams it is sometimes hard to tell if a light was placed high or low in relationship to the model and the other light. Mr. Grey does explain the configuration in the narrative so it's not that hard to figure out the height of a light in the diagram. Great book. I highly recommend it for a portrait primer. Side note - The cover picture is fantastic. It's a great representation of the quality of the book.

Great Book
I have advanced in my photography skills a great deal from this book. My lighting has become just as artistic as the shots themselves. Alot of the ideas in the book are just fun to play around with to help create your own kinda lighting. A must read for those not to new but would like to make the next leap... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Lighting    2. Photo Techniques    3. Photographic Techniques For Specific Conditions    4. Photography    5. Portrait photography    6. Portraiture    7. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    8. Techniques - Lighting    9. Photographic equipment & techniques    10. Photography / Portraits   

Reviews (17)

An Avid Eye of a Gifted Photographer....
As well as a vivid pictorial of antomical perfection of the French National Rugby League, this stunning expose lends the gifted eye of this photograher's protrayal of natural lockeroom brawn, and has captured as noted, raw and natual splendor in the male physique. And of course a dream book, of sorts, for a many fan's of the sport and male physique in perfection. In itself, this worthy publicaton proves that the athletic male form, in it's unwavering splendor, can make a marvelous subject matter for a serious collector as well as your coffee table collection, as it throws eye candy to the needy masses of skin in it's ultimate form. Possible' to pull out at your latest soire as it is a Splendidly Bound and Jacketed Publication worthy of a Collector's Shelf.
Hottie French sportmen
Overall the photos were done with excellent taste. Was it worth the $$, I would say no. Does it provide a great conversation for anyone that walks into the living room and sees it on the coffee table? YES

Wow!
This book is amazing! I bought it for a good friend of mine as a birthday present, and now it has become one that everyone asks for! The pictures are beautiful and these men's bodies are incredible! A very tasteful and aesthetically pleasing collection! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gay erotic photography    2. Individual Photographer    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photography    5. Photography Of Specific Subjects    6. Photography of men    7. Photography of the nude    8. Rugby    9. Subjects & Themes - Nudes    10. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    11. Nudes depicted in art    12. Photographs: portraits    13. Photography / Subjects & Themes / Nudes   

Reviews (16)

The Beauty Within
Ironically I was in a spa getting a facial when I picked up a copy of this book.After I read it I had to buy it.The photos and the quotes in it are so poignant and true to the "real" women who said them.To me it is a fascinating book that every woman should have on her coffee table.It really makes you feel, no matter what your stage in life, that real beauty comes from within.

These women are wonderful.
This book is a wonderful celebration of the strength and lifetime beauty of the some marvelous women.Their images and insights give encouragement to women of all ages that "the best is yet to come."This would be a great book for a discussion group.I first saw it in my doctor's office.The best part of the book is that it is real.

Wise Women
inspirational and honoring of the beauty of aging wise women both of their physical and their inner selves ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1945-    2. Older women    3. Photo Essays    4. Photoessays & Documentaries    5. Photography    6. Photography of women    7. Portraits    8. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    9. Tenneson, Joyce,    10. Women's Studies - General    11. Elderly    12. Photographs: portraits    13. Photography / Portraits   

Reviews (18)

Garage Glamourwill cultivate your creative genius
Once you buy the book, you will be hooked on shooting Glamour style photography.
A must read for learning Glamour photography.
"Garage Glamour" should be a required reference book for all the Glamour photographers out there!Not only can those already shooting Glamour learn something from this book, but those aspiring to learn Glamour will find a wealth of information inside.
A great 'How to' on glamour photography
I read this from cover to cover when I first received it several months ago. From the first read, I picked up several techniques that I immediately put to good use.
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Subjects:  1. Photo Techniques    2. Photography    3. Portraiture    4. Subjects & Themes - Nudes    5. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    6. Techniques - Digital    7. Image processing: graphics (static images)    8. Photography / Techniques / Digital    9. Special kinds of photography   

Reviews (2)

Where'd everybody go?
Where's Uma, Charlize, Drew, Joan, Julie Brown, Tiffany, Traci Bingham, Katerina Witt and others? I was expecting more than this. Don't get me wrong though-it's a really good book but I really do hope they publish more volumes! It could have been a lot better.

a look back
I enjoyed this book. It has some very iconic images, especially the Marilyn Monroe pics. I was a little disappointed,however as it is by no means a complete overview of all the celebrities who have appeared in the magazine.They seem to have arbitrarily choosen who to include.Where are, Tiffany,Vanity, Kristy Swanson,Joanie Lawler,and most puzziling Joan Collins? I guess they'll be in volume 2. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Individual Photographer    3. Non-Classifiable    4. Nonfiction    5. Photo Techniques    6. Photoessays & Documentaries    7. Photography    8. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    9. Nudes depicted in art    10. Photography / General   

Reviews (2)

How blonde can you get?
All I can say is Mona Lisa must be a blonde!It's a fine book of unseen photos from the Born to Run cover shoot. And yes, Mona Lisa it was all shot in one day.

Disappointed
I am a Jersey Girl, about Bruce's age and a big Bruce fan, but this book was a total disappointment.The pictures seem to beall from one roll of film taken on the same day.One poster would cover the whole book for a whole lot less money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Genres & Styles - Rock    2. Individual Photographer    3. Individual Photographers And Their Work    4. Photo Essays    5. Photoessays & Documentaries    6. Photography    7. Rock Music    8. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    9. Photographs: collections    10. Photography / Portraits    11. Rock & pop   

Reviews (3)

A wonderful book with beautiful photography
The photography in this book is beautiful.Ms. Scott captures the innate beauty and emotions of every dog she photographs.Just by looking at these dog faces, one can get a sense of the hardship, the longing, and the hope of these canines.The stories behind each dog gives them such depth and character.Of course, these stories leave the reader/viewer filled with emotions including sadness and joy, but most importantly, they provide a reminder of just how precious shelter dogs are and just how much they want and deserve to be loved.
Man's best friend, forgotten...
This is a collection of photographs of dogs from various shelters, each with a short description of their situation. These dogs are the unlucky and unwanted, sometimes abondoned by their "best friend", and some are picked up as strays. The photos capture the character of these dogs, and some have such sad looks. It is heartbreaking to read that some of these dogs in this book were euthanized, sometimes simply due to the lack of space in shelters. In those cases, these photos are the only remaining evidence of their short existance. Recommended for anyone who loves dogs. A percentage of proceeds from sales go to shelters.

Awesome!!
Traer Scott has done an extraordinary job.The photos of these dogs are mesmerizing. A must have for dog lovers, and especially those of us who have walked into a shelter and fallen in love with a furry stranger who then becomes our best friend on the ride home. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dogs - General    2. Pets    3. Photoessays & Documentaries    4. Photography    5. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    6. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    7. Dogs    8. Gift books    9. Photographs: collections   

Reviews (28)

A treasure for any U2 fan
No words can describe the beauty, quality and detailed work of this book; you can really tell the dedication Anton Corbijn put into it, as well as his loyalty to the band through all these years.It's not only a masterpiece describing through pictures and notes the history of the greatest rock band in the world, but also a must have for any major U2 fan.It's personalized album type format makes it a wonderful experience both to read and look, and the quality and art work of all the pictures is out of this world; it's almost like you grow closer to the band! I loved it and can't get enough of it!!It's worth every cent. Really!!

Good backgrounder
The iconic photos in this book are an essential addition to any U2 fans collection. It's great to see other shots taken in the same session as the well known images that have graced the magazines and album covers over the years. Best of all are the explanations behind the shots and the honesty that comes across from the photographer and the band.

Absolutely amazing pictorial anthology of U2
I bought the book for my sister; an avid U2 fan.She has spent hours perusing the photos and the copy.This really is the coffee-table book of coffee-table books.Quality is superb. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Genres & Styles - Pop Vocal    2. Individual Photographer    3. Ireland    4. Photo Techniques    5. Photography    6. Pictorial works    7. Rock musicians    8. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    9. U2 (Musical group)    10. 21st century    11. Individual photographers    12. Photographs: collections    13. c 1980 to c 1990    14. c 1990 to c 2000   

Reviews (45)

Pink Floyd - The Book
If you're a fan of Pink Floyd for their music, you'll probably love this book. I think a lot of the people reviewing this book are forgetting that it was put together by a rock and roll drummer. The book may not go terribly deep into the psychological nuonces of the group, but it sure does lay out one hell of a collection of images for you to make what you will of their career. This book is kind of like looking through Nick Mason's photo album and reading captions he wrote to remind himself of what was going on in the pictures. The text won't let you in on the stuff you would've missed by not being there, but the photos give you a glimpse of his memories and experiences. Don't treat this book as a Pink Floyd biography, it's best viewed as a giant booklet included in a giant box set, the box set being Pink Floyd's entire musical career (which most people buying this book probably already own).

Need a microscope to read the text!
This would have been a great book if they had made it into a larger format and made the text legible! The type is so small it's nearly impossible to read. I'm returning it because it's useless to me as-is.

A Must for Floyd Fans
I must admit I have not read a book (novel, biography, etc.) in some time, so this was my re-entry into the literary world. We are not dealing with Pulitzer prize stuff here, but at times I found it hard to put down. While it definitely helps if you are a Pink Floyd fan, the book is a very interesting look at the hard work it takes(with some dumb luck thrown in) to reach the top of the world of rock and roll. The book is rather amusing at times, but unless you are up on British humor, I suspect some it, like I, you will simply "not get". It would also have been nice to dive into the "characters" a bit more. I feel I know the band members a bit better now, but no where near what I expected. Instead of some of the tedious devotion left to technical aspects (lighting, sound, etc.) a little more personal study would have been nice. But I suspect Mr. Mason was being careful and did not what to hurt feelings or create bad will. He definitely did not do that, but it makes sense since that was the role he seemed to have with the band all along. So if you are a fan of classic, progressive rock, or Pink Floyd, is it quite worth it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. England    4. General    5. Genres & Styles - Rock    6. History & Criticism - General    7. Mason, Nick    8. Music    9. Music/Songbooks    10. Photography    11. Pink Floyd (Musical group)    12. Rock musicians    13. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    14. Music / Rock   

Editorial Review

Each of the extraordinary portraits made by photographer Annie Leibovitz for her book Read more

Reviews (43)

Wonderful book
Superb photography, amazing subjects. Very interesting essay by Susan Sontag. Great to see all those wonderful women together. Gives a fresh perspective on half the human race.

Wonderful wonderful
I loved this book.It made me feel like a real woman.

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

Subjects:  1. 1949-    2. General    3. Individual Photographer    4. Leibovitz, Annie,    5. Photo Essays    6. Photoessays & Documentaries    7. Photography    8. Photography of women    9. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    10. Photography / General   

Reviews (5)

Best book on portraits I've seen
I've read eight different books on portrait photography and this is by far the best one.I highly recommend it for anyone from the beginner who just wants better snapshots of their kids or family to the serious amateur who wants to learn how to take pro-looking, posed portraits.The book also covers lots of useful stuff on lighting in addition to posing.What I like about this book is you can get useful and practical stuff out of it no matter how much time you have.If you spend 10 minutes paging through chapter 5 on posing, you will immediately improve your portrait composition.If you spend more time understanding different lighting options (natural and flash), you'll improve even more.
Another book for my must have collection
This is one of the most well written and comprehensive books on portraiture that I have read in a long time.Very though and engaging- this book covers a lot of ground but does in such a way that the reader never becomes bored.This is a book about portrait photography, and the 1st half of it really applies to both film and digital.The last part is more photoshop-centric but also awesome.

My new photography bible.
I first purchased this book to show support for another Flickr member.I figured it would be a nice book about portrait photography with some nice photographs.I was pleasantly surprised when my book arrived and I realized it was a very comprehensive book on the subject of portrait photography!
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Subjects:  1. Digital techniques    2. Lighting    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photographic Equipment    5. Photography    6. Portrait photography    7. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    8. Techniques - Digital    9. Techniques - Lighting    10. Computer graphics software    11. Photographs: portraits    12. Photography / Equipment    13. Special kinds of photography   

Editorial Review

This revised and updated portfolio includes nearly 200 images by the master portrait photographer. The best known faces of our time have been memorably "Karshed"--a glowering Churchill (his trademark cigar having been just snatched out of his mouth), a beaming Khruschev peeking out from a massive fur coat, a serene Helen Keller reading a book of Braille with quiet delight, a pensive Tennessee Williams at his typewriter, an impish Margaret O'Brien yanking at her pigtails. Karsh's portraits of fellow artists--especially sculptors and architects--are among his most sensitive and intuitive. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An insightful and sensetive look at famous 20th cent. people
A wonderful retrospective view of Karsh's most famous photographs.Most portraits are in black and white and capture rare insights of the most influential people in the arts, politics, academics and entertainment. Allphotographs are brilliantly reproduced, most in full page format. Thecomments by Karsh reveal personal insights adding a dimension ofaccessibility to the most revered in our century. There are also numerousexcellently reproduced color portraits, which along with the black andwhite portraits, are reproduced in a wonderful satin finish. There are manyportraits from the 40's and 50's including his most famous portrait ofWinston Churchill and powerful portraitssuch as the back of Pablo Casalsplaying the cello in an austerely but masterfully lit setting. Exceptional photographic studies of familiar faces.
This is a must have book for the portrait photographer. Or for anyone who just enjoys famous faces.Years of wonderful portrait studies of people we all know and admire. These portraits make us feel as if we are reallygetting to know these people up close. Such emotions are rare to becaptured as still images. A SUCCESS in portraiture!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1908-    2. Celebrities    3. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    4. Individual Photographer    5. Individual Photographers And Their Work    6. Karsh, Yousuf,    7. Photo Essays    8. Photography    9. Portrait photography    10. Portraits    11. Individual artists    12. Karsh, Yousuf    13. Photographs: portraits   

Reviews (8)

fantastic photo book
annie's book is an incredible collection of celebrity images with a series of text that describes her ascent to the top in her field

One Of The Most Celebrated Photographer of the 20th Century!
Annie Leibovitz's name is as recognizable as her photos.This collection spans two decades filled with her best work mostly from Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone, but including some previously unpublished ones.She has the knack to bring out the side of a celebrities personality unexpected, and a way to turn a comic photo on it's side for another uplift of laughter.Some serious, some funny and many sentimental, Annie Leibovitz's photos invoke thought, humor, tenderness and empathy in every frame.A woman from modest beginnings shows the world what she has accomplished so far.It is an impressive feat.

Layers of Meaning Like the Brush Strokes of Old Masters
Seeing so many celebrity photographs from the beginning of Ms. Leibovitz's career unveils many of the most effective methods that she uses to create her deep insights into the subject of the portrait.Although you may feel the subtlety of her work viscerally, these comparisons make it easier to appreciate the purposefulness of how the effects are brilliantly captured.If you are like me, this book will enhance your already deep appreciation of her work.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1949-    2. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    3. Individual Photographer    4. Leibovitz, Annie,    5. Photo Essays    6. Photography    7. Photography, Artistic    8. Photographs: portraits    9. c 1970 to c 1980    10. c 1980 to c 1990   

Reviews (4)

Good book
I enjoy his book and got much more out of it as it focuses on psychology of the subjects and the photographer. You will get much more out of this book than the PPSOP class and it is much cheaper too.

Another winner by Bryan Peterson
Many years ago I was a budding photographer with no formal training, never really interested in photographing people. Yet people were always getting in the way of most of my shots. Many years later, I discovered that people can add interest to my images by adding scale, a sense of place, or adding to the image's story. Today I enjoy sports photography and I look for ways to include people when composing. As a serious hobby photographer with no formal training, this book will help me get more creative when photographing people.
Facing your fears, one person at a time
BryanPeterson'sbest books are the ones that allow photographers (beginning and professional) to confront their fears in becoming better photographers. This is, hands down, one of his best. A great distillation of his years of experience as a top working photographer, teacher, instructor and writer.
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Subjects:  1. Photo Techniques    2. Photography    3. Portrait photography    4. Portraiture    5. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    6. Techniques - General    7. Photographs: portraits   

Subjects:  1. Individual Photographer    2. Photo Techniques    3. Photography    4. Subjects & Themes - Children    5. Subjects & Themes - Erotica    6. Subjects & Themes - Nudes    7. Erotic art    8. Photographs: portraits   

Reviews (5)

Richard Avedon Woman In The Mirror
This latestby our recently departed R.A. ( I cried like a little girl when he died) is one of his best. With images in his beloved black and white but also rare color that I've never seen before the book is a classic portryal of Avedon'simages ofwomen. Dovima with elephants, Suzy Parker, Rose Kennedy, the most erotic image of Stephanie Seymour ever. The color images of Nadja with a skeleton in fashion images that will stay withyou for ages, this book is a fantastic portfolio of Americas greatest photographer,( ok Irving Penn & Avedon share that title). If you were not in on Made In France,(which is now a $1500.00 book )get this one it has more substance aside from the beautiful design of MIF. I miss Avedon and this book brought some memory of his brilliant approach to photography once again.

Avedon's Last Gasp
Avedon's last book. He died in October 2004. This is a beautiful collection, all are full-page and a few double-page spreads. Many are fashion pieces, but a number are of the famous, including a wonderful Janis Joplin!
Female in the lens
Richard Avedon selected a portfolio of women he has photographed over the last 60 years for "Woman in the Mirror.". Here are 125 images ranging from 1946 (Zazi, a street performer in Rome) to 2004, the year Avedon died. Some of the images have been published but many have not. The majority of photos are from Avedon's career as a fashion photographer - familiar faces like Dorian Leigh, Dovina, Jean Shrimpton, Penelope Tree and Suzy Parker (who is featured on the cover). Women from other walks of life are featured as well - actresses (Katharine Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Tilda Swinton, Marilyn Monroe), writers (Isak Dinesen, Marguerite Duras, Renata Adler), singers (Tina, Turner, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, Maria Callas) and many more. And there's also Elton John in drag! Fifteen pages are reproductions from a "photographic fable" titled "In Memory of the Late Mr. and Mrs. Comfort" (1995) which features models in bizarre poses with skeletons. An essay by Anne Hollander covers the career of this fascinating photographer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fashion photography    2. Individual Photographer    3. Individual Photographers And Their Work    4. Photo Techniques    5. Photoessays & Documentaries    6. Photography    7. Photography of women    8. Portraiture    9. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    10. Individual photographers    11. Photographs: collections    12. Photography / Individual Photographer   

Reviews (7)

A thought-provoking collection of Mapplethorpe's sex picture
This collection of pictures is bound in a good quality cover and printed on a glossy paper of reasonable quality. One word: Ouch
You can always debate whether this book is "art" or not, but thefact is I am worried about what happened to some of the subjects. Helmut? Are you okay?I think Mapplethorpe wanted to shock, and he did, but Ifound the pictures had too much pain in them to be appreciated.I wasdeadened to what Mapplethorpe wanted to say, if he wanted to say anythingat all.Ouch, ouch, ouch.

very good book
artistic and powerful,i recommend it ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions    2. Gay Studies    3. Individual Photographer    4. Nudes & Erotic    5. Photography    6. Subjects & Themes - Erotica    7. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    8. Erotic art    9. Gay studies (Gay men)    10. Individual photographers    11. Photographs: collections