Documentary-collections Books

Having been to Africa, I can attest that this volume of photographs (the result of a collaboration between six photographers) accurately illustrates daily life. The introduction makes informative reading, and the historical time chart is useful. There are some great urban shots, as well as those of fishermen, a textile craftswoman and other artisans, market scenes, colorful signage, religious iconography and services, health clinics, wildlife, and even a coffeemaker. The color (of the more than 150 images) is excellent. This would be a great gift for someone with an interest in West Africa, and it will be cherished by those with connections to Ghana (or just by those who appreciate good photography).

This striking collection of photographs documenting contemporary Ghana reflects a strong sense of place. Starting with the brilliant emblematic cover portrait, the viewer is welcomed into the distinctive world of everyday Ghanaians whose lives are revealed in all their diversity from fishermen and artists to port workers and women in prayer. How often do you see pictures of a man making rope, a worker carving a pirogue with an adze, a woman transporting a tub of bread on her head while she talks on a cellphone, a casket in the shape of a fish, and the ethereal beauty of dried fishing nets? The bold colors of Ghana resonate in beads and batiks, and businesses engage you with snappy names like the "God is Good Cold Store" and "Hello Furniture Work."
Caveat: the compelling images in this book may transform you from an armchair traveler to an actual explorer of this picturesque west African country.

It is rare that such a sensitive portrait of a nation can be achieved in the short period of time that these six talented photographers had to shoot but the word "talented" is what made it all possible.

Each sees the country from a different point of view and the synergy produced is simply awesome. I enjoyed turning each page for the surprise that ensued and I realized that Ghana was not just another African hellhole but a place that I would ike to learn more about and visit someday.

The warm personalities of the people just jump from the pages and I immediately suggested to the principal of the predominately African-American school where I substitute teach that it be acquired for the school library.

Don't miss this one. It's got great layout, a marvelous preface by the director of the project as to how it evolved, and a great introductory essay by a woman born in Ghana who is now a U.S. scholar who discusses in folksy terms the fascinating history of the country and also refers to individual images in the book. There's also a timeline that brings you up to speed on this fascinating country's history.

When I finshed the book, it went on a special shelf in my library reserved for A-Plus photo books so I can have quick access to page through them over and over again.

You'll love this book!

Gift of Wings is perhaps the most powerful and inspiring of the hundreds of books I've read. The fascinating story of a wheelchair traded for wings on 5000 miles journey across Canada. Breathtaking and surprisingly original aerial photographs of a stunningly diversified landscape . Beautiful, philosophical, witty, poetic and joyful. A book with a soul that is sure to touch yours.

Carl Hiebert has freed not only himself but all those who feel the handicap of wingless birth, to soar and glide through the beautiful spaciousness of Canada. The fascinating story of his injury and recovery of spirit to leave the wheel chair behind as he climbed into the skys of Canada with camera in hand, will forever challenge and delight me, an aviator and current healer of injured bodies and minds. "Breathtaking" is a real understatement for this story of beauty

This book is incredible. I have bought it as a gift and have not had time to read all the comments and description at the beginning, but have gone through all the pictures and most of their descriptions... It is WONDERFUL. I will get many more copies to give to friends and family, the pictures blow your mind, and the descriptions are concice, short, and most of them are funny too. A great buy.

If one were to draw an imaginary line through the last two hundred years, starting with Goya and the Disasters of War, perhaps pausing briefly with Daumier and then moving resolutely to the trenches of the first world war, some of the lithographs of George Bellows, Otto Dix and Grosz. And if that imaginary line were to pick up the expressionist thread again in Mexico, most particularly with Orozco and Jose Luis Cuevas then I think that Witkin, rather than a shocking purveyor of disturbing images can be seen as the latest -and one of the finest- inheritors of a very solid and well-grounded strand in the history of Western Art.

Sometimes he is even very funny, as when, very conscious of academic art, he mimics Velasquez and Ingres, but then Goya could be very funny, too. Usually however Witkin is about as funny as Goya's impalements or as the trench war lithographs of Otto Dix.

Definitely not a book for the "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything crowd" If you like your expressionism with a bite, this is great stuff. If you prefer tame, decorative expressionism there's always Maurice Sendak.

o pushing the role of the photographer as one who photographs the poor, the odd, the strange, the perverse, the sexual underworld in the tradition of Weegee, Arbus, etc. o pushing the adaptation of famous works of art in the past into modern pieces. o and if you can't stomach what you find, you should at least be able to appreciate the quality of the photo-manipulation. o one image from this book seems to have been used in the movie Jacob's Ladder.

Joel Peter Witkin's images are what nightmares are made of...a cast of freaks, standing up...looking through you. We are here, don't pity or humiliate us...we are not nightmares...we are all creatures of heaven and earth

I am surprised that this book was the source of so much enjoyment for me, since I had originally bought it thinking it was about Dick Dastardly from the Wacky Races (my youngest wanted it for Christmas). Suffice to say, come Christmas Day, Jeffrey was in tears and the whole household was looking at me reproachfully.

But when I locked myself in the lavatory for the rest of the afternoon to escape the sarcastic commentary from the assembled throng, I was absolutely rapt with it. Really good. I'm still not quite sure of the author's name, though.

"Golfers" is an inspiring collection of photographs and essays that brilliantly captures the addictive allure of golf- a game that Dick Durrance presents as a metaphor of life - an elusive search for excellence, a test of personal values, a source of enduring friendships.

Durrance take us on a fascinating journey from Chelsea Piers in New York to "The Chilly Open" on a frozen lake in Minnesota to "Wild Golf" in the foothill pastures of Colorado. He surrounds stunning photographs with moving essays that reflect the diversity of the game, and he balances reverence with an eye for the absurd - that creative club in the American golf bag that keeps us on course when life and recreation get too serious.

You don't have to be a golfer to appreciate the wisdom and humility that come with the game or the artistic hole-in-one that Durrance has shot with this book.

Durrance has struck gold with his poignant look at the people of golf. His hallmark photography is stunning but only a step ahead of the funny and touching description of his brief time with each subject. He is to be commended for such stellar work completed in such a short period - three months. The range of characters - from professionals to the most rank amateurs - presents a sweeping view of the golf world that will find resonance in anyone who enjoys the game. This book is the perfect gift for any or all of the golfers in your life.

Marion Patterson's book of B&W photographs on the California landscape is visual poetry. These are not the big scenes of an Ansel Adams (who was a dear friend and mentor to Marion), but an intimate vision of nature through a lifetime focused on seeing and expressing her relationship with the living landscape. The print quality is superb, so one can really appreciate the subtleties of these beautiful images.

Marion Patterson is to be commended for her excellent photographic work. A journey of spirit, a delight for the senses, tactile photography at its best....words can't quite capture the essence of these marvelous images, frozen with the click of the shudder for all to see.

This album of delights will be treasured in any collection.

In this stunning collection, photographer Marion Patterson shares her mystical vision of the western landscape. She focuses on the intimate details of the environment-a hidden waterfall cascading down a rocky stair, the twisted roots of a fallen redwood, patterns of foam bubbles and pebbles left by the receding tide. She guides us in savoring the small delights of nature.

Greece: Land of Light is a terrific book for an overview of what Greece looks like and what the country's history was like. The pictures and narrative are both excellent.

This is a reminder why I loved this country when I traveled in 2006 and why I want to go back again. The photography was excellent. Captivating!

An excellent book of pictures of the people and country. Makes me want to return to this lovely land of Greece again.

This book is an amazing addition to my collection of fotography books. Guy Bourdin is one of my favorite photographers of the last centry. From the layout to the impeccable print technique, I do enjoy the book!

Wooooooowwwwwwww !! Incredible printing, gorgeous images, a time to RE-discover this hudge artist .

This book (or books, since it is 2 volumes together) consists mainly of Bourdin's photos of Nicolle Meyer, taken between 1977 and 1980.

Volume I has 75 color photos, and each one has its own page. Each photo is only about half the size of the page, but having said that, none of them seem too small. They all seem about the right size and fit well with the feel of the book. Almost every photo contains Nicolle in one form or another, which is definitely not a bad thing, because she is a beautiful woman and a great subject.

Volume II has 133 pages. Most of them are photos, but some of them are text. The text tells about Bourdin, Nicolle Meyer, and the process that went into the photographs, among other things. The size of the photos varies more in Volume II than in Volume I. Some photos are the full size of the page, and sometimes there are multiple small images on one page. There aren't quite as many photos of Nicolle in this volume, but she is still the primary model.

I am not very familiar with Bourdin's other books, but in my opinion, this is a must-have for any fan of Bourdin. Both volumes are beautifully packaged and contain a box to keep them together. I can't say for sure, but I would assume that there are a lot of photographs in this album that are difficult to find anywhere else. One of my favorite photography books.

This is a superb book! The photos are excellent, showing Cuba as it truly is today, with whatever still stands after four decades of inattention. Anyone who has not seen Cuba in 40 years should pereuse this book. The photographer does not make a political statement of any sort -- he merely records the beauty that is there. One of the few books about Cuba that I would recommend to anyone, regardless of political sympathies.

My boss gave me this book for Christmas. Boy, did he pick the right gift. Engels' architectural photography is breathtaking. Even thought the splendid colonial buildings depicted in this book appear to be falling apart, one can't help but be mesmerized by the ghostly beauty of it all. Through these photos it appears as if Havana has been become frozen in another, more prosperous era, but has never been maintained since. What you take away from the book is a city that is eerily beautiful precisely because it seems as if it is only a skeleton of what once was. If you are, like me, a lover of architecture, these photographs will make you feel terribly sad because so much grandeur is rapidly vanishing. At the same time, there are more than enough traces of splendid architectural details seen in this book, albeit in crumbling pieces, to make any fan of architecture want to see more of Havana. I gained much from this book, especially seeing, with my sometimes too-American eyes, how a very close and small Caribbean neighbor has architecture that at times seems to rival that of European capitals. I highly recommend this book.

This books presents the beautiful and rich architecture found throughout Havana. Through his pictures Engels lets the architecture speak for itself. Beth Dunlop's 5 page introduction is concise and to the point; a great compliment. Great pictures, a treasure collection.

Mr. McDonald's book does an outstanding job of evoking the state of our small towns. With his sharp eye, he is a storyteller with a camera. His images of the vanishing south are poignent and powerful. Highly recommended.

Robin McDonald is continuing the work begun by William Eggleston: capturing the subtle beauty of small-town Southern life with clear-eyed, straight-on, unsentimental photographs "illustrated" by texts gleaned from Alabama writers. A lovely gift for any thoughtful Southerner.

This book combines an artist's eye with a photographer's skill to bring to life charming small towns throughout Alabama. We see them from an entirely new perspective and gain an intriguing glimpse into the Southern way of life. This is a book that will make a great gift for people with many different types of interests, from travel to architecture to antiques and more. The production quality of the book is outstanding.

If you're a fan of the Men of Falcon, then this book is for you. It's jam packed with photos of a lot of the hot men of Falcon Studios. The photos are beatifully done. The book is softcover but made of heavy stock paper. I would recommend adding this book to your collection.

OK...one says FALCON, and the response should be..."woof"...this book will have you howling...hot men from a hot studio.

Falcon shows us in this publication what an amazing stable of hot studs their studio has employed past and present. These boys
are simply knockouts. Handsome, well-endowed and virile, Heroes
will do more than just keep you interested...