5 comments about Unembedded: Four Independent Photojournalists on the War in Iraq.

1. I just saw this book featured on the PBS show "AIR." It showcased many of the images from the book. Only the most heartless could fail to feel compassion and awe for the people depicted here and the brave photographers who did the work. I cannot accept the remark that the photos are somehow from Saddam's "point of view." They are a facet of the reality, a facet which we as Americans must confront, sooner or later, because it is our government that has set this chain of events in motion.
   
   Ms. Bergin, please, if your idea of fighting for freedom is to deny the truth of suffering, at least have the integrity to spell "freedom" correctly.



2. The photos were very interesting. Seeing the sadness of war is very compelling and heart wrenching. The captions are obviously from a Saddam Hussien Sympathizer point of view. I question if the captions are truthful to the photos or just more journalists propaganda. The less than 20 percent of Iraqis that don't want Freedom are captured in the words wriiten. Great photos ...that is about it. If you hate the American and Iraqi Military...you'll love reading the words.



3. It shows the heart and soul of Iraqis. It shows what they are going through during the US invasion and occupation. Though shot by mostly US photographers, it shows from the Iraqi standpoint. Some of the pictures are disturbing but after all it is the depiction of war and WAR is not a pretty site.
   Kudos to the worthy photographers who put their life in danger to show the whole world an unembedded story.
   I salute you guys!!



4. Truly great work. The world needs people like these guys to
   give us an in-depth view of what's inherently wrong with war. We
   never have known what the other side suffers. Until now. Even the
   'enemy' is human and the pain and suffering of is there to be seen in the
   brows and creases in the faces of those men, women and children.
   
   Keep on the good work and kudos.



5. It is an almost unbearable image. The nude body of an eight-year-old girl killed by American bombs during the "Shock and Awe" campaign in 2003 is being washed for burial by a middle-aged woman dressed entirely in black. There is no obvious blood or gore. On the contrary, it is difficult to figure out just by looking at the photograph what killed her. Her mouth, which is open, almost looks as though it could be drawing in breath and you search her eyes, also open, for any sign of life, any sign that the photograph had been mislabeled. But then you notice the wad of cloth placed between her legs for modesty and remember that Muslims bury their dead as quickly as possible. You take the book, hold it vertically and close to the light and you can see that her lips are colorless and entirely drained of blood. You notice the utterly lifeless quality of her eyes and you realize what you, as an American are guilty of. Osama Bin Laden is alive and well somewhere in the mountains of Pakistan, and this little girl has paid the price for what he did on 9/11.
   
   Kael Alford, the photographer, who has expressed some ambivalence about seeing this photograph published at all, is part of a stunning but often horrifying new book and traveling exhibit called "Unembedded". The exhibit, which is currently being displayed at the "Photographic Gallery" at 252 Front Street in lower Manhattan, features Alford's work as well as photographs by Thorne Anderson, Rita Leistner, and Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. All four are freelance photojournalists who work without the protection (or censorship) of the US military, and all four were in Najef for the entire course of the American siege, long after the official media had been whisked out of the city "for their own safety". Alford and Abdul-Ahad, an American from Middletown, New York and an Iraqi who had deserted from Saddam's army six years earlier, were both in Baghdad for the American invasion, and Leistner traveled through the Kurdish areas of Northern Iraq and Turkey in the spring of 2003. Indeed, Leistner's portrait of the strikingly beautiful young wife of the Kurdish separatist leader Osman Ocalan almost appears to belong in another exhibit altogether, her confident gaze starring directly into the camera commanding the scene to rise up around her almost as an act of will with little or no effort from the photographer.
   
   The rest of the exhibit is a parade of almost unrelieved horror and chaos, of the dead, the dying, and the damned, an inferno the official media has long since given up trying to cover at all and which the US government would rather the American people didn't see. That the American government would just as soon censor these images and that the extreme right in the United States would label them as "giving aid and comfort to the enemy" has not deterred Alford, Anderson, Abdul-Ahad, and Leistner. On the contrary, they have stepped up and performed the job that the official media and Congress are too cowardly or outright compromised to do. They have run, with little or no thought for their own safety, right into the mouth of hell and through sheer courage and artistic integrity given order to the chaos of American occupied Iraq and brought back images few Americans, even soldiers serving in Iraq, have seen, and which Iraqi civilians live with as part of their mundane daily existence. They force us to confront the moral issues of invading Iraq.
   For Alford, Anderson, Leistner, and Abdul-Ahad, the decision to go to Iraq in the first place was not a difficult one to make. Like all real journalists, and unlike the kind of person who would submit to writing government propaganda as part of the "embedded" media, they have a natural instinct to go to "where the action is". Like a fireman rushing into a burning building, this is simply an instinct, and, indeed, one of the most powerful photographs of the exhibit, title "Baghdad, September 12th, 2004, Civilians Flee as US Helicopters attack Haifa Street," distills this into a single image better than I could express it in words.
   
   Earlier in the day, Abdul-Ahad had received a phone call that the insurgents had blown up a Bradley fighting vehicle and that a crowd of Iraqis were celebrating around the burning wreckage. The scene has taken on the appearance of a macabre carnival and that he should get to Haifa Street immediately. But the US military would turn the tables against the Iraqis in a horrifying way and strafe Haifa Street with Apache attack helicopters, killing 22 civilians and wounding over 40 more. In the photo, we see an American helicopter in the upper right hand corner flying out of the frame after pulverizing a building off in the distance, and a crowd of terrified civilians running in our direction. But the photographer is not running away from the horror. He's running towards it, and horror it is. When he arrives on the scene, the Bradley is on fire and people are sprawled out all over Haifa Street dead or dying. Two bodies lie in a clump in like chop meat and blood is pouring out of their heads. Then the helicopters return and Abdul-Ahad is almost killed himself. He survives but he is tortured by what he had seen, and, more importantly, how he had acted. Why had he kept taking photos? Why had he remained an observer when he should have gotten involved? "All the people I had shared my shelter with are dead," he writes. "Every time I look at these pictures I tell myself that I have killed these people. I should have helped instead of taking pictures."
   
   But he doesn't. He can't. He acts on instinct. "Six of us were squeezed into a space less then seven feet wide. Blood started dripping onto my camera and all I could think of was keeping my lens clean."
   
   He does more than keep his lens clean. All four of the photographers in this exhibit not only keep their cool under fire and they not only document the horror of Iraq under the American occupation, they impose order on the blood, gore and the chaos. It becomes almost beautiful to look at. Most of the photos are exposed perfectly. Most are framed perfectly. They follow "the rule of thirds" even in the most extreme circumstances. Somehow Abdul-Ahad manages to take photos that are sharp enough to blow up to 24 x 36 even in the middle of an attack by American helicopters. Somehow Kael Alford, slight, blond, pretty and American manages to keep her hands from shaking in the middle of the siege of Najef in a room full of fundamentalist Shiite militiamen. Somehow she manages to take a good photo of a gigantic portrait of Al Sadr guarded by menacing black clad figures armed with AK-47s who look, if anything, a bit like the demons from the movie "Ghost" who drag evil souls down into hell. One photo by Abdul Ahad, of a teenage boy, lying dead in the middle of Haifa Street framed against the palm trees and the burning Bradley fighting vehicle is composed so perfectly you wonder if its even morally acceptable to look at it. Bullet holes riddle his white shirt, giving it the appearance of a funeral shroud. The photographers lens is less than a few feet away from the boy's head. A bit of flare pokes through the palms trees in the background shining down on the rubble strewn cement, almost giving you the impression that God is reaching down to elevate the his soul into heaven. This is photojournalism that rises to the level of art, Francesco Goya with a digital SLR.
   
   In other words, you have to stop yourself from admiring the technical perfection of these photographs and remind yourself what's going on in front of your eyes. It's one thing to make a painting about the horrors of war. It's another one altogether to use live models. You can understand why Kael Alford and Abdul Ahad feel guilty, like voyeurs and almost see their own skill at taking photos as being somehow immoral.
   
   They shouldn't. The artistry of the photographs and the meticulous observation of all four photographers have given the people of Baghdad and Najef a voice, even in the midst of their destruction. There are almost no shots taken with a telephoto lens. The photographers get up close with a 35mm or a 50mm lens and become, in effect, part of the scene that they're documenting. We see the pain in their eyes and feel the rage in their gestures. What's more, we not only see a culture as its being destroyed, we see what that culture was like before the American occupation and wonder if the Iraqi people have any chance of getting it back. The people in the photographs aren't monsters or victims. They're exactly like us. Slogans blare out from graffiti covered walls. "American soldiers will pay blood for oil." "We love America and Iraq." Women play in the Tigris River out of the gaze of their men and out of the gaze of the American army. Young Madhi Army members wear baseball hats turned around and look more like New York City high school kids than they do the evil terrorists of American propaganda. The mentally ill Rashad Psychiatric Hospital plead that they don't belong in the middle of all of the madness and almost stand in for the Iraqi people as a whole pleading to be freed from the madness of the war. One shot shows the fa?ade of a computer store half blow away revealing a line of new PCs and a poster advertising Microsoft in the Middle East. The brilliant lights of the Ali Shrine illuminate the temporary campground of the Mahdi Army set up in the middle of the third holiest place in Shia Islam. Who are these people who we Americans have decided to torment as revenge for September 11th and yet who still invite western journalists to come into their country and tell their story?
   
   "We left the kids behind to die there alone, Abdul-Ahad writes. "I didn't even try to move any with me. I ran into the entrance of a building and someone grabbed my arm and took me inside. `There's an injured man. Take pictures. Show the world the American democracy, he said.'"

3 comments about Blood And Champagne: The Life And Times Of Robert Capa.

1. I'd call this "the Danielle Steele biography of Robert Capa." Capa ranks as one of the great war photographers, but I'm not sure that warrants the romantic, People Magazine treatment of some of Capa's less laudable personal traits. Gambling with other peoples' money, bragging about sexual conquests, bringing prostitutes home to the friend's house where he's living for free, embezzling money from Magnum, and in general, refusing to behave as a grown-up make for good reading. But why the need to trollup these common male bad habits into something positive? He also lied about his communist leanings so as to get himself and his relatives into the USA. As any good commie knows, back then you could live a lot better in the USA than in Joe Stalin's socialist paradise. I guess that's why writer Kershaw, himself a bit of a commie, moved from Britain to the US. To make more money. The book is the result of some very meticulous and time-consuming interviews. But if a writer is going to say dumb things like describing Life Magazine as "more than ever a cheerleader for American aggression in the Far East," then why not just make everything up? Why bother to talk to anybody? Kershaw consistently sticks to the commie view of America, despite the fact that by the time he wrote the Capa book communism had been rejected by everybody except phony intellectuals and former KGB operatives in places like Berkeley, California and Cambridge, Massacusetts. "Watching an imperial power kill peasants" is how Kershaw describes the journalistic opportunity of the Korean war, apparently forgetting that the US participated in a UN action against the Chinese communists. So why didn't Capa report to the Chinese and shoot pictures from their side? Afraid he'd loose his "imperialist" passport?
   Lastly, the book contains none of the photographs which are the real reason why Capa is worthy of a book. Kershaw says Magnum refused because it was not an "authorized biography." Seems to me anybody who wants to pay for the use of the photos will get Magnum's cooperation. Either Kershaw ran afoul of somebody who said "no," like maybe Cornell Capa, or else he didn't want to pay the fairly modest fee for publication rights. And one more thing. If English Kershaw is going to live and write in America, maybe he should spend ten bucks on a dictionary which explains American spelling.
   
   I give this pulp semi-fiction a firm thumbs down.
   
   James Mason
   Alaska, USA



2. I loved this book. It actually made me cry. I had no idea that Robert Capa had an affair with Ingrid Bergman (among others!) and it is brilliantly told. I have read a few of Alex Kershaw's books and the thing I really love about them is that they tell true stories in an exciting way. They really do read like novels -- rather than the usual stuffy, worthy bios that get written that only an obsessive fan of the subject could be bothered to wade through. Deserves to be made into a movie.



3. The life of Robert Capa is fascinating. Born in Budapest in 1913, he was to die forty years later in Vietnam after establishing himself as one of the great photojournalists of the 20th Century. He captured on film some of the most memorable pictures in the Spanish Civil War, including the iconic "The Falling Soldier." A shameless propagandist for the Republican cause, he thought nothing of having combatants "pose" for some of his most dramatic pictures - including, many think, "The Falling Soldier." Did the republican soldier fall because he was shot or because he tripped? Was it posed? The jury is still out on that one. A Jew at a time when anti-Semitism was rife in Europe, he became a committed anti-fascist and socialist. He established the photographers' co-operative, Magnum, in order that photographers had control over their own photographs and earnings. This was not so different to the kibbutzim established in Israel by highly idealistic settlers whom he so admired. Needless to say, Capa was there to record the birth of the fledgling state of Israel in 1948 and caught on film that nation's birth pains as it battled with its Arab neighbours. War was his medium, even though he hated it. He went over in a landing craft to photograph the D-Day landings and produced some of the most memorable pictures of battle ever taken. This was despite that most of the pictures were ruined during the rushed processing in London and some of those that survived are out of focus.

   Capa was talented, generous, humorous, and charismatic. An inveterate gambler, he played poker with the likes of John Huston and Ernest Hemmingway, and inevitably lost. Like most people who don't care about money, money problems plagued him. Highly sexed, he counted some of the most beautiful women of the age amongst his lovers, including Ingrid Bergman. When lovers were not immediately available, he contended himself with prostitutes. Loving and loved in return, he was too much of a bohemian to commit himself to a permanent relationship. He could have been rich, but he never was. He could have happily married, but he never did.

   Capa's luck ran out when he went to Vietnam in 1953 to cover the war between the French and the Vietnamese and trod on a landmine.

   Alex Kershaw deserves credit for writing such a meticulously researched and readable biography.

5 comments about Dirty Little Drawings: The Queer Men's Erotic Art Workshop.

1. Dirty Little Drawings is a wonderful book full of erotic drawings featuring the male body in every concievable way. The erotic poses are wonderful! If you are considering buying some books of illustrations, some of the artists have books of their own, so you can kind of preview their work to see if you want more.
   
   I would hardly call this a little book, as it weighs in at 322 pages! Also, as you turn the pages over a period of time, you seem to discover more and more little nasty things you missed the first time through...YUM!



2. When purchasing the book, I was not aware of the background of the process of how the artwork was created for a show. Turning the pages of the book is like walking through a gallery. A small portable gallery of Male Erotic Art.



3. Aficionados of male figurative art come in many shapes and sizes; Dirty Littly Drawings will appeal to all of them. For those tired of the same old insipid, slick, hackneyed photo spreads in the stroke mags, Dirty Little Drawings is a welcome departure: this little book will kick-start your libido like a juiced-up set of jumper cables. Even the looser, sketchier, more abstract pieces radiate an intense sexuality, the boldness of their lines and headiness of their colours imbuing the images with more sensuality than most photography can muster. Whether your fascination is for fine art in general, super-charged erotic imagery, or something to "hang over the sofa," this book has something for you.
   
   One of the greatest assets of this collection is its enormous variety of subject matter, styles, and media. In its 320 pages, Dirty Little Drawings houses a stable of 291 images, created by 72 artists, ranging from delicate, slender, coming-of-age youths to improbably muscled and impossibly endowed muscle gods to down-and-dirty leather daddies and their slaves. Dirty Little Drawings also pulls no punches in the action its images depict, with vivid representations of just about every scene imaginable (the only acts missing are those of the yellow- and brown-stripe variety). Providing a point of context, some of the drawings even depict the models in situ, giving the viewer a privileged glimpse into both the Queer Men's Erotic Art Workshop's clandestine, underground lair and the process itself.
   
   In terms of artistic styles, DLD contains a wide range: Max Ernst-ish pen-and-ink caricatures, Old Master-style charcoal and pencil studies, delicate French Academie/Prud'hon-like compositions, Fauvist crayon abstractions, Expressionist/Egon Schiele-inspired watercolours, and photorealistic coloured pencil pieces. Some funky images decorated with metallic ink scrawls even call to mind Keith Haring's work. Although very few of the pieces could be considered masterworks (limited primarily by their requisite small size), the general level of craftsmanship is high, and many of the artists are clearly at the top of their game here.
   
   The majority of the pieces are done on coloured armatures, from delicately hued pastel papers to Bristol board laden with op art-intense acrylics, but the black-and-white images are no less striking. Tai Lin, the artist whose work graces the cover, achieves an incredibly striking, luminescent effect with an extremely limited chromatic palette of pastels on black paper, while Enrico Gomez creates works of sublime sensuality and ethereal vagueness using lines of graphite and charcoal smudges nibbled away by kneaded eraser on cream-coloured Strathmore paper. Other artists, such as Chuck Nitzberg, achieve an extraordinary effect by combing the two methods, working for the most part monochromatically, with a few accents of colour - bright orange cock heads, blazing-red nipples, etc. - to highlight the points of interest. Although oil paint as a medium is absent (canvas loaded with oil paint being too heavy for the exhibition's hanging requirements), some of the pastel images do attain a painterly quality in their play and blending of colour and looseness of strokes.
   
   My only complaints would be that Tai Lin's hauntingly arresting portrait, which graces the cover, is not reproduced anywhere within the book - on the cover, it's obscured by the title and list of artists' names. It also would have been nice if the artists' names were reprinted in list form inside the book as well, along with contact information for purchasing and commissioning purposes - one can only get a complete listing of the artists by combing through the index pages in the back. Also, the lack of page numbers or artist names beneath the full-size images makes it difficult to find one's favourite pieces. While it is arguably preferable to have the reproductions cover the entire page as they do here, thereby increasing their immediacy, it does make it difficult to identify the pieces (an index at the back of the book reprints each as a thumbnail in the order it appears in the book, along with the artist's name, but since the pages are not numbered, the viewer can only approximate where in the book each piece appears based on its order in the index). Finally, while Dirty Little Drawings was clearly created with exceptionally high production values, with a heavy, rock-solid cover and thick, glossy paper stock, the slight sheen on the pages makes it a little difficult to get a clear view of the artwork - one has to tilt the book just so to minimize the glare.
   
   Despite these minor flaws, though, Dirty Little Drawings is an incredibly eye- (and zipper-) opening treasure trove of newcomers to and icons in the gay erotic art scene that perfectly captures the phenomenon that is the Queer Men's Erotic Art Workshop. In purely sensual terms, the book has a satisfying heft to it, the relatively small size makes it feel personal, private, even covetable, the cover and pages have a sumptuous texture (almost naughty, like satin sheets), and the quality of construction and artwork contained therein make it feel like it's worth a good deal more than Amazon is currently charging for it. It makes a great gift...just make sure you get an extra copy to keep for yourself!
   
   (Note: To keep this review short, I have appended it in the Comments section with detailed information about the physical aspects of the book, as well as a brief history of the Queer Men's Erotic Art Workshop and background information on the exhibit from which the book's images were drawn - hope it's of use!)



4. Don't let the compact dimensions of this erotic art book fool you. Inside, each individual page is filled with a stunning slice of erotic imagery. The whole concept of this book is wonderful and exciting in itself...when you look at this art, you can just imagine the atmosphere in the studio where real men posed in these explicit positions, surrounded by a group of artists who splashed across a page their own interpretations of the fantasies frozen before them.



5. The book DIRTY LITTLE DRAWINGS is an artwork in itself. Measuring about 6 1/2" by 6 1/2" it not only contains some superb art but it also serves as a catalogue for a project from a unique event that began in December 2000. Harvey Redding hired an adventuresome model and posed for a group of fourteen artists, each of whom sketched and drew from the model's input 'to expand the boundaries of academic nude figure drawing,' - 'full out, rock hard, unapologetic, sexual posing: nothing held back, nothing sacred.' The result was a collection of gay erotic art that became an exhibition of art works identically sized and priced. The exhibition and sale was so successful that there have been subsequent shows creating a collectors' dream and a new New York art scene.
   
   This book may be small in size, but the artworks are vigorous, erotically charged and visually stunning. They range from simple head portraits to S and M influenced scenes, sex acts, and coupling and solitary pleasures. The variety of art types ranges form the hastily sketched pencil or crayon outline to fastidiously detailed drawings. The quality of the works may vary in degree of craftsmanship, but this selection of richly colorful works has one thing in common: the works are full of sensual energy.
   
   The book and the concept are the work of Harvey Redding, Robert W. Richards, and Rob Hugh Rosen, the three directors of the Queer Men's Erotic Art Workshop in New York. The book is produced with finesse by Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh. This is a fine art collection that started out to be a reaction to academic art. It is a superb little book! Grady Harp, December 07

No comments about Magnum (Bruno Gmunder Verlag).

5 comments about New York Noir: Crime Photos from the Daily News Archive.

1. I got this for my sister-in-law and was afraid it might be too graphic for her (she's a bit squeamish about blood). It's not nearly as explicit as I feared. Unfortunately, it's not as interesting as I'd hoped, either. Lots of pictures of rather anonymous people in very sharp clothing. I think she'll like it, but if you're already fairly used to postmortem or morgue photos, you won't be very impressed.



2. This is a collection of black and white photographs mostly taken during the Prohibition and Depression eras for the tabloid "The Daily News". Most of what could be said about this book is already here in the reviews listed, nevertheless, it is worth repeating that "New York Noir" is an important addition to any collection of books on photography, and essential for anyone with an interest in the history of photojournalism. It would also be useful for anyone with an interest in social history; particularly of big city life during the American 1930s, 40s & 50s.
   
   Most of the photos here are of crime scenes, and a few suicides thrown in. Crime scenes are mysteries; we all sense there is a story there. But the real mystery in this book is who were the guys who took these photographs? Whoever they were, they had no idea they were setting down an arena for further developments in creativity - in film, in fiction and in graphic design. This was working class photography and these guys were simply on the job, trying to outdo each other in the quest for a better shot in time for the next issue, sparing little thought over notions of higher-order art. Except perhaps for Arthur Fellig (aka Weegee), who was apparently more astute when it came to ensuring acknowledgement for his work, most of the guys who worked for the newspapers were largely unheralded. They are now just names, long dead and forgotten. Many of the shots reproduced in this book are only credited with a surname, or are simply credited as "Daily News" photos - nobody can work out now who took the shot.
   
   [...]The conditions under which these guys were working forged a new creative genre, now commonly known as `NOIR'. It was an oppressive era, politically and socially, equipment was still heavy and unwieldy, they had to contend with light (additional lighting was used where it was deemed necessary to illuminate, not for artistic effect) and weather variables and while access to crime scenes were not yet barred to newspaper folks, access was sometimes restricted for other reasons. Check "The Trigger's Squeezed" and "Empire State Suicide"; both demonstrate how restricted access forced the photographers to use unusual camera angles, resulting in distant shots with long lines and deep, extended shadows which, together with the subject matter concerned, creates a sense of oppressiveness, of callous unconcern, of cold doom, and of finality (this can be keenly sensed in "Killer's End"); these are what are now regarded as the essential ingredients of good, classic noir film and associated imagery.
   
   What makes a photograph (and for that matter, any piece of good art) a `classic' is that it alludes to a story, or it at least contains something that will intrigue viewers through the ages. While much of the information for the shots in this book, including the names of the persons involved could be traced (the corresponding synopses are listed at the back), there remain unanswered questions. How was it that the two ladies could tolerate each other's presence at the grave of their man in "A Bigamist Mourned"? What was it that a pretty doll such as Anna Downey saw in John Collins, a hardened killer? ("Until Death Do Us Part"). Why did the gangsters have such flippant attitudes? Check the aspect of Louis Capone on his way to Sing Sing in "En Route To The Chair".
   
   There are other questions for which answers could have been provided in the book somewhere, after some further research. It would have been helpful to know the process and exactly why some of the photos were "touched-up" to ensure they were fit for publication. And who were some of these photographers? And what was the system for acknowledgement and payment? Something could have been said about the cops; perhaps some reasoning for their attitudes and conduct with the public. [...]
   
   Regardless of all of this, the book is very exciting. The images reflect the developments in technology, particularly with the flash; first the bar flash, then the bulb, and then finally the `flash gun'. The sharper and clearer shots, including those taken under brilliant light are perhaps the most striking, and what are most easily recognized as `noir' imagery. All together, these are shots of a period in history which will never return. The assemblage of ephemera of that age; the hats, the shoes and clothing styles, the hair styles, the cars, the buildings and everything else can never be reproduced. And there is something very sexy about it all.
   
   For a further exploration in this photography genre, I strongly recommend "City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-1948"; with shots of folks who were colder, cheaper and meaner, and where things seem even more surreal. To see how such newspaper shots influenced photography in a creative sense, see if you can find "Retail Fictions: The Commercial Photography of Ralph Bartholomew Jr." - still around in some `seconds' bookshops.



3. Warning: don't expect this book to be easy on the eyes, it is far from that. This is not for children, weak stomaches, or people with heart conditions. The shock is enough to make your heart race when viewing some of these photos. Yet you find yourself staring, sometimes maybe wondering what the photographer was thinking as he took these shots. The book is well done, but you have to be interested in true crime to, if you will, appreciate this collection of photos. It also helps if you appreciate life, then these photos will really have an effect on you, but it also shows you that society really did not change that much since these photos were taken. NOT a good coffee table book, though.



4. The "Daily News" debuted in New York City in 1919. It was to be a newspaper for the common man, which meant not especially literate and frequently immigrant. Its currency was images, the more sensational the better. Nothing sold like sex, murder, and mayhem, graphically illustrated. By 1925, the "Daily News" was the best-selling newspaper in the nation. By 1930, twenty-three per cent of its pages were devoted to crime.

   "New York Noir" is a selection of about 125 images from the "Daily News" archives, taken from the 1920s through the 1950s. Some are sad, some comical, some grotesque. They're an interesting comment on American urban culture of the time. Many of these photos would spark outrage if any newspaper were to print them today. Their lurid content earned the "Daily News" pointed criticism from many a moralist at the time. But that never hurt business. The style of the photographs had an immistakable influence on cinema and popular culture which continues to this day. The technical limitations that produced starkly flashed foregrounds and pitch-black backgrounds are instantly recognizable in Hollywood films, just as the corruption displayed in the photographs was reflected in popular entertainment. The demeanor of gangsters and thugs -often posed for the photographers- became iconic. Tabloid photojournalists may have wanted only to get the shot that no one else could, but they produced some incredible -and incredibly influential- photographs that have only become more fascinating with time.

   Luc Sante introduces "New York Noir" with an essay about the history of tabloid journalism. Editor William Hannigan follows with a history of the "Daily News" and its influence on Film Noir. Both of these essays are very readable and worthwhile. The photographs are mostly one-to-a-page and quite sharp. They are all captioned. There is a section of "Synopses" in the back of the book, which provides further information about the stories behind each photograph, when available. I really appreciate this section, which is conveniently organized by page number. Some of the photos really leave the reader hanging, wondering who those people are and how things turned out. You can find out by turning to the back of the book.

   I recommend "New York Noir" to photography and film noir buffs. Some of these evocative photographs are not for the squeamish, but they have made , and continue to make, quite an impression.




5. If you are a fan of photography, this book is definately for you. NEW YORK NOIR is chock full of amazing photographs that were the staple of the "New York Daily News." In this book, you get to see some of the poignant images that help define the term noir, and its connection to the silver screen industry, not to mention its effects on tabloid journalism. Many of these same black and white photogrpahs were often used as references to assist in making modern day motion pictures, helping to give a look into the past. From the days of "Three-Gun" Turner to the electrocution of Ruth Snyder, this book captures New York's horrid crime life in a candid, in-your-face style. There is nothing but unhidden truth in each and every photograph. NEW YORK NOIR is a well designed book loaded with powerful images and somewhat detailed descriptions. It is fascinating, riveting, and gives you a decent look at the roots of photojournalism. You can't help but be intrigued by the gritty, graphic photos that once graced the pages of a daily newspaper. It is one amazingly good book.

5 comments about How to Take Good Pictures, Revised Edition.

1. DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS ONE. GET BOOKS BY BRYAN PETERSON.
   BE HAPPY. DON'T WORRY.



2. This book will help anyone get their first good pictures with any technology, analog or digital. When I was twelve, I digested an early edition of this Kodak book and that put me on the road to a career as a technical writer at Kodak, where I eventually worked for one of the authors of that early edition: Tom Miller, Jr. Nearly every photographer mentioned in this edition was someone I worked with, personally. And I treasure being able to pass on anything I have learned from all of them every time I'm asked; this little book will continue to do it for me.



3. Do you know the difference between a photograph and a picture? This book will give you a good understanding of the basics of photography. It will introduce you to the rules (or Techniques) of photography that will make your pictures turn more into Photographs. Rule of thirds, selective focus, depth of field and how to make lighting work for you are just a few of the techniques that are available. Good book to get started, highly recommend.



4. There has been so many things I have been doing wrong and never knew why my pictures would turn out the way they did, this book explains everything that I need to know.



5. This book was written in 1982, updated in 1995. It has a whole section on cameras, which isn't useful since most of them are outdated. Doesn't even mention digital cameras. Since it specifically discusses the mechanics of cameras, I found this book to be disappointing.

4 comments about Artist's Photo Reference: Wildlife.

1. This book is great as regards to being a visual guide of beautiful pictures of wildlife which will help me with my future oil paintings.



2. When I need a reference book it is because I want to see the different angles, and a wide variety of types of animals and activity. This book ventured off too often into a lesson and show and tell for one piece of art. I think that is where the effectiveness is lost. If I want a "how to book" for an art project, I'll get a more descriptive and helpful book. If I want a reference guide to see angles, I am probably going to opt for a photographic books. I still was able to find some of what I needed, but was overall very disappointed in the content of the book and some of the subjects (whale tails and wet otters). I'm not sure I'd waste my money on another from this series.



3. This photo reference is adequate, however, there are much better resources for the artist out there. For example, "Paradise on Earth" by Jim Thorsell puts this book to shame. It is not intended as a photo reference, and I came upon it by accident, but it is a far better reference. The photos are diverse and they are of superb quality. In addition, this is a coffee table sized book so the photos are of adequate size- often in the ARtist's photo reference series the photos are just too small to be of any practical use. Also, the photos just aren't that striking- they don't excite at all. Paradise on Earth will get you feeling creative guaranteed. The bottom line is that there are many books often at bargain prices that don't purport to be artist's photo references that do a better job than this book. I just wish I'd looked around before I purchased this book.



4. This is a fantastic book. It's a must for any wildlife artist and it even makes a great coffee table book for anyone who likes wildlife. The book is just full of great photographs and the step by step paintings are very usefull.

No comments about Home Studio Home: Providence, RI (Place Space).

1 comments about Picturing Chinatown: Art and Orientalism in San Francisco.

1. Don't be misled by the choice of the title. The book is not a coffeetable-type photomontage of San Francisco's Chinatown. It is certainly replete with many photographs and illustrations from Chinatown of the 19th century and early 20th century. No doubt to some readers, these will be the main attraction. Revealing in often hazy black and white the details of a vanished and important subculture of the US.
   
   But Lee has integrated the visuals with a narrative that places the images squarely in the context of when they were taken, and of the accuracy of their representations of that culture. He analyses the photographers that took these pictures, and their motives for doing so. Several were not of Chinese ethnicity. But sought to present visuals to explain what was then a very exotic society to an average white American reader.
   
   Aside from the contemporary photos, Lee also explains the art that came out of Chinatown in those years. The artwork shown in the book tends to be quite different from the traditional Chinese calligraphy and landscape themes. Instead, there are traces of influence by the European and American art movements of the day.

5 comments about Exposed: The Naked Uncensored Truth to Running A Successful Photography Business.

1. This is an outstanding book that cuts through the gloss and reveals what it really takes to run a successful business. Not just a successful photo business. Well worth the read if you are willing follow the principles inside. Highly recommended!



2. Author Provencher provides very practical comments on running a studio. No BS is his theme and he does cut right to essential elements in capturing images, managing the shoot especially for children and weddings. Emphasis on keeping it simple but recognizing the importance of mastering the basics of photography. He believes this can be learned by anyone interested in doing the necessary study and practice to learn their craft. Describes the importance of working with clients as a very enjoyable part of his profession. Good references on being successful in business and life. Extensive index. I did lots of highlighting for my own use.



3. I want to say I was taken a bit back with the cover, but the contents held my attention! This book has given me a new lease on my photography business and has some cross over into my daycare center business! Thank you!



4. Sent to the author:
   
   Rob, here s my book review, but I don't like giving out my email to join amazon books...
   
   What a great book, I read it with in 24 hours of aquiring it. It is an easy read, full of information. I could tell straight away that the author has tried many marketing strategies over the past 3 decades and is saving me many hours and dollars by laying a simple path for my business to succeed. Armed with this book, and a 4 day seminar by Rob Provencher and James Hodgins, I am now making a living doing what I love to do...creating beautiful images, what could be better than that? Wendy Webb www.FunWithHorses.org



5. Robert Provencher tells it like it is and cuts to the chase. His marketing knowledge and laid back style of writing make you feel like he's right there coaching you. He gives a gold mine of information that will change your photography business for the better.