No comments about Natural Visions: The Power of Images in American Environmental Reform.

5 comments about Women Before 10 A.M..

1. Great Book with women as they should be seen. But you've got to be mature enogh to appreciate it and for the guys looking for cheap porn and not art recommend you just skip this! But if you want to see women without makeup or any fancy hair style this is a definite recommendation to add your collection.



2. I LOVE THE BOOK... IT IS A COMBINATION OF GREAT ART AND ENTERTAINMENT!



3. I normally don't like to write these reviews, I feel art and music are such subjective experiences, you really need to check it out for yourself. But I had to say that this was a very beautiful book. Its an intimate view into a world, most of us men rarely get to be a part of, especially living in such a fast paced world. Veronique Vial captures these passing moments, tip toeing her way through the homes of some well known and before-they-were-famous woman. All the more reason to appreciate this book. Being a photographer, I can also appreciate the clean straight forward layout, that really shows off her great work. Her previous Men Before Ten am, I found too dark and over designed. Its hard to compare the two, because of the subject, but the printing on Women is superior and it has brighter and livelier feel. Her photographs really capture the moment, which is what great photography is all about.

   I would compare her to the likes of the great Magnum photographers like, Bresson, Bruce Davidson, Elliot Erwitt. Her ability to capture the "life" in her subjects and "the moment" shows through in these photographs and her other work (see O Cirque du Soleil).

   I gave five of these as gifts to woman friends and they loved and enjoyed this book, seeing themselves captured in these beautiful moments.




4. The concept of this book was to shoot candid photographs of women doing their normal activities in the morning, following on the successful book done with men in the morning. The purpose was to get the real person behind the polished facade of the famous. Ms. Vial wanted to see "raw, real, natural . . . no makeup, no posing, I wanted their souls." Each photograph was done without additional lighting and was based on a few candid rolls. The book notes the time when the photograph was taken in most cases. Most are from 7 to 10 a.m. The images catch the subjects in bed (alone, and with pets, a mom, children, and men), bathing, showering, with kids, wearing robes, wearing no robes, dressing, exercising, smoking (too many of these), brushing their teeth, drying their hair, putting on make up, having coffee, meditating, making breakfast, eating breakfast, and even working. The concept works best for those who are still half conked-out while they are being photographed, and those who are not professional models. The bright-eyed professional models look just as great as they would on any fashion shoot. It's testimony to their talent for posing without direction. The book contains lots of notes about the subjects, both written in calligraphy and in printed captions at the end of the book. The book would have been a lot better with much more editing. Many of the images add little, other than to make the people look bad. Some of these women looked like they were coming off an all-night drunk or a drug-based party.

   The images here would often earn the book an R rating if it were a motion picture. There is total nudity in some cases, but of the modest sort.

   A major drawback to doing candid shots in available light is that many of the images end up looking like semi mug shots, because the light was so poor. I feel that more of these should have been eliminated.

   The brief foreword by Sean Penn didn't do anything for me. I suggest you skip it.

   One of the touching photographs in the collection is of Demi Moore in bed with her dying mother.

   Other touching images include mothers playing with their children, pregnant woman struggling with their temporary girth, and women with their pets.

   Despite the limitations of the book, I liked many of the photographs either because they did give a window on the soul or because the woman was just so beautiful or interesting that she overcame the circumstances of the photography.

   Here are my favorites: Reese Witherspoon; Helena Christensen; Uschi Obermaier; Julia Stiles; Laetitia Casta (7:17 a.m. and under water); Ingrid Seynhaere; Emily Watson; Mia Kirshner (2); Sophis and Tess Medina; Charlotte Flossant; Amanda De Cadenet; Emma Thompson (2nd one); Dyan Cannon; Frederique van der Wal (2); Diane Warren; Eileen Ryan Penn; Debbie Morgan; Sofia Coppola; Sigourney Weaver (2); Joely Fisher; Lisa Marie; Lumi Cavazos; Angie Everhart; Cheryl Tiegs (2); Gina Gershon; Lois Chiles; Jennifer Beals; and Emmanuelle Sallet.

   After you finish enjoying this book, I suggest that you do your own version of this photography with the people in your family. Get them at various times in the day when they are at their most open. It will make a wonderful scrapbook!

   Find the natural person behind the prepared mask and response, . . . and cherish them!




5. I like this book alot, I love b&w pics, I feel that the ladies are not being completely natural for as soon as they open their eyes they see someone with a camera. Great pics though.

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4 comments about Angel's Delight: Erotic Fantasy Photography.

1. The cover is what pulled me in on this book, because it looked so good. Once I received the book I realized that the cover shot was the best shot of all. The title suggested that there'd be more angel shots, but the fact is, it is divided up into several sections representing different photographers, all of which have different ideas of what erotic fantasy is. The one that has the most angels in it is the biggest disappointment. Most of his models wear the same pair of turkey feather wings held on by a fuzzy neck strap. Personally, I hate those wings, and to see them so overused was a big disappointment. However, other sections did provide the rare gem. Overall, I liked about 15% of the photos, the rest seemed pretty common, middle of the road, kind of like deja vu, seen it before. Even the prop used in the cover photo is a paited backdrop used numerous times within. BUt the cover alone was worth the purchase price, and if it sits on my coffee table and is never opened I'd be just as pleased with it.



2. .. but so much more!
   
   I don't like all of the works in this gallery, some even make me skip pages, but it doesn't matter. The idea behind these pictures is still very strong and everyone has a different taste, so why not. But still, the book is so much more than I expected. The photos are all really impressive works of art. Some need alot of time untill you can get the whole idea, others are just gorgeous with a touch of some kind of sweet fetish.
   
   I totally recommend this to nude photography lovers!



3. Marcus Hoffman (ed.), Angel's Delight: Erotic Fantasy Photography (Amphoto, 2006)
   
   You know, I don't know why I subject myself to books like this, given that I'm 99% sure before I open any of them that the models therein will be far too skinny for my tastes. Okay, yes, I do: I grabbed this one solely so I could use this subject line in the Amazon review.
   
   And that's exactly what I got: skinny chicks. I grant you, skinny chicks with some really, really great props. In case the title's not explicit enough for you, note the "fantasy" here should be read as, for a good portion of the book, BDSM; you might want to stay away if that sort of thing makes you squeamish. As for the photography itself, it's all certainly very pretty, and the shots are quite well-composed, but if you get the idea that I'm damning this with faint praise, you'd be right; one expects something more from an expensive coffee-table book, something that really stands out or pushes the envelope or whatever the kids are calling it these days. And I'm not seeing it. So if you don't mind dropping some serious cash on "pretty," here you go. Otherwise, look a bit farther afield. ** ½



4. Although not quite what I expected, this book was far from being a disappointment. It is not solely focused on women dressed as angels, it is mainly an erotic Fantasy Photography book. 9 photographers from North-central europe are featured, with more than 10 photographs from each. Styles differ, from body-painting (for a comic-book effect) to completely photoshopped settings and landscapes, to a contortionist/dancer - but always the theme remains, the female in ways you probably have not seen before.

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No comments about Smart Women Read Between the Lines: A Reader's Journal (Smart Women).

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4 comments about The Story of Architecture.

1. I was looking for a readable inroduction to varied styles and history of architecture that was jargon free but not overly simplified. This book did the job well. Perhaps Glancey could have provided a bit more text to go along with the beautiful pictures, but he still informs.
   
   Recommended for newcomers or those with an incomplete education in the field of architecture.



2. THis is a very, very good introduction to the complexities of architecture, at about the freshman level of college. Starting with the dawn of civilization (in what is now Iraq), Glancey takes the reader on a tour of human history from the angle of what we build to worship, work, and live in. THe basics are covered extremely well, providing a context for further research.

   Glancey writes with grace and clarity, dividing each major movement into regular cuts of two pages, each with brilliant images. While this format shoehorns things into categories that are a bit too sharply delineated, that kind of reductionism is a necessity in this kind of survey. In the latter part of the book, some of the distinctions appear artificial, but then we are in a period where no dominating style - you get post-modern, decontructivist, and organic, etc. - has emerged and the author had to make some decisions regarding how to put them in the format. To his credit, Glancey does not ignore the exceptions and quirks.

   One thing I enjoyed about the book is that Glancey does not shy away from making strikingly loud judgements, many of which I did not share. Corbusier, he writes, "was the most inventive and poetic architect who ever lived." Now that is strong stuff and I would never have expected it in a routine survey! (While I can respect and understand what Corbusier did, I don't love it like Glancey.) But that is what makes this book more than a run of the mill overview - it adds flavor and stimulates. Also, while international, because Glancey is a Brit, much of it focuses on Britain and contemporary Europe, which provides a valuable contrast to more US-centric views.

   Recommended.




3. Great book to review the history of architecture, it is concise and well illustrated.



4. As a freshman architecture student, this book was exactly at my level. The photographs are splendid, and the dialogue informative. This book provides a complete history of architecture in every area of the world, as well as some theory. Great for anyone truly interested in architecture, but not an expert (yet!)

4 comments about Evidence of My Existence.

1. Evidence of my Existence is a remarkable surprise--Lo Scalzo's writing is clear, sharp and perceptive; his story funny, on point and spirited; his life a charming mix of low frustration, high adventure and goofy, self-induced f*ck ups. To disagree with another reviewer, Lo Scalzo doesn't demonstrate arrogance in his life or his book so much as he reveals things about himself, his work and his motivations that most authors would conceal--to their own benefit of course, and their readers' detriment.
   
   "Evidence" isn't just a photography book--it's a travel book, a book about restlessness and adventure, and most of all about the kind of coming of age that happens only to those who spend most of their life refusing to grow up.
   
   As a writer who worked with Lo Scalzo once or twice, you could expect me to be biased--and I am. I never thought the miserable little b*stard could write like this! That he can is frustrating beyond belief--I sure can't make photos like he can--but the results are good enough, entertaining enough and true enough that I'll forgive him the trespass, and recommend his book the best and truest way I know how: with jealousy. I'm pretty sure I'm relieved I didn't live Jim's life, but I sure wish I'd written his book.



2. As someone who has the advantage of knowing both Author and many of the other folks mentioned in his book, I have to say that he has done a real service to the world of photojournalism. We all know we live wacky lives in a wacky world, and spend much of our time trying to make relatively smooth interactions with family, friends and loved ones who are of the 'normal world.' It is never easy, as the attraction to the work is very nearly a primal force, and it often seems to take precedence in our lives in ways which actual normal people might find either weird, or like Mr. Ford says in his review, insensative. Yet those people who pursue the world of photography and journalism do it not strictly for the ego blast involved, though one's ego is at stake every time you press the shutter: there is a feeling which we all share about the documenting of history which remains the driving force. Mr. LoScalzo absolutely hits it on the head, in his descriptions of his own personal discovery of the power of that photographic image, as well as the inherent pitfalls which photojournalists face in trying maintain a sense of normalcy in their lives. (This is no less true for women photographers than for men, and perhaps even greater because of societal expectations.) Yet the pure enjoyment of the chase for the images, and the battles to get them used in print is wonderfully captured, as is his knack of sharing the sense of quirky individualism in the colleagues in his stories. As someone who for years felt many of the same emotions he wonderfully describes in his book, I salute him for sharing with the rest of the world a little bit of what our world is really like. Highly recommended, even if you don't know a single photographer!



3. Lo Scalzo starts by admitting his arrogance and then spends the rest of the book providing supporting evidence. Don't get me wrong; I liked the book. His recollections of spending time among Mennonites in Missouri and the Navajo in Arizona are amazing and instructive. He's got a bottomless well of fascinating stories about being an adventurous, wanderlusting photojournalist. But every book needs a central theme to hold it together. Here, it's how much he neglects his wife (who is at best a peripheral character). Case in point: after ruining a family vacation by lugging his work along, he goes on to leave his wife for Iraq the day after her second miscarriage. In the end, he repents and goes home to his wife. They have a child and everyone is happy. But here's the kicker: what drives him to repent and go home is not a sudden awareness of how much of a jerk he's been. It's the realization that while he may be a good photojournalist, he'll never be a legendary photojournalist. I'd probably feel a lot different about this book if the author could have just found it within himself to say, "I wish I hadn't treated my wife so poorly."



4. An amazing story of his true experiences, very interesting. There were laugh out loud moments, sad moments, moments of disbelief. A very well written story.