Portraits and Photos Books

This book was created from pictures taken in the early 90's, so it is s bit dated, especially in the more developed nations. Things like computers and other tech is obviously missing. I know that many destitute Africans now even have cell phones, not shown here. Otherwise, this is a great book and is very educational. After reading it, I got to wondering what my possesions on the street would look like...

I thoroughly have enjoyed this book, looking at the people from around the world and their possessions and realizing how different I live from another. It was amazing to see each family so proud, of either how little they have or how much they have, and to have all that they own on display (from in the dead of winter to floating on a boat!).

This book is absolutely a wake-up call for many people out there who think they don't have enough! Beautifully put together. Outstanding.

Material World by Peter Menzel is one of the most exciting and informative books I have come across in a long time . No other book I have ever read has given me such in depth knowledge of the lives and circumstances of people living in other countries around the globe. The photographs are breathtakingly beautiful and the statistics are fascinating. Ursula Michelson, author of Alzheimers Patients in the Nursing Home: How Well Do Caregivers Meet Their Needs?

This book is a fascinating look at materialism, or the lack of it, around the world. Oddly enough, the American family was not the most obviously materialistic; there was a Saudi family with a 42 foot long couch! I have put this gorgeously photographed book in my classroom for independant reading time for my 9th graders. It is filled with statistics, information about the countries and the families and the stories of the photographers themselves. Also check out The Hungry Planet, a visual look at what people around the world eat, photographed and written by the same authors of Material World.

I have treashered my copy ever since I bought one on amazon 4 years ago.
but to let you know what the books like, the modles and the poses are ethereal and the simplisty of the composition seems to sugest a larger more metephorical meaning for each photogragh. I like to contmplat the poseble simbolism of each one. there is a sexuality to many of these pitures, but they are all as far from pornography as you can get. the modles mostly look serios. some of the compositions are oveasly poesed in intresting ways, but many appere casual and candid. they are all black and white .one or two have boys in them also.the reason these pictures are not phornagraphic is that each modles dignaty and identiy is striven to be expresed by Sturges. truly the finest example of what nude photagraphy can be.

Gerry Badger, in a listing of 250 key photographers, refers to Jock Sturges as the leading photographer of the "natural" nude (p. 170, Collecting Photography, Mitchell Beazley). This is fine, as far as it goes, but is too limited an introduction to Mr. Sturges's work. Mr. Sturges's photography is not limited to nudes. Neither can his subject matter be properly described as the nude or the natural nude. Rather, Mr. Sturges cares deeply about people. He is interested in people - in the whole of what a person is - and his work reflects this valuing. Simply turn to page 114 of the first Scalo book - the book I'm reviewing here - or page 31 or 87 or 126 - this is a wonderfully rich book - to find the definition of a great portrait.

I find that I can go back to Mr. Sturges's books again and again with pleasure and for profit. I look at people differently since meeting the books - with greater pleasure and discernment. Having Mr. Sturges's work in my home makes my house feel more like home. Enough said.

Mr. Sturges's monographs include Jock Sturges (Scalo), Jock Sturges: New Work 1996 - 2000 (Scalo), The Last Day of Summer (Aperture), Radiant Identities (Aperture), Notes (Aperture), and Evolution of Grace (Gakken). The Gakken book is printed too darkly (at least the copy I have is) but I'm grateful to the book, nevertheless, for the images it shares. Those wishing to catch a glimpse of Mr. Sturges's Irish work could look for an April 2001 copy of B&W: Black & White Magazine.

Many would say that art needs no message, that it is created simply to enjoy and not to inform. That may well be true most of the time but not for this body of work. We live in a world where, from the earliest age, we are told over and over and over again that we must always be afraid. You can't trust anyone or let down your guard for even a moment because if you do bad things will surly happen. Most of us wear cloths not just for modesty and for protection from the elements, we wear cloths for protection from each other.

By casting their fears aside the young people in this book prove their trust in Sturges. But even more remarkable then that, they prove their trust in us. The models in these photos have placed their trust in you and me and anyone else who might view or buy their images. They trust us to respect them as beautiful and natural and not regard them as lewd, indecent or obscene. Unfortunately not all of us pass the test. Some people believe that these images should be illegal. They consider them harmful for both the models and the viewers. I feel that that is more of a slap at the models and their parents then at Sturges.

I have only one small complaint and one question about this book. First the complaint. Why are images that have previously appeared in other books repeated here? Sturges is an incredibly prolific photographer creating more than a hundered stunning new images each year. There is more than enough material to publish twenty books without any repeats so why give us reruns?

Finally the question. Sturges has shot so many gorgious images of young boys and yet the best of these never appear in his books. In his published works we see a few boys with girls or their parents but seldom alone. A major theme of his work is simply missing. Why is that? Do publishers believe that girls are more marketable or less controversial than nude boys? If they were to publish a book called, "The Young Boys of Jock Sturges," what would the reaction be? I'd rather like to know.

I have the Sturges books and I really like the photography. The body tones and light are great.

You'll find some very good photography here, nothing pornographic and mostly well composed. Some of the pictures do seem to me to be oddly posed or taken at too great a distance but basically you've got a great book if you get it.

Mike Cunningham pictures are outstanding! Wonderful book to give to someone as a gift.

K.B.

The photographs of these women and their remarkable hat is fascinating. I really like the interviews with the ladies, and the unique stories of their lives and times.

My only disappointment was that the picture are not in color. I would love to have been able to see those plumes and feathers in all their glory!

Orginally, I purchased this book as a gift and after browsing through it, I decided I had to have a copy of my very own. The photography in this book is excellent. The photographs are shot in black and white in order to focus on the church hats. The stories behind the hats are amazingly beautiful. I will never look at a black woman in a church hat the same ever again. I learned that each hat has a story that must be told.

I love to wear hats. I grew up in the South. My Mom wore hats to church every Sunday. She absolutely loved hats! Therefore, when I became of age I too became a hat person! It was like a family tradition. All the girls in the family dressed in hats on Sunday.
I love hats so much, I wear them every day of the week. During the week I usually wear cowboy hats or something sporty. However, on Sunday, it the dressy going to church hat. And if you are into hats, you will know what I mean about the, 'church hats'.
Being raised in the South, you were'nt completely dressed when going to church until you put on your hat and heels. To this day I do not go to church without a hat.
This book, Crowns, really takes me back. It's a wonderful book. It is on a table in my home and it makes for great conversation with visitors.
FANTASTIC BOOK!!!!!


Joyce Marshall-Hamblet

Coming from a hat wearing tradition, I fully appreciated "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats". My hat was a pill box a la Jacqueline Kennedy which shows how old I am. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the photographs and the women's stories. Hat wearing is a fine tradition and very much a part of Black culture that Michael Cunningham has captured in all its glory.

Brilliantly put together coffee table book - i recommend this to U2 fans - fantastic collection of photography- great variety covering each band member and even some family photos- loads of unseen photos - great idea with the hand written notes .... worth every cent

This book have new photographs that not has been seen about U2, and they have very good quality. This is not another book about U2, in my point this is a essential book for fans of U2.

Gorgeous pictures! Must have for true fanatic fans. A little pricey for the casual or average fan unless you have a crush on one of the band members. Anton's handwritten comments are a wonderful touch. They make you feel like you're part of the family. Definitely worth the money to me.

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.

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!!

The book is very well made with great quality paper. There is a little introduction by Bert Stern at the beginning and then all the pictures of the last sitting in chronological order. You can see big images, the ones that Stern thought were the good ones, and then the little ones which are very interesting and funny too. It's an incredible book, you can see a new Marilyn, more mature and prettier on the inside and on the outside.

Come ho detto nel titolo, è il migliore libro di foto su Marilyn che c'è in circolazione, lei è assolutamente spendida, in uno stato di grazia che l'obbiettivo del fotografo Bert Stern è riuscito in pieno a mostrare.
Questo grande libro con tantissime pagine e tantissime foto che ci mostrano Marilyn bella come non lo è stata mai è per tutti i grandi fan consigliatissimo avere!
compratelo!!!!!

Its simply a must in every Marilyn collection! Its like spending an entire day with her! If you like Marilyn you will love this book with hundreds of pics.

Thanks Bert Stern a wonderful photo documentary about
Marilyn Monroe.

I was very impressed from the pictures.

Thank you!

I love this book!! It's so interesting to read Bert Stern's story in the beginning because we get to read about Marilyn in a whole new light from a different perspective. It just proves how captivating she was. And the pictures are incredible and haunting at the same time since she died 6 weeks later. If you are a devoted Marlyn Monroe fan, you need this book. It's worth the money because there are over 2500 pictures and it is not a small book. I believe it is 9 pounds! She's beautiful and the pictures definitely capture her beauty, even at age 36!

"Turning Heads" is a book that seems to provoke different emotions in all its readers. To me, it is a reminder that life goes on whatever is thrown your way. Their baldness is reminder of what the women in Hunsicker's book are dealing with, still they find ways to continue living their normal, or not so normal, lives.

I am so thrilled to be able to have this book in my home. The people it represents are so strong and couragious. I was glad to see that so many wonderful photographers took place in this cause. A nice coffee table book. My friends come over and they always are a bit sceptical in looking at the book, but once the first page is turned...they are intralled. I'm not sure why the picture was chosen for the cover page...I didn't enjoy this picture as much as many inside. Enjoy this book and all it stands for.

I LOVE this book! I stumbled upon it during my chemotherapy for breast cancer and I was inspired by the beauty and courage of the women photographed, in fact, I scheduled a photo session with an artist I know to take photos of me without hair....it was empowering to stand bare and beautiful before the camera. I heartily recommend this book.

The beautiful and powerful messages the photos exuded from the pages of this book triggered a life altering change in me. I am a bald woman afflicted with Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (Scarring Alopecia). Although, I acquired my bald crown for a different reason than the beautiful and courageous women in this book, it helped me to realize that I was not the only woman who understood the day in the life a bald women in our society. In and of itself, that's a pretty heavy crown to carry each day. More importantly, the images and stories about these women, who were afflicted with cancer, and were bald, taught me a huge lesson. I was amazed with how beautiful these women looked in the photos despite the fact that they were diagnosed with a disease such as cancer. The images in these photos portrayed beautiful visions of hope, strength, intelligence, grace and inspiration. The purchase of this book changed how I viewed myself as a bald woman. There was the "Me" before the purchase of this book and the "Me" after this book. The book can give anyone afflicted with a life altering change the encouragement and inspiration they are searching for. Thank you for this book.

I highly recommend this inspirational book for anyone going through Chemotherapy. It is a book of women showing their bald heads and describing their experiences in short summaries. If you know anyone going through Chemo, buy it.

Best photography book about we human beings covering pictures about love, marriage,birth,childhood, growing up, work, getting along, war, and old age.
It is truly well done and my favourite for myself and to give as a gift to someone you care about, who is interested in humanity.

Great book! I grew up with it, and rediscovered it just now. Wonderful!!

This is my favorite book. I purchased it when I was 18, and loved black and white photography. I am now 65, and still see the same basic beauty in the photographs. It's not about the 1950's, or showing American culture. It shows how universal and similiar all people of all races and cultures are. It shows young children playing, people falling in love, weddings, births, hard work, wars, death, grieving, and even hope from various people and countries from our planet Earth. One family. One people. This is a collection of love, not about a specific time, or place, or our differences. This is a book that shows our skin colors, clothes, and countries may change; but we are all the same.

I am so glad Family of Man is still available. I would also suggest that in conjunction with this book, you offer Family of Women, and Family of Children.

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

Jock Sturges will probably stand as one of the great photographers of the 20th and 21st centuries....someday. His work with the friends and strangers who populate summer beaches and cottages where clothing is optional, year after year, testifies to his respect for his subjects and his affirming humanity. In current American culture, where hypersexuality is the marketing tool of choice, and merchants exploit every normal insecurity about appearance to sell endless crap to yearning multitudes, Sturges's pictures show us how beautiful we are, in all our shapes, sizes and ages, in nothing but the skin we are born with.

As a photographer, I am amazed at Sturges's ability to convince people to simply offer themselves up to his visual instincts. He returns to the same venues again and again, and becomes part of the places himself, rather than an intruder, and the people in his photographs see the work that results. Seeing themselves as he sees them, they appear to trust him completely. He steals no souls, but rather, affirms the conviction that we have souls in the first place. When asked to suggest a present for my own 16 year old daughter, a young woman with endless interests and curiosity, including photography, I could think of no better work to show her at this point in her life.

This is what children, young people growing up, and parents with children look like: people in bathing suits, jeans, everyday attire, as well as nude. There are photographs on the beach, in a tree, on a tricycle (one of the best as a photographic design, in my opinion), in hammocks, standing...a whole range of locales and postures.

While it astounds me that anyone could think this wonderful collection is child pornography, I *can* see the concern. There's no doubt in my mind that a genuine pedophile would be attracted to this, and for all the most unfortunate reasons. Still, this is an accurate and sensitive representation of something that seems almost vanished from the world--the innocence of people comfortable with themselves, their bodies, and with each other. Alas, this is our loss.

This collection of touching, humorous, and occasionally beautiful photographs is our gain.

If you are after pictures for the sexual excitement, look somewhere else. Yes there are naked women and men, young women and men, and even boys and girls of adolescent age, but you'd have to have a pretty sick mind to find them sexually exciting.

Rather on the contrary this are works of art with some of the best printing you'll see in your life (I'd love to see the originals, as I suspect as good as the book edition is, it still doesn't make it justice), with that simple beauty and simple "laiser faire" that is simply breathtaking.

Mr. Sturges first photography book, it shows the style his fans all know and love but as a first effort has a less polished feel to it. I was surprised to see some pictures taken in Rhode Island, the later books seem to consist of France, California and Oregon with no East Coast U.S.
As always with Mr. Sturges books the subject matter is mostly nude but there are several clothed photos here as well, more than will be found in later books. The style is all well done,(many very nice images), the book is certainly worth owning but doesn't seem quite the quality of the books from "Radiant Identities" onward.

A superb example of natural people doing what comes naturally captured in a wholesome way. Through Jock Sturges' images, we see what we see around us every day - families growing older. His nudes are prime examples of beauty - of which Jock captures with a particular reverence. The subjects represent whole body acceptance - something our society lacks today. The book is well done, and the images crisp and of excellent tone.

This book offers some great tips and ideas that are easy to incorporate into your normal photo taking. Some tips are common sense, and others offer a different perspective on things. You can read the book in under an hour, and immediately start improving your photography. The book is especially good for amateurs who never seem to be able to get the right shot, and also offers good ideas for more seasoned photographers. I highly recommend it!

As a working pro, people often ask me how to take better pictures. I simply give them the guidelines Nick gives in this book, and then point them to a copy of it. He talks in accessible language, with no jargon, and no special tools needed. You can apply his thoughts to pictures you take with a disposable camera.

More importantly, Nick shows you what he would do... and he took the photos in the book with his wife's point and shoot. By showing you what the average person would do and what he would do, it helps you learn how to compose pictures. But what makes Nick special is that he also shows you not a thought process, but a heart process, one that takes photography out of the realm of souvenir shooting and into the place where people make emotional connections to the moments that make up our lives and our families. This is the genius of the book: You learn how to feel with a camera as an extension of your heart.

I have yet to see a friend look inside this book, even just to skim it, and not come away as a better photographer.

I love Nick Kelsh's how to books. I've always considered myself a good amateur photographer but some of his tips have transformed my photography. A must for every person who wants to capture special moments forever.

This is amazing book. In simple language, it explains how to make good photos with any camera. There is no deep technical analysis (Like Ansel Adams in "The Camera", "The Negative" or John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide). There are no guidelines how to improve your creativity (like "Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography or Photography and the Art of Seeing" by Freeman Patterson or "A Visual Perception Workshop for Film and Digital Photography" by Bryan Peterson). This books are great but doesn't answer simple way for simple questions (like questions many my friends asked me). Book covers most common shooting situations and explains how to avoid common mistakes and make your photo looks much better and more interesting. I red a lot of books on this topic (good books), but they mostly dedicated to people who want to become professional photographer or photo artist. Even I already know all ideas presented in this book, it was helpful for me to read this.

Nick Kelsh's books have seriously inspired me to kick my photography skills up a notch without overwhelming me. I saw the titles to his books in Lasting Memories magazine and knew I wanted to read them. They are a quick read which was encouraging since I have a newborn and started with his book on how to photograph babies. I'm already putting into practice what I've learned from all of his books and I think my photos are greatly improved.

Salgado, like Bresson, Smith and Evans goes into the detail the world of WORK, it is an amazing array of images.

Wonderful book! Highly suggest buying if interested in socially concerned photography. Only negative comment is that the book designer chose to place some images on a two page spread which means the subject of the photo's are in the crease.

My wife and I saw these photographs exhibited in NYC quite a while ago (mid to late 1990's at the ICP?) and were extremely impressed, and I think that the book does them justice. Some are almost difficult to believe are real (see Brazilian gold miners on pages 300 & 301).

The author: a great reporter.
The book: a detailed "story" of manual workers, from Sicily to Cuba and India...
Very good images, very well printed. Very very good black and white warm tone.

I was lucky enough to see this wonderfully humane expose and photographic genius while it was on tour at The Philadelphia Art Museum years ago. At that time, I passed up buying this book at the Museum Store and regretted and searched in stores for it years later.
If this book were on everyone's coffee table and looked at page by page ... there would be much more respect and much less oppression in the world. Good people would see to that.