Portraits and Photos Books

I got this one in hardback from the public library before I bought this paperback version. I liked the hardback version, but I was disappointed with the paperback version and here's why:

It appears as if the pictures are copies of copies of copies taken out of the the original hardback and copied right on some copier rather than done correctly all over again, and there is at least one VERY GOOD picture M I S S I N G!!!!--one of my favorites--where Bob is reading a magazine or paper up close and he has his hat on. NOT DONE RIGHT IS ALSO A TOP FAVORITE: the one where Bob Dylan is playing chess at a French cafe--REALLY REALLY GOOD ONE, I love that one very much--but it still seems COPY OF COPY OF COPY quality--IT IS DARK AND GRITTY. The quality of the pictures in the original hardback book are FAR superior. and I SEE it. I did a copy of the one at the cafe on a copier before I returned the book to the library and believe me it is BETTER quality than the one in this paperback version!!! AAAAHHHHH!!! Maybe people won't notice, but I do notice it. Unfortunately I had to return the hardback book to the library.

P L E A S E TELL THE PUBLISHER TO R E D O THIS BOOK PROPERLY AND RESPECT Bob Dylan's fans because we want quality pictures. This book deserves to be done again properly. Paperback is okay to save the forests, but the quality of the pictures has something to do with the process and technology that they use. They just dished out a paperback version and copied the pictures from some other copies (as I see it) just to make money with no concern about the QUALITY OF THE PICTURES.

May I also suggest Dylan: Visions, Portraits & Back Pages as a book with FAR FAR FAR FAR SUPERIOR quality pictures and it even costs less!

Please do this PICTURE BOOK all over again, PUBLISHERS!!! These pictures deserve FIRST QUALITY production.

These photos will absolutely break your heart.
They will break your heart absolutely. If you love Dylan and the mythology he created around himself, this book will give you a glimpse behind the curtain. The images of Joan Baez and Dylan are so gorgeous you'll want to duck out of your busy life and cry for five crucial minutes. The image of a back-lit Bob and a shadowy Joan in profile is a just, simple ode to these monoliths. These photos give us what we've intimated about Bob all along.

many of these photos became icons over the years. not only absorbing photos of dylan, but classics of the photographic art. dylan was lucky during this period to be photographed by so many excellent photographers: kramer's work is the best

This seems to be a reprint of a book that first came out in the 60's. I still have my copy but it's a smaller format than this reprint. It is chock full of great photos of Dylan being whimsical and eccentric, posing in a studio setting. Very professional. All seem to be from the "Highway 61 Revisited" period (1965)when Dylan affected a "mod" style of clothes, including polka-dot shirts and Beatle boots. This is a treasure for any Dylan addict. Except for one essay, the book is all photos without text.

This is simply the most beautiful collection of male nude art photography I have seen! the lighting, the compositions, the special beauty of the men which the photographer draws out, the fine balance between eroticism sensuality..and i haven't seen Paul Freeman's other books yet! Move over Bruce Weber"

The photo on the cover should tell a potential reader/buyer what he can expect between the covers, so to speak. What you will discover is a plethora of handsome men who will send your mind into a fantasy world that must, by its very nature, remain yours. The book is great.

In the January 2004 issue of "Blue", the Australian magazine where Paul Freeman is decribed as the magazine's "most featured" photographer, the artist says that he has always wanted to keep some link with classical art. "Sort of like a meat pie inside the Sistine Chapel." Most of these models Michelangelo would have loved, and they to a man are meat pies. There is not a wimp or effeminate-- and it's okay if one is-- man in this collection of over 200 photographs. These men are rugged, hairy, beefy, muscular, tattooed, pierced, sweaty, wet and muddy. Some of them are a bit stylized and wearing gladiator garb. Many of them are at the beach-- Bondi perhaps--there are some beautiful portraits here. And no model has his genitalia airbrushed.

In his brief introduction Mr. Freeman says that as a youngster he was taken by the image of the suffering Saint Sebastian (check out the portrait on page 174 of Garth Elliot 2) and that present day influences are Bruce Weber and Herb Ritts (speaking of airbrushing photographs). I think many of his models look more like some of the work of Jim French as well as Caravaggio-- whom he acknowledges as an inspiration-- and Michelangelo.

Many of these men are photographed as many as 6, 7 or 8 times so you will probably get to see a lot of your favorites. Where to begin-- the man on page 11 (beautiful shadows), the outrageous Grant Perry (page 24 and 7 more photos), the hairy barrel chested Igor Praporshchikov on page 55, Black Angel No. 4 on page 73, Mat Obelisk on pages 76 and 77-- perfect exposure and lighting--the Gladiator on page 103 that, thank goodness, shows up again and again-- Gladiator 4 on page 126-- this is an unusal and most flattering pose-- the portrait of Ryan Kwanten on page 154, Kane 1 and 1 (pages 158 and 159-- the list goes on and on. The only photographs I don't care for are the ones with a snake wrapped around the model. Perhaps it's the Garden of Eden story that turns most of us off to these kinds of photographs. Richard Avedon did the snake photographs better years ago anyway.

If the test for a book of photographs is whether or not you return to it again and again, then BONDI CLASSIC gets an A+. In its own way this book is just as hot as Tom Bianchi's ON THE COUCH series. If you can only buy one book of this kind this year, this one's the one. Oh, go ahead; treat yourself and buy Bianchi's also.

For those looking for the best of the books of male photography, this portfolio by Paul Freeman deserves a place high on the list. Different photographers approach the male nude with different agendas: some try for classic poses, some go for spontaneous moods, some keep the 'privates' in the shadows while others place the focus there, some costume, some try for natural effects. Freeman searches (and definitely finds!) subjects who are quintessentially masculine Men. And this collection should equally engage the interest of women as of the ready-made male population.

Freeman uses his fellow countrymen (Australia) to show us the virile attitude of the untamed. These 'models' are buff, have body decor from piercing or ink, know how to make the partially clothed form even more sensuous that the fully nude form (although there is a lot of that, too), and in general creates photographs that are well conceived and executed and presented in a superb format. There are portraits solo and in tandem. This is a collection that will find a wide audience. Recommended for the novice and the connoisseur collector alike! Grady Harp, December 05

this book is adorable! as a chihuahua parent, i love them to death. they're my favorite breed of dog. one of the reasons why i love chihuahuas is because you can bring them around with you almost everywhere you go.

it was interesting reading about other owners and other chihuahuas. the pictures are wonderfully done as well, great angles and the style is great. it was focused on the dogs themselves. highly recommended for all chi parents!

This book makes a fabulous gift for all people who love Chihuahuas! The author, a professional photographer, does a superb job of showcasing the personalities and adventures of these adorable "carry-ons." The photographs are artistic, edgy, and fun! Unlike most other pet books, this one is prime coffee table material! Several full-color pages are devoted to each pooch hanging out in their favorite haunting grounds (Venice Beach, a flat in Paris, the laundromat, cockpit of a plane, etc.). Highly recommended for all Chi lovers...I already bought two copies - one for me and one for a friend.

THIS IS SUCH A CUTE BOOK FILLED WITH PICTURES OF CHIHUAHUA'S AND THEIR DAILY "FAVORITES". MY DAUGHTER AND I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK AND LOOK THROUGH IT ALMOST EVERY NIGHT BEFORE GOING TO BED. IT IS REALLY A UNIQUE BOOK TO HAVE IF YOU LOVE CHIHUAHUA'S LIKE WE DO!

I bought two copies of this book on Amazon...one for myself and one as a gift. This is a great coffee table book on Chihuahuas! The book presents several pages of full-page photos on each Chi and features them doing their favorite things (hanging out at Venice Beach, being a co-pilot of their owner's plane, visiting Hollywood,etc.) Montrose, a professional photographer, has a knack for capturing the vibrant personalities of each dog. The photos are artsy, funky, and fun! Definitely not your typical book on dogs in which every picture is posed. I would definitely recommend this for any Chihuahua fan!

I never fail to pick-up the book from my coffee table and find something I might has missed previously.

Imagine, there was something I overlooked.

DJR

Beautiful and compelling. A fascinating book, and one of the best of its kind ever made.

Just got to say that I live out in Gamba, Gabon as my family work for Shell Gabon and in all the time I have been there, I never imagined that beauty out there exists as deeply as portrayed in this book. You look at the beaches and you think wow but to then see it as detailed as it is in the Edge of Africa, it brings real light to your eyes. Get it.

I just put the book down and all I can say is "Wow". I am amazed at the spectacular photographs and vivid descriptions of the book. It made me feel like I was in Africa. The photographer depicts the various animal, plant, and geography so unique to the area, while the author describes the details and makes you feel like you are right there. This gives me a different perspective to other images and documentation I have seen regarding this region of Africa. Recommended!

I picked this up after seeing an exhibit of Borges work at a gallery in San Diego. The images in this book capture the essence of his work in that they express the dignity of people in various cultural and geographic settings simply and beautifully . Wonderful Book to return to again and again. Very uplifting.

I have not seen the book, but rather gone to a art show that has the same pictures as the book. It is a wonderful exploration of people we may never get to meet unless through Phil's work. A beautiful set of artwork and stories on the people he has captured through the lens. I love his work. He has a fan in me!

Borges' work is stunning to behold, but if you can't make it to a gallery showing of his work, this nicely laid out book is the next best thing. His original technique of selective sepia toning, applied only to the flesh, beautifully complements his compositional style of pulling his subjects clearly out in front of their surroundings. The final effect is to concentrate the viewer's attention onto the person as an individual -- the often-exotic setting provides context and a deeper understanding, but does not distract. The dignity of Borges' subjects shines through, and the fact that this work is connected with Amnesty International is an added bonus.

This book is a haunting collection of beautiful photos that are inspiring and provocative. We have been focusing on saving the environment and the animals for so long that we forget that there are entire cultures of human beings being removed from our planet. Borges has captured this in a manner that is not depressing, but inspiring and a tribute to the human spirit.

I was fortunate enough to have Jerry as a teacher at Brooks. He really pours his emotions into this little powerhouse of a book. Powerful images although the printing could be better but it's well worth the purchase. I've given several to grieving friends.

This book touched my heart in so many ways.

This book is a great example of how a photograph can look into a person's soul. Every photo brings emotion and makes you reflect on your own life and the world. From pictures that make you say "awwww", to pictures that make you want to cry, this book has everything! After I first looked through it I immediately wanted to share it with everyone I knew. It's great to sit and watch someone who is reading it for the first time and just see the feelings flicker accross their face. This is one book that you will read over and over again.

Jerry Gay has an amazing ability of capturing the heart and essence of America through his black and white film...this book has moved me to tears, but also to refreshed realizations about our beautiful country--reminding me that it's not the dirty politicians or CEOs that built our nation, but the down home salt of the earth folks who go to work everyday and try to do the best with what we can.

"Everyone Has A Life To Live" reflects our everyday existence, something many of us no longer want to take for granted, and pays tribute to real life people who make up the United States. This book is a positive message for those struggling for ways to deal with fearful or overwhelming emotions through the anniversary of 9/11/01, and the ensuing upheaval of our now-restructuring society.

Thank you for sharing your photos with us, Jerry!...

I was so excited to finally be able to locate this book. Bookstores did not carry it. Thank you, Amazon, for having it in stock for me to order. The Amazon price was a good savings over the retail costs. The book is much larger in size than I expected but being so, you can better enjoy the details of each photo. This is a special addition to my presidential book collection.

If you have ever wondered what really goes on at the White House, this is the book to buy. David Kennerly had more access to the inner workings of the White House than any other photographer, before or since. These photos certainly prove it. For any student of history, or photography, this is one book to have on your shelf. As a working photojournalist for 35 years, I have had the pleasure of working beside Kennerly and can say that besides being a great photographer, he is one of the gentlemen of the business, an old-school hero to many an up and coming photographer. Don't miss out on this book.

David Hume-Kennerly is one of the most gifted photojournalists of our generation. He was chosen by Gerald Ford to be the "eyes of the nation on the presidency" after the insanity of paranoia that was Nixon's Whitehouse. This resulted in David becoming a "member" of the Ford family and thus having total access to the reality of The Pardon, The End of The War, and everything else that happened in those short Ford years. (As a fellow Shooter, his was the only job that I was INSANELY jealous of because he was the permanent `fly on the wall'!)

This book shares with us those times and shows us how lucky this country was to have had this strong and honest man at the top when we needed those qualities the most.

I truly hope that DHK is awarded another Pulitzer for this work.

Marshall Darling on The Cape

Aside from the stunning photography which I'll get to, this important book gave me new insights into a mostly overlooked Presidency. Kennerly documented the Ford Presidency and shows us the actual moments that some of the most significant decisions in American history were made- the Nixon pardon and leaving Vietnam to name two- thus revealing Ford as a true leader and rare politician willing to act on his beliefs regardless of consequences. (I say this as a lifelong Democrat!) As you go through the book, the range of images and perfect moments add up to a master class of great photojournalism, timeless, classic and relevant. The access he gained to intimate family moments, such as Betty Ford recovering from breast surgery, is astounding and says much about Kennerly's sensitivity and the trust he gained. It feels very emotional, intimate and world's away from our current super-posed, photo-op political culture. What is truly amazing is how easy he makes the photography look. Almost every image here is archetypal, profoundly primal, and about the subjects, not the photographer. The beauty of his work is the Zen of it; the essence of the story and person is revealed in the most graceful way. "Extraordinary Circumstances" fills an important gap in American history from a rare talent given a ringside seat, an incredible achievement.

The book are printed in very best quality. The images are "beautifull" and the text concise.

A very good book with excellent photography that captures the horror of the war to end all wars.

War photography experienced its infancy in the Crimean War and came of age during the American Civil War. But it was during the Great War that the photographic revolution really took place. The small, hand held "Brownie" camera allowed photographers a whole new level of access to warfare. Warfare was brought to the home audience in a way that Gardner or Brady could have only dreamed.

The British have a special love for the study of the Great War. In turn, the Imperial War Museum has an immense collection of original photographs and documents. The images used in "The First World War in Photographs" come from the Imperial War Museum. While there are images from all fronts and nations, not surprisingly most of the images are of the British Army.

What makes this volume better than average is the photographic commentary provided by the noted historian, Richard Holmes. He knows his subject and Holmes does an outstanding job of explaining the material culture exhibited in the photographs. Finally, this is a well produced book and can be purchased at a good price in its paperback edition. Highly recommended.

As a part-timer war scolar, I enjoy studying WWI. This book covers all of the first conflict of the twentieth century with brilliant pictures for the Imperial War Museum in London, England. The pictures are awe-inspiring and shows the damage and power of war. This book is puncuated with expert essays by war scolar Richard Holmes which fills in the action and behind-the-picture dialogue perfect for this book. This book is great for historians.

magnificent view on the painter as painter.

If the so-called School of London is your thing, here is a unique opportunity to watch the grand master at work. Not as good as a video, as possible with Auerbach and Bacon, but you take what you can get with the famously reclusive Freud, who clearly relishes enhancing his own reputation for eccentricity. (Remember the Snowdon photo of a wild-eyed Freud in his youth standing in front of his vintage Rolls Royce while wearing work clothes, like a scene right out of the 'sixties film Blow Up?)

Here we see the work of two photographers, both old friends, who were allowed to capture Freud at work over more than 20 years, as he painted single- and multiple-subject portraits of widely varying sizes, with subjects ranging from The Queen to Leigh Bowery. Most interestingly, this format allows us to see a large number of his paintings at various stages of completion, thus showing his process in a reasonable amount of detail.

Start with a sketch by Cezanne and adapt it to two models, then add a third, to make a contemporary painting. An earlier work starts with a nude model perched somewhat precariously in the cubbyhole high up on the wall. Her portrait on the easel below reveals just how brutal Freud can be in portraying the figure. When we saw the painting at Acquavella Gallery, we wondered if he actually had the model positioned in a nook in the wall. Now we know.

We see how the oil portraits of subjects such as Lord Fellowes and David Hockney start with oil sketches and go through development to the finished painting. The talented young British artist Tai-Shan Schierenberg, whose portraits of John Mortimer and Lords Sainsbury and Carrington are already in the Tate and the National Portrait Gallery, is one of several artists who paint in a style very similar to Freud's, but close-ups of Freud's smaller portraits show the particuarly intensive reworking which make his work unique. He lays on paint heavily like Auerbach or Kossoff but with his own style, which, in the end, is inimitable.

Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles in full dress uniform makes a glamorous subject. We also see Freud painting a horse and his dog Pluto, and his latest young female admirer. We also see Freud developing the plates for his masterful etchings, some of the best work being done in that medium today.

A 30-page interview by David Dawson and Sebastian Smee is interspersed with the late Bruce Bernard's color photographs and David Dawson provides over 100 additional color photographs of the painter at work. It seems that there is a new monograph on Freud every eighteen months or so; this is one of the few works which focuses on his process.

If you are an admirer of Lucian Freud's work, this book should definitely have place in your library. It essentially comprises of 3 parts, opening with a very frank and insightful interview with Freud by Sebastian Smee. Followed by two collections of colour and b&w photographs by Bruce Bernard and David Dawson. They cover all aspects of Freud in the studio - photos of Freud larking around as a Henry Moore sculpture, works in progress (often including the model), finished paintings, his studio, his dogs, horses, foxcub, etching plates and resulting prints, series of WIP paintings showing the stages involved in their creation. Over 120 photos in all, with the vast majority being in colour. Lavishly illustrated.

Smee, Bernard, and Dawson all had/have a close association with Freud and for me that's what makes this book so special. Throughout, Freud is just going about his business which is captured wonderfully by the photos. Bernard wanted to take carefully considered photos but Freud was having none of that, to the point of literally doing headstands. Bernard died in 2000, around the time that Freud was working on his Cezanne piece. Dawson picks up the plot from there, with photo's through to 2006.

For anyone interested in Freud's painting process, either out of curiosity or as an artist, the photo's provide a wealth of information. The adage "A picture is worth a 1000 words" could not be more apt. The Work in Progress photos range from the raw drawing on canvas through to finished pieces. A number of WIP photos also include the model, allowing for comparison between the flesh and the oil. Etching plates and the resulting prints are also shown.

Smee's interview reads like a couple of guys chatting over a pint down the pub. Over his career (and long may it continue!) Freud has met and hung out with numerous famous figures - Picasso, Giacometti, Bacon, Hirst, Auerbach, Bergmann, Balthus, Bowery, Queen Elizabeth II, even gambling with the notorious Kray Twins (1950/60 gangsters from London's east end). The interview is liberally populated with wonderful anecdotes. Freud also talks about the painters through history that he admires - Cezanne, Matisse, Corot, Chardin, Toulouse-Latrec and why. He touches upon living in London and anti-semitism, what led him to paint pictures of his mother, his grandfather Sigmund Freud, being sat at the bar and finding out that someone else was impersonating him - was he upset? Not really, he ended up painting the man's portrait.

For someone who is reknowned for his privacy this book is exceptional. I'm sure Freud had a huge say in how the book would look and its contents. His pride in a job well done is most evident.

If Freud is on your artistic radar, even as the merest blip, then do yourself a favour and own this book. Essential. 10 stars!

Lucian Freud seems to gain in importance as a painter and as provocateur with every exhibition (or even frequent monograph) that appears - an d for good reason. Freud continues the tradition of figure painting, but clearly in his own language. His canvases are dense with detail of both body surface and psychic message. His tendency to find rather physically grotesque models (such as Leigh Bowery) and then paint canvas after canvas of those models, each work revealing even more bizarre statements about the sitter, has made him one of the most interesting painters of our day - and the gentleman is in his eighties!

Infamously reclusive, Freud paints everyday, producing huge canvases and diptychs/triptychs with what appears to be the greatest of ease. But this very fine book allows us to see the artist's struggle with the creative muse by admitting us into the studio, courtesy of interviewers David Dawson and Sebastian Smee and photographers Dawson and Bruce Bernard, a friend and admirer now gone who captured some of the more sophisticated views of the artist at easel and photographic images of the models along side the painted version from Freud's hands, imagination and talent.

Even for those who have collected museum catalogs and other monographs of the work of Lucian Freud these richly reproduced color photographs of Freud's paintings, given the new vantage of moving from the museum wall into the studio of origination with the additional images of the painter at work, constitute a superior art monograph of a current genius. The book is a conversation with a living genius, a painter who is far more interested in the paint and brush than he is with the observer - until now. Highly recommended for art collectors, educators, art students, and for those who remain fascinated with the human figure. Grady Harp, April 07

This is a collection of the most gorgeous photographs of the garden and natural land surrounding the home of one of North America's best known and most respected photographers. Accompanying each of the photographs is a brief, elegant commentary. The commentary itself is thought-provoking, prompting readers to dig deeper into their understanding of gardens, nature and growth - growth of plants and growth of the person.

The images and the words are those of a contemplative soul and they create a focus for meditation. Walk and wonder with Freeman Patterson through the yearly cycle of his New Brunswick home.

Awesome book. Beauty created from the most simple situations and common flowers. Written with great personal enthuisiasm and illustartions to match the mood.

I havn't actually read this book yet since I'm too busy being stunned by the excellent photographs of natural beauty. Simply gorgeous!

A book for people who love nature, gardens, beautiful photographs, and thoughtful, reflective writing. Superb colour reproduction, pleasantly large type (easy to read).