Customer Reviews:
Stunning pictures.......2007-05-12
Mike Fay has done it again with this collection of amazing photos. Each picture tells a unique and compelling story that make you feel the real struggles in Gabon.
Great Book.......2007-04-16
Bought this book for my mother-in-law as a birthday present. She has traveled to Africa many times so it was perfect for her. She was thrilled with the book. The book is spectacular. We would recommend highly.
The most Impressive Book in my Library.......2007-03-08
Having been a member of The National Geographic Society since 1952 and with a library accumulated in that time, I have not seen before Last Place on Earth such a fine book so magnificently produced.
Incredible Adventure and Book.......2007-03-08
As a photographer and a journalist who has a passion for intense travel and the natural world, I think this is one of the most amazing books published in the past 20 years. Passionate, heartbreaking, and beautiful the world and work of Nick Nichols and Mike Fay shown in this book was eye opening. Highly reccomend. Only comment that maybe negative is the size a bulk of the book.
Retrospective.......2007-01-27
This is a beautifully bound book covering a wide range of areas in and about the jungles of Africa. The images are possible only for someone who spent as much time there as these two did, and the breathtaking work shows this condition. The mega-transect journal is a very nice companion to the photographs, and really helps to convey a mood and philosophy of their work. There passion is obvious.
Book Description
In 250 glorious photographs Wide Angle: National Geographic Greatest Places documents the beauty and depth of every part of the world. Delving deeply into a picture archive that houses over ten million images, with many photographs being published for the first time, this new book-the third and final in the "greatest photographs" series-presents the world's amazingly diverse places with epic grandeur, unparalleled intimacy, romantic beauty, and gritty realism. The photographs are landscapes, cityscapes, famous landmarks, and unfamiliar spots that reveal special qualities of geography or culture one might otherwise never see.
Spanning more than eleven decades, the images in Wide Angle are divided into twelve chapters, each depicting a unique geography—including East and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Polar Regions. Each chapter is introduced by award-winning cultural writer and critic Ferdinand Protzman, whose essays accent the stunning photographs by renowned National Geographic photographers. Both essays and photographs carefully examine a region's special qualities, creating unique character and its own special and unforgettable sense of place. In Wide Angle, National Geographic photographers have recorded the world's places close up, in sweeping breadth, in depth, and over time.
Customer Reviews:
photo book.......2007-02-20
I bought this for my parents for a house warming gift. It is the typical high quality photography associated with National Geographic. Only weakness is that being so large it seems to not be bound extremely well. Has to be handled carefully. Very good.
Good, could be better.......2007-01-23
There are many beautiful pictures in this book.
Some images are really impressive, have soul and cause emotions.
But the way the book was made somehow ruins those emotions.
Some of the best images are "interrupted" by the centerfold. Very poor positioning!
Because the book is so thick, you are unable to appreciate those pictures.
This kind of breaks the magic...
Don't they have a specialist to do this at NG?
The book should be larger, wider. Some pictures are unecessarily small, sharing half of a page with some uninteresting phrase/text.
I am still happy I bought it, it's a nice book and I really like many images, but it was poorely executed. Coul be soooo much better!
For this price, I still recommend it.
Wowed to Blah.......2006-08-11
I went from being wowed to feeling blah about this book...it was like a rollercoaster...up and down. Some of the pictures...gorgeous...took my breath away and others left me quickly flipping through to the next page hoping to see something that captured my attention.
It wasn't what I was expecting in the fact that I was hoping that every single page would leave me meditating upon the picture before me, but still in my opinion it is a keeper as a large portion of the pictures are really stunning.
My other disappointment was the fact that when I think of "greatest places", well I don't really feel that that was captured in this collection of photography. Some of the pictures were random and just seemd poorly executed and the entire book didn't seem to mesh well.
The polar region photographs, which end the book, were perhaps the most disappointing which left me closing the book feeling let down.
Why is the cost so reasonable?..........2006-07-07
...essentially you get what you pay for. This book is certanly NOT representative of what I have come to expect from National Geographic.
I had eagerly anticipated the arrival of my book, but was dissappointed to find within the first few pages that it is uninspiring at best. Most of the pictures are poorly executed and at times seem amateurish. In the past I've found photographs by professionals like Steve McCurry ('Portraits')visually arresting. Not so here.
At least it only cost me $20 oredering from Amazon. If I had been able to preview it beforehand, I would not have thought it worth even the discounted price.
Poor Execution.......2006-06-27
National Geographic Magazine is famous for their excellent photography; it is the very reason I picked up this volume. However, Wide Angle: National Geographic Greatest Places failed to live up to my expectations. I was underwhelmed not only by a large portion of the images, but mostly by the poorly executed concept. In a title that clearly implies these are the greatest places featured, I felt the chosen photographs illustrated some lackluster locales. Furthermore, the organization was too loose. The book could have benefited from better formating not only of its categories, but of the photos themselves, which are often stretched in an unflattering matter.
Amazon.com
Since the 10.5 million images in National Geographic's possession won't fit in a book, the 250 in this moderately glossy, minimally costly collection will do nicely. Through the Lens is a stunning collection of photos judiciously apportioned to represent the regions of the earth, the sea, and outer space; humans and nature; and even the history of the medium--a few historic black and whites contrast dramatically with the eye-popping modern color shots that dominate the book. As ever, the esthetic key to their impact is the use of big, emotional pictures with witty little captions, and whenever possible, startling juxtapositions. A Boston matron's faux-fur coat looks just like her pet Dalmatian (the caption identifies them as "spots fans"). The world's widest street (in Buenos Aires) by night looks great next to a grassy highway overpass for grizzly bears in Alberta. The famous green-eyed Afghan refugee poses in a purple burkha with her 1985 National Geographic cover. A Moscow shopper tries on a snowsuit, oblivious to the huge face in the ad on the wall behind him, whose nose he obscures and smile he bisects. A fuzzy shot of a 1907 inventor testing a multiwinged "Katydid" flying machine contrasts with a crisp 1974 shot of Skylab soaring far above fluffy clouds. Often, what's striking is the juxtaposition of ideas. An Arctic wolf making an impossible leap between ice floes arcs in midair, only its reflection hitting the frigid water. A 1935 Model T "surfs" a steep dune in White Sands, New Mexico. Chorus lines of stuffed cane-toad corpses with surreally clothespinned snouts perform on a taxidermist's shelf. Newborns are lined up like bread loaves in Shanghai. A woman in a white chador sits in the Tripoli airport, the white lines of fluorescent ceiling bulbs radiating behind her head like a saint's halo. This isn't the fanciest photo book of the season, but it certainly is a good deal. -Tim Appelo
Book Description
For more than 100 years, National Geographic has set the standard for nature, culture, and wildlife photography. Now, in Through the Lens, 250 spectacular images—some famous, others rarely seen—are gathered in one lavish and beautiful volume.
Through the Lens is divided into geographical regions—Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the Americas, and Oceans and Isles—with a special section devoted to space exploration. Each geographical section features an outstanding array of photographs that exemplifies the area's unique people, wildlife, archaeology, culture, architecture, and environment, accompanied by brief but informative captions. From Barry Bishop's heroic Mount Everest climb in the 1950s to the glorious wildlife of Asia and Africa, from ancient Maya culture to the Afghan girl found 17 years after her piercing green eyes captivated the world, these are some of the finest and most important photographs ever taken.
Featuring master photographers from the late 1800s to today, including Frans Lanting, David Doubilet, David Alan Harvey, Jodi Cobb, William Albert Allard, Nick Nichols, and Annie Griffiths Belt, Through the Lens is an extraordinary photographic celebration of some of the greatest the world has to offer.
Customer Reviews:
Nat. Geo. Greatest Pix Review.......2007-03-25
I fancy myself to know a good photo when I see one and I was humbled by the really great photos in this book. I suppose it all depends on what you like, but since these are the pix they chose to include and I think they are great, either they or I agree with each other. Buy it. It will amaze you and when you leave it out for discovery, it will amaze your friends!
christmas.......2007-01-15
this item was given(sent)to someone else for christmas...National Geographic has always been a 5star item and I doubt it has changed through the years...the ordering/shipping process was 5star as always on Amazon
Disappointed!.......2007-01-07
The front jacket was beautiful and caught my eye. Being an artist I wanted beautiful photos for source material. What a let down when I received the book! The photos were not even worth flipping through. Many were in black and white. Not the quality I expected from National Geographic. If you want beautiful stunning photos don't order this one.
Amazing!.......2006-12-13
The book was in excellent condition and made a wonderful gift for my friend's birthday. I was extremely pleased. This book is even more amazing than the description can convey. An excellent coffee table book.
Incredible photos.......2006-08-22
The 250 photographs in this book represent the best of the travel, cultural, geographical, and scientific photographs ever taken. Savor these photos, learn from them, or just appreciate them for their beauty. National Graphic sets the standard for photography outdoors, and this book sets the standard for photographers. You can glean an entire photographic education just from studying the images in this book.
Average customer rating:
- Perfect for my animal-loving son!
- Excellent Book for your Kids
- Wonderful pictures!
- great book with wonderful pictures
- Instructive reference book on mammals for 3rd grade and up.
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National Geographic Book of Mammals (National Geographic)
National Geographic Society
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National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia
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Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife
ASIN: 0792271416
Release Date: 1998-03-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Perfect for my animal-loving son!.......2002-07-31
Bought this for my son's 6th birthday after reading all the reviews. I am definitely impressed. It has beautiful pictures - to be expected from National Geographic. It also provides a map highlighting the habitat for each animal and a pronunciation key as well. The text is interesting but not too technical for younger readers and each animal gets more than just a paragraph or two. It will grow well with him. I highly recommend it.
Excellent Book for your Kids.......2001-07-22
My son loves animals and received this book for Christmas two years ago. He continues to read this book every day. He is now six and this book have been his passion. He reads it to find out where each mammal lives and what he or she eats. What I found very good with this book was the fact that this was the book that helped him to start to read as well as got him interested in geography - "Dad, I didn't know that lemurs lived in Madagascar!" - What's a lemur and where is Madagascar?
I have bought a number of other mammal's books for him, but he always comes back to this book, even with the scotch-taped pages and duct taped cover. I recommend this book to anyone.
Wonderful pictures!.......2000-03-04
I bought this book for my 4 year old grandson, who just loves animals. He shows the pictures to his 2 year old brother, and teaches him the names of the animals. They both love this book, and have spent many hours looking at it.
great book with wonderful pictures.......1999-11-05
the pictures in the book were wonderful and the animals seemed to pop out right onto your lap. it has every imaginable animal on the planet with a detailed description to go with it
Instructive reference book on mammals for 3rd grade and up........1998-10-31
This book is an excellent encyclopedic reference on mammals for children and adults alike. It has the high quality photographs that one would expect of National Geographic. The information on each mammal is detailed enough to hold interest, yet no so long as to become tedious.
Best of all, it is readable by many precocious 3rd graders! Adults, however, should not be turned away. This is a great book for animal lovers of all ages.
Book Description
Ever wonder how landscape photographers manage to capture every detail in a panoramic shot of the Grand Canyon? Want to make a waterfall look like velvet? Or highlight the shafts of sunlight in your pictures of forests? All these answers and many more can be found in this definitive new guide to landscape photography—a must-have resource for amateur and experienced shutterbugs alike.
In clear, straightforward language, master photographer Robert Caputo reviews the basics of landscape photography for both film and digital camera users. Using concrete examples, he reveals recent directions in style and sheds light on the latest technology, advising how and when to use it. For additional guidance and inspiration, every picture shown in the book includes specific details on shutter speed, aperture settings, ISO settings, lenses, and types of cameras. Profiles of top landscape photographers provide more innovative tips for making your pictures unique. And a hefty chapter shares up-to-the-minute, information on new equipment and software for creating better digital images.
Filled with practical information and step-by-step instruction, this 160-page volume will easily fit in a camera bag for handy reference in the field. A glossary of useful web sites and professional resources completes this authoritative guide from National Geographic—the ultimate "professor" for anyone eager to learn how to take better landscape photos.
Customer Reviews:
Very disappointing.......2007-09-17
With the title containing National Geographic, I had high expectations for this book. I am eagerly learning about Landscape Photography and wanted a book tilled with the technical details that would allow me to approach a certain level of professionalism in my photos.
Here's what you should know before buying this book:
1. The digital portion is only a few pages in the back. The book was clearly adapted from the film version of the book. When people started crying for digital info, they just stuck a few pages on.
2. The digital portion is also incorrect or misleading (shockingly). Here's one example from page 126: "More pixels usually means finer detail, and this holds true for both compact cameras and SLR's." Well...this isn't really true. It's the marketing hype that camera manufacturers are pushing. In reality, it's a combination of the size of the sensor, the megapixels and the ISO speed you set, along with the quality of the lens that means finer detail. If you squeeze 10 megapixels onto a tiny sensor, all you get is more noise.
3. 95% of the book is just talking about EXTREMELY basic stuff. Ie: The rule of thirds, including an "S" shape in your compositions, shoot at sunrise or sunset, etc.
4. This is the biggie for me: THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO TECHNICAL INFORMATION ABOUT HOW ANY PICTURE IN THE BOOK IS MADE. Other books, such as the excellent National Audubon Society Guide to Landscape Photography, include camera and exposure info, plus which filters are used and even how the filters are oriented in their holder! Filling a book with pretty pictures (as NG's guide does) teaches me nothing. Telling me how to orient and expose using a Graduated Neutral Density filter (a la Audubon Guide) will allow me to duplicate their results!
This book was a complete waste of money due to the above reasons.
All Captured in This Book.......2007-07-04
Before a camping trip in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, I invested in my first digital camera and read this book. This field guide was informative, interesting and inspiring. It provided useful tips on not only handling the camera itself, but also how to look at one's surroundings and be able to convey the sensations at that time to others viewing the photos later. The images throughout the text provided moving examples of Robert Caputo's and other professional photographers' pointers. Advanced photographers looking through this book would appreciate the mastery of these photos, and novices would gain confidence through this guide to eventually achieve this level of photography.
Average customer rating:
- Give me a break...
- Ethnocentrism gleamed from the pages of National Geographic
- Good, basic points. Flawed book.
- Do I need a Sociology degree to read National Geographic?
- anthropology schmanthropology
|
Reading National Geographic
Catherine A. Lutz , and
Jane L. Collins
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Regarding the Pain of Others
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The Body at Risk: Photography of Disorder, Illness, and Healing
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My Cocaine Museum
ASIN: 0226497240 |
Book Description
For its millions of readers, the National Geographic has long been a window to the world of exotic peoples and places. In this fascinating account of an American institution, Catherine A. Lutz and Jane L. Collins explore the possibility that the magazine, in purporting to teach us about distant cultures, actually tells us much more about our own.
Lutz and Collins take us inside the National Geographic Society to investigate how its photographers, editors, and designers select images and text to produce representations of Third World cultures. Through interviews with the editors, they describe the process as one of negotiating standards of "balance" and "objectivity," informational content and visual beauty. Then, in a close reading of some six hundred photographs, they examine issues of race, gender, privilege, progress, and modernity through an analysis of the way such things as color, pose, framing, and vantage point are used in representations of non-Western peoples. Finally, through extensive interviews with readers, the authors assess how the cultural narratives of the magazine are received and interpreted, and identify a tension between the desire to know about other peoples and their ways and the wish to validate middle-class American values.
The result is a complex portrait of an institution and its role in promoting a kind of conservative humanism that acknowledges universal values and celebrates diversity while it allows readers to relegate non-Western peoples to an earlier stage of progress. We see the magazine and the Society as a key middlebrow arbiter of taste, wealth, and power in America, and we get a telling glimpse into middle-class American culture and all the wishes, assumptions, and fears it brings to bear on our armchair explorations of the world.
Customer Reviews:
Give me a break..........2003-12-19
Quite simply, I don't buy into 90% of the authors claims, and the authors seemed to be completely blinded by their own preconcieved ideas that they can't be at all objective in their interpretation of the subject matter.
Ultimately, this books is nothing more than rhetoric about "white male dominated racist Western culture".
The authors clearly had this notion in mind when they wrote this book, and it taints virtually the entire book to the point where their conclusions aren't even remotely believable as being the result of objective research.
Ethnocentrism gleamed from the pages of National Geographic.......2003-03-25
I found this book to be thorough in its research of the geographic as an American institution. It presupposes that the reader is well aquainted with Gramsci's notion of mass media and the Frankfurt school borne out of this belief of hegemony perpectuated by a controlling elite. The author also takes liberty that the reader is aquainted with research methods using coding to differentiate subjects responses to pictures portrayed. Lastly, the author's use of interviewing technics and the subsequent interpretation of those responses enables the reader the opportunity to realize how the geographic and social background of the readers influence the perceptions people have when encountering this quasi-scientific journal. As an anthropological study this book illuminates the ethnocentric idealations of the Geographic's demographic readership, that is upper middle and middle class white euroamericans.
Good, basic points. Flawed book........2002-08-01
The book is about the "making and consuming of images of the non-western world." And images, after all, "have taken over from written texts the role of primary educator." The two look at a set of 600 photographs published in the magazine from 1950 to 1986 (roughly their NG -reading lifetimes). They argue the photos are selectively chosen to present a view that does not disturb middle-class American self-identities and connected views of the 3rd world. The photos usually show a gentle, peaceful, content, colorful exotic people who, though they might not be wealthy yet, are on the road to modern progress on the Western model. The non-Western world is appropriated, its description has helped maintain social hierarchies in the First World. Even worse, the NG's practice goes so far as to abet war-making on the people it purposefully misunderstands.
There three methodological steps are to look at the process of producing the images (a social endeavor over which no individuals have total say throughout the process), examine the structure and content of the images, and identify how readers view the photographs.
"We chart the tendency of the magazine to idealize and render exotic third-world peoples, with an accompanying tendency to downplay or erase evidence of poverty and violence. The photographs show these people as either cut off from the flow of world events or involved in a singular story of progress from tradition to modernity [ahem, two very different things unless you're not thinking hard about "modernity"], a story that changes with decolonization."
Their goal is make NG and other mass media "understand and historicize the differences that separate interconnected human beings," to heighten empathy without fostering stereotyping or paternalism.
Criticism: I can't deny that the writers made such a negative impression on me with their dogma and attacking hyperbole (and dripping class resentment) that their useful ideas are weakened in my view. I wouldn't assign this to students I hope will write well.
Do I need a Sociology degree to read National Geographic?.......2001-05-22
The title of this book grabbed me: READING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. I now wish I had not grabbed up the book. Doing what the title suggests is a fairly benign activity; the only danger you face in reading the magazine is falling asleep in an inappropriate place. Let's admit it, National Geographic articles are written in a very prosaic style. This however is not news. We have been reading the magazine long enough to know the truth behind what one of it's past editors is quoted as saying: "only what is is of a kindly nature is printed about any country or people, everything unpleasant or unduly critical being avoided". Most of us have been around long enough to know that such cultural relativism, homogenization, and plain-vanilla humanism makes for some very boring reading.
That however is probably the only thing that you really need to know about NG. I certainly didn't need to know - and now knowing, don't believe, - as the authors believe that in depicting the naked breasts of native women: "the magazine and its readers are caught between the desire to play out the cultural fantasy of the oversexed native woman and the social controls of sexual morality..." This fixation which makes up an entire chapter "Women and Their Breasts" only highlights the real difficulty with the book's analysis. It is shallow and leans heavily towards a feministic cultural critique; it's also narrow in that it mostly looks at how NG depicts cultures. What about the other subjects the magazine looks at?
Boring writing aside my continued enjoyment of National Geographic comes from its explorations of wild places and its emphasis on nature. I much prefer this to what READING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC would have me do - ponder whether the magazine is a pernicious contributor to the spread of Western supremacy, colonialism, imperialism, and the homogenizing influences of a white middle class world view.
anthropology schmanthropology.......2001-05-07
In this book, Lutz and Collins deconstruct the system of misrepresentation in which National Geographic functions as purveyor of cultural/historical fact. The authors problematize NG's systematic misrepresentation of the non-West and examine how those misrepresenations resonate with its 'American' audience through reinforcing the self-other binary. NG encodes a white, middle-class, male (straight) worldview, and as such, tells us more about the standardized/naturalized/anesthetized 'American' culture than about those it 'studies.' Through analyzing photographs and their captions and interviewing NG staff, the authors reveal the racism and paternalism that are at the heart of the National Geographic gaze.
Average customer rating:
- FABULOUS!
- All I Expected, and More
- The Church that Peter Built - a Pictorial of the Holy Sea
- Good pictures but ruined by the excessive glue
- Skimpy on the ART
|
Inside the Vatican (National Geographic)
Bart Mcdowell
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
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Similar Items:
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National Geographic - Inside the Vatican
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The Incredible Book of Vatican Facts and Papal Curiosities
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How to Be Pope: What to Do and Where to Go Once You're in the Vatican
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Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's
ASIN: 0792252977
Release Date: 2005-06-01 |
Book Description
"I was given the rare opportunity to lift the veil of privacy for a privileged look inside the Vatican," writes photographer James L. Stanfield in his foreword to this book.
For nearly a year, seven days a week, Stanfield photographed virtually every corner of the 108.7-acre enclave that is both the world's smallest nation and the center of the world's largest religious body, the Roman Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II, the Roman Curia, the color and pomp of centuries-old ceremonies, the wondrous art and architecture, the daily lives of ordinary citizens -- all are part of Stanfield's unprecedented coverage.
Author Bart McDowell guides you through this extraordinary place. He begins with a historical perspective, going back to ancient times when the area, known as the Vaticanus, was a marshland infamous for snakes and malaria. In the fourth century, Emperor Constantine built a great basilica there, the first St. Peter's; around it grew a settlement that would become home to the popes and territorial base of the church for most of its succeeding history.
In subsequent chapters, McDowell explains the workings of the Holy See, the church's labyrinthine government. He introduces many of the people who make their living in the Vatican. And he takes you into one of the world's great collections of paintings, sculpture, manuscripts, and other treasures. In a final chapter he presents the modern popes, particularly the charismatic John Paul II.
Through beautiful and exclusive photographs and revealing text, Inside the Vatican celebrates a small, dynamic community unique in the world.
Customer Reviews:
FABULOUS!.......2007-09-03
Absolutely gorgeous and chock full of fascinating information written from a very personal perspective. Well done.
All I Expected, and More.......2007-06-08
This is a lovely book. The pictures are beautiful and there were lots of them. But it is not just a picture book- it is full of information about The Vatican that I had never heard before. I didn't know that there were pinball machines and kiddie pools there-- for the families who live and work there. I thought that was an interesting facet of life behind Vatican walls. I especially liked the maps- they gave me a greater sense of how big Vatican City really is. The book certainly captures the granduer and splendor of this wonderful place.
The Church that Peter Built - a Pictorial of the Holy Sea.......2007-03-18
The Vatican is the centerpoint for the world's Catholics and this is a picture book that captures the extraordinary architecture of Rome's most famous religious landmark. "Peter built the church on the rock of our faith" ... and what it became was The Vatican. Inside the Vatican is a stunning look at what happens when all roads lead to Rome.
Good pictures but ruined by the excessive glue.......2006-09-24
Like most of National Geographic publications, this book has the flaw of excessive glue used in binding resulting in the center of two pages being glued together. It can not be spread apart without ruining the pictures.
Interesting enough, this always happened at pictures of significance,
which covers two facing pages, such as the creation of Adam from the
ceiling of sistine chapel,the School of Athens by Raphael, and many others. If you are like me who adores beautiful images or paintings and
can not tolerate imperfection, do not buy this book because most of the
pictures are glued together in the central portion and can not be spread open without ruining it.
Skimpy on the ART.......2002-01-03
If you can get this book used for under $10 dollars
AND...
You are interested in the whole workings of the Vatican National Geographic sytle, buy it it, is a great book from that perspective.
It is not an over $20 dollar art book because a large number of pages which could have been used for images are wasted on oversize text. Five pages of the books text could have fit on one page.
The photographs are great, but they are of everything including wasted full page close ups of guards. If you want a general book on the vatican this book delivers......but if you thought that "Inside the Vatican" meant a lot of art you might not see otherwise this is not the right book for the price.
It is not an Art book like one thinks of with Konemann books, there are some good photos and enough for a general book like this but it does not have enough art to warrant the price, then again I guess no one really said it was supposed to be art book.
I have written this review just as a warning for some people who might think that there is a lot of art here.....it is not an art book. This fact is kind of a shame because after 65% of the book is finished and it finally does get to the "Treasures section" the photographs are decent, however it makes you wonder why did we need a whole page close up of a guards face and only a quarter page on some of the art.
The Wonderful frescoes of the Vatican are very few and most are the usual 4 token shots of the Sistine chapel.
The wonderful Hall of Constantine isnt covered at all. I agree with all the other reviewers, if you are a National Geographic format fan, this is one of their best efforts.
But....The wrong pictures are too big, the right pictures are too small, the really wonderful pictures never made it into the book, and way, way, too much space is dedicated to oversize text.
I bought it used, do the same, it is not a new full price book,
there is enough for under $10 even if your main interest is art but you will not get as "Inside the Vatican" as you might with other books about the Vatican Art.
Good Pope pictures, Pope-Mobile pictures, and that sort of thing
and good "Quick read history".
Book Description
In this wonderful exploration of the American Landscape, 17 distinguished writers and photographers create a vivid, perceptive portrait of our nation's natural beauty. Highlighted by 120 breathtaking images and featuring thoughtful, evocative prose by award-winning authors, Heart of a Nation ranges from Vermont to Alaska, from the Appalachian foothills to the lofty peaks of the Sierra, from the still ponds of our southeastern wetlands to the stormy shores of the Pacific Northwest. It's a magnificent portrait of our majestic land -- and a journey of discovery no reader will ever forget.
Customer Reviews:
Inspirational.......2000-10-20
Photography has always been an outlet to certain visionaries in our society. Giving them a way to express to others the way they interpret somewhat ordinary and sometimes not so ordinary sights. This collection of images inspires all those who look at them. And then combining these with words of inspiratin and thought provoking prose makes it a treat to the soul as well as the eyes.
Amazon.com
Through the years, National Geographic magazine's staff photographers have often elevated stock depictions of "exotic" cultures into haunting glimpses of other lives. In Focus: National Geographic Greatest Portraits presents a century of captivating images of ordinary people from around the world--280 photographs of pleasure, grief, stoicism, shyness and sheer endurance. In thoughtful essays, five photographers frankly assess changing notions of authenticity and discuss their own methods of capturing a stranger's personality on the run. In the beginning, the magazine showed people stiffly posed in their native costumes, viewed as anthropological specimens. Advances in camera technology created a greater degree of intimacy and spontaneity. Then came color film, which ushered in an era dominated by corny themes and perkily posed subjects in brightly hued clothing. The 1970s marked a new honesty in portraiture, a willingness to go beyond the superficial to investigate the small moments that make up daily life everywhere. In Focus draws upon the magazine's complete archives to raise intriguing questions about how editorial choices help define our understanding of the world. For example, in 1981, National Geographic published Sam Abell's elegiac portrait of Rosa--the last of the Yahgan Indians of Terra del Fuego--wreathed in atmospheric smoke against a dark background, in the stately tradition of Edward S. Curtis. We also see one of Abell's unpublished photos of Rosa in her modest home, grimacing as she stands in the blue light of her TV, next to a poster commemorating the restoration of Chile's constitution in 1980. The gallery of portraits in this splendid book includes many memorable faces, from the unnerving grin of the Wodaabe tribesman in Niger (who wears colorful makeup as part of a courtship ritual) to the sunny self-possession of a child in Murmansk who holds up four tiny fingers to indicate her age. Beautiful women abound--they have helped sell the magazine from its earliest days. As the decades go by, people everywhere seem more at ease being photographed. But they remain as fascinating as ever, perhaps because we'll never know what they were thinking when the shutter clicked. —Cathy Curtis
Book Description
National Geographic Greatest Portraits tells the story of portrait photography through the eyes-and words-of five accomplished National Geographic photographers. The book showcases images never-before-seen alongside award-winning favorites. New and fascinating text reveals photographers' individual experiences photographing people and their evaluation of NG portraits produced during each decade-from the late-19th century until today. National Geographic Greatest Portraits opens with a beautiful and surprising look at National Geographic's contribution to the knowledge of the world's peoples through photography. Five chapters follow, each spanning approximately two decades and covering an era in world history and photographic style. The chapters are: Before 1930 (Exploring the power of photography), 1930s-1940s (The Great Depression and World War II), 1950s-1960s (Bright colors and perky smiles), 1970s-1980s (Back to realism), 1990s-Present (Everything is relative). Each of these chapters is a portrait of the world.
Customer Reviews:
AWESOME!.......2007-01-09
I got this as a gift for my cousin who had just finished getting his B.A. in Photography. I had gone to Barnes & Nobles to get it and I was going to buy it and ship it to him but b/c this book is so heavy, it would probably have cost me twice as much. I found it here on Amazon for less and shipping was included!!!
BEAUTIFUL!!!.......2006-07-03
This book is gorgeous! The images are amazing and the stories/articles are a wonderful accessory to the photography. AND, what a bargain!!!! It is hard back and HUGE...well worth the money.
Be inspired by the best of the pros.......2004-12-06
This is truly one of the great books of people pictures, a treasure chest of images truly deserving the self-imposed subtitle of "greatest portraits".
Trust me on this. Having spent almost 40 years in the news business as a reporter, photographer and editor, I have some experience in recognizing good pictures and hiring people who can produce good pictures. By any standard, these are great pictures.
A "great picture" hinges on an intangible called the moment of peak action. Let me explain that by referring to a photo not in this book; the angry defiant look of Sir Winston Churchill in the portrait by Yousouf Karsh of Ottawa, Canada. Churchill was angry because Karsh had just taken away his cigar, which Churchill had just lit of relax after a speech to the Canadian parliament. It's probably the most famous portrait ever of Churchill.
Had I taken that picture, instead of the angry portrait I'd have waited and asked Churchill to "smile". As everyone knows, it would have been a lousy picture of a great man. Karsh had the genius to recognize the precise moment of peak action; likewise, in picture after picture in this book, I saw the same superb talent in capturing the most evocative expression of the subjects. This is the heart of great photography; I think I can recognize it, just as an art critic can recognize a great painting without being able to do it.
Photography is the most accessible of the arts; every parent wants "great" pictures of their children, every lover wants "great" pictures of their beloved, every tourist wants that memorable vacation memory. This book is a superb course in what great pictures look like; it's not just a museum of the finest, it's also a teaching example of "here's what a good picture is like" for anyone who takes pictures. This quality can inspire your quality.
If we are to learn, we might as well learn from the best whenever possible; if we are to enjoy great art, we might as well have the best. This book is an example of both; the price is incredible for such a treasure trove. It's awesome.
Buy it; it'll improve your pictures, and your life.
Disappointingly average and too politically correct.......2004-10-31
Considering the millions of images created by National Geographic over the decades, this collection of portraits of "ordinary people" is disappointing. The images are defintiely not the most striking. The commentaries by photographers and editorial comments do no justice to the collection. The political correctness is overwhelming and entirely unnecessary. For example, the admission "[e]ntire tableaux were arranged to illustrate imagined lives in popular Geographic stories about American cities and states and exotic foreign metropolises and villages." No kidding? That's real news - especially when followed by "[i]ronically, the arrange of elaborate scenes for the sake of photography has become very fashionable these days."
Huh? What's the point?
Many of the photos are indeed transcendant, but the majority are mundane. Overall, a disappointing collection.
Jerry
Average customer rating:
- Wonderful for Tiger lovers
- Excellent
|
Year of the Tiger (National Geographic)
Michael Nichols , and
Geoffrey Ward
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
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Cats, Lions & Tigers
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ASIN: 079227377X
Release Date: 1998-11-01 |
Book Description
Sleek, stealthy, powerful, and beautiful, the tiger has always evoked awe, fear, and utter fascination. Once undisputed lord of vast stretches of Asia, India, and Indonesia, the tiger now stalks a sadly diminished realm, despite the best efforts of dedicated conservationists all over the world. Some strains are extinct; all are threatened. But, as this dramatic volume demonstrates, the species has lost none of its mesmerizing appeal.
Glorying in more than 100 stunning full-color photographs, The Year of the Tiger combines the talents of two gifted, knowledgeable men: National Geographic veteran Michael "Nick" Nichols, who has been described as the Indiana Jones of photography, and writer Geoffrey Ward, a tiger admirer ever since his youth in India. Together, they have created an engrossing, unforgettable portrait of this magnificent creature, featuring many images of tigers in the wild never before captured on film.
Here are arresting visions from Southeast Asia and Siberia, along with remarkable and unprecedented photographs that reveal the hidden life of an Indian tigress, named Sita, and her cubs. Over a period of two years, Nichols visited the tigers, documenting Sita's unflagging efforts to feed and safeguard her young. To obtain his extraordinary shots, Nichols tracked the tigers on elephant-back through rough terrain and more than once risked his life to bring back a unique record of their lives.
Here too is a gallery of tigers in captivity, heartbreaking in its juxtaposition with their wild brethren. For whether they're entertaining Las Vegas crowds or living in the relative security of a first-rate zoo, these are animals who have lost -- or never learned -- the skills that would allow them to survive in the wild. And yet they too have inherited all the majesty and wonder that mark their breed -- and may perhaps be the last, best hope for the most endangered of today's great cats.
Stunning in its visual appeal, sobering in its message, The Year of the Tiger is at once a vivid celebration and a vital call to arms on behalf of a creature whose very existence is menaced by mankind's encroachment on its delicately-balanced environment. It's a book for anyone who cares about preserving our world's astonishing diversity, and for anyone who's fallen under the tiger's spell -- and that, it's safe to say, is everyone.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful for Tiger lovers.......2000-05-03
This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves tigers. It is packed with spectacular photos of tigers, most in their natural environment. There are also some pictures of other wildlife & of native peoples.
There are pictures of tigers with their cubs, ready to pounce & many close-ups. Sadly, there are others of tigers in captivity. I loved the pictures of the white tigers especially a rare one with orange stripes instead of black.
If you can tear yourself away from the pictures the text is equally impressive. The author tells of his adventures in national parks throughout Asia.
He also discusses the plight of tigers & other animals of the area being killed for there furs or horns and what is being done to protect them. There is a list of conservationists in the back if you want to help.
Excellent.......2000-04-01
I thought that this book was remarkable in the explanation of the year of the tiger and with what cultures that it pertains to.
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