Puerto Rico Magnífico!

Book Description

Puerto Rico Magnfico! is a large-format, photographic-essay, coffee-table book about the island of Puerto Rico. Through photographs, maps, and text, it covers Puerto Rico's history, culture, people, nature, geography, and scenery. The book features a special emphasis on aerial photography, and a "then-and-now" chapter is devoted to comparing historic and modern scenes of the island.

Customer Reviews:

As the title says: "Magnifico!".......2000-07-02

Having travelled to Puerto Rico dozens of times over the past twenty years (and I lived there for a time as well), I have to say this is absolutely the most impressive and complete "coffee-table" book on the island that I have ever seen. It is large-format, filled with superb color photographs (including a lot of aerials and a fascinating "then and now" chapter of archival pictures side-by-side with the same scene as it is today). And the text doesn't insult your intelligence -- it's a concise overview of Puerto Rico's history. An added plus is the Spanish translation (done by a Puerto Rican translator) at the back of the book -- too many books about Puerto Rico ignore the island's linguistic heritage! I've given several copies to friends who love the island. The jacket blurb says the author was once a Peace Corps Volunteer, and it shows ... this is a real in-depth portrait, not just "post-cardy" superficial coverage.

Magnificent Arm Chair Travel.......2000-06-13

For anyone familiar or unfamiliar with Puerto Rico, this superb pictorial and eloquently written portrait of this country, its culture, its people and its history, will bring the reader palpably close to the very pulse of the island. Page after page of breathtaking photography and descriptive narrative succeed in transporting you to the the subject matter at hand. Both visually and verbally, this book lifts you right off each page as it gives you a soaring birdseye view of one of the Caribbean's most beautiful island destinations. The overall impact of this book on one's senses can only be exceeded by actually being there. Otherwise, be prepared for some unsurpassable armchair travel.

The ultimate guide to Puerto Rico........2000-05-31

This stunner provides you with two books rolled into one, a beautiful and timeless collection of more than 100 lush photographs as well as an easy-to-read history of Puerto Rico. It is apparent from the obvious care and attention to detail that went into this book that the author is both dedicated to his craft and enamored of the people and island that he is profiling. The book depicts the great diversity of Puerto Rico -- from the hustle and bustle of its urban centers (including the grand architectural heritage) to the most desolate and pristine parts of the island, shown both in close-up and from the air. The stars of the book are the people themselves, who act as guides to the island and invite you to visit them for the first time or simply to return again as old friends. A highly recommended work.

Average customer rating:

great portrait book
Excellent Photographs!
Incredible and thought-provoking
An unmissable classic
Amazing

In The American West
Laura Wilson , and John Rohrbach
Manufacturer: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Avedon at Work: In the American West (HRHRC Imprint Series)
Richard Avedon Portraits
Woman in the Mirror: 1945-2004
Irving Penn: A Career in Photography
Rineke Dijkstra: Portraits

ASIN: 0810959283

Book Description

Richard Avedon's In the American West is widely regarded as a landmark project in photographic history and a definitive expression of the power of photographic art. First published by Abrams in 1985 in conjunction with an exhibition at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, the book is being reissued to accompany a 20th-anniversary re-showing of the exhibition at the same museum.

Avedon, who died in 2004, was the greatest American photographer of his generation. For In the American West, he traveled throughout five years, meeting and photographing the plain people of the West: ranch workers, roustabouts, bar girls, drifters, and gamblers. The resulting book includes 120 exquisitely printed black-and-white photographs, an essay by Avedon on his working methods and portrait philosophy, a journal of the project by Laura Wilson, and a new foreword by John Rohrbach. The reissuing of this legendary book, out of print for more than a decade, is a major event in the photography world.

Customer Reviews:

great portrait book.......2007-10-03

If you like portraits this book is for you. The images are all the same: white background and a person looking in the camera. Take your time to look at it. Focus on the faces and eyes and you will understand the power behind these images. That is what Avedon was looking for. A book with no wording, but who needs words when an image can say 1000 words?

Excellent Photographs!.......2007-05-13

I recently attended a gallery showing of some of these spectacular photographs at Stanford University. It was a real treat to be able to purchase a book to remind me of the experience. Very moving show.

Incredible and thought-provoking.......2007-03-24

I, like another reviewer, saw this exhibit in the 80's in San Francisco and was awed by it. The images have never left me. Now, as a teacher, I use the images as part of an exercise and educational tool (I have a poster of the exhibit I show to students.) It really helps put other's lives in perspective for my students and opens their eyes to a world of people they might never meet (or will overlook)thereby doing exactly what Avedon set out to do with this work.

An unmissable classic.......2006-06-17

In 1978 glamour photographer Richard Avedon shot some portraits in the MidWest. The Amon Carter Museum in Forth Worth, Texas, asked him to follow up on those, and Avedon set out for the American West to portray what amounts to the reverse side of the American dream. The project ran until 1984. By then, Avedon had photographed 752 people in 17 states; a selection of 123 portraits constituted the eventual exhibition and the collection in this book. The illusion of equality and great opportunities for all, and the Hollywood-slash-John wayne dream of the good old pioneering West - a dream shared by a surprising lot of westerners themselves - are effectively shattered by these haunting portraits of barmaids, drifters, ranch-hands, prisoners, mental patients, Hutterites, coal miners, slaughter house workers, 12 year old girls looking twice their age, (sub) teenage boys handling guns and snakes, oil-rig workers, and many others alongside them. There is hardly a face here that is not marked by toil and hardship, the stark black-and-white detailing every crevice, freckle, rimple, mole and scar. As one commentator noted, the West is often represented by its landscape; here the faces are the landscape of the West, and, one might well suspect, its true landscape. Of course, similar portraits of ordinary people living under harsh conditions could be taken in many places in the world; the portraits in this volume take a significant part of their impact from the fact that they come from that "greatest nation on earth", a land associated with glamour, enterprise, success and outward appearances, that we are used to seeing represented rather differently than we find it here.

Here, the great heroic cowboy dream is reduced to a shiny, oversized rodeo buckle worn by a skinny boy. Yet there is nothing condescending or patronizing about these images, on the contrary. The facial expressions mostly speak of deep earnestness and dogged determination, rarely of sadness, and most of the people we meet in this book exude an extraordinary power and pride despite their often dishevelled looks and sweat- and dirtstained clothes (others, however, have donned their best finery). But there is anger, threat, and undisguised, at times overwhelming machismo too, as well as an occasional subject who seems on the verge of tears, like oil field worker Bubba Morrison. The portraits are painfuly candid, often moving, and always artistically well-considered and visually beautiful. They engender instant curiosity about the stories behind these faces - only a very little of that is satisfied in the Background section at the end of the book; we are given a little more in Laura Wilson's delightful volume "Avedon at work in the American west", which is worthwhile considering in addition to the work itself. The subjects are all portrayed against an anonymous white background; nothing is romanticized, nothing is allowed to divert our attention from the sitter him- or herself. At times, the brutality of life in the spare, rough country where these people live is heart-wrenchingly palpable. Richard Wheatcroft, a handsome young Montana rancher was photographed twice two years apart, and it is harrowing to see the hardening of his features over such a short timespan (his portrait of 17 years later that's in Laura Wilson's book, comes as a downright shock, the 41 year-old looking at least in his mid-fifites, a sad, worn out look in his eyes, his face notched by the many blows life has dealt him). More dark portent comes with the highly arresting shots of skinned steer-heads and slaughtered sheep that appear later in the book. Here, the black and white takes away any sense of shock or revulsion, and lends a melancholy beauty even to these stark subjects.

The book itself is beautifully produced: large size, with a cloth cover protected by a thick, transparant plastic dustwrapper. The matte paper is thick and opaque, preventing show-through. It includes a large fold-out group portrait. (My copy unfortunately has a few pages where surplus ink has splattered onto the photograph, but I assume that is the exception, not the rule). In all, a possession to cherish, and highly recommended.

Amazing.......2006-03-10

One of the most important books in photography history. I strongly recommend this book.

Average customer rating:

Cruisin'

Ed Ruscha: Then & Now
Ed Ruscha
Manufacturer: Steidl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3865211054
Release Date: 2005-08-15

Book Description

Between 1963 and 1978 Ed Ruscha produced eighteen small artists' books. Usually self-published in small print-runs, these publications have become seminal works in the history of conceptual art and the photography book. THEN & NOW is the first artist book that Ruscha has made since 1978. One of the most famous of Ruscha's books from that early period is Every Building on the Sunset Strip--a famous stretch of real estate along Sunset Boulevard--published in 1966. In July, 1973 he followed the same procedure when he photographed on Hollywood Boulevard. Loading a continuous strip of 30 feet of Ilford FP-4 black & white film into his Nikon F2 and then mounting it on a tripod in the bed of a pickup truck, he drove back and forth across the 12 miles of street shooting both the north and south sides of its entire length. The negatives were developed, contact sheets were made, and the materials placed in storage. Thirty years later, in 2003, a digital record of Hollywood Boulevard was created and it served as a reference guide for the traditional film/still documentary of 2004. For this shoot, the same type of camera equipment was used to re-photograph the street on 35mm color-negative film. The resulting material of both shoots--4,500 black & white and 13,000 color images--have been scanned and digitally composed into four panoramics of the complete 12 miles. In THEN & NOW the original 1973 North side view is shown along the top of the page and juxtaposed with its 2004 version. The panoramics face each other and they are aligned. The result is what Ruscha refers to as "a piece of history . . . A very democratic, unemotional look at the world." Whilst it is a significant historical document which succinctly conflates and renders the passage of time, it is also a project which spans the career of one of the truly original artists of our time and brings his work full circle.

Customer Reviews:

Cruisin'.......2007-07-22

I bought this from Amazon UK at an amazing low price (perhaps they thought it might eventually be a stockroom dust-catcher) and it turns out to be a wonderful piece of Americana though I'm not quite sure you could call it Art, maybe art.

This is a large book with 148 (unnumbered) pages which open up to thirty-five inches wide with the two versions of Hollywood Boulevard running across the top of the page and the opposite side running along the bottom upside down, sort of awkward if you want to see both sides of the Boulevard at the same time.

The printing (and paper) of the panoramas is excellent. Rarely have I seen images printed in 250dpi, it is so good that you can read all kinds of commercial signage along the way. Regular strollers in the area could possible recognize themselves if they were there on June 5, 2004. As expected there have been plenty of changes between 1973 and 2004. Many of the empty spaces in '73 now have buildings but it does work the other way round, greenery has replaced some buildings by 2004.

Because the book has no text, apart from title and credit pages I often wondered why Ruscha wanted to photograph twelve miles of Hollywood Boulevard. It is unfortunate that for about half the book there is not too much to look at. From the start at Sunset Plaza there are just garden walls, vegetation and a glimpse of houses set back from the street. It's not until you get to Laurel Canyon where apartments start to appear and then the visually interesting commercialism starts around La Brea Avenue. The rest of the route, until it runs into Sunset Boulevard at Hillhurst Avenue, is interesting to look at, though. Here's a tip: pull up HB on Google Earth and see an aerial view as you check out the front of buildings in the book.

'Then & Now' is an intriguing example of Ruscha's work (he designed it, too) which will probably increase in value and I see that signed copies are being offered at eight hundred dollars plus on some book websites.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

Average customer rating:

Another Winner
Tables Turned
A very pretty book

French Island Elegance
Michael Connors
Manufacturer: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Caribbean Elegance
Cuban Elegance
Island Life: Inspirational Interiors
On Distant Shores: Colonial Houses Around the World
Tropical Modern

ASIN: 0810958414

Book Description

They are the jewels of the Caribbean, gorgeous prisms through which we see reflected the opulent world of the French Creole aristocracy. The French-speaking islands of Martinique, Guadaloupe, Marie-Galante, and Saint Martin come alive as never before in the pages of French Island Elegance, a lavishly illustrated look at one of the most intriguing and beautiful parts of the world. More than 160 color photographs taken especially for this book give readers a privileged glimpse inside a world rarely seen by most visitors—the palatial, elegantly furnished homes of the islands' affluent sugar, cotton, and tobacco barons, both historical and contemporary. An authoritative text sheds light on the area's rich social, architectural, and interior design history—a vital past that still influences French Island taste and cultural life to this day.

Customer Reviews:

Another Winner.......2006-11-18

Having read Dr. Connors' previous books, Caribbean Elegance and Cuban Elegance, I looked forward to French Island Elegance. I was not dissapointed.

Once again Dr.Connors has provided us with a well-researched and easily readable narrative accompanied by Bruce Buck's sumptuous photographs. The two of them have developed into a winning team.

French Island Elegance will not only look great on anyone's coffee table, but is a wonderful resource on a subject that heretofore has had none.

Tables Turned.......2006-11-14

Sure this could be seen as another stylish table topper where we imagine ourselves sipping bellinis while overlooking fishermen--but what's rare in French Island Elegance when compared to the other three inch thick coasters, is that the author and photographer really did their homework. This is not an embellishment. It's not an ambiance bound between covers either. Connors discusses the rare qualities of Martinique, Guadaloupe, Marie-Galante, and Saint Martin in their own histories of sugar plantations and tobacco dynasties. He examines, quite aesthetically, how the cross section of economic and social histories compose a unique archicture and style not yet lost to the modern world--no, it's not just a pretty book for the coffee table after all.

A very pretty book.......2006-11-12

This is a lovely book - suitable on any coffee table.
I had been looking for a book on Caribbean architecture - historic and contemporary, but had come up short and this book too, did not fit the bill. I found it is mostly about the FURNITURE of the French Caribbean islands. As such, it does an excellent job and in that way, it is fairly similar to the author's other book `Caribbean Elegance'. It certainly has the same look and I think many of the examples are the same. The pictures are lovely, the furniture quite unusual and the text interesting, though I could have had more.
The closest I have come to finding a book on Caribbean architecture is `Caribbean Style'.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful little book
Poor reproduction of photographs
Galen apparently has outdone himself.....
Buy it for the photography - keep it for a to do list of places to visit!
Awesome photography

California the Beautiful

Manufacturer: Welcome Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Bay Area Wild: A Celebration of the Natural Heritage of the San Francisco Bay Area
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Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape, Tenth-Anniversary Edition

ASIN: 0941807673
Release Date: 2002-04-01

Book Description

As America stands to the rest of the world, so stands California to America - a bright shining promise of endless possibility. This exquisite celebration of "California The Beautiful" is both a portrait of the diverse natural beauty of the Golden State and through the incredible voices of its writers, a testament to the ever-renewing spirit that it has come to embody. Aldous Huxley, British author turned Hollywood resident, described the California dream as "This great crystal of light, whose base is as large as Europe and whose height for all practical purposes, is infinite." Among the other authors offering praise are Maya Angelou, Mary Austin, Ray Bradbury, Joan Didion, Gretel Ehrlich, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, M.F.K. Fisher, Robertson Jeffers, Jack Kerouac, Clarence King, Jack London, Henry Miller, John Muir, William Saroyan, April Smith, John Steinbeck, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, Nathanael West, and Walt Whitman. Land of innovation and opportunity, California is both dream and reality. California The Beautiful is a gift for all who have felt the lure of this dual promise and who have marveled at the unrivaled beauty of this quintessentially American land.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful little book.......2007-09-13

I purchased a number of these books as "thank you" gifts for various friends we are going to visit in Europe. I was so excited about finding a picture book on California, I didn't read the description thoroughly -- note that the books are only about 7"x7". Even so, their small size makes them perfect to carry in a suitcase. The pictures are quite nice and, even though the coloring is enhanced a bit, they truly show how beautiful California can be. My ONLY complaint with these books is that the price is printed on the back of the dust jacket! This means that if you're giving them as a gift, there's no way to cover up how much you paid (or could have paid) for the book. (I guess I can come up with a cute stick-on label ... )

Poor reproduction of photographs.......2007-07-31

Unfortunately, the text in this photographic essay is more inspiring than the images. The problem is not with the photography, but with the quality of the printing. The inks are too dark, and the colors are ludicrous.

Galen apparently has outdone himself............2007-03-09

This book is well worth buying, but not for Galen Rowell's photographs (as they are "printed" here)...the text is actually more indicative of the power of California's beauty and meaning.

Rowell's use of super-saturated colors, whether accomplished with filters or digital editing, only serves to show just how MORE beautiful these scenes, at these times of day, are in reality!

Subtle was not in Galen's vocabulary, apparently, yet the beauty of nature is often extraordinary AND subtle. I guess my thought really is that Galen Rowell and his 35 mm cameras, found amazing sights (and sites), and took their picture(s), but the essence of many of those sights, he lost because he wanted them to be even more "perfect" than they "really are".

Trust us, Galen, they're even more perfect without all the color saturation effects....

Buy it for the photography - keep it for a to do list of places to visit!.......2007-01-17

The photography is beautiful.
The book catalogues the best of California through pictures. We take this book with us on our trips through out the state as part of our guide and potential itinerary. It makes every trip, a trip to a beautiful location.
A great coffee table book.

Awesome photography.......2005-08-03

This compact size coffee table book with outstanding photography by Galen Rowell makes a great souvenir for visitors to beautiful California. The diversity of this great state is depicted in all its spectacular beauty from the desert to the majestic mountain peaks; from minute wildflowers to the towering redwoods. Prose and verse from famous & not-so-famous Californians & visitors add pleasant reading which accompany the lovely images.

Average customer rating:

Very useful and a great value
A necessity in Yosemite!
Great Book
Great book not only for photographers
A mandatory photo-guide

The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite
Michael Frye
Manufacturer: Yosemite Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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PhotoSecrets Yosemite (Photosecrets (Series).)
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ASIN: 1930238002

Customer Reviews:

Very useful and a great value.......2007-09-27

I used this for my first visit to Yosemite. It was very accurate and a great guide even if you're not a photographer. You should use it in conjunction with the free trail guide for the off road hikes. The trail guide has difficulty ratings for the hikes. We went to the top of Vernal falls and it was more difficult than the impression I got from the book. That was my fault not the author's. Great photos in the book too.

A necessity in Yosemite!.......2007-08-02

This book is great, and we were so glad that we purchased this book before arriving in the park. We read it before our trip, and marked down the hikes we wanted to do, and found great spots to drive to as well! We went to almost ever spot in this book, and got wonderful pictures! Even the rainbow in the waterfall picture came out perfect. We were so glad we found this book, because it made finding everything much easier! Definitely purchase this book!

Great Book.......2007-07-03

This was a great book for our recent trip to Yosemite and I highly recommend it. It sent us to the perfect viewpoints at the perfect times so the light was just right. It saved us a lot of time because we didn't have to try to figure it all out on our own. Even if you're not interested in taking photos, it's a great resource to help you figure out the best times to see the sights in Yosemite, and it contains beautiful photographs. It made us want to return to the park in the winter. Every book store and gift shop had stacks of this book, so it's obviously very popular. We thought it was great and kept it handy the entire trip.

Great book not only for photographers.......2007-05-13

This is very useful book - not only if you a serious photographer.It will take you to many amazing places in Yosemite - no matter whether you wanna go there to take your best pictures or just admire the view. It is small enough to have it fit in your backpack when hiking, and very rich in Yosemite info. I love it and it's highly recommended.

A mandatory photo-guide.......2007-03-29

I go to Yosemite evey 2nd year or so to shoot landscapes for a week. I saw this guide on my first trip. The author lived in the park for years, and has shot it in all seasons and weather conditions. I think there is literally no aspect of photgraphy in Yosemite which is not clearly addressed. If you want to shoot good pictures in and around Yosemete, this book will cut down planning and running around to minimum and guide you to some of the best photos you've ever taken. I cannot say enough good things about it.

PhotoSecrets San Francisco & Northern California: The Best Sights and How to Photograph Them (Photosecrets (Series).)

Average customer rating:

I live in SF and I love this book
Wonderful For The Aspiring Amateur Photographer
Tells you where to go!
Awesome Photo Guide Book
Northern California photo secrets

PhotoSecrets San Francisco & Northern California: The Best Sights and How to Photograph Them (Photosecrets (Series).)
Andrew Hudson
Manufacturer: Photo Tour Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Photographing the Southwest: Volume 3--Colorado/New Mexico (Photographing the Soutwest)

ASIN: 0965308715

Book Description

All-color guide for people who enjoy photography.

Customer Reviews:

I live in SF and I love this book.......2007-06-29

What this book does:
Shows you maps of various points of interest in San Francisco and Northern California (even Yosemite is briefly covered!), with schematics for where to stand and which direction to face for the best views, plus best time of day for each location. There are plenty of sample shots to illustrate what you may get - true postcard shots!

I moved to San Francisco more than a year ago and I had a hard time finding the good vantage points for photographing the city landmarks. Thanks to this book, I have taken some amazing photos! Although I have spent plenty of time exploring the Bay Area, the book actually helped me discover new places like the Carnelian Room. I also learned about locations outside the city, such as Altamont Pass, Bodie ghost town, and the stunning Mono Lake, which I visited.

Note that the book is old, before digital, so it talks a lot about film, 35mm lenses, etc, but the locations and directions remain valid, and you can use any latest-model camera to get even better results.

If you are a tourist who is also a serious photographer, get this - it will save you time and lead you to better photos.

Wonderful For The Aspiring Amateur Photographer.......2007-05-10

Even flipping through this book is exciting, let alone going out to the sites described in it.
The photos are beautiful.
My only precaution for anyone considering this book is that the author literally tells you how to take the exact photo he took.
On the other hand, it teaches you, in taking these shots, that certain angles, times of day, etc. make drastic differences.

Tells you where to go! .......2007-04-15

I was surprised how helpful the locations given were for great shots!

Awesome Photo Guide Book.......2006-03-09

While planning an upcoming trip to San Francisco I started looking at photos of the areas we planned to visit. I commented to my husband that I wished I knew where they were when they took those photos since taking photographs is such a big part of our trips. I ran across this book on Amazon.com and immediately purchased it. It is such an awesome book. Full of color and information on where you need to be to take a certain photos, what time of day and many other helpful tips and information. Best purchase I've made in a long time.

Northern California photo secrets.......2006-03-09

A must have for photographers unfamiliar with the areas around Northern California. Good detailed information on places, times of day, and times of year to photograph. Easy instructions on how to get to the areas and plenty of tips on exposure , filters and gear. The chapter on Yosemite is not quite as good as "The Photographers Guide to Yosemite" but still has plenty of information on when, where and how to shoot. Highly Recommended.

Average customer rating:

Binding Fell Apart
Worthy of permanent display on a coffee table
Clearing Up the Confusion and Getting the Photo Details
A Tale of Two Books
Colorado: 1870-2000 vs. Colorado: Yesterday & Today

Colorado, 1870-2000
William Henry Jackson , John Fielder , and Ed Marston
Manufacturer: Westcliffe Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Colorado 1870-2000 II
Colorado, Yesterday & Today
Mountain Ranges of Colorado
John Fielder's Best of Colorado
Colorado Reflections (Colorado Littlebooks)

ASIN: 1565793471

Book Description

The images of early west photographer William Henry Jackson capture a Colorado landscape both pristine and already dramatically affected by the onslaught on western civilization. Standing exactly where Jackson stood, and pointing his own camera in precisely the same direction, John Fielder has rephotographed Jackson's Colorado images to capture the often startling change that has occurred over the last century. The result is both breathtaking and stark, hopeful and disquieting. Jackson's and Fielder's photography is accompanied by thoughtful and provocative essays by respected experts in the environmental field: Roderick Nash, America's foremost wilderness historian and author of Wilderness and the American Mind; Ed Marston, journalist and publisher of High Country News; and Eric Paddock, Curator of Photography at the Colorado Historical Society. John Fielder describes the profound experience of traveling the state and seeing the landscape from Jackson's perspective, and reflects upon changes of the last 130 years.

The contrast between Jackson's and Fielder's photographs not only illuminates Colorado's past but will help us determine the course of land management as we move into the next century. Accompanied by an educational program that includes lectures, a traveling exhibit, newspaper serialization, and television series, this book is aimed at encouraging people to appreciate and reflect on nature, history, and photography as we move into the next century. Colorado: 1870-2000 stands not only as an important document of westward exploration, expansion, and urbanization, but helps define our past and future environmental values.

Customer Reviews:

Binding Fell Apart.......2003-05-11

I noticed the review that said this book was worthy of "permanent display on your coffee table." Well, I don't think that will be possible with my book, as the binding fell apart after 6 months. The book has gotten a fair amount of use, but nothing out of the ordinary. I've since seen a similar problem with a couple of the display copies at bookstores (which is why they've been demoted to display copies). So I don't think this is an isolated problem. It seems like the book is so big that they didn't make a strong enough binding for it. So just a warning for this thinking of buying this book. The good news is that, on the advice of one of the reviews, I bought Colorado: Yesterday & Today to replace my copy of Colorado: 1870-2000. I agree that it is the better book and now it will be on permanent display on my coffe-table.

Worthy of permanent display on a coffee table.......2003-02-28

This book is excellent in look, feel, and quality. It is intriguing to see how much landscape has changed in 130 years. Many times for the better and many times for the worse. In every case it is very interesting to see two pictures side by side and compare 1870 with 2000. The photographer was very meticulous to capture every shot as closely as possible to the original perspective and frame, which really enhances the "then and now" feel of the book.

Clearing Up the Confusion and Getting the Photo Details.......2002-11-18

There appears to be some confusion as all of the reviews of the original "Colorado 1870-2000" big book are credited to this, the paperback "Colorado 1870-2000 Revisited: The History Behind the Images". This book is a companion book to the original. It takes each photo set from the big book and goes into detail about the location, changes, and how Fielder acquired each photo. These are the things that, being left out of the original, made several people give the big book negative reviews. While it would have been nice (and certainly less expensive) to have everything in one volume, we now have the information for which those disappointed with the big book were looking. While the big book is a piece of coffee table art, the Revisited book fits neatly on your bookshelf, ready to be taken down to answer those questions posed by your friends perusing the big book. I take a bit of offense at having to have paid for two different books, but they belong together and I feel were money well spent; the big book for the beautiful photos and the revisited book for its entertaining and educational material.

A Tale of Two Books.......2002-09-05

John Fielder is one of America's greatest living photographers, and he brings his love of the Colorado wilderness to this book. His re-shoots of Jacksons 19th century photographs are both beautiful and thought-provoking.... the photographs make it worthwhile.

On the other hand, the text is a different story. Reading a text-only version of this book, one might conclude that the title is a misprint, and that the book should really be called "Colorado 1970 - 2000." Fielder roamed across Colorado capturing the changes in places like Kremmling, Denver, and Ouray, but the text never tells us anything about these places, or why they changed, or why we should care. Instead we get chapters about oil shale and the Forest Service.

Ahem. If I wanted to read about the relationship between Forest Service bureaucrats and small Western towns, I would have bought a book called "The Relationship Between the Forest Service and Small Western Towns." My book is called "Colorado 1870 - 2000." That is what I want to read about.

It's true that oil shale schemes, government agencies, and others have played a role in shaping Colorado in the past 30 years. But before that there were events like the Silver Crash of 1893, the City Beautiful movement, the Depression, World War II, and Urban Renewal. You won't read about those in this book.

The pictures are beautiful, and the text is well-written (if misplaced and unwanted). Just don't expect to learn much about the places you are looking at- except that they are very pretty.

Colorado: 1870-2000 vs. Colorado: Yesterday & Today.......2001-07-20

As people may or may not know, there are now two Colorado "then and now" books out: Colorado: 1870-2000 by John Fielder and Colorado: Yesterday & Today by Grant Collier. I am fascinated by these types of books and therefore bought both books. I have carefully compared the two based on several different aspects and decided that, for the reasons listed below, Colorado: Yesterday & Today is the best overall value.

1) Accuracy of Photo Retakes: While Fielder did a rather competent job of matching the historic photos, Collier did a remarkable job. Unless it was impossible to match them, due to trees blocking the view, etc., most of Collier's photos appear to be taken from nearly the exact location as the historic photos. EDGE: Colorado: Yesterday & Today.

2) Originality: Since both of the books were published within a short time span, it seems possible that one photographer copied the other's idea for the book. Initially, I assumed that Fielder started on his book first. But, after looking into it, I was surprised to find that Collier started working on his book before Fielder even decided to do his book. EDGE: Colorado: Yesterday & Today

3) Reputation: This is Collier's first book, while Fielder has published many other books. EDGE: Colorado: 1870-2000

4) Written Text: Colorado: 1870-2000 has some interesting essays written by leading environmentalists, historians, etc. My one complaint is that the essays do not really provide any information on the photos in the book. Colorado: Yesterday & Today was written entirely by the photographer, Grant Collier. He did a very competent job writing the histories of the towns in the book, and this text provides the reader with additional information on the photographs in the book. EDGE: EVEN

5) Appearance of the book: Colorado: 1870-2000 is a very large book and is perhaps a little bulky. But the large photos in it are quite nice. Colorado: Yesterday & Today is more of a standard size book, and it is easier to sit down and look through this book. But the photos are obviously not quite as large. Also, both books have VERY NICE leather covers. EDGE: EVEN

6) Intangibles: In Colorado: 1870-2000 Fielder reshot the images of pioneer photographer William Henry Jackson. In Colorado: Yesterday & Today Collier reshot the images of his great-great-grandfather, and pioneer photographer, Joseph Collier. This adds a fascinating human-interest aspect to Colorado: Yesterday & Today that is lacking in Colorado: 1870-2000. EDGE: Colorado: Yesterday & Today.

OVERALL VALUE: The SRP of Fielder's book is $95, while the SRP of Collier's book is $39.95. So, given the price and quality of Colorado: Yesterday & Today, I would say that it is certainly the best overall value.

Book Description

Over a 7-year period, Tony and Eva Worobiec, two of the greatest photographers of all time, traveled the dusty paths of rural America, particularly in the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming. The fruits of their journey are pictures so poignant and evocative of the American West that they are the photographic equivalent of a Steinbeck novel. Each amazing photo vividly reveals the struggle for survival, of a disappearing way of life, in the forgotten countryside and backroads of the U.S. In the often harsh and unforgiving landscape, the Worobiecs shot affecting and beautiful pictures of abandoned farms, schools, gas stations, grain elevators and tractors, diners, and trucks.
Tony's pictures are large format, shot in black and white, and then hand tinted. The results resemble postcards from the 1950s. Eva shoots directly in color for a more starkly modern aspect. Both achieve magnificent, and ultimately emotionally touching, results.
Along with the photographs are the words of the remaining residents, who speak sadly of better times, the friends and neighbors for whom things didn't work out, and of their own, once-flourishing piece of abandoned America.
This remarkable achievement is both an exquisite photography book and a commentary on the American way of life.

Customer Reviews:

If this book appeals to you.....BUY IT!!!.......2007-05-20

This book is nicely made, of excellent 'physical' quality and full of fantastic images. If you are looking for images with the depth and gravitas' of the Westons or Ansel Adams look elsewhere, but as a lighter form of visual interest the images do not disappoint. I have not gotten around to reading the extensive text, but it too looks well thought out and intriguing. Yes there are a lot of photographs depicting cars and some are arguably 'samey' but there are LOTS of images full stop. A fantastic (large) inspiring book that will be treasured not only by monochrome photographers but the curious adveturer type possibly considering a similar project. It certainly resonated with me. The ideal browse when I am tired of 'intense' photography and need something more casual and thinking about going 'walkabout'.

Abandoned but thankfully not forgotten........2003-12-31

Fortunately for a lot of photographers abandoned man-made America seems to be just about everywhere and what a visual treat it produces. This handsome, large (check out the dimensions in the Product Details above) book of photos is a cut above the usual offering though. Rather than shoot the predictable broken and rusty commercialism everywhere the Worobiec's had the great idea of capturing one particular area of the Nation, the northwest. Here the railroads were the catalyst to opening up the landscape with towns created about every ten miles or so to service track and train. Predictably many of these settlements lacked natural resources and decent farmland so it was inevitable that the weather, depression, and technical advances in transport made so many of these towns uneconomic and many folk just left.

What I find amazing is the nature of the leaving. Many photos show inside abandoned houses still with kitchen units, phones, furniture and personal effects. Page sixty-five shows a wall calendar for July 1959 in a house in Wildrose, Nebraska and as the caption explains these were useful indicators to reveal the date of the owner's departure. Sometimes the Worobiec's found small schools abandoned, as the photo on page 117 shows, the floor awash with textbooks. As expected there are many photos of abandoned vehicles (possibly thirty-six was just a bit too many) surrounded by vegetation, rich pickings nowadays for collectors, I bet.

Another reason why I like this book is because 'Ghosts in the Wilderness' is not just a collection of photos but a travelogue as well, six chapters have lively and interesting essays about the social and economic aspects of the area. These words give more meaning to the poignancy of the images.

The printing and design is excellent, the photos are mostly one to a page with generous white, black and light grey backgrounds. I do have a criticism of the production though, the last five pages show all the photos as thumbnails with the relevant technical details, all this information could easily have been accommodated on the page with the photo and so avoid having to keep turning to the back.

I think the Worobiec's have done a wonderful job producing a book of regional photography. Oh yes, thank you Mark and Sarah who gave me this lovely book as a Christmas present.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography

Average customer rating:

Not what I thought
The finest Grand Canyon book at the lowest price....
off the charts superb stunning startling good heavens
Review by Jennifer Owings Dewey, author/illustrator
A superb choice as a Memorial Fund acquisition for any library system

Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography
Stephen Trimble
Manufacturer: Northland Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Pictorial | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Grand: The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon a Photo Journey
The Hidden Canyon: A River Journey
Grand Canyon Wild: A Photographic Journey
Our National Parks
Photographer's Guide to the Grand Canyon and Northern Arizona

ASIN: 0873588940

Book Description

One of the most photographed subjects on earth, Grand Canyon continues to inspire awe, admiration, and frustration for those who attempt to capture its majesty with a camera. Reaching back 125 years into the photographic record of the Canyon, this book artfully explores the experiences of the earliest photographers and today's most exceptional artists.

Accomplished writer and Ansel Adams Award-winning photographer Stephen Trimble deftly navigates the stories of the Canyon's photographic history and takes us down the river and along the rim with the next generation of photographers and their photographs. Also included are twenty-one essays by the finest contemporary photographers recounting their experiences at Grand Canyon, along with fascinating details of changing equipment and a timeline of important moments in the Canyon's photographic record.

Customer Reviews:

Not what I thought.......2007-09-13

I bought this as a present for my wife. We had just returned from a trip that included a visit to the Grand Canyon, and I wanted to get her a memento of the visit. This book sounded good, but was not the one that included the beautiful vistas that we wanted. There are some photos too dark to really discern why they are included. There are some photos of a boat on the bank of the river. That could be from anywhere.
Although I suppose others may find it interesting, we didn't want a book of prose, we just wanted amazing photos. This was not that book.

The finest Grand Canyon book at the lowest price...........2007-02-15

This book is so awesome, and of such high quality, that its Amazon price seems surreal...I have two copies and am ordering a third, for posterity or whatever.

Intensely beautiful photographic prints, at the very leading edge of Canyon photos....almost beyond description!

If you buy one copy of this book, you'll then want another for a gift, and another for your own collection.....etc.

off the charts superb stunning startling good heavens.......2006-11-03

Yes, you would expect truly astounding photography here, and you get exactly that, in lots of different flavors too, but the stories are deft and revealing -- far more than in a book of photos alone of a place that you couldn't take a bad photo if you tried. Trimble himself is a master craftsman with the camera, but his service here is to gather some really remarkable work and voices into a tome that anyone who has gaped and prayed there will want to paw through before you get major brownie points for giving it to someone else. Terrific work.

Review by Jennifer Owings Dewey, author/illustrator.......2006-09-28

Lasting Light is a treasure, a compilation of photographs taken of the Crand Ganyon over a broad stretch of time. The viewer/reader may gain a sense of history, passing from the old to the new. The book is an experience in images of the vast wonder of the Canyon and the smallest, most discreet detail. Because the text is direct and not-technical, anyone interested in what is grand and lit by extraordinary light, the Grand Canyon itself, will find this work a delight.

A superb choice as a Memorial Fund acquisition for any library system.......2006-07-10

Lasting Light: 125 Years Of Grand Canyon Photography by award-winning author and photographer Stephen Trimble is a visual celebration and documentation of the beauty and grandeur of one of the most photographed subjects on earth -- the Grand Canyon. Comprised of the best of 125 years of great photographs beginning with the pioneering glass plate negatives of the 19th century to the digital images of the 21st century, Lasting Light produces spectacular visuals enhanced with an accompanying text of fascinating details regarding the advances of photography, stories of various individual photographers, and the relationship between the photographers and the unique American icon that is the Grand Canyon. As a coffetable art book, Lasting Light is a simply wonderful contribution to any personal, academic, or community library photography reference collection and would make a superb choice as a Memorial Fund acquisition for any library system.

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