Asian Ladies (Photo Book Series) [Hardcover]

Uwe Ommer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000 | Series: Photo Book Series

Uwe Ommer is a photographer of beautiful women and landscapes. He is a traveller into different continents of desire, using his camera to record his discoveries. Western man's exploration of far-flung countries has always been fundamentally connected with sexual discovery, the locating of the Other as seductive female. In travel there is the latent possibility of liberation -- moving beyond the conventions and inhibitions of your own society. Ommer's lens perfectly captures that charge of erotic freedom and expression. The Asian Ladies of this volume were photographed in some of the most beautiful places on earth, the tropical regions of the Philippines, Thailand and the South Sea Islands, the idyllic beaches of Tahiti and Fiji. Locations that have inspired artists as diverse as Gauguin and Nerval to produce their finest works. Ommer examines the implicit sexuality of those poetic landscapes, and with the clarity of his sumptuous photographs has created images of yearning and mystery. A journey into myth and sensuality from which it may be difficult to return.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French, German (translation)
Original Language: French

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Taschen; First Edition edition (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822871818
• ISBN-13: 978-3822871812
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #940,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Asian Ladies, April 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Asian Ladies (Photo Book Series) (Hardcover)

First of all, I purchased Uwe Ommer's book "Black Ladies", and was very pleased with it. So I decided to buy this next one. It is better then the first. The photography's are both sensual, and erotic, as are the subjects themselves. Selected backgrounds and various locations show you a glimpse of the exotic far east. This is not for anyone who is looking for "sleazy" porn. This is a genuine presentation of the beauty of the asian woman. I recommend this for the serious person who enjoys the gracefulness of the female body in photography, both semi and fully nude photos.

44 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like any book, it's *great* for some, not for others, December 6, 2000

By 

"droppedmyscience" (San Francisco, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asian Ladies (Photo Book Series) (Hardcover)

This book is titled Asian Women and features "oriental" or Southeastern Asian women rather than Indian and every other variation of the continent. I don't see that as anything to complain about. With Black Women, the author/photographer Ommer captured women of many skin tones and features, but did not shoot every type of black woman -- there were few light-skinned women, and none from the U.S. or Europe judging by their surrounding motifs -- yet that book was adored by reviewers who disliked this one. I thought both were very good, but prefer Asian Women simply because I like these photos more for various reasons.

If you consider nudes exploitative, or feel that photos of women of color that might appeal to Western males are somehow evil, please seek other types of photography to enjoy and spare yourself the moral qualms. People, Westerners and otherwise, find certain physical characteristics attractive and enjoy admiring and examining them -- even if those characteristics are primarily found among a different ethnicity. Nothing wrong with that as far as I can tell. And it doesn't explain why my wife, a fellow photography enthusiast, also likes this book.

So, if you appreciate the following: artistic nude photography (i.e., deft lighting, compostion, posing and yes, *emotion*) with a sensual twist, vibrant colors and beautiful Asian women -- who can be appreciated for any and many reasons that don't include "Western superiority" or exploitation -- than I would very highly recommend this book for you. I agree with the reviewers who likened this to some rare books from the Asahi Press in Japan. Put the political correctness aside and enjoy these photos for whatever reason you want, but be assured that visually they are both technically sound and sensually stirring.

33 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heavenly Nudes in Color, June 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Asian Ladies (Photo Book Series) (Hardcover)

Artistic nudes are done in black and white much more often than in color. Rarely are color nudes very artistic. Uwe Ommer's nudes are an exception. He has established himself as one of the world's finest photographers of the nude in color. Only Japanese photo books (hard to find outside of Japan) feature color nudes equal to or better than Uwe Ommer's nudes.

Uwe Ommer is a master of lighting. His rather unique lighting style adds to the romantic mystique of the settings of the photos in this book. The colors are often rich, deep, and saturated, and yet the skin tones are beautiful.

The images are at the same time highly erotic and very tasteful. Interestingly enough they are less explicit than even Playboy magazine, but at the same time many times more erotic than magazines that show images much more explicit than Playboy. Though very erotic, the women are photographed in a way that is definitely not exploitive. Even many women will approve of the images.

The models are extreamly attractive women posed in beautiful romantic settings that display a definite Oriental motif.

If you are bored with the typical color nudes you're bombarded with in the mass media, you will probably enjoy this book.

If you appriciate the beauty of Asian women you will definitely absolutely love this book.