Brilliant Waters: Portraits of Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and the High Sierra [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Carmel (Photographer), Robert Redford (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006

Brilliant Waters combines Elizabeth Carmel's stunning landscape photography with a wonderful selection of moving poetry. Robert Redford contributes engaging insights and commentary in his beautifully written foreword. This collection of remarkable photographs captures both the intimate details and grand panoramas that exist exclusively in the Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and the High Sierra regions of California and Nevada. This exceptional book is like no other in its subject, scope, and artistry.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elizabeth Carmel is a Sierra-based photographer specializing in unique, expressive landscapes and "waterscapes." Her prints combine dramatic photography, vivid colors, and artistic touches to create new, captivating visions of the natural world. Using ultrahigh-resolution 22-megapixel digital photography, she is able to capture the subtle details of the natural world and transfer them to large prints with stunning clarity and color. Carmel has spent years exploring and photographing the diverse landscapes of the world. Her award-winning images are in numerous galleries and private collections throughout the United States and were recently selected for display at the Nevada Museum of Art. Elizabeth is one of twelve photographers worldwide honored with the Hasselblad Master Photographer award for 2006.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 94 pages
• Publisher: Hawks Peak Publishing (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977687708
• ISBN-13: 978-0977687701
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 12.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gorgeous book, March 12, 2007

By 

Philip E. Lewin "waterfall photographer" (Cleveland, Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brilliant Waters: Portraits of Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and the High Sierra (Hardcover)

This book is beautiful - the photographs are stunning, and have a strong sense of personal creative vision. I own many landscape photography books, and this instantly became one of my favorites, its images are serene but powerful and take you to a distant place. They go far beyond simply documenting a location, and clearly show the artist's vision and love for these places. If you enjoy landscape or these places, this book shoulds not be missed!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A contrarian point of view, March 28, 2007

By 

Vissi D'arte (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brilliant Waters: Portraits of Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and the High Sierra (Hardcover)

This book has some very nice and perhaps unique photographic compositions, and it's perhaps worth buying the book for that alone. But I couldn't get past the almost phony or Thomas-Kincade-like appearance of many (certainly not all) of the photos.

If I want to look at paintings I'd rather buy the work of the painter or a book of reproductions. When I buy a photo book of landscapes, where it is being represented that the photos are real representations of actual places and times, that's what I want to see, not cotton-candied, smoothed over prettied-up versions. I suspect that a little too much balancing light and dark areas or messing with contrast values in Photoshop is the culprit, or perhaps something in the chain between the photo digital file and the book printer. A prime example is the cover photo.

However, I suppose that the way the photos look in the book is what the photographer intended, and represents her vision of what her artistic goals are, and that certainly is valid, but just not my taste. I suspect most people will not agree with my opinion, and that is fine, but like I titled this review - it's a contrarian opinion.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enveloping photos, March 8, 2007

By 

eclectic reader "wanderer" (Fort Myers, FL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brilliant Waters: Portraits of Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and the High Sierra (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed the photos, and consider them worthy of study and reflection. They were certainly evocative, and to my eye original.