Customer Reviews

Cape Light: Color Photographs by Joel Meyerowitz

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first saw this book while i was looking through the photography section at the University of Guelph library. This book probably influenced my photography more than any other. Unfortunately, it also made me start doing shots with my nikon that are better suited for a large format system. The introductory interview with the photographer is possibly the most interesting discussion on the topic of light and photography. If you plan to become anything more than an amature photographer, PLEASE get this book NOW.

Ansel Adams said that this book was his favorite book of color photographs (the reason I bought it, long ago). Meyerowitz's use of little contrast, incomparible colors, and unusual subject matter makes this a must MEMORIZE book for all serious photographers. If you don't go nuts over his photographs, you don't like photography as much as you thought you did.......

john in texas

I'm a little stunned that this book only has six reviews and that they're not all five-star reviews. I can only attribute that to the reasons one of the reviewers gives below, that this is a sub-standard edition of what is one of the greatest photo books ever envisioned or published. I first saw this book (the year it was first published, 1978, I think) in a bookstore outside of Boston and it was so beautiful that I had to sit down on the floor of the shop and study every page. I couldn't have been more blown away by the utter simplicity and yet great emotional depth of the images. Meyerowitz, one of the masters of New York "street" photography in the 1960s had burned out on the intensity of his street and commercial work and retreated to a small house in Truro on Cape Cod and, leaving small formats behind, brought with him a pair of 8 x 10-inch Deardorff field cameras. He then spent that summer (and much time after, I assume) using the huge view cameras almost as if they were smaller-format cameras: in some cases keeping a camera on a tripod in the back seat of his car and then, when a great moment occurred, hopping out of his car and shooting the photo in just minutes.

And when you look at the spectacular photos in this book (and they include some of the simplest and most interesting landscape photos ever made) you can see and feel that moment of awareness, that instant when a photograph was waiting to be made and Meyerowitz was there. He took a huge artistic chance in shifting from small-format cameras to large-format field cameras, but it seems in retrospect like a completely inspired decision. I think he changed forever the way that art photographers (the great Stephen Shore among them, I'd guess) look at large-format cameras.

The photos in this book are fun, they're brilliantly lit, they're natural, they're human, they're the heart and soul of Cape Cod. And they will teach you more about light and composition than any how-to book ever written (and I write photo how-to books for a living). Joel Meyerowitz is a true artist and I hope that some publisher will show the integrity and respect due to Joel to republish this book in its original large-format hardcover edition. The book deserves it, the photos deserve it and the photo world deserves it.

In the mean time, look for used copies of the original and know that you will be buying a forgotten masterpiece and no doubt one of the greatest photography books ever published. Meyerowitz is the real deal, he's a modern master. His book Aftermath on 9-11 Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive is certainly the greatest artistic and journalistic achievement to come out of that tragic event.

I don't know what reviewer "K Raustol" (a couple reviews down)has been smoking, but this work, along with Ansel's body of B&W work is to my mind the finest large-format photography ever produced. This book is ALL about composition and capturing the subtle naunces of the changing light, and this book represents that concept better than any other published color work that I've ever seen. As another reviewer mentioned, if you're serious about photography, this book in an absolute MUST.

I've bought this book as it's one of the classic color photography books. Pictures are sensational, but this edition is "too cheap", not just because of the paperback, but because images don't have space enough to show themselves. Moreover the print quality is really bad. I suggest you to spend some more money and by a "decent" edition of this great book.

Raúl
[...]

I love the pictures of my old haunt. Ptown has some of the worlds most beautiful light.

I am a photographer and it's important for photographers to look at as much really good photography as they can. I look on the Internet and am getting a nice collection of books.

Having been to Cape Cod a lot of times, I'm intrigued by the nature. I read the reviews and thought the book would be special, with a focus on nature of Cap Cod. This was not the case. Most of the pictures could have been taken anywhere in the world... I'm not a professional photographer, but have to say that the compositions was not very exciting, quite boring actually.