Customer Reviews

Flowers: Portraits of Intimacy

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

 

 

Adam Kufeld's book on flowers is a pure delight. It is a fantasy book in the truest sense -- it allows your imagination to soar as these beautiful photographs take you from the depths of the sea to the farthest reaches of outer space, all in the limitless creation of your mind's eye. Kufeld's photographic vision turns flowers into abstract paintings, into fantastic creatures, into images so sensual that they should be viewed in the privacy of one's boudoir! Kufeld leads us into the delicate private sanctum of the heart of the flower, revealing the intricate gloriously rich world that is so easily overlooked in our hurried lives. What a delicious treat!

Stunning!!! I have just poured over my copy of this book and am amazed by the depth, color and sumptuousness of these photographs. Flowers will never look the same after you see this book. Mr. Kufeld has explored the inner sanctum of one of nature's greatest wonders as though it were uncharted territory. His gentle touch and perceptive eye have rendered the universe hiding behind each petal like a magical netherworld.

I have always been a huge fan of close-up photography, especially when the subject-matter is nature. I recently saw this book, and was amazed at the clarity, and the intense colors eminating from each page.

I will definitely be passing this one on to family and friends who appreciate incredible photography like I do!

This is an exquisite book.Through the expert use of microphotography, Mr. Kufeld transports us to a world within flowers which defies the imagination. Combining consummate photographic skill with the vision of an artist, Kufeld presents flowers as though they were paintings. The images are passionate and sensual. They awaken all of the senses. One sees flowers in a new and special way after spending time with this book. This is a book for self reflection, for giving to someone you really care about. It is for plant and flower lovers, lovers of nature, lovers in general. And if there is someone who is not particularly into flowers, this book may well give them a new perspective.

The images in Flowers: Portraits of Intimacy, by Adam Kufeld, are reminiscent of Georgia O'Keeffe's erotic portraits of flowers, yet each one is wholly original. Kufeld brings details--a pistil, stamen, or ring of petals--into sharp focus, letting the background become softly blurred. The result of this selective emphasis is the creation of foreground and distances, so that each orchid, lily, daisy, and rose becomes a world unto itself, a beautiful, intoxicating world that the viewer longs to enter. Kufeld has captured the poetry of flowers--starbursts, silvery cascades, lips, fingers, and dazzling flesh. This is not photojournalism or scientific photography: it is exquisite art.

I bought this book as a gift for my mother-in-law and had to skim it first before sending it to her. It is very good book and the pictures are very nice. My mother-in-law loved it and talks about it every time I speak with her it seems.

For a macro photography beginner the photographs were a great inspiration. One dissapointment with the book is that it does not mention how the photos were taken. Kufeld has used lighting quite creatively and it would have been great if he had provided some more information for others to learn his techniques.
There were a couple of photographs that were quite average but most were stunning. When I looked at some of the photos it felt like I was being led into 'trap'. Imagine how the bees would feel. This theme was little repetitive. But then maybe I am being too critical. I got it from a library, but I would recommend buying it.

As a professional photographer, I found this book extremely disappointing. I purchased it because of the 'good' rating reviews I read under its title and the one good photograph which is on the cover. His lighting is terrible and his 'point of focus' using a macro lens, along with the compositions, make absolutely no sense. The only thing I would use this book for is to lecture on 'how not to do macro photography'.