Customer Reviews

Gabriele Basilico -Silicon Valley

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Another winning title from architectural photographer Basilico. The one hundred and forty photos present San Francisco and surrounding suburbs in gorgeous detail and I don't suppose Basilico will mind if I say that he and Lee Friedlander seem to take similar shots. Both have the knack of capturing an ordinary suburban street scene and turning it into a photograph rich in detail that recedes into the distance.

Actually many of the street level shots of San Francisco have the added benefit of street furniture and utility wires that further break up the images into intriguing sections. In the suburbs surrounding the city, where the wires are underground Basilico still finds great shots of ordinary houses, retail and commercial centers. Most of the photos are black and white and as he is a great architectural photographer you will soon become aware of the strong perspective element to the building shapes, especially in the many corner images throughout the book. All the photos are devoid of people which contributes to the stillness and perfect framing in virtually ever shot.


The first twenty-five pages have four short essays about this part of California and Basilico's thoughts on what he saw (incidentally there are some photos on these pages with short captions set in the smallest typeface I have ever seen in a book). There is one aspect of the publication that really impressed me: the paper. A matt art that is as smooth as silk and it's a pleasure to feel it as I turn the pages. It really brings out the best in these photos though they are only in a 175 screen.

This is Silicon Valley as it should be seen. A remarkable visual treat.

***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.