The definitive book on the life of the legendary photographer Herb Ritts, with never-before-seen images and interviews with his closest confidants. At the time of his death in 2002, Herb Ritts was among the most celebrated photographers in celebrity portraiture, fashion, and music videos. During a career that spanned nearly thirty years, he was virtually in a league of his own in terms of style and productivity. Ritts was Hollywood royalty, as were his closest friends and the subjects he photographed. The Golden Hour reveals for the first time the personal aspects of Ritts’s world, work, and legacy. The book includes many never-before-seen photographs and scores of interviews from business associates, curators, staff, lovers, and family, such as Cindy Crawford, Elton John, Anna Wintour, Madonna, Calvin Klein, and Christopher Buckley (Ritts’s college roommate). The book includes images from Ritts’s personal archive—behind the scenes at photo shoots, parties, travels, intimate portraits, and moments with friends—along with notes and contact sheets that show how ideas became his best-known iconic images.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Stunning portraits of people who embodied the cultural Zeitgeist of celebrity have been artfully compiled by Charles Churchward in Herb Ritts: The Golden Hour." ~Vanity Fair
"...a lush photographic and anecdotal tribute" ~Vogue
"The late, great lensman Herb Ritts put the super in supermodel and shaped celebrity photography as we know it. A new book revists his legendary images" ~InStyle
“Ritts’ photographs gave the biggest celebrities and models of the ‘80s and ‘90s a raw and touchable sex appeal. Later, music videos, including Madonna’s ‘Cherish’ and Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game,’ turned Ritts himself into a star. To this day, his signature style has made many famous faces look the best they ever have.” ~Allure
“A picture may be worth a thousand words—but a photographer as beloved as the late Herb Ritts, perhaps it was only a matter of time before someone added a written account, too.” ~Style.com
“The legendary works of the late Herb Ritts, best known for his distinguished celebrity portraits, are gloriously honored in Charles Churchward’s The Golden Hour: A Photographer’s Life and His World. This 320-page hardcover showcases a picture-perfect collection of Hollywood superstars, megamodels, and fashion icons, some of whose words of praise appear in tribute to this artistic mastermind.” ~Teen Vogue
“The Golden Hour—compiled and wonderfully designed by Charles Churchward—is an intimate look at Ritts’s short but meaningful time on this earth: his own Golden Hour.” ~THE Magazine
"This is essential reading material for any Ritts fan or celebrity photography enthusiast." ~Metro Source
“A new book by Charles Churchward, Herb Ritts: The Golden Hour, is a lavish scrapbook / oral history looking at both Ritt’s life, legacy and work. Along with some of the well known celebrity and supermodel poses of the book’s 200 images include intimate portraits, images of extravagant Hollywood parties, travels to exotic locales, and other unforgettable moments from an extraordinary career...” ~Luxist
“If you are serious about the impact of fashion photography on American culture, advertising, art, television, music and even celebrity lifestyle, the this book is a must-have.” ~rangefindermag.com
"...a lush photographic and anecdotal tribute" ~Vogue
"The late, great lensman Herb Ritts put the super in supermodel and shaped celebrity photography as we know it. A new book revists his legendary images" ~InStyle
“Ritts’ photographs gave the biggest celebrities and models of the ‘80s and ‘90s a raw and touchable sex appeal. Later, music videos, including Madonna’s ‘Cherish’ and Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game,’ turned Ritts himself into a star. To this day, his signature style has made many famous faces look the best they ever have.” ~Allure
“A picture may be worth a thousand words—but a photographer as beloved as the late Herb Ritts, perhaps it was only a matter of time before someone added a written account, too.” ~Style.com
“The legendary works of the late Herb Ritts, best known for his distinguished celebrity portraits, are gloriously honored in Charles Churchward’s The Golden Hour: A Photographer’s Life and His World. This 320-page hardcover showcases a picture-perfect collection of Hollywood superstars, megamodels, and fashion icons, some of whose words of praise appear in tribute to this artistic mastermind.” ~Teen Vogue
“The Golden Hour—compiled and wonderfully designed by Charles Churchward—is an intimate look at Ritts’s short but meaningful time on this earth: his own Golden Hour.” ~THE Magazine
"This is essential reading material for any Ritts fan or celebrity photography enthusiast." ~Metro Source
“A new book by Charles Churchward, Herb Ritts: The Golden Hour, is a lavish scrapbook / oral history looking at both Ritt’s life, legacy and work. Along with some of the well known celebrity and supermodel poses of the book’s 200 images include intimate portraits, images of extravagant Hollywood parties, travels to exotic locales, and other unforgettable moments from an extraordinary career...” ~Luxist
“If you are serious about the impact of fashion photography on American culture, advertising, art, television, music and even celebrity lifestyle, the this book is a must-have.” ~rangefindermag.com
About the Author
Herb Ritts’s career began in the late 1970s, and he quickly gained a reputation as a master of art and commercial photography. In addition to portrait and fashion work for Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Rolling Stone, he created campaigns for Calvin Klein, Chanel, Versace, and Valentino, among others.
Charles Churchward is an accomplished art director who had been associated with top magazines since 1971, such as Vanity Fair, Vogue, and Teen Vogue. He also edits and designs books, advertisements, and photo exhibitions.
David Fahey, gallery director, has been a fine art photography dealer in Los Angeles since 1975.
Charles Churchward is an accomplished art director who had been associated with top magazines since 1971, such as Vanity Fair, Vogue, and Teen Vogue. He also edits and designs books, advertisements, and photo exhibitions.
David Fahey, gallery director, has been a fine art photography dealer in Los Angeles since 1975.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
It is unfortunate that Rizzoli, publisher of "Herb Ritts The Golden Hour" by Charles Churchward, didn't pay more attention to their editing. While the book provides great insight on a photography legend, it gets off on the wrong foot:
Chapter 1 (page 31) - There are comments by Cindy Crawford, David Fahey, Frenchie & Shirley Ritts. Shirley's comments end on page 31 and they are not continued on page 32. Page 32 lists the Ritts family tree followed by the exact same comments on page 31 by Cindy Crawford & David Fahey. Page 33 starts mid-sentence by an unknown source.
For a book of this caliber, it's unacceptable craftmanship by the editor of this book and Rizzoli.
Chapter 1 (page 31) - There are comments by Cindy Crawford, David Fahey, Frenchie & Shirley Ritts. Shirley's comments end on page 31 and they are not continued on page 32. Page 32 lists the Ritts family tree followed by the exact same comments on page 31 by Cindy Crawford & David Fahey. Page 33 starts mid-sentence by an unknown source.
For a book of this caliber, it's unacceptable craftmanship by the editor of this book and Rizzoli.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By miles
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
No photos.
Just a bunch of listless and pointless quotes about the man, not really the photographer. It feels more like a memorial service. Tedious, confused and so not-what-I-had-expected-it-to-be. I would go as far to say 'self-indulgent', had the iconic photographer been alive today. For someone with such vision and artistry, it is a shame that so little of his actual work is featured in this thick 'coffee-table' book about the photographer himself. This is not a photography collection. It is just 'quotes' from here and there, by this famous name or that famous fashion personality. And btw, most of these quotes are quite vapid, since they are from the fashion people about yet again another fashion person.
They generally lack depth or literary wizardry... naturally.
Just a bunch of listless and pointless quotes about the man, not really the photographer. It feels more like a memorial service. Tedious, confused and so not-what-I-had-expected-it-to-be. I would go as far to say 'self-indulgent', had the iconic photographer been alive today. For someone with such vision and artistry, it is a shame that so little of his actual work is featured in this thick 'coffee-table' book about the photographer himself. This is not a photography collection. It is just 'quotes' from here and there, by this famous name or that famous fashion personality. And btw, most of these quotes are quite vapid, since they are from the fashion people about yet again another fashion person.
They generally lack depth or literary wizardry... naturally.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Less of a look into his photography and more a look into his personal life
November 7, 2010
By CT Law Guy
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am a huge fan of Ritts' work and bought several published books of his work while he was still alive. His use of hard sunlight to sculpt form and shadow was incomparable. I bought this book thinking that it would give more insight into his photographic technique, but this book dwells so much more on his personal life and more specifically his family life. Do we care what his mother was like ? No. Did she make him a better photographer ? No.
I agree also with the original poster. The editing errors are glaring.
Also the book has very few quotes from Madonna, which is odd since they were such close friends. Then you realize that the quotes from Madonna were taken completely from her eulogy at his memorial service in 2003 !! I thought it was a bit misleading that the author did not attempt to get more recent and retrospective quotes from Madonna, and instead copied her eulogy. Then you wonder how many of the other quotes were borrowed from other sources.
I agree also with the original poster. The editing errors are glaring.
Also the book has very few quotes from Madonna, which is odd since they were such close friends. Then you realize that the quotes from Madonna were taken completely from her eulogy at his memorial service in 2003 !! I thought it was a bit misleading that the author did not attempt to get more recent and retrospective quotes from Madonna, and instead copied her eulogy. Then you wonder how many of the other quotes were borrowed from other sources.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
The book and photographs are great. But the quality of the binding is...
The book and photographs are great. But the quality of the binding is terrible. Read to page 80 and then the binding broke releasing the first section from the book. Read more
Published 20 months ago by RLSFoto
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not as interesting as it could be...
If you want to know more about Herb Ritts' photography stay away from this book. It contains very few of his images and some of the pictures which are supposed to document his life... Read more
Published on February 20, 2011 by G. Iaksetich
1.0 out of 5 stars
Editing
The book itself could be great. Unfortunately, the editing and missing pages are quite upsetting. I contacted Rizzoli and their answer was "Unfortunately this was a printing error... Read more
Published on January 30, 2011 by N. Boyd
4.0 out of 5 stars
Herb Ritts Remembered
In George Plimpton's hugely effective biography of Truman Capote, he says he interviewed "friends, enemies and acquaintances. Read more
Published on November 11, 2010 by H. F. Corbin
3.0 out of 5 stars
NOT SURE WHAT TO MAKE OF THIS BOOK
This is a very, very personal window into Mr. Ritts' family and friends. Pages upon pages of statements and memories. Read more
Published on October 29, 2010 by nik
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tiempo de Titanes
Answering a post on this review I did a raw traslation to English. Not my native language, so I do applogize already because of the numerouses mistakes I must have done. Read more
Published on October 27, 2010 by N J Cardenosa Monzon
4.0 out of 5 stars
Herb Ritts: The Golden Hour - Charles Churchward (Rizzoil)
Who didn't love Herb Ritts? The Brentwood boy cum fashion photographer to the stars was loved and revered by everyone he came in contact with before his untimely passing, the day... Read more
Published on October 26, 2010 by BlogOnBooks
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