8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A stunning experience., September 11, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Intimations of Paradise (Hardcover)
Permit me to proclaim my excitement at receiving Christopher Burkett's "Intimations of Paradise"
What a treasure of large format color landscape photography! I am deeply moved by this work. Stunning. The whole experience is first class. I wish I knew more about books and binding. It reminds me of my first (and only) Cuban cigar. I could tell it was special, so smooth and rich in character, but I knew it was wasted on me. It was an event. If you order one, savor it, don't rush it. (I've had it for almost two months now.)
I've spoken to Christopher's wife, Ruth, by phone: "The Trade edition is Japanese rayon with silk threads and gold stamping. The paper is 115 lb. ikono text, a special mill run made in Germany for this book. Christopher was told they don't make the paper in that size, so he said, "Please MAKE the paper in that size." They did. When Christopher's photography career was just beginning, he worked as a four-color press operator for ten years and as a color separator for five years. That background is revealed in this work. He assisted with the color separations for this book, over a two year period, then took the project to Gardner Lithograph in Anaheim, California where it was printed (this is where the Getty Museum, Ansel Adams Fine Art posters, John Sexton's books, etc. are printed.) The images are 200-line screen four-color plus varnish. Instead of using color proofs to match, Christopher used original 20x24 inch gallery Cibachrome prints to match. The press operator, Robert Sweet, is a true artist and reproduced this book to Christopher's highest standards. We believe it could not have been done any better. The image called "Blue Glacial Ice" is cobalt colored and would not reproduce without purple areas, so Christopher went to Gardner's color separation department and on the computer, created a fifth touch plate (5-color instead of 4-color) to cover those specific areas of the image, then while that film was being plated, he went to the press and hand-mixed the ink for that fifth color, which would create a cobalt. He called me and light-heartedly said, "I hope I did it right, because my reputation is on the line here." It was perfect. The image you see in the book, matches the Cibachrome print as well as the others - as closely as ink on paper can."
I have thoroughly enjoyed swimming through the images. It's become a bit of a ritual, parking myself in the living room with my back to a north-facing window, curtains and blinds opened, artificial lighting extinguished. You just don't rush a book like this.
Thank you Christopher for being such a maniac for perfection!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"A Cut Above" Color Photography, December 7, 2001
This review is from: Intimations of Paradise (Hardcover)
This book represents the best work of the individual whom I consider to be America's best outdoor color photographer. Burkett captures moments, light, and nature in ways that make viewers stand in awe of his photographic technique, photographic vision, and of nature itself.
The production quality of the book is surperb. You can feel the love (and probably pickiness) that went into it.
Enjoy!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is an exceptional color nature photography book., October 7, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Intimations of Paradise (Hardcover)
This is one of the finest color nature photography books published in recent history. It proves that fine art color nature photography is as brilliant, moving and intriguing as black and white nature photography. The quality and reproduction is first class. The images contain subtle scenes of nature and not the "same old National Park overlook images" of many nature color photography books. The only criticism that I have, which should not prevent purchase of the book, is that the photographer tends to often place the subject matter in the center of the image. This works fine in most instances but I would enjoy a bit more variety of placement. In conclusion, the book is a must purchase for fine art photography enthusiasts.
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