Photo Icons II, 1928-1991: The Story Behind the Pictures (Icons) [Paperback]

Hans-Michael Koetzle (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (May 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822818313
• ISBN-13: 978-3822818312
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #992,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An eye-opener., September 7, 2003

By 

Robin Benson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Photo Icons II, 1928-1991: The Story Behind the Pictures (Icons) (Paperback)

A super little paperback explaining nineteen fascinating photos. Some are so famous that millions must have seen them, like `Spanish Loyalist' by Robert Capa or perhaps not so famous, yet, like Joel-Witkins `Un Santo Oscuro'. Author Koetzle tells an interesting story about each one and he's done his research too, for instance mentioning the controversial removal of a thumb by Dorothea Lange from her `Migrant Mother' photo.

The nineteen photos are shown as spreads or whole page and other photos from the same shoot are also included. As they were all seen in a printed form the author has added a nice touch, a small reproduction of the original book or magazine that they appeared in. When I saw the reproductions I was reminded of Andrew Roth's Book of 101 Books, The: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century a book entirely composed of covers and spreads from great photobooks.

If you want to know the background to some great photos it's worth getting this beautifully designed and printed book and at a bargain price too. The first volume covers twenty greats from the early years of photography.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good book, but not what I had expected, February 21, 2008

By 

Ellero Edoardo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Photo Icons II, 1928-1991: The Story Behind the Pictures (Icons) (Paperback)

I had great expectations. Being an enthusiastic photograper, I just couldn't wait to look behind the scenes, and see how the master photographer actually work and what it takes to make a great picture from an oprdinary one.
So I choose the time period of my great interest (the "Photo Icons" books are divided by time frames) and bought the book.
The disappointment came when I discovered that it is not about techniques, it is not about preparations and does not conatin any tip, nor shares any of the masters' secrets. It is more an history book: yes it tells the 'story behind the pictures', but not of the actual photos or how they were made, but of the people who were involved in it (being the photographer or the pictured person).
It is interesting, but not what I was looking for, nor what I had expected.