Pictures by Jeff Bridges (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Peter Bogdanovich (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Photographs from movie sets have always been packed with the curious itch of glamour. Pictures, actor Jeff Bridges's book of photographs, is no exception, and it starts with a special camera. Bridges has been taking on-set photos since the 1980s with a Widelux, an oddity without a shutter or viewfinder. The camera's moving slit makes for panoramic images (about the same aspect as a widescreen film) and even allows quick moving subjects to appear twice on the same negative. Hence these photos are not always crystal clear but nevertheless capture magic, a verisimilitude of being on the inside of the movie-making process. The wide field can show an actor and director foreground while the crew spins their own story in another part of the print--multiple stories written in light. Bridges often catches his fellow actors with an amusing twinkle in their eye whether preparing for scene or appearing twice in the same shot mirroring the comedy/tragedy masks. Bridges adds reminisces about the photos including a very funny off-color story from The Big Lebowski set.

In the past, Bridges would give out self-published collections of his photographs to cast and crew as gifts at the end of a shoot. One might have spied these images in promotional items or magazines, but with Pictures, now fans of the movies can have their own wonderful keepsake. --Doug Thomas

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of the offbeat star of The Last Picture Show, Starman, The Big Lebowski and The Contender (as well as, more recently, Seabiscuit) get a closer look at his take with this collection of 119 of Bridges's set photographs. Sometimes blurry, and appealingly casual, these duotone shots fit nicely with Bridges's own persona as a quietly humorous, understated and unpretentious actor. Of his camera, a Widelux F8, Bridges says, "its viewfinder isn't accurate, and there's no manual focus, so it has an arbitrariness to it, a capricious quality." The panoramic shots (here about 12"×10") of cluttered sets, exhausted actors and crew members intent on various tasks are a refreshing "inside" view of a world that director Peter Bogdanovich, in his introduction to the book, calls "haphazard, messy, familial, jumbled, frenetic, surreal, fragmented." Bridges's accompanying notes are concise and often hilarious: on the set of The Big Lebowski, Bridges recounts how, while sliding between the legs of the "Bowling-Pin Chorines" on a "little skateboard," he sees a lot more than he expected, thanks to a "hairy" prank pulled by the mischievous dancers. One recurring motif is the Comoedia/Tragoedia masks that Bridges asks fellow actors to make, bringing them back to the ancient roots of their profession: Martin Landau's expressive rendition, with ghostly drawings of old cars in the background, is especially haunting. Bridges doesn't forget his family, either: photographs of brother Beau and father Lloyd are particularly affectionate. While none of the photographs are scandalous, a la Hollywood Babylon, and won't ruin anyone's reputation (although some will love the unguarded, unmade-up shots of Michelle Pfeiffer, as well as the shot of Bridges himself lying pensively on his stomach in his Tron costume), this is still a fun and down-to-earth peek inside a world often only seen through the overpolished lens of Hollywood.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: powerHouse Books; illustrated edition edition (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576871770
• ISBN-13: 978-1576871775
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #94,419 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Neat book dude!, November 4, 2003

By	Mediahound (SF Bay Area, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm sure the fact that Jeff Bridges starred in 2 of my all time favorite films; The Last Picture Show and The Big Lebowski, doesn't have much to do with my high recommendation for this book. For it is a great book in it's own right.

I'm a bit of a sucker for photography books, especially ones with black and white photos, and needless to say, I've bought more than my fair share. Some I have regretted buying, having only looked at them once or twice. Pictures by Jeff Bridges is one of the few books I don't regret spending money on. In fact, my purchase was totally guilt-free because Jeff Bridges is donating all the proceeds to a non profit organization.

But maybe I like this book so much because I am a photographer myself and have worked in feature film production. In fact, one of the companies I have worked for did the special effects for Starman.

That aside, Jeff Bridges offers a unique window of opportunity to gain a glimpse of what it's like on movie sets, from the point of view of one of the members of the cast. Stars like Penelope Cruz, Michelle Pfieffer and Gary Busey are featured. Although members of the production crew are also featured, I wish they would be featured even more (as a member of 'the crew' myself, I often feel like our contributions are overshadowed by the celebrities).

Jeff Bridges' special perspective is not only represented in the subject matter of the photos, but also in the panoramic format. There is something cinematic about these wide shots and the format suits the subject matter of moviemaking wonderfully. Further, Bridges has some stories and hand written notes throughout the book, a very nice touch, entertaining and appreciated.

The book is nearly 200 pages, seems sturdy and is put together quite well. Whether you are a fan of Jeff Bridges, filmmaking, black and white, panoramic photography, or all of the above, this is a comprehensive book you won't regret buying. Heck, I've bought photo books that cost way more yet only include a handful of photos. Pictures by Jeff Bridges is definitely a book in which you get your money's worth.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just another celebrity photo book!, November 11, 2003

By	Icarus "Icarus" (NYC) - See all my reviews

I'm a photographer and a couple of years ago I saw Jeff Bridges on some entertainment show and he was talking about photo books that he would make as gifts for cast and crew members on films that he worked on, and how he used special Widelux cameras. The Widelux models that Jeff uses are no longer made, which is a shame, because it was one of the very few panorama cameras that used 35mm film. (The bigger Widelux model which uses 120 and 220 film is still made, but it's much larger and heavier than the 35mm model.) After seeing the interview with Jeff I went out and bought one (I now own 3) and it's one of my favorite cameras to work with, and that's why I was so excited when I learned of Jeff's book.

This is a great book by a photographer with a good eye in an interesting format. The pictures are beautiful and the subjects interesting. The Widelux is not an easy camera to work with and I can appreciate the effort that went into making these pictures. There are a plethora of photo books from the famous that are published simply because the shooter is famous. Jeff Bridges is a photographer and this is a refreshing, interesting book.

And though the Widelux F series has been discontinued, you can still find them on eBay and at used camera stores.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On the set, October 1, 2003

By	angela cohen (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

If you've ever fanaticized about being present on a movie set, this book will come as close as it gets to satisfying the fantasy. And if you're a fan of Bridges film work, you will find yourself in movie heaven. There are no set-up shots, no posing, and no actors being movie stars-just pictures of the sometimes grueling, sometimes effervescent work of making the movies we have loved. The real deal-both in terms of documenting the making of movies and unique photography.