Customer Reviews

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: The Complete Portfolio

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I will have to be sure to see if there are other books published by SI like this one. I do have the one on body painting and it is also an excellent book. The images are wonderful, SI each year has so many beautiful models and wonderful photographers that you will really enjoy looking through this book and owning it. I wish they would have compiled a book like this for every year. Marisa Miller is outstanding among these beautiful women kudos for her. Enjoy the book people I know I am.

A good coffee table book if you're a bachelor. Don't be surprised if you find it missing when you have guests over.

All of the pictures were done with sexiness and class. Nothing raunchy or degrading. It was completely respectful. If you're looking for nudity, a playboy magazine will suit you better.

Of course, the photos in the SI Swimsuit issue is mostly sanitized (always arms across the breasts and of course, the all-too-shocking for America - absolutely almost never a nipple ... not like all women AND men are armed with a pair) ... so you would think - finally - a book format would allow some real artistry, some real sexiness and perhaps even some nudity or at least heated sexuality.

Nope.

Each of the models gets a few pages and they are mostly stock shots that you could find at any bikini shoot. Clearly the models here are all world class models - nary a fake implanted bosom and no harsh or fake looking tans or $15 bikini's. It's definitely high class but where's the sexy in an endeavor called the Swimsuit issue?

It's all very stuffy. Maybe it's photoshopped to a stilted stillness. It's as if everyone studied a book on "sexy" poses but that's all they are - stilted poses cribbed second-hand?

And like a corporate endeavor, since they feel like they can't narrow down to the five sexiest women (we might leave someone out!), let's get 35 of them and instead of perhaps ending up with a diva photographer, let's hire 20 so no one can upstage the Super Bowl of bikini shoots so what do you end up with? A highly choreographed, arranged and art direction by 100 project managers bikini shoot. What is it really? "Sexy" by committee. Every shot is virtually the same and while the women are certainly attractive and the photographers know how to keep them in focus, it's as sexy as a bikini shoot choregraphed by the DMV.

It's pretty but deadly dull. There is zero personality from these pages ... and honestly, while they wanted to be fair - they gave all the dozens of models the same number of pages and frankly, 90% do not deserve it. And they ALL look essentially the same - not quite All-America, not quite exotic ... and blandly photographed so maybe they are all gorgeous and sexy - just hard to tell here - drained of personality and creativity. Believe it or not, there is actually a photo of Bar Rafaeli where she she looks nearly hideous - I did not think it was possible ...

And we're all adults reading this book - I can even understand no out-and-out nudity or even topless but sanitized to the point of blandness? Sure, a few sexy poses, a few seductive shots but a few out of 200? 300? Weak. Nothing provocative ... nothing dazzling ... bland bikini shots assembled in a book - it's slightly better than a Target shoot but then Target doesn't assemble 35 models, 20 photographers and a $10-million dollar production ... while ending up with as much sexy as a teen model from Des Moines wearing a $19 one-piece in a Target ad ...

This book is more sad than anything else - the closest competing example would be the Perelli annual shoots - sure, some years there misfire wildly but at least it was an attempt to be interesting or provocative ... here, too many bean pusher cooks not only spoil the broth, it's a frozen TV dinner. It's an idea of sexy without actually being sexy.

Book fille dwith nice girls. But You'll get basically the same content like from last SI issues. No special photos, no background text or interviews. All pictures are very non-erotical. Looking on those pictures I do not see beauty of girl or interesting art like in Peter Hegre's books. It's swimsuit catalogue in hardcover. Nothing more.

As a swimwear photographer, I jokingly call this book "The Bible". The photos are simply amazing! The interviews with models about working with the photogs and vice-versa are a nice bonus. And the models shooting their own self-portraits in mirrors is a brilliant idea that EVERY model photographer should try on your next shoot.

If you photograph or want to photograph swimwear, this book is an absolute necessity for inspiration. I refer to it over and over and over for inspiration and have even carried it to the beach with me to show examples to models for posing, lighting, mood, etc!

I love this book so much that I can't form a proper sentence to describe how wonderful it is. SP has finally got it: Most people who bought SP swimsuit issues are not really into the swimsuits! So, if pretty girls in sexy posts are the whole point, of course the bigger and the more, the better! There a tons of big-sized pictures collected. I really hope SP can put up a book like this every year. ^^
Plus, it's such a bargain if you buy it on Amazon.