Customer Reviews

Timothy White: Portraits

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

 

 

The beauty and depth of this photography book transcends its celebrity subject matter. Timothy White has managed to capture a true moment with his subjects while at the same time making it about so much more than a photograph of a famous person. The richness and quality of this book has a place in my photography/art book collection as one of my favorites.

Caution: A few of the female images in this book exhibit "see-through" tops. If such things offend you, either avoid those pages, or this book.

In the foreword by Mr. Harrison Ford, Mr. Ford describes what he likes about Mr. White photography and why the two have been working together for 20 years. When Mr. Ford was first a contract player, the studio had his haircut like Elvis and then took a publicity shot to match. Even Mr. Ford didn't find the person portrayed to be appealing. Since then, Mr. Ford has sometimes been able to get approval over motion picture publicity stills. With this permission, Mr. Ford has called on Mr. White. "The work he does supports my ambitions . . . ."

That characterization is an important one for viewers and readers of this book. Many of the images are stunning portrayals of mood, personality, and identity. This is especially true where the person portrayed has a strong personality (Robert Mitchum), engaging eyes (Christie Brinkley), or fine acting ability (Sophia Loren). On the other hand, some of the images show the quirky, humble side. Those photographs work well with dead pan expressions (like Julia Roberts among discarded tires in an alley).

Among the subjects whose images strongly appealed to me were the ones mentioned above and those of John Sayles, Mel Gibson, Paul Newman, Eddie Griffin, Liza Minelli, Sylvester Stallone, Costas Mandylor, Queen Latifah, Drew Barrymore (Hollywood, March 1995), David Keith, Kiefer Sutherland, and the version of Nicolas Cage on the dust cover.

On the other hand, some of the backdrops and poses just didn't work for me. These images were like the flattering poses of wealthy people during the Renaissance, making everyone seem like they are larger-than-life. You can adjust the image in a painting to get that effect. In a photograph, the person's pose, expression, and intensity have to fit the backdrop. In a number of cases, the subject just didn't have enough of the right stuff to match. As a result, the people look slightly limp or out-of-place against the intense or heroic setting. This suggests that too much collaboration can possibly be harmful to ambitions as well, by causing weaknesses to become more obvious.

The book's paper quality, size of pages, and reproduction quality are all quite good. The photography is mostly in color, but the duotone effects are often the best. Most photographers are better in one or the other, and Mr. White's strength is duotone.

What do you want people to see when they look at or think of you? How does that expand your life? How does it constrict your alternatives?

Open yourself to others . . . in order to come closer to them.

Soulful locations, riviting compositions...Photography as a fine art meets the celebrity portrait. Timothy White is a master. The suprising candor that is captured in his subjects all share an honesty and intimacy that is so rare in the entertainment industry. This work inspires the amateur as well as the professional photographer.

The book is exactly as you expect it, beautiful photos of beautiful people, T.White definitly has something unique and extra in his portraits...