Customer Reviews

Women by Women

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wow. Does that sum it up? The artwork in this book is amazing! There truly is something for everyone - from Marilyn Monroe to total Fetish! From form & curves to out & out sexuality, this book really covers the spectrum. The great part about models with FEMALE photographers is the way they capture the essence of a woman! The freedom, the imperfections, the sexy way they feel about themselves, versus one more pin-up-perfect-model-book. I think we've seen enough Hollywood types! I'd have to say also there are a lot of real breasts in this book which was a breath of fresh air! Thank you!

i enjoyed the book loads as it is a collection of photos from several female photographers. although there's a lot of variety, there's no porn and all of the material is within 'normal' limits. no surprises, plain artistic and erotic stuff, but i liked that.

there are macros and full body shots, and surprisingly many women are on a bed, partly covered by sheets or such. the feeling that comes across the book is joy but it's not too obvious, i think the photos are just positive in how they perceive women. what was also interesting is that even if there is erotism in the photos, it is not the same as when men photograph it. women in the book are not objects.

i can recommend this book :)

while the cover modle is not a good represintation of the models in the book. It is a book that really shows the real everyday women that roam the earth in all thier natural beauty. I bought this book to aid in an art class study. This was an outstanding book to own.

Up front, here's my only objection: I do not believe that quality fine-art nude images are created based on the gender of the photographer. I take absolute exception to that premise --that a woman, or a man, for that matter--makes more significant images because of their gender, which is the major selling point of this book. (I mean, look at the title, fer God's sakes!).

Having filed that objection, I still give this publication 5 stars for utterly magnificent work. Sensuality, self-awareness, vulnerability, beauty, and hope abound in every image. The best of what it is to be human is revealed in this book (which is exactly the point, the only point, of this type of work).

Thank you, Stephanie, for your beautiful work.

To the publisher: I understand about marketing into a niche, but please don't make it about the artist's gender-- That's such a cheap marketing shot. It's about the freshness of her vision, and the proficieny of her art, which would be true regardless of her sex. . . .

Granted, I bought this book with the hope of learning something new about artistic photographic vision from a woman's perspective-- much as I've read feminist writers to learn new perspectives in literature-- Hurston, Walker, et al. And, while I see poignancy in every shot, there is nothing significant that I can attribute to the photographer's gender. . . .

And then I began to wonder, How would I know the difference between a man or a woman behind the camera? Granted, again, there are differences between Sturges and Mann-- but I can't define them as being gender-based; it's a larger socio-economic context between the two of them.

I could be wrong, of course-- and I am certainly open to the perspectives of others.

But I suspect it's a marketing thing. And it hooked me. I bought the book. To wit:

I am totally impressed with the work-- and couldn't care less about the gender of the artist. If you love fine art photography, buy this book.

Beautifully done by some of the best female photographers out there. Thoughtful, sexy, comely, and none of the condescension so often implied in photographs taken by men.

Devoted to nude and erotic photography by women photographers, this exciting new book illustrates the emotional force and sensual beauty of the female body as seen through the feminine lens. This epic acheivement features the works of some of today's most important female photographers. More than one hundred images explore themes such as introversion and extroversion, the private and the public. It examines the distinctly female aspects of erotic photography, and what emerges is a profoundly sympathetic relationship between viewer and subject. And, as a number of these women artists have worked as models themselves, their perspective on this role adds yet another layer to this powerful volume.

Hardcover with 128 pages, this strikingly beautiful and elegant book is a lovely introduction to the increasingly important genre of female nudes actually crafted by female photographers.

These four-dozen photographers present a wide range of views: delicate, playful, graceful, fetish-exotic, or something that has no good name. The collection combines B&W images with a few in color, all beautifully printed on bright stock.

With such variety, no one word captures the whole collection. A few images (e.g. p.51) convey simple honesty, an affectionate documentary. Others (p.1, 20-21, 37) display the figure's simple or complex (p.31) elegance. Yet others (p.89) treat the model as monument, or as embodiment of passion (p.35, 100, 104). Despite all the variety displayed here, it just reminds the viewer that each individual model, each unique woman lives all these moods and more at different times.

Does the woman's view really make a difference? I honestly can't say - maybe it does. Maybe playtime lingerie and unwalkable heels occur less frequently, maybe there are fewer of the exaggerated "art" poses, maybe implants appear more often than in other recent collections. Maybe not - and maybe if you ask me again, I'll give a different answer. Maybe the subjective differences between men's and women's views have little effect on the objective look of the photo. No matter. This collection offers a gorgeous, varied, and often surprising look at women's beauty.

-- wiredweird

It is easy to see in most of the images the creative eye of the women photographers presents sexuality and sensuality in a completely different way then their male counterparts. A very vibrant book, full of energy and honest sexuality.

This is a beautifully published book! I was impressed by the variety of styles and textures...from the sweetly sexy to edgy sensuality.

I agree with the other review. The book is lovely and the photographers are well represented. What I particularly liked about the book was the inclusion of some up and coming photographers. I'm especially happy to see some of my favorite photographers whose work has only so far been seen on their own and other websites. ... Really well done!!