Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Manna on mulch, March 10, 2005
The strength of the photographs in National Geographic is that they are often gorgeously-shot and expertly composed by professionals who clearly know their craft. Their weakness is that their perfection sometimes masks a banality of subject matter and narrative, often sinking them beyond the level of illustration. "National Geographic: the Photographs" embodies both aspects of the magazine's photography.
While more than a few photos barely rise above the snapshot level, most are thoughtfully (if a bit too artfully) composed, though a few are absolutely standouts. Steve McCurry's haunting 1984 shot of Sharbat Gula, the green-eyed Afghan refugee girl, is the classic example. The girl's haunted expression speaks volumes about the hardships she has experienced. The photo graces the book's cover, while her updated portrait, shot 18 years later, adorns the back. Now a wife and mother, the same hauntedness appears in Gula's eyes, now encased in a face grown older and wearier. Another standout -- an overhead shot of camels traversing the wastes of Djibouti -- is disconcerting until one recognizes the camera's vantage point. The straightforward grace of some photos belies the difficulty with which they were taken. It takes only a second to flip past an underwater picture of an approaching hippo; but the photograph cannot capture the hours of patience and luck it took to take it.
"National Geographic: The Photographs" includes the expected pictures of wildlife, nature and human cultures from around the globe as well as several topical spreads -- Spain, sleep, and the Titanic. The book's large format helps many photos communicate the grandeur of their natural subjects. When the subject and composition coincide, the photographs are strikingly beautiful.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
History and photography, January 9, 2002
This is not just a coffee table picture book! This is a compilation of stories and pictures which you read page by page to get amazing world and cultural perspectives over the past 100 years. National Geographic did an great job compiling the most comprehensive set of photographs taken since the early 1900's. The book features breathtaking pictures of foreign lands, wildlife, people, etc. divided into sections which are narrated in story-like form. For examples, the first section in the book explores the history of photography and the role that the National Geographic played in the development of the technology and the art. I liked the story/photograph format and especially liked the mix of photograph size/style published. Overall, it's a great deal for the price!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How best to describe -The Photographs, April 25, 2004
How can we best describe the National Geographic's publication, The Photographs? Creative, aesthetic, unnatural perspectives, abstract, ultra realistic, surreal, vibrant, and the list of adjectives is endless! However, I guess what best sums up this book is that it constitutes one of the most important and impressive contributions to photojournalism.It is in reality an excellent survey or synthesis of photo images that permits readers to follow the evolution of photography dating back one hundred years until today. In fact, as mentioned in the book, although the techniques may differ, some of the earliest photos still compare favourably with those of today. This is quite evident when you view the 1902 photo shot by photographer George Shiras lll entitled Loon Lake, Ontario, Canada. Here we notice a lynx sitting proudly along the banks of the lake and unfazed by the photographer's lantern that detects the glow of its eyes. However, as indicated, the lynx was alarmed by the flash photography. As an added detail, the reader is apprised of the fact that Shiras pioneered nighttime close-ups of wildlife and the use of remote-control devices. It is noteworthy to mention that scattered throughout the book are these very interesting tidbits pertaining to the history and science of photography. Fast forward to the cover and back of the book where we immediately are exposed to the renowned photographer Steve McCurry's spellbinding images of the young Afghan girl with the penetrating eyes taken in a refugee camp in Pakistan in 1984 when she was 17 years and rediscovered in Afghanistan in 2002. In all of these instances we see the superb focusing of the lens on the subject matter and the reflection of someone or something. It is an encouragement of some sort of reaction or level of contemplation. Moreover, the creation of a great photograph lies in the photographer's ability to use the full range of options at his or her disposal. It is these essential ingredients that are continuously prevalent in the multitude of impressive images contained in the five sections of the book dealing with such topics as science, astrology, archaeology, wildlife, underwater, and cultures. What enhances the value of this spectacular book is the many captions, articles, essays and descriptions that have been contributed by the editor Leah Bendavid-Val and her many National Geographic assistants. Without these contributory writings the book would not have been able to effectively aid the reader in appreciating the moving and penetrating characteristics of the photographs, as well as following the evolution of the history of photography. Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com
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