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Apogee Photo - Home
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Apogee Photo - Home
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Photo Book Reviews
by Elizabeth Powis
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Book Review Rating Scale:
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Text: Is the text
well written, helpful and accurate? |
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La Figa: Visions of Food and Form
This
book caught my eye right from the first moment I laid eyes on the
cover: the multiple lines of hips covered in nothing but tasty
treats. This book is a collaboration between a chef and photographer
to create a very unique and successful combination of two natural
arts: food preparation and photography of the human form. The pages
are adorned with beautiful photographs of the figure with delicately
arranged fruit and vegetables expertly placed on the model’s form.
Amongst these images are documentary images showing the creation and
spontaneity of creating the arrangement: a model laughing as seaweed
is adjusted on her torso or models standing around as peaches are
cut in precise segments on a cutting board. Throughout the book is
the personal narrative of Simone as he describes the creation of the
provocative name of his catering business: La Figa, his intimacy
with food, the celebration of all women, and his memories and
connections to Italian traditions. A must-have for any human with a
love of food, sensuality, and beautiful photography.
Text: A+
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Chester County: Out & About Maine: Out & About By Antelo Devereux, Jr.
These are two titles by landscape and documentary photographer Antelo Devereux, Jr. Chester County, Pennsylvania is picturesque and historical place. Devereux includes many architectural shots of the colonial style buildings, the historical pride of the residents, and the culture. Images of farmer’s markets, sheep shearing, and horses adorn the pages.
Devereux documents similar, yet uniquely different aspects of Maine: architecture, boats, hills with fog, and waterscapes. Both books have a way of bringing the viewer on site to these unique locations. A excellent addition to the household of those who have a interest or connection with either of these places.
Chester County:
Maine:
Text: A
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Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling
This book talks about the basics of photography such as lighting, depth of field, shutter speed effects on moving subjects, and composition. This is common for most how-to photography books. What makes this book unique is its focus on food photography. All of the above techniques are shown using examples of food photography: natural or artificial lighting on a dessert cup, various depths of fields on an image of baking ingredient canisters, and water moving on a colander of strawberries. The author of this book is not only a talented photographer, but an experienced chef. She uses these skills to make her book more than a how-to photography book using food. The next few chapters of this resource are about styling: color choices, subject arrangements, garnishes, and tips about specific foods. The last chapter focuses on post-processing. Not only is Dujardin’s expert advice a valuable tool, but her book is full of high quality images to inspire the viewer. An excellent resource for a new photographer learning the basics or a more experienced photographer wanting to apply their knowledge to the field of food photography.
Text: A+
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Click on the book to order
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The National Parks: Our American Landscape
This is the first publication of Shive’s book as an enhanced soft cover edition since the release of the original in August 2009. This new edition has 40 additional images by the internationally acclaimed landscape photographer. This book has a short essay by Scott Kirkwood, editor of the magazine National Parks, then the rest of the pages are covered with Shive’s full color images. Most of them are landscapes, a few of them are close-ups of animals, but all of them are rich, beautiful, and superior quality.
Text: A
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Hidden Cuba: A Photojournalist’s Unauthorized Journey
to Cuba to capture Daily Life—50 years after Castro’s Revolution
This is another book that has a short commentary, dedication and introduction, leaving the majority of the book to be about the images themselves. The author did choose to include brief captions with many of the photographs which is very appropriate for the western viewer to understand more about the images of this secluded country and people. Watson mostly uses black & white as his style choice, with enhanced contrast and emphasis on rough texture to showcase this specific environment. The subjects mostly include people but also range from landscapes to close-ups of cars and architecture. Flipping through the pages is like getting a taste of the modern culture of this unknown land.
Text: A
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