In a field still dominated by men, photography of women and by women feature more than usual in this month selection. Serendipitous, refreshing and inspiring.
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Clik here to view.Women of vision : National Geographic photographers on assignment / foreword by Ann Curry ; introduction by Chris Johns.
“For 125 years, National Geographic has documented the world and all that is in it with stunning photography that captures the soul of a story beyond the words on a page.
Some of the most powerful narratives of the past decade have been produced by a forward-thinking generation of women photojournalists as different as the places and the subjects they have covered. But they all share the same passion and commitment to storytelling that has come to define National Geographic.
Women of Vision was curated by National Geographic Senior Photo Editor Elizabeth Krist, who had the challenging task of choosing a selection of images to best represent the broad portfolios of the 11 extraordinary photographers.
Women of Vision is a tribute to the spirit and the ambition of these journalists and artists who have created riveting experiences for millions through the insightful, sensitive, and strategic use of a camera. From the last great wildernesses of Africa to the tumult of the Jersey Shore, these stories explore the realities of our world and the depths of what it means to be human in the 21st Century. These women of vision have taken millions with them on assignment through the pages of National Geographic–and in the process have set a new standard for excellence that will continue to inspire for decades to come.” (From book jacket)
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Clik here to view.Visible : 60 women at 60 / photography by Jenny O’Connor.
“Photographer Jenny O’Connor was born in 1952, the year that the highest number of births was recorded in New Zealand. She, and the women who feature in Visible, are part of the ‘baby boom’ generation. In 2011, as Jenny headed toward her 60th birthday in 2012, she began to wonder how other women nearing this same milestone felt about themselves, how society saw them and what their thoughts about their future were. Jenny’s desire to explore these questions was how this book began; by talking to 60 women who were 60 when she took their photograph. The words are theirs, writing whatever each wanted to say about themselves.” (Library catalogue)
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Clik here to view.The New Yorkers / Robert Herman ; foreword by Sean Corcoran ; essay by Stella Kramer.
“The New Yorkers is a glorious look at a city bursting with color and life. It is a body of work full of frozen moments, serendipity and reflection. Through Robert Herman s work we recognize the New York we knew and the New York we still know today. His street photography freezes people and places in this city at decisive moments, with spontaneity and authenticity. In The New Yorkers the city waves at us, looks us right in the eye and brushes past us, without seeing. It layers images upon images like the best graffiti–always renewing and reforming itself. Stella Kramer, Pulitzer prize-Winning Photo Editor.
The New Yorkers is Robert Herman s astounding collection of photographs of New York City, shot between 1978-2005 on Kodachrome. The book immortalizes the transformation of Soho, Little Italy, Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side. These photos tell an authentic story of New York City: real New Yorkers living and working in their own neighborhoods. In Herman s bold use of light and composition, he effectively transforms everyday subject matter into vibrant, emotion-filled images. But beyond the stunning photography, it also tells another story: that of Herman s battle with bipolar disorder. A physical representation of the empathy Herman had for his subjects while struggling with his own sense of outsiderness is what makes The New Yorkers of interest to all who know and love the city as well as those who want to know it.” (From amazon.com)
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Clik here to view.François Halard / texts by François Halard and Isabelle Dupuy Chavanat ; edited by Beda Achermann and François Halard.
“This extravagant volume is the magnum opus of today’s most celebrated interiors photographer. One of François Halard’s first assignments, to photograph Yves Saint Laurent’s legendary Paris apartment when he was in his early twenties, cemented his reputation as one of the most original eyes of our era. His unique photographic sensibility—old-world elegant and bohemian, accessible and personal—is instantly recognizable. Thirty years later, Halard still captures our imagination with his breathtaking photographs.Included in this highly anticipated volume are Halard’s images of the glorious homes of the most important tastemakers, artists, and designers of the twentieth century: Axel Vervoordt, Roger Vivier, Richard Avedon, the Duchess of Devonshire, Julian Schnabel, Schiaparelli, Carlo Mollino, Balthus, Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, and many more, including Halard’s own homes in New York, Paris, and Arles. Photographed in his inimitable “grand manner,” often for Vogue, this book also shows for the first time the more intimate “house portraits” that Halard would photograph for himself, where his personal vision shines through. François Halard will be a coveted, indispensable resource for all lovers of interior style and a master class in visual education.” (From amazon.com)
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Clik here to view.Butch / Kanithea Powell ; photography by Beverli Alford.
“From award-winning film-maker Kanithea Powell, Butch is a lavish book that attempts to redefine the concept of “butch” through a series of photographs shot in a sleek fashion studio style, challenging traditional butch identity and shedding some new light on what it means today.” (Library catalogue)
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Clik here to view.Legendary : inside the house ballroom scene / photographs by Gerard H. Gaskin ; with an introduction by Deborah Willis, and an essay by Frank Roberts.
“Gerard H. Gaskin’s radiant color and black-and-white photographs take us inside the culture of house balls, underground events where gay and transgender men and women, mostly African American and Latino, come together to see and be seen. At balls, high-spirited late-night pageants, members of particular “houses”—the House of Blahnik, the House of Xtravaganza—”walk,” competing for trophies in categories based on costume, attitude, dance moves, and “realness.” In this exuberant world of artistry and self-fashioning, people often marginalized for being who they are can flaunt and celebrate their most vibrant, spectacular selves.From the quiet backstage, to the shimmering energies of the runway. to the electricity of the crowd, Gaskin’s photographs take us to the ball. Legendary, comprised of photos taken at events in the New York city area, Philadelphia, Richmond, and Washington, D.C., is a collaboration between Gaskin, a camera-laden outsider who has been attending balls for twenty years, and the house members who let him enter the intimate world of ball culture. In addition to an introduction by Deborah Willis, Legendary includes an essay, “The Queer Undercommons,” by Frank Roberts.” (Dust jacket)
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Clik here to view.Underwater photography : art and techniques / Nick Robertson-Brown.
“Capture an underwater world of glorious colours, extraordinary creatures and mysterious depths.
Underwater photography is a challenging discipline. To capture stunning images you must have confidence in your diving abilities and be very comfortable with your camera. This practical book explains and offers advice to the reader on both the art and the science involved in capturing underwater shots.
Nick-Robertson-Brown is passionate about marine wildlife. Having trained as a diving instructor, he now teaches underwater photography and regularly contributes to the photographic press.” (Back cover)
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Clik here to view.Ken Duncan : life’s a journey : the adventure continues / Ken Duncan.
“This spectacular volume has been more than thirty years in the making. Featuring many never-before-seen photos, plus a host of stories untold until now, Ken Duncan: Life’s a Journey is a magnificent and yet passionate “commentary on life” from one of the world’s great photographers.
Part autobiography, part travelogue and part reflection, this is a book of wonderful variety and range. There’s humour, drama, anecdote and heart-searching. Every spread is illustrated by Ken’s superb images: from the Aussie outback to Africa, from Antarctica to China – and much more.
This book is in many ways a follow-up to Ken’s acclaimed 2008 volume Ken Duncan: Life’s an Adventure. That book surprised and thrilled readers, who read for the first time many of the stories behind Ken’s career. For Ken, the greatest accolade came when he heard of a farmer whose life had (quite literally) been saved by reading the book. Ready to take his own life after two years of destructive floods, the farmer had happened upon Ken’s volume in the farmhouse; he’d been completely turned around by Ken’s personal story of chaos leading to hope.
Ken Duncan: Life’s a Journey continues in this tradition, telling more – much more – of the unique Ken Duncan story. Ken’s passion is to speak honestly to his own generation – in the midst of a world often gripped by fear of financial crisis, terrorism or environmental catastrophe.
As Ken writes: “Daily we have choices to make: Will we live our lives in faith or fear? I choose faith. Who will join me in this peaceful revolution?”” (From dust jacket)
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Clik here to view.Transformational imagemaking : handmade photography since 1960 / Robert Hirsch.
“Transformational Imagemaking: Handmade Photography Since 1960 is a groundbreaking survey of significant work and ideas by imagemakers who have pushed beyond the boundaries of photography as a window on our material world. These artists represent a diverse group of curious experimentalists who have propelled the medium’s evolution by visualizing their subject matter as it originates from their mind’s eye. Many favor the historical techniques commonly known as alternative photographic processes, but all these makers demonstrate that the real alternative is found in their mental approach and not in their use of physical methods. Within this context, photographer and photography historian Robert Hirsch outlines the varied approaches these artists have utilized to question conventional photographic practices, to convey internal realities, and to examine what constitutes photographic reality. Hirsch explores the half-century evolution of these concepts and methodologies and their popularity among contemporary imagemakers who are merging digital and analog processes to express what was thought to be photographically inexpressible.” (Back cover)