Im 18, love wildlife photography and am off to university next year to study photography and film. C...
Im 18, love wildlife photography and am off to university next year to study photography and film. Chat to me, I like to meet new people x
Member since:17.07.2008
Reviews:33
Members who trust:3
I don't think it will be possible to explain to anyone who does not own this book just how amazing and inspirational it is. But I will give it a go...
I went to an exhibition of the work of Nick Brandt (the author) in London last week, and was captivated from the minute I walked in. The prints were stunning, and when I saw that he had books on sale in the gallery with all of the exhibition prints in, I knew there was no way I was leaving without one!
FRONT COVER: A simple cover, with the title of the book and the author's name at the top, then one of Nick's striking elephant portraits on the front. The image is in sepia, as are all the images in the book. This is just one of the features that makes Nick's work stand out from the crowd.
INSIDE: There are forewords by Vicki Goldberg & Peter Signer, and then an introduction by the man himself; Nick Brandt. He explains the reasoning behind his images, and his passion for African wildlife oozes from the pages.
Now, the part you all want to know about; the photographs!
Giraffes, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Buffalo & Nick's apparent favourite Elephants are but a few of the animals featured in this stunning book.
The first photograph is of two giraffes, locked in an intimate position. The next page is an amazing double page spread of a huge herd of zebra's (literally hundreds!) crossing a river. This image has clearly been taken with a wide angle lens, and this not only catches the atmosphere, but gives the image a real sense of place. There are two images after this that show a rhino with its crystal clear reflection in a pool of water. The close up is amazing, with every inch of detail sharp and in focus. The image opposite is equally as impressive, with two rhino's locking horns with dawn breaking over the african landscape. The images go on in this book in this awe inspiring style, all in sepia form, and I am still not sure whether to turn the page on each image to see the next, or to keep looking at the current one!
If I had to pick a favourite image, I would have to say the incredibly close up shot of a male and female lion 'greeting' each other. The image looks so intimate, and the image truly does take your breath away.
PRICE: The book in the UK was £30, but can currently be bought on amazon for £22.49. It retails at $50 in the US. This may sound expensive for a 'photography book' but trust me, if you are into the work of Nick Brandt, African wildlife, or wildlife photography in general, you will not be disappointed with this book and you will think £30 is nothing for it, like I did!
QUALITY: The print quality in this book is exceptional. Every inch of detail is shown perfectly, and i honestly believe the most picky critic could not find a single fault with this book. The binding is also very good quality, and the paper it is printed on is very thick and easy to turn. You can totally understand why the book is the price it is.
SIZE: This is a large coffee table book, measuring 39.2 x 31.2 x 2.2 cm. This means that the images are all large, and this can only be a good thing!
CONCLUSION: I could never do this book justice, whatever I said. You will never understand how amazing this man's work is until you see it for yourself. If you do anything today, buy a copy of this book!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Nicely written up and well described. I used to work for Phaidon Press back in the day as a paralegal and was lucky enough to get some of their excellent photo compilations at a steep discount - if you liked this, you would love Magnum (a compendium of outstanding shots from their very talented stable of photographers) as well as well as "Humanity & Inhumanity" featuring the life's work of the legendary George Rodgers. 8^)
exceptional by (3%):
very helpful by (97%):
