 | National Geographic Simply Beautiful Photographs By Annie Griffiths
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Product Description
National Geographic Simply Beautiful Photographs takes readers on a spectacular visual journey through some of the most stunning photographs to be found in National Geographic's famed Image Collection. Award-winning photographer Annie Griffiths culled the images to reflect the many variations on the universal theme of beauty. Chapters are organized around the aesthetic concepts that create beauty in a photograph: Light, Composition, Moment (Gesture and Emotion), Motion, Palette, and Wonder.
Beyond the introduction and brief essays about each featured concept, the text is light. The photographs speak for themselves, enhanced by lyrical quotes from scholars and poets. In the chapter on Light, for example, we read these words of whimsical wisdom from songwriter Leonard Cohen: "Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That's how the lights get in." And then the images flow, of light entering scenes via windows, clouds, and spotlights, from above, alongside, and behind, casting radiance upon young ballerinas and weathered men, into groves of autumn trees and island-dotted seas, revealing everything it touches to be beautiful beyond expectation.
To illuminate the theme of Wonder, Griffiths chose a wish from Andre Bazin: "If I had influence with the good fairy...I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life." This thought is juxtaposed with an exquisite vision in white, a frame filled with the snowy-pure dots and rays of a bird's fan tail. And on it goes, picture after tantalizing picture, alive with wondrous beauty.
When she created National Geographic Simply Beautiful Photographs, Annie Griffiths set two goals: to maximize visual delight, and to create a book unique in the world of publishing--one in which many of the photographs could be purchased as prints. She has succeeded on both counts. Many of these stunning images are available for order, and there can be no doubt as to the visual delight. You must open this book for yourself, and take in its radiant beauty.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #18231 in Books
- Brand: National Geographic
- Published on: 2010-10-19
- Released on: 2010-10-19
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 10.27" h x 1.56" w x 10.35" l, 5.31 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 504 pages
Amazon.com Review
From National Geographic Simply Beautiful Photographs
Click on the images below to open larger versions.
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| Pantanal, Brazil. The setting sun silhouettes gauchos as they relax at the end of the day. (p. 104, Joel Sartore) | Richnava, Slovakia. Roma children look out the window of their shanty. (p. 185, James L. Stanfield) | Near Wismar, Germany. Women share a laugh while harvesting sugar beets. (p. 225, Gordon Gahan) | Sarand, Hungary. A bee-eater bird takes flight, while another keeps its perch. (p. 341, Joe Petersburger) |
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| Asheville, North Carolina. Orange leaves cover a Japanese maple at the Biltmore Estate. (p. 364, Melissa Farlow) | Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. A trumpeter swan glides across Yellowstone River. (p. 370-371, James P. Blair) | Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. Tail feathers of a little greenbul bird fan out behind closed wings. (p. 461, Joel Sartore) | Bayan-Olgiy, Mongolian People's Republic. A Kazakh hunter shies slightly as his golden eagle spreads its wings. (p. 440, David Edwards) |
About the Author
National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths Belt earned a degree in Photojournalism from the University of Minnesota. Since then, she has photographed dozens of magazine and book projects for the Society. Annie's work has also appeared in LIFE, Geo, Smithsonian, Merian, Paris Match, Stern, and many other publications. She devotes a portion of each year to producing fundraising images for aid organizations.
Most helpful customer reviews
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful.
Simply a beautiful book
By Robert B. Miller Jr.
This is one of the most exciting books that National Geographic has published in recent times. One stunning image after another it lives up to its representation by showing the best photos found in the National Geographic archives. There is little text in this book and it relies heavily on the quality of the images selected. The sample photos and the video only give you a taste of what is between the covers. I must admit that I am biased, because one of my photos is in the book. It was an honor to have one of the only photos I ever sent to National Geographic to be selected by Annie Griffiths to be included in the book.
As a photographer, I will be learning from this book for years to come. What makes beauty in a photograph is a question this book answers. It may seem like a small trivial question to some, but Annie gives an elegant answer with some of the most beautiful photos that represent the best of our world. This book helps reaffirm to me that photography can be a medium of how to view this world and live our lives in the simple pursuit of beauty. What greater purpose could a photographer or a person have?
It is no wonder to me that the popularity of this book is rising, and I applaud Annie Griffiths for the theme of beauty that opens before your eyes with each turn of the page.
When I sit for awhile with this book a quote from George Eliot comes to mind:
"The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone." I treasure the moments that each photographer has brought to my eyes.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.Memory keepers
By wogan
National Geographic has prepared a collection of "Simply Beautiful Photographs" into a nicely sized coffee table book. One of the few times, the title of a book perfectly sums up its contents.
The book is quite heavy, mainly because of the heavy stock paper and over 500 pages contained there in.
The pictures have been divided into examples portraying : light, composition, moment, time, palette and wonder. Many are a two page size, beautifully composed , with no print over them and a small description of the photographer and the place - given either on following pages or on a white border. They are stunning pictures.
Turn the pages and they can take your breath away both from form and picture and content.
This is indeed a book for lovers of beauty, of photography and the world around us.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.Beautiful and inspirational at the same time.
By Robert Busko
National Geographic Simply Beautiful Photographs by Annie Griffiths will inspire all budding photographers. As an amateur photographer who has never had any training, works such as this provide not only a classroom in which to study the work of those who are professionals, but also a statement of the beauty around us providing we have the eyes to see it. With 500 pages of photographs and a minimum of text, Simply Beautiful Photographs is a generous peek at the holding of National Geographic.
The beginning of each chapter is headed by a quote from a notable person that relates to photography if not directly, then at least tangentially. Photographs are clearly labeled and provide the name of the photographer. If I have any criticism for this work it is that the date of the photograph is not provided. There are several pictures that are culturally interesting and the date might have provided some context.
Still, this is a five star book from any angle you can think of. Priced at $35 is also a plus. Normally books such as this are $50 or better.
I highly recommend.
Peace always and bless us all.
http://astore.amazon.com/amazon-book-books-20/detail/1426206453#
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