Instant Eternity -- Timeless Masterpieces of Character Photography by U.S. National Geographic

Author: National Geographic Society
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: How is a great portrait photograph taken? In the face of the great photographers and their masterpieces from the National Geographic Society, every photography art enthusiast is likely to ask this question. The 280 stunning photographs in this book have already provided their own answers—each great portrait photograph has its own unique language. They freeze the subject, the scene, and creative techniques in a single moment, firmly capturing the viewer's attention. Whether elegant and solemn or commanding and intimidating, cunning or enigmatic, they all confront the viewer directly. Perhaps we cannot simply define the characteristics of such great portrait photographs, but we can intuitively feel their presence. One of the authors of this book, William Albert Allard, wrote: "A great portrait photograph has the power to express the inner spirit of the subject. It transcends time, space, and cultural barriers, conveying a simple yet universal message: This is another person living in the world, I hope you can meet them." The photographs in this book are carefully selected from the extraordinary photographic archives of the National Geographic Society, spanning over a century. They reflect subjects from every corner of the Earth and encompass every aspect of photographic art. These photographs not only showcase the unique perspectives of world-class photographers in observing life but also represent our shared emotional pursuits and the expression of humanity. Photographer William Albert Allard captured a picture in Peru in 1982 titled "Eduardo's Face Covered in Tears." He described the scene at the time: "Suddenly, a taxi sped toward a flock of sheep that couldn't dodge in time, crashing half of them into the fields below the road. The taxi drove away, and we stopped our car behind it. When the child lifted his tear-streaked face toward us, I pressed the shutter. The instinct of a photographer told me to capture this moment." The story of the photograph didn't end there. After its publication, people reached out to Eduardo for help, and donations from across the United States exceeded $6,000. The National Geographic Society also contacted an organization called CARE, which later found Eduardo and organized an event in his village. They not only bought sheep for his family to compensate for the loss but also purchased a water pump for the entire village. When discussing his insights into photography, William Albert Allard said: "A great portrait photograph has the power to express the inner spirit of the subject. It transcends time, space, and cultural barriers, conveying a simple yet universal message—This is another person living in the world, I hope you can meet them." Photographs allow us to travel through time and space, moving us to tears as we gaze at unfamiliar faces or backs. It can be said that these photographs reflect the unique perspectives of world-class photographers in observing life while also representing humanity's shared emotional pursuits and the expression of humanity. For this photographic collection, Professor Yang Enpu of the Beijing Film Academy, a renowned photography critic, said in an interview with a reporter: "The works in this book are very different from what Chinese people typically associate with artistic photography. They are using a different approach to take photos and a different perspective to view them. In this collection, what moves us is not technique or beauty but the wisdom, culture, and historical sense embedded within. This is the inspiration this book offers to Chinese photography." Song Jianmin, the chief editor of China Photography Publishing House, said: "A good photograph is not something you look at but something you think about. This book gives us a profound historical sense and a heavy cultural accumulation. The figures in the book seem to reach out and grasp your hand." "What matters is the shock to the soul, not the ice cream for the eyes," Yang Enpu said. It is worth noting that many of the authors in the book are not professional photographers but scientists, writers, geologists, and sociologists. They do not treat photography as an end in itself but as a language. When taking photos, they emphasize not the aesthetic qualities of the images but their humanistic qualities. One author writes in the book: "We have no connection with art, yet we are engaged in portraiture, science, and history." Yang Enpu said: "Here, photography is a broad concept. It lets us know that artistic photography is only a part of photography, not the whole. This is something worth Chinese photographers striving for and working toward." When discussing this photographic collection, Yin Qiang, an associate professor at the School of Journalism at Renmin University of China, said he read the book twice in a row. The works in this collection may not be 100% perfect, but each one carries deep meaning and significance. For example, some photographs from the period before and during World War II do not capture the cruelty of war but instead show peaceful and harmonious scenes, aiming to awaken people to the horrors of war. This is also the personality of National Geographic magazine—"keeping a distance from everything unpleasant." According to journalists, the 280 photographs collected in this book are carefully selected from the National Geographic Society's archives of 10 million images. As one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations, the National Geographic Society has been unique in natural photography, cultural photography, and wildlife photography since its founding in 1888. In 1890, National Geographic magazine published its first photograph, and from the late 19th century to the early 21st century, it repeatedly broke new ground in photographic reporting, constantly challenging viewers' perceptions. These photographs span over a century, and the book Eternal Moments—Timeless Masterpieces of National Geographic Portraiture is also divided into several stages corresponding to the development of photographic equipment and technology: from early heavy cameras requiring long exposure times to the advent of color film, and then to lightweight, multifunctional cameras, all of which have brought portrait photography into a new, natural phase. This book explores the evolving role and goals of photographers themselves while also showing how their works reflect the world and influence the way we see it. When discussing the collaboration with the National Geographic Society, Zhang Lin, the manager of the International Department of a fashion magazine, told a reporter that the fashion magazine has a strong foundation for journal and book collaborations with the National Geographic Society. In 2003, the fashion magazine obtained the Chinese simplified edition rights to the book Through the Lens—The Greatest Photographs of National Geographic. It is understood that at the time, Through the Lens had 20 versions in dozens of countries and regions, all printed uniformly in Spain and released globally simultaneously. Such large-scale cross-border collaboration in book publishing was unprecedented in China and is also leading in the international field. Zhang Lin said that after the success of Through the Lens, the National Geographic Society intensified its efforts to rediscover and utilize its core resources, and Eternal Moments is the result of this effort.