IN FOCUS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC GREATEST PORTRAITS

Author: National Geographic
Publisher: National Geographic
Publication Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Works from National Geographic Magazine, The Greatest Human Photography Collection, priced at 220 yuan, original English edition, printed in the USA, 70 yuan cheaper than the Chinese version. This is truly one of the great books of people pictures, a treasure chest of images truly deserving the self-imposed subtitle of "greatest portraits." Trust me on this. HAVING SPENT ALMOST 40 YEARS IN THE NEWS BUSINESS AS A REPORTER, PHOTOGRAPHER AND EDITOR, I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE IN RECOGNIZING GOOD PICTURES AND HIRING PEOPLE WHO CAN PRODUCE GOOD PICTURES. BY ANY STANDARD, THESE ARE GREAT PICTURES. A "GREAT PICTURE" HINGES ON AN INTANGIBLE CALLED THE MOMENT OF PEAK ACTION. LET ME EXPLAIN THAT BY REFERRING TO A PHOTO NOT IN THIS BOOK; THE ANGRY DEFIENT LOOK OF SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL IN THE PORTRAIT BY YOUSOUF KARSH OF OTTAWA, CANADA. CHURCHILL WAS ANGRY BECAUSE KARSH HAD JUST TAKEN AWAY HIS CIGAR, WHICH CHURCHILL HAD JUST LIT OF RELAX AFTER A SPEECH TO THE CANADIAN PARLIAMENT. IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS PORTRAIT EVER OF CHURCHILL. IT'S A SIMPLE QUESTION, BUT THERE'S NO SIMPLE ANSWER - INDEED, EACH OF THE 280 PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS WONDERFUL BOOK OFFERS ITS OWN, UNIQUE ANSWER, DISTILLING SUBJECT, SETTING, AND CERATIVE SKILL INTO A SINGULAR RESTING MOMENT THAT CAPTURES THE VIEWER'S IMAGINATION. AND THOUGH WE MAY FIND THIS ELUSIVE QUALITY HARD TO DEFINE, WE RECOGNIZE IT IS IMMEDIATELY AND INSTINCTIVELY. WILLIAM ALBERT ALLARD, ONE OF THE ESSAYSISTS IN THE BOOK, WRITES, A FINE PORTRAIT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TELL SOMETHING ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF THE SUBJECT THAT CAN BE SENSED BY SOMEONE HALF A WORLD AND A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE AWAY. SOMETHING UNIVERSAL AND SIMPLE: THIS IS ANOTHER PERSON IN OUR WORLD AND I'D LIKE YOU TO MEET HIM OR HER. CULLED FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S EXTRAORDINARY ARCHIVE, THIS COLLECTION SPANS MORE THAN A CENTURY AND EXPLORES EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE AND EVERY ASPECT OF THE PORTRAITIST'S ART. THE PICTURES HERE REPRESENT BOTH THE SPECIAL VISIONS OF SOME OF THE WORLD'S FINEST PHOTOGRAPHERS AND THE UNIVERSAL APPEAL OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY IN ALL ITS MANY MOODS.