ISBN: 0871563576 Book review by Amazon.com reprinted with permission
What makes Rowell one of the world's top photojournalists and sets him apart from others in the field? Steve Werner, editor of Outdoor Photographer, says the magazine's most popular columnist pursues his art the way a mountain climber pursues a peak: "planning the logistics, overcoming the hardships and conquering the unknown." The text, based on Rowell's monthly column for the magazine, is accompanied by images "chosen to illustrate concepts" rather than exhibit his best work -- or so he claims. Don't believe him; the pictures will blow you out of the water as surely as a well-placed stick of dynamite.
ISBN: 0898797160 Book review by Amazon.com reprinted with permission
What makes or breaks a picture? Composition, of course, and perhaps less obvious but equally fundamental--light. "Subtle or dramatic, the impact of light on an image completely alters how that image is perceived," asserts Jim Zuckerman, who discusses the qualities of light--direction, diffusion, harshness--and how to use them as creative tools. There are many impressive color photographs (including twilight panoramas of Rio de Janeiro and interiors of Spanish architectural wonders), but few illuminate Zuckerman's text like his multiple images of a bikini-clad model on a beach, taken during a rapidly-changing sunset. While he is generous with technical details and data, he does not cover black and white photography.
