December 2022 MBR The Photography Shelf

The Photography Shelf

Ernst Haas: The American West
Ernst Haas, photographer
Paul Lowe, author
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791388250, $55.00, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ernst-Haas-American-Paul-Lowe/dp/3791388258

Synopsis: With the informative commentary of Paul Lowe, "Ernst Haas: The American West" showcases a memorable collection of striking photographic color images from the American West with which photographer Ernst Haas provides both a visually moving national portrait as well as a celebration of analog color photography.

The photographer behind Life magazine's first ever all-color photographic essay, Ernst Haas made (and captured) history as an early adopter of Kodachrome film.

The Austrian-born artist had already established himself as a black and white photographer when he moved to America in 1951. But as a member of the renowned Magnum agency, he transformed the genre with his color-saturated images, the perfect medium for capturing America's geographic and cultural landscapes.

From desert storms, Route 66 gas stations, and Las Vegas neon to rolling prairie, dilapidated farms, small-town parades, and city sidewalks, Haas' perfectly composed images, contain a distinct pictorial language, suffused with poetry, pattern, and light. At the same time his pictures communicate a journalist's point of view, whether the subject is rural poverty, suburban comfort, or the myth of the American West.

This remarkable compendium of the work of Ernst Haas offers a magnificent vision of America as captured through the lens of a camera combined with an artist's eye for form and feature.

Critique: Ernst Haas (1921 - 1986) is acclaimed as one of the most celebrated and influential photographers of the 20th century and considered one of the pioneers of color photography. Haas was born in Vienna in 1921, and took up photography after the war. His early work on Austrian returning prisoners of war brought him to the attention of LIFE magazine. He declined a job offer as staff photographer in order to keep his independence. At the invitation of Robert Capa, Haas joined Magnum in 1949, developing close associations with Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Werner Bishof. Enhanced with an informative essay by photography expert Paul Lowe, the coffee-table style (9.88 x 0.94 x 11.75 inches, 1.25 pounds) volume is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library 20th Century American Photography collections. (https://ernst-haas.com/biography)

Editorial Note: Paul Lowe (https://viiphoto.com/profile/paul-lowe) is a senior lecturer in photography and an award-winning photographer. He teaches at the London College of Communication. His photographs have appeared in Time, Newsweek, Life, the Sunday Times Magazine, the Observer, and the Independent, among others.

Pools From Above
Brad Walls
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781925811971, $40.00, HC, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Pools-Above-Brad-Walls/dp/1925811972

Synopsis: With the publication of "Pools From Above", aerial photographer Brad Walls showcases his photographic images that capture the unexpected beauty, curves, hues, and textures of unique aquatic architecture from around the world. Produced over a span of three years in four countries, this photo collection is the culmination of Walls' long journey to discover the beauty in commonplace landscapes seen from unexpected vantages.

Critique: A simply fascinating coffee-table style (9.18 x 0.81 x 10.99 inches, 2.6 pounds) volume, "Pools From Above" by expert aerial photographer Brad Walls will have a very special appeal to anyone with an interest in aerial photography and photography equipment/techniques. "Pools From Above" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Photography collections.

Editorial Note: Brad Walls (https://www.bradscanvas.com) is an aerial photographer based in Sydney, Australia. His work has garnered prestigious awards and international acclaim and been published by The Washington Post, The Guardian, CNN, and The New York Times.

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