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Holiday Book Guide

OP’s annual selection of books for outdoor photo enthusiasts

This Article Features Photo Zoom

Lining the bookshelf with new large-format photography hardcovers this holiday season shouldn’t be too difficult. For the globetrotting photographer, there’s no shortage of dramatic, colorful pictorials taken in places across the United States and around the world. From Arizona to Antarctica, images taken by such celebrated photographers as Steve Bloom, John Isaac, David Muench, Sebastião Salgado and William Neill fill the pages of the books selected for this year’s holiday roundup.

A World History of Photography by Naomi Rosenblum (Abbeville Press, 2008; ISBN: 978-0-7892-0937-5). In this collection of more than 800 photographs are little-known and celebrated masterpieces. Naomi Rosenblum explores the diverse roles that photography has played in the communication of ideas. Profiles are given of photographers who have made notable contributions to the medium or epitomized a certain style.

Africa by Sebastião Salgado (Taschen, 2007; ISBN: 978-3-82285-6-215). The photojournalist has spent 30 years documenting Africa. He selected the powerful black-and-white images contained in this volume, which is broken into three parts—the southern part of the continent, the Great Lakes region and the sub-Saharan region.

Arizona by David Muench (Graphic Arts Books, 2007; ISBN: 978-1-55868-986-2). The world-renowned landscape photographer has explored the Arizona landscape for more than 50 years. Filling the pages are photographs of the cliff dwellings, rock formations, giant saguaro cactus and evergreen forests that make this state so geographically rich.

Between Ocean and Bay: A Celebration of the Eastern Shore by Jim Clark (Mountain Trail Press, 2008; ISBN: 978-0-9799171-5-8). OP Contributing Editor Jim Clark shows off the eastern shores of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, spanning the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. The book contains 120 images of wildlife, beaches, farms and seaside communities. It’s also filled with the photographer’s notes and extended captions detailing each photograph.

Canada by Daryl Benson (Cullor Books, 2008; ISBN: 978-0968457641). A collection of 144 color and black-and-white images fill this beautifully bound edition. From the Queen Charlotte Islands of western British Columbia to the eastern edge of Cape Spear in Newfoundland and Labrador, Benson crisscrosses his homeland. He also includes a series of short stories on his travels and experiences while photographing the book.

Canyon Wilderness of the Southwest by Jon Ortner (Welcome Books, 2008; ISBN: 978-1-59962-056-5). This limited edition features more than 200 full-color photographs accompanied by quotes from authors, travelers and naturalists inspired by the Southwest. Timeworn canyons, mesas and vast windswept deserts are shown along with the rock formations, buttes, towers, arches and domes that make up these 130,000 square miles.

Equus by Tim Flach (Abrams, 2008; ISBN: 978-0-8109-7142-4). Taking seven years to complete, this book offers an intensely moving look at the spirit and physical dynamics of horses. Tim Flach traveled all over the world photographing a variety of breeds, from the prized Arabians in the Royal Yards of the United Arab Emirates to the wild horses that roam Mongolia. The photos were taken in a variety of settings, including in a studio, underwater in a training pool and from the back of a motorcycle.

India: In Word & Image by Eric Meola (Welcome Books, 2008; ISBN: 978-1-59962-049-7). From the Himalayas and the monasteries in the north to the temples of Tamil Nadu in the south, Eric Meola shoots the country from all sides. Edited down from 25,000 images, the book contains more than 200 showing India’s people, landscapes, architecture, celebrations and art.

Inside Iran by Mark Edward Harris and Abbas Kiarostami (Chronicle Books, 2008; ISBN: 978-0-8118-6330-8). Iran is a place seldom seen or understood. Award-winning photographer Mark Edward Harris traveled the country, capturing images of daily life, from contemporary Tehran to historic cities like Qom and Shiraz. The photos are accompanied by short essays and extended captions.

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