| Natural Beauty : Farber Nudes
by Robert Farber, Arnold Newman (Preface) Hardcover - 208 pages (October 2001) Merrell Publishers; ISBN: 1858941369 book review by Rolando Gomez |
| Natural Beauty : Farber Nudes is not your common photography book. Published by Merrell Publishers Limited, from London, Natural Beauty is rather large in size, and the entire book is printed on heavy, premium paper stock--the way an image would be professionally printed and displayed in an art gallery or museum. The reader could literally take an Exacto knife and "cut" the images, mat them, and frame them to hang on their walls. I don’t recommend this and only say this as an analogy to inform the audience about the type of quality used in the manufacturing of this "must have for collectors" book. I have learned over time that there is a difference between pictures and photographs--Farber creates photographs that envoke emotions in this book, my favorite featured here on this page. Farber is not a "picture-taker," he’s a photographer who creates art with his photography. Those that have studied art, realize that art must contain form, and form is abundant throughout Farber’s photographs.  Farber knows how to capture the viewer with his images, and he does this with not just his framing, but by taking into account all the technical aspects involved in photography. If there is one photographer who has mastered the art of "thinking like the film" before the exposure, it’s Farber. This is evident in Natural Beauty : Farber Nudes especially when the reader turns to the "Working Methods" section, where Farber explains about the film types he uses and why. In this section you’ll also find out what type of cameras, lenses, lighting, digital imaging, scanning, etc., that he prefers and why. As an example, in the lighting section, he states, "I enjoy both studio lighting and natural light…I prefer working with soft window light from the north, or hard, direct sunlight for more drama. You will find examples of both of these types of lighting in images throughout the book." Natural Beauty, has "thumbnails" of all the "plates" of images found in the book. In this section, called, "Technical Notes," the reader finds how each image was created—all in very simple terms. Farber used different types of film and camera formats, from AFGAchrome to Polapan and even negative color film. Farber used 35mm, medium format, and even Minox in this book. His use of light, from strobe, tungsten to existing light reinforces the viewer with his mastery of light. I own this and other Farber books--and this is a must have of any Farber collection. You can also order your copy of Natural Beauty : Farber Nudes by clicking on the title found on anywhere on this page. If you would like your book reviewed and placed on Garage Glamour™ contact Rolando at rolando@garageglamour.com |
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