It's 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 single arresting moment that cap-tures the viewer's imagination.And though we may find this elusive quality hard to define,we recognze is imme-diately and instinctively. William Albert Allard,one of the essayists 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 cornetr 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 i

From the camera lucida to the latest in digital image makingand computer manipulation, photographic technology has dramaticallychanged throughout its nearly 200-year history, as succinctlyexplained and powerfully illustrated in "A World History ofPhotography". Thanks to the unique immediacy with which photographycaptures perspective and history, the popularity and use of thecamera spread rapidly around the globe. Today, photography isubiquitous: from newspapers and fashion magazines to billboards andthe film industry, cultures worldwide have embraced this malleableartistic medium for a limitless variety of purposes. NaomiRosenblum's classic text investigates all aspects of photography -aesthetic, documentary, commercial, and technical - while placingphotos in their historical context. Included among the more than800 photographs by men and women are both little-known andcelebrated masterpieces, arranged in stimulating juxtapositionsthat illuminate their visual power. Authoritative and unbiased,Rosenblum's chr

ANSEL ADAMS: 400 PHOTOGRAPHS presents the full spectrum ofAdams' work in a single volume for the first time, offering thelargest available compilation from his legendary photographiccareer. Beautifully produced and presented in an attractivelandscape trim, ANSEL ADAMS: 400 PHOTOGRAPHS will appeal to ageneral gift-book audience as well as Adams' legions of dedicatedfans and students. The photographs are arranged chronologically into five majorperiods, from his first photographs made in Yosemite and the HighSierra in 1916 to his work in the National Parks in the 1940s up tohis last important photographs from the 1960s. An introduction andbrief essays on selected images provide information aboutAdams'life, document the evolution of his technique, and give voice tohis artistic vision. Few artists of any era can claim to have produced four hundredimages of lasting beauty and significance. It is a testament toAdams' vision and lifetime of hard work that a book of this scalecan be compiled. ANSEL

Greece's historical and cultural legacy is set amidst landscapes and seascapes of breathtaking beauty. Noted photographer Rainer Kiedrowski's luminous color images reveal the wonders of Greece both natural and man-made in this stunning visual survey. His beautifully composed pictures capture everything from the mountainside monasteries, unspoiled villages, ancient olive groves, white beaches, and ludicrously blue-heaven waters on the blindingly bright islands, to the paradox of modern life in ancient Athens. This portrait of a country unique in charm and beauty will be the perfect keepsake for any traveler. Superb collection of color photographs that captures the wonders of Greece both natural and man-made. This is the third in teNeues' successful color version of its Photopocket series.

Birds have been a source of fascination and mystery for humans throughout the world, and throughout time.The Encyclopedia of Birds reveals in striking detail the rich variety of bird life,from the exotic to the common that we can see everyday in our locality; birds whose songs and silhouettes in flight we often take for granted. But you will also find, photographed close-up with stunning clarity, occasional visitors to these shores, together with images of birds from all over the world.Splendidly illustrated, featuring more than 400 species in a highly informative text,The Encyclopedia of Birds offers a window on the world of the extraordinary diversity of birds on our planet.

The Great LIFE Photographers is the most comprehensive anthology of LIFE photography ever published, featuring the best work of every staff photographer who worked for the famous magazine, and that of a handful of others who shot for LIFE. It was always the photographers who made LIFE great, and this is the most vivid and exciting portrait of those men and women that has ever been produced. The book offers more than 100 portfolios including those of Alfred Eisenstaedt, Margaret Bourke-White, Carl Mydans, Gordon Parks, W. Eugene Smith, Robert Capa, Ralph Morse, Nina Leen, Harry Benson, Philippe Halsman, and Joe McNally, whose work for LIFE in the aftermath of September 11 was in the finest tradition of the magazine. Each portfolio includes a short biography, offering an intimate look at the people behind the lens. Here are the defining moments of the 20th century, including MacArthur wading ashore by Mydans, Capa's D-Day landing at Omaha Beach and, of course, Eisenstaedt's sailor kissing th

A stunning photographic compilation showcasing Audrey Hepburn s iconic career in the 1950s the decade that solidified her place as one of the world s greatest stars in film and fashion. Devoted to her most influential decade, Audrey: The 50s brings together in one volume the allure and elegance that made Audrey Hepburn the most iconic figure in modern fashion history. Photographed during the early days of her career, both on the sets of Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Funny Face, and other classic films, and in fashion photo shoots by top photographers who adored and immortalized her, these beautiful black-and-white and color images radiate with Audrey s waifish charm, ethereal beauty, and effortless style. Renowned author, curator and photographic preservationist David Wills has carefully selected this collection of two hundred museum-quality photos that capture Audrey in her prime as never before. Audrey: The 50s displays this star at her brightest, and brings her legacy into perfect focus. Among the highli