Posted by Ruth Miller on Tue 15th January 2008 at 06:00 AM, Filed in Travel Books
Istanbul: City of a Hundred Names is a travel book borne out of Alex Webb’s experiences spent photographing life along the Rio Grande which traverses between the US and Mexico. But this book throws the spotlight on another prominent border i.e Istanbul’s position between two continents.
The photography is simply breathtaking covering shadowy vistas and bright night piazzas. The writing goes hand in hand with the pictures and is orchestrated by Webb’s fellow author Prhan Pamuk whose subject is hüzün, the Turkish for melancholy, which, he says, “has been central to Istanbul culture, poetry, and everyday life over the past two centuries”.
This book retails for £27.50 ($55) and is worth every penny for it’s rich tapestry of depiction.
Posted by Ruth Miller on Mon 14th January 2008 at 06:00 AM, Filed in Travel Books
As some one who takes a special pleasure in beautiful landscapes I was particularly interested in taking a look at the Landscape Photogrpaher of the Year: Collection 1.
Charlie Waite who dreamt up the Landscape Photographer of the Year Award says in the intro of this book “The beauty and variety of the British landscape holds a unique place in the hearts of many and it has been enormously gratifying for me to see how this variety has been so comprehensively embraced.”
The principal influences in the book are the Highlands, Lake District, and various bits of coastal geography. It also includes images of the London Eye reflected in a puddle and a vandalised bus shelter of all things…
One of the most interesting chapters is “Living the View” which includes landscapes that are populated by surfers, rowers, jugglers and mountain bikers amongst others. This is the first volume with others to follow - I for one will be waiting with baited breath for the next volume.
Posted by Ruth Miller on Fri 11th January 2008 at 06:00 AM, Filed in Travel Books
If you’re looking for some off the wall travel reading then look no further than American Waters by Alex Kirkbride.
Described by some as the weirdest wackiest US road trip in history.
The author Alex Kirkbride who is a photographer and scuba diver decided to spend 3 years traversing the US. However, there’s a twist. He did it with the intention of relaying his experiences through the eyes of an alligator or fish or turtle. Weird ehhh....
His adventures include sitting in a cattle water tank in Kansas, snorkelling in a Massachusetts bog and strangest of all sitting in a puddle situated on a New York highway. This is all very odd but makes for very entertaining reading. As you would expect the pictures are wacky but wonderful.
The nub of the book is summed up in the intro - “Jean-Michel Cousteau says, to rethink what water means in our lives".”
American Waters by Alex Kirkbride, retails for £18.99 ($38).
