Good New Flower Photography Book

I've read a lot of books on Flower Photography. Christopher Beane's "Flower" stands above the others. This is a large format "coffee table book" that has 150 portrait pictures of flowers.

Most of the pictures go in very tight on the flowers which allows the formal aspects of the picture to be explored; pattern, color and texture. If you have seen my flower pictures you know this is the way I prefer to see them.

Beane has developed this body of work over years. Even though these are all tight flower shots there is remarkable diversity: color, black and white, groupings, black background, white background and even vibrant abstract backgrounds.

I found the pictures of chewed dying leaves (such as "Hops Camouflage 2000") to lack much appeal, but most of the other pictures work well. I think they would fit well into a healthcare interior.

This is a high quality publication: paper and printing (in Singapore) are first class. Many flower books are lean on text, but here the text by Anthony Janson was useful even if he did tend to gush a bit with phrases like ""one of the greatest photographers I have ever run across."

To learn more about the book: www.christopherbeane.net

Comments

[John Storjohann]

Henry, if you haven't read them already, you may also be interested in the books of Harold Feinstein as well (http://www.haroldfeinstein.com/Books.htm#). He has, like you, also done some very good work with seashells.

[Christopher Beane]

Thanks for the review! wow you've accumulated what seems to be an extensive body of work as well. Nice to see someone as devoted to floral photography as well! You seem to get out and do a lot of traveling to find your subjects, which i admire.

Thanks again for for the review and buying the book as well. when can i buy your book?

Best wishes

Christopher Beane

[hdomke]

John,
I agree, Harold Feinstein has done some fine flower photography as well. I just pulled his book "One Hundred Flowers" out of my book case. Compared to Beane's pictures, Feinstein seems a bit more static and predictable to my eyes.

[hdomke]

Christopher,
"when can I buy your book?"
People are pushing me to make a book, but I can't get around the economics of it. From what I read, the vast majority of photo books are money losers.

Am I misinformed about the issue of money?

Then people tell me that it is great for PR for selling my prints. That I can understand, but I prefer to give people small portfolios of my prints to promote my work. Then I can assure the quality.

[flower printing]

Then people tell me that it is great for PR for selling my prints. That I can understand, but I prefer to give people small portfolios of my prints to promote my work. Then I can assure the quality.