National Geographic: The Photographs

by National Geographic Society

A treasury of 350 full-color photographs from the archives of the National Geographic shares a stunning array of work, reflecting the themes of The Land, Underwater, Science, The United States, and The World, by some of the world's finest photographers. Reprint.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Coffee Table Books, Reference, Travel, History

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1994

About the author

The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow portrait frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the margins surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through National Geographic Partners (a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company), the Society operates the magazine, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.

Reviews

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title photograph of this collection became iconic.The piercing eyes of Sharbat Gula,the Afghan refugee girl made her world famous when she was put on the cover of National Geographic in 1985.

She was then living in an Afghan refugee camp,in Pakistan,following the Soviet invasion.

The back cover tells a different story,Sharbat Gula again,photographed decades later,as National Geographic tracked her down again,after a lot of effort.

Hardly recognizable,she is a world- weary,middle aged woman,with a haggard look.

In between there are hundreds of memorable images including the wreck of the Titanic,wildlife,nature and much more.As usual for National Geographic,the photography is dazzling.

[Apratim Mukherjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very rare book as far as Asia is concerned.This book not only has a collection of photographs but also tells about the photographers and their assignment.The book makes you love photos.

[Sven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na meer dan een maand ben ik er eindelijk nog eens in geslaagd om twee boeken uit te krijgen. Een fantasie verhaal en een informatief boek. Tijd is iets waar we allemaal wel van tekort hebben. Tijd om de doen en laten wat we willen naast de tijd die we nodig hebben om te gaan werken of thuis de klusjes te gaan doen. Mijn gelezen infoboek gaat eigenlijk ook een beetje over tijd. Maar dan in de vorm van terugkeren naar de geschiedenis.
Het boek heeft de titel National Geographic De foto’s. Jaja, ik hoor hier en daar wat tandengeknars van mensen die liever eerst de recensie van het fantasieboek gezien hadden. Sorry, maar dat ligt terug aan de tijd. Mijn te bespreken boek moet deze week terug binnen in de bib want de uitleentijd is verstreken. Zo zie je maar dat alles in het leven met tijd te maken heeft.
Maar nu is het tijd om het boek te gaan bespreken.
Leah Bendavid-Val is een historicus van de fotografie die meer dan twintig jaar samenwerkte met Russische fotografen. Ze bracht dan ook al een paar boeken uit over deze gepassioneerde fotografen. Zo schreef ze ook verschillende boeken over de geschiedenis van National Geographic.
Zo ook dit te bespreken boek.
Iedereen kent National Geographic wel zeker?? De tv zender die, naast veel herhalingen, ons leert hoe de wereld draait en keert. Maar het magazine gaat dan wel meer richting fotografie.
Zo zag ik onlangs de serie Photographers waar Anand Varma bezig was met foto’s te maken voor het magazine. Echt zot hoeveel werk ze daar in steken. Op het einde van deze blog plaats ik wel nog even een filmpje waar je hem aan het werk kunt zien. Neenee, ge zijt niet verplicht om hem te bekijken.
Ja, terug naar het boek. Het boek gaat niet alleen over de fotografen maar ook over de geschiedenis van National Geographic. Welke beslissingen ze moesten nemen om het magazine interessant te houden. Hoe sommige fotografen moesten blijven aandringen om hun idee te mogen uitwerken om dan toch met groot plezier een artikel te krijgen waar niemand aan dacht dat het interessant zou kunnen zijn.
Het boek is tweeledig. Enerzijds de geschiedenis van NG door de fotografen en aan de andere kant de foto’s zelf. Geen interesse in de geschiedenis laat dan de tekst maar links liggen. Voor mij was hij nu wel zeer interessant. De uitleg over de materialen die ze gebruikten, de toestellen, de opstellingen. De leutige zaken maar ook de ernstige zaken die even grote problemen met zich meebrachten. Zo leer je doorheen het boek hoe de fotografen hun documentaires afwerken. Je krijgt een kijk in de beleving van hun werk.
De foto’s zelf worden mooi groot afgebeeld en begeleid door een korte tekst die duidelijk maakt waar je naar kijkt, wie het gefotografeerd heeft en waar. Soms met wat ander relevante uitleg.
Dit was dus wel degelijk een zeer interessant boek dat de fotografische kunst van het documentaire maken wat in beeld brengt. Hoe één enkele foto een grote impact kan hebben of hoe soms een reeks foto’s de informatie moet overbrengen.
Dit is toch één van de interessantste boeken die ik tot nu toe bekeken en gelezen heb over reportage fotografie. Maar ik ga jullie nu gerust laten over dit boek.

[Elaine Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative considering how much of the book is taken up by photographs. Great short history of the National Geographic and it's photographers. I'll probably be reading quite a few of their biographies or memoirs if I can find them.

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It pretty much goes without saying that the photography in this book is fantastic (it's some of the best of National Geographic, after all), but what really makes it is the accompanying text -- details about how a shot was set up, or how and where the photographer preferred to work, or what was new and innovative in the field at the time. It makes for not just a pretty read but also a really interesting one.

[Pauline Rouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply beautiful. But the girl on the cover freaks me out......she has pretty eyes....?

[Myriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectaculaires’ mAgnifiques, puissantes photographies, des œuvres d’art.
Un trésor pour les yeux à voir et revoir régulièrement.

[Shorya Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy moly this was an aesthetic book. The impact of having meaningful captions and context makes each photograph a story of its own. Often unrecognized, I loved how they talked about the photographer's journey and struggle for capturing these iconic pictures.

[Evvie Morehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing images

[Amit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small book of carefully taken photographs for the national geographic, beautiful and a glimpse into the varied world we live in. i suppose, one does not read such a book, just revisits from time to time. Photos are fix of regular and tough human conditions and of the nature, a book to accompany the movie, the secret life of Walter Mitty, though that was for Life magazine which had larger prints. 5 stars as standalone, 4 compared to books in general

[Rajesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Photographs offers readers an inside look at National Geographic and a sharp-eyed view of the world. The book showcases the skill and imagination of such notable Geographic photographers as David Doubilet, William Albert Allard, Sam Abell, Jim Stanfield, Jodi Cobb, Jim Brandenburg, David Alan Harvey, and many more. They share their techniques, as well as personal and colorful anecdotes about individual images and their adventures in the field—sometimes humorous, sometimes terrifying, always vividly compelling. Author Leah Bendavid-Val writes about the photographers’ achievements from technical, journalistic, and artistic perspectives.

Five chapters cover core National Geographic themes—wildlife on land and water; cultures in the United States and around the world; and science, from astronomy to archaeology to the human senses. The photographs in each chapter capture rare moments in nature and the lives of animals, along with defining events in the lives of people everywhere. This exquisite collection is as elegant as it is timeless.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing, breathtaking, and Beautiful. I hope someday I can take just one picture as good as these.


These photographers from the early 1900's loved their work. They lugged their heavy and fragile equipment around in the most remote areas. They even had thier developing chemicals and built improvised dark rooms. What an inspiration of commitment.

I am amazed at the ability and talent of Charles Martin, who was able to take the first color photographs underwater of fish swimming. He had to get everything right to have the lighting and even built a pontoon boat to carry his magnesium flash powder!!

I learned about the history of Kodak.


"Strive to be an individual. Once your satisfied with photographing the subject in the same style or manner, you're defeated."
- Bob Gilka



Moscow 1993
Gerd Ludwig
The picture of the childen without left hands really touched my heart. Those who know me know why it is a subject close to me.



WOW!!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to hear more back stories to the pictures. When the photographers were describing where they went and what they saw I wanted the pictures to be corresponding on the next page./ I wrote the 1st half of this review when I had the book put into the can't finish section and gave it two stars. I have finished it. I retract my 1st option and move it up to 4 stars. Goes to show sometime you just have to be in the right mind set to enjoy certain things in life.

[Far · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutley beautiful collection of images. The best part is having information to put the images into context - the message, the reason, the situation where it had been captured and how the image had been captured.



There are some of my favourite NG images in there but there are also a slew of new photographs that have gained a second look because of the stories that have been incorporated.



This was a beautiful gift to have recieved.

[Tutankhamun18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this so so much! Fascinating and beautiful photos, many of which I will soon use as reference imagery for drawings. I really like the short essays about the photographers of the national geographic during the 70s-90s. Their stories are epic adventures part scientists discovering new species and pieceing together new frankenstein cameras and part journalists and anthropologists and adventures infiltrating unknown land and customs. Great!!!

[Kelsey Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone wanting to take a deeper look at the our planet and it's inhabitants will find themselves trapped! This book was outstanding! I loved learning about the photos and the photographers and their amazing journey that they work hard to preserve the past- for the future... gives great tips for photography taking as well.

[Jagati Bagchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A picture tells a thousand words well in this case it tells an epic a human epic. These pictures are of every conceivable emotions. What amazes me is the time when they were frozen in eternity did the photogrphers anticipated such moves or were they just lucky. And at times like this you know that there is a hand of god to guide you to immortality.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply excellent. Normally with photo-heavy books I skim over the text and only read captions. With this book, however, I read every single word and gained a wealth of knowledge regarding the history and philosophies of NatGeo.

And the photos were soooo good.

I loved this! Borrowed if from a library and am considering buying it for my own collection.

[Liselotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one really made me emotional with certain photos. Usually, I'm more of a person that likes 19th century to mid 20th century photography, but this book has some really great photos. Well, obviously they have to be if they are National Geographic photos, but I don't really get moved emotionally by photos usually, but this book!!! Ugh!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a gift, and it's the perfect coffee table book. The pictures are incredible and tell real stories. The stories behind the photographs are given, and they are beautiful. It's wonderful to get a sense of past and present throughout the world.

[Dr.Nouf AlKaabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The picture in the book were amazing.
The book was mostly concentrating on how national geographic's photographer developed and what they faced. I learen that to be a photographer you need more than a "camera".

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

National Geographic: The Photographs by Leah Bendavid-Val (National Geographic 1994) (778.9907). This is a huge coffee-table book and is quite simply the greatest collection of photographs ever assembled by National Geographic. My rating: 8/10, finished 1995.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. The back story on how the images came to be, the creative process descriptions and the personal artistic philosophies of the photographers made this book fascinating and Inspiring.

[Serge Pierro · Rating 4 out of 5]

National Geographic is known for their outstanding photography, and this collection proves it. An amazing array of top notch photographs covering a wide range of subjects from the pages of the magazine.

[deleted d · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww a true favorite, I read it as a kid, the photographes are absolutely beautiful and inspire a kid and show a glimpse of the world, very romantic haha.

I reread it every year or two and the pictures and the stories they portray are mesmerizing, I wish I had this book next to me right now...

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice little compact edition of some of best photographs taken by National Geographic Magazine. Included are essays grouping the stories which tell a bit about the changing nature of the magazine's editorial policies and the photographers they've worked with.

[The Badger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The range of emotions evoked by these photographs is staggering. What talent these photographers have to not only have the ability to share what they see, but to force their audience to stop and FEEL...

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another one of those collections where I wish I could give it more than 5 stars - more like 20?

[Miguel Ángel Vilela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long time I finished reading this one, but I'd gladly read it again.
Good lessons about photography. And about life.

[Margarite Baltruweit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Photographs offers readers an inside look at National Geographic and a sharp-eyed view of the world.