National Geographic Stunning Photographs

by Annie Griffiths

Capturing the moment in which a firecracker explodes into a burst of electric energy or the last rays of the sun as it stretches across a red-rock valley, certain special photos offer an unrivalled conduit to the world around us. Shot by National Geographic's most renowned photographers and peppered throughout with inspiring quotations, Stunning Photographs is a vibrant tapestry of images that showcases the medium's ability to reveal extraordinary moments of wit and discovery, harmony and intimacy, energy and joy. Definitive, striking, and always unstaged, the remarkable pictures in this book will appeal to all who want to enjoy the smorgasbord of colors, textures, and sensations that comprise the fabric of everyday life.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Nature, Coffee Table Books, Art, Adult

400 pages, Hardcover

First published October 28, 2014

About the author

Annie Griffiths (born 1953) is an American photographer known for her work at National Geographic and a founder of Ripple Effect Images.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_G...


She publishes also as Annie Griffiths Belt

Reviews

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think it'll shock anyone to hear that a collection of National Geographic photos is impressive. Photos are kind of their specialty.from people to landscapes, the photographers who work for National Geographic know what they're doing.

This particular volume is light on text, with very short intros for each section that are pleasant but not essential. Exactly appropriate, since we're all here for the pretty pictures to begin with. The photos are separated into six sections based on a particular strength: Mystery, Harmony, Wit, Discovery, Energy, and Intimacy. Every section had amazing photographs in it, but my favorites were the sly and unexpected photos in Wit, and the quiet, sweet photos in Intimacy.

A great gift book for Christmas, or the perfect book to bring home from the library on a cold day.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was aptly named! You will not be disappointed.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

_Actual Rating: 3.75 stars_

This was a book that I would have really enjoyed, There was beautiful and talented pictures full of emotion, life and colors. And there were also a few quotes that hit home.

So what made me lean away? It was the writing by the author. Where she had a chapter introduction the writing was bland and felt like she was trying to educate you the way she views the world of photography so basically after the second sentence you wanted to throw in the tail.

Another point was at a few spots she even admitted no two people will interpret photos the same way yet the grouping prejudged the photos presented to the reader. Even though chapters cam make for easy organization not everyone will categorize them the same.

If interested stay away from the actual reading and just enjoy the photos.

[El · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning photos with some nice introductions as well. Surprisingly well written reflections for a book focused on images.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

The majority of the book does indeed have stunning photos, but the people photos detract from the book. Most of the human pictures were just not up to the term 'stunning'. Women's legs underwater, a baby lying with a kitten, a couple bent over a railing looking our at a basilica that includes more of the room than the building, kids sleeping or being played with in church - decidedly not stunning.

A few of my favorites
p. 276 falls spilling onto a rocky landscape - Iceland
p. 257 fog enclosed ship - Massachusetts
p 244 caravan of camels t sunset along a beach - Australia
the best:
p 146 a white swan feather in a lake with fall coloring - Russia
p 136 snow covered trees reflected in a blue pond - Japan

[Seema · Rating 5 out of 5]

National Geographic photographers never disappoint. For anyone who loves landscape travel photography, I’d recommend exiting Instagram and putting down your phone. There is something so much more tangible about holding a coffee table book in your hands staring at a collection of, yes, stunning photos (with well-placed quotes by famous photographers as a bonus). I love how Annie Griffiths curated the photos in the following categories: Mystery, Harmony, Wit, Discovery, Energy and Intimacy. I had fun picking my favorites in each section. Harmony & Wit had the most favorites for me.

[Debi Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and entertaining. A beautiful book to look at again and again.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully captured images and lovely commentary to accompany the different sections of photos.

[BookBec · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite is the Spanish beach soccer photo on pages 162-3.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are naive or foolish enough to think photography doesn't take skill the way painting, sculpting, or other arts do, think again.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5

[Miss Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[saturn · Rating 5 out of 5]

can’t really consider this a read but had a great time flipping through the entire thing at the dentist

[RumBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning, beautiful, luminous and so much more. These photos were kinetic and lovely, quiet and still and just amazing. One of my favorites was a hibiscus flower floating out in turquoise water. The photo looked like it was taken underwater, looking up at the flower. It was spectacular. The pictures of lightning were astonishing as well. A remarkable collection.

[Dusty Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just as it says filled with Stunning Photographs. My husband and I used it as our guest book at our wedding. Several guests looked through the pictures and said there were so many beautiful ones they didn't know chich one to choose. The quality of the photographs were far superior overall then the previous National geographic books released over the past few years (national geographic simply beautiful photographs and national geographic dawn to dark photographs). Dawn to Dark had many great photos, but had more of people than landscape. This book was mainly landscapes or public celebrations.

[Doug Dams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book lived up to its title. It is filled with Stunning Photographs. The book is divided into 6 sections (Mystery, Harmony, Wit, Discovery, Energy and Intimacy). Before each section there's a description of what is meant by the sections title and how the photographs demonstrate that. The intros are worth reading and the photographs are worth seeing several times. I looked at the photographs several times and enjoyed them each time. Annie Griffiths is a National Geographic Photographer and has plenty to say about good photographs. I'd recommend this book to anyone.

[Brigid · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are stunning photographs, and lots of them. This book is divided into sections (Mystery, Harmony, Wit, Discovery, Energy, and Intimacy) with accompanying text for each one, along with scattered quotes from photographers. Some of the photos have background from the photographer about how they took it. Some of my favorites include the polar bear, the seagulls on the giant baseball glove, and the brittle star and starfish.

[Stanislav Shmelev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immensely honoured to have my work published in this beautiful album. 'The vibrant tapestry of images, shot by some of National Geographic's most renowned photographers'. My image, 'Complex Systems. Dorset' has been recently exhibited in Parque Kennedy in Lima, Peru in conjunction with the Global Landscapes Forum and UNFCCC COP20.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing stunning photographs.

[Catarina Mexia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fotos estonteantes, uma selecção muito boa

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning Indeed!

[deleted d · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great pictures but not much explanation or telling the story behind them, so I didn't enjoy it as much

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this while reading a quilting book on Visual Coloring- taking color combinations from photos. I did find some ideas!

[Judy Egnew Ness · Rating 5 out of 5]

The photographs are absolutely stunning. I could have spent hours looking at each one!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning Indeed!

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful images with knowledge shared and inspirations voiced.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning is the right word for most of the photography in this book. Wow!

[Raymond Bial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book.