The Art of the Snowflake: A Photographic Album

by Kenneth Libbrecht

The perfect geometry and exquisite beauty of nature is nowhere so clear to us as in the snowflake. But how have we been able to appreciate this infinitesimal wonder in all its crystalline glory? This book, as much a work of art as a testament to science, reveals how one of the snowflakes most inspired photographers came to such intimate knowledge of his craft and its fleeting focus. Beautiful pictures illustrate Kenneth Libbrechts story of the microphotography of snow crystals, from the pioneering work of Wilson Bentley in the 1890s right up to Kens own innovations in our age of digital images. A breathtaking look at the works of art that melt in an instant, this is a book to page through and savor, season after season.

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Art, Science, Nature, Coffee Table Books, Reference

157 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the First Reads Giveaway program. I loved it! It is a fantastic collection, an album, of beautiful photos of natural snowflakes. The author of the book has a portable microscope that he can take with him around the country and explore and take photos of a mind-boggling variety of snowflakes. For example, I did not know that there are triangular snowflakes. The author is a physicist and he studies snow crystals in the lab. But the photos are of natural snowflakes. I was interested in this book since I am a mathematician and I study symmetry from the mathematical point of view. This semester I am auditing a beginning photography class, so it was extremely interesting to see all the photos. Thank you so much, for sending me this book, and I am sorry that it took so long to write a review.
I recommend this book to everyone who loves beauty of nature.

[Sarai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book of WONDERFUL photographs of snowflakes taken in different lighting and locations. I intended to just look at the pictures but I was so fascinated by the pictures that I had to read the captions to find out how they managed to get that shot. There isn't much text but what was there was very interesting, and the photographs are AMAZING. Check it out!

[Ashley Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a very good book! Definitely recommend

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautiful photography book I borrowed from the library, this time with text by the author (Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht, chair of the Caltech physics department), who describes his process and also talks about the weather conditions that produce much variation in size, shape, and type of ice crystal formations as it snows. Also included are quotes by Henry David Thoreau and other nature lovers regarding the beauty of snow and the awe and wonder it inspires. Part science, part art, and all very fascinating, it would make a lovely coffee table book… if I had a coffee table.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

No two snowflakes are the same and Kenneth Libbrecht should know. The photographs in this book are works of art. The minimal text explains the different types of snowflakes and how they are produced. There are also small vignettes explaining his quests for the flakes. All very interesting. A wonderful coffee table book.

[Erin Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snowflakes are beautiful natural creations, but being small and melting fast doesn't give us as much of a chance to always get a good enough look at them. This book has many detailed and close-up images of flakes as well as a fair amount of information. The images really let you see the intricate details of each flake.

[V+V MERCURII · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pictures of snowflakes and some science behind them. Read this if you want to understand snow better.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing like a big book of snowflake photographs in the middle of this heat wave. Beautiful!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs and text.

[Sarah Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dewey Number(s), per LC Catalog: 779.3

This photographic album is fascinating! I loved seeing all the intricate details in the different snowflake photos Libbrecht has taken over various years in various places. Often, he includes a little journal entry detailing the specifics of some specific sub-collections. Having loved the picture book biography Snowflake Bentley about Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, which was a favorite from my years teaching as a library media specialist, I found it touching that Libbrecht opens this book with the following quote from Bentley:
"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind."

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book of snowflake photography!!! Perfect to go along with Snowflake Bentley and see just how far the photography of snowflakes has come. Even my husband loves to leaf through it Now he and my children notice what kinds of snowflakes are falling from the sky "Look, these are those weird rod shaped snowflakes. . . look Mom, plate snowflakes."

[L.G. Estrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to pick up the large, hard-cover version of this book for a mere $5 at a sale, and I consider it to be money well spent. The illustrations are simply beautiful - simple but elegant. It is the ideal book to put on your coffee table so you can flick through it in between other things or over a cup of coffee.

[JKR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting to be blown away by the beauty of this book but ultimately felt a bit disappointed. I think it’s because a lot of the fascination I felt from looking at real snowflakes came from their perfect shapes despite their tiny size, and blowing them up to half a page seems somehow to dilute their beauty rather than accentuate it.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a photograpic album of snowflakes. So gorgeous, so unique it blew my mind. We examined it this winter and had so much fun.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous pictures of snowflakes.

[Sue Klasing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing photography, Kenneth Libbrecht

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing and beautiful photographs.

[Bill]

Sent to Macca on the ABC from a listener in the US for Xmas 2016

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband used to work down the hall from the author.

[Molly]

Really an amazing book...