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Prince: A Private View
Featuring a foreword by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.
Afshin Shahidi met Prince in 1993 and soon became his cinematographer and later one of the only people allowed to photograph him. He collaborated with Prince longer than any other photographer. Afshin was the only photographer allowed to shoot the legendary 3121 private parties in Los Angeles that became the most sought after invitations in Hollywood; some of those photos are included in this book.
Prince: A Private View compiles photographer Afshin Shahidi’s work into a journey through Prince's extraordinary life. With never-before-seen photos, it is the ultimate collection of shots of Prince. Brief, but complete and rich, stories about Shahidi and Prince’s collaboration and time together are alternately incisive, personal, and even funny.
Afshin Shahidi met Prince in 1993 and soon became his cinematographer and later one of the only people allowed to photograph him. He collaborated with Prince longer than any other photographer. Afshin was the only photographer allowed to shoot the legendary 3121 private parties in Los Angeles that became the most sought after invitations in Hollywood; some of those photos are included in this book.
Prince: A Private View compiles photographer Afshin Shahidi’s work into a journey through Prince's extraordinary life. With never-before-seen photos, it is the ultimate collection of shots of Prince. Brief, but complete and rich, stories about Shahidi and Prince’s collaboration and time together are alternately incisive, personal, and even funny.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
February 12, 2019
The pictures are gorgeous! And the behind the scenes anecdotes give a bit of insight into how amazing Prince was. Loved it
December 2, 2017
I love photography/art books and one with an author taking us behind the scenes? Yes please. And I did enjoy the pictures and the stories of how they were obtained, the little moments were awesome....what I didn't enjoy were the random dreams that the author inserted into the book. I have no idea why they were there, or what they had to do with anything; it felt like a desperate "we need to fill space....write something" moment...and it detracts from the main purpose.
October 28, 2017
Powerful forward by Beyoncé. Sweet, funny and interesting anecdotes from Shahdidi about his long working relationship and friendship with Prince. Photographs are absolutely stunning. Nice mix of portraits, concert photos and artistic reimaginings. Very thankful for this beautiful collection that helps preserves the Purple One's legacy.
November 28, 2017
Wonderful pictures and stories! I only wish some of the fonts were slightly larger especially the dream stories. Some insight into what happened between 2011 and his death would have also helped in understanding this unique relationship.
December 21, 2017
Often when an artist passes there seems to be a flurry of merchandise put together last minute with no soul. Thankfully this was a great exception. Just a wonderful look at the relationship of two creatives and their friendship.
November 1, 2017
Beautiful, and fascinating. I reviewed Prince: A Private View for The Current.
January 23, 2021
4.5 stars
The lack of .5 from 5 stars is because the book contained dreams from the author. I don't know if these where real dreams the author had or written as dream stories from lessons he learned from Prince or actual events altered to protect Prince, either way I didn't look forward to those short passage. It disrupted the flow of the book in my opinion.
Overall, I like the book and to experience Prince from the view of Afshin's lens.
The stories behind some of pictures gave a little behind the scene peek of the artist, his personality, and beliefs. I was particularly interested in Prince talking about his Jehovah Witness faith to Afshin and taking him to a Kingdom Hall when they were out of the states.
The foreword by Beyoncé was a nice reminder that they did preform together.
I would reccomend for any Prince fan who enjoys looking at Prince and wants little behind the scenes snippets. I wouldn't read again but it would be a nice coffee table book.
The lack of .5 from 5 stars is because the book contained dreams from the author. I don't know if these where real dreams the author had or written as dream stories from lessons he learned from Prince or actual events altered to protect Prince, either way I didn't look forward to those short passage. It disrupted the flow of the book in my opinion.
Overall, I like the book and to experience Prince from the view of Afshin's lens.
The stories behind some of pictures gave a little behind the scene peek of the artist, his personality, and beliefs. I was particularly interested in Prince talking about his Jehovah Witness faith to Afshin and taking him to a Kingdom Hall when they were out of the states.
The foreword by Beyoncé was a nice reminder that they did preform together.
I would reccomend for any Prince fan who enjoys looking at Prince and wants little behind the scenes snippets. I wouldn't read again but it would be a nice coffee table book.
March 19, 2020
I liked this book, but I just didn't love it. I couldn't figure out why. I mean, it's pictures of Prince! What's not to love? After reading a few other reviews, I think I feel the same as some of the other three-and-fewer star reviews. The subtitle A Private View is too misleading. Maybe it should've been Prince: Some Photos and a Few Anecdotes About the Photos and Also Some Weird Dreams that are Irrelevant but the Author Felt the Need to Include.
There are some fantastic pictures, and there are a lot that are more throw-away. I also get the idea behind including all the blurry pictures, but there were quite a few of them, and not all of them convey the movement and action like the author intended. Not every photo has an accompanying story, so those feel less significant.
Overall, I'd recommend that this one be checked out from the library but you probably don't need to add it to your collection (unless you find it at a discount!)
There are some fantastic pictures, and there are a lot that are more throw-away. I also get the idea behind including all the blurry pictures, but there were quite a few of them, and not all of them convey the movement and action like the author intended. Not every photo has an accompanying story, so those feel less significant.
Overall, I'd recommend that this one be checked out from the library but you probably don't need to add it to your collection (unless you find it at a discount!)
March 20, 2018
That beautiful creature, so gentle and full of fun. I am surprised by how many drugstore cosmetics Prince used, rather than expensive bespoke products.
October 27, 2017
Prince’s former photographer has created a book that is a must-have for any Prince fan. The photos and stories provide an inside look at an artist famous for keeping his life quite private. This book is put together beautifully, and it includes a number of lesser-known photos (which was a real treat!). It's a wonderful tribute to Prince. Thank you for sharing this with the world, Afshin.
April 16, 2021
Using stunning photos accompanied by short stories Afshin Shahidi took me on a wonderful journey into the decade long relationship he shared with Prince as his personal photographer. This book is a wonderful tribute to Prince. In it there are over 250 pictures. Most of which have never been released before. With each picture Afshin describes where the picture was taken and what Prince was doing. I really enjoyed this journey. It definitely made me realize how much I miss Prince! He was truly one of a kind💜!
This was a very quick read. I read it in less than two hours. But the focal point of the book is not the stories, instead it is the beautiful photos of Prince and his friends that creates this beautiful visual tapestry.
Oh and I must not forget, the foreword written by Beyoncé.
This was a very quick read. I read it in less than two hours. But the focal point of the book is not the stories, instead it is the beautiful photos of Prince and his friends that creates this beautiful visual tapestry.
Oh and I must not forget, the foreword written by Beyoncé.
September 24, 2018
Reviewing a book of this type is difficult. I mean, it's a book full of Prince photos, one of the greatest musicians of my generation, and one who had a great impact on my life. So unless it's just flat out untrue to that description (which it isn't) it kind of already succeeds.
On the other hand, the text accompanying the photos I felt was poorly written and illustrated what seemed to me just a casual acquaintance between author and subject. There's no real look behind the scenes , there's no real view into the life. The subtitle, "A Private View" may describe what Afshin thought he was getting, though in fact, he was very much getting the public view, the same public view that can be seen in thousands and thousands of better photographs elsewhere.
In brief, there's nothing here that stands out. There are some good photos and some touching anecdotes, but nothing that goes beneath the surface.
On the other hand, the text accompanying the photos I felt was poorly written and illustrated what seemed to me just a casual acquaintance between author and subject. There's no real look behind the scenes , there's no real view into the life. The subtitle, "A Private View" may describe what Afshin thought he was getting, though in fact, he was very much getting the public view, the same public view that can be seen in thousands and thousands of better photographs elsewhere.
In brief, there's nothing here that stands out. There are some good photos and some touching anecdotes, but nothing that goes beneath the surface.
March 29, 2024
Gorgeous pictures of Prince, i loved the stories behind them. All the anecdotes were so great to read, I laughed and cried my eyes out at the same time. I still miss him so much, the Purple One & His Royal Badness.
“I don’t need any pyro, I am the special effects.”
- Prince Rogers Nelson 💜👑
“I don’t need any pyro, I am the special effects.”
- Prince Rogers Nelson 💜👑
April 22, 2018
Beautiful photos collected from one of Prince's former photographers. I would have loved more text on his experiences working with Prince and the context from some of the photos, but overall a lovely collection.
April 19, 2018
Granted, this is being reviewed by a bonafide Prince junky, but honestly this book was both a delight to look at and to read. The author's close personal relationship with Prince - over 20+ years - gave him a wealth of experiences and conversations to re-tell, and he just painted such a lovely picture of both how unique Prince was (he never had a cell phone and always called to talk to him from a random person's phone who was close by to him) and how much he cared about those close to him (one story involved Prince calling the author, not speaking for a bit, and then saying "you need to put your seat belt on Afshin, you have a wife and kids who love you." When the author asked him how he knew he wasn't wearing a seat belt in his car, Prince responded with "I can hear the beeping in your car, and it could have been you recording me - which I know you would never do - or you weren't wearing your seat belt. Put it on now.").
I loved it!
I loved it!
January 3, 2018
This is a photographic book, the collection of which has been mostly unseen before Prince's death. Taken by a personal photographer, they cover the years of 2002 until 2011. He does explain some of them, describing the situation or what took place, and there is a full index of places and dates.
It was an insight into the life of Prince, but sadly I had hoped it would cover earlier years, from the 1990's as Afshin Shahidi said he did work with Prince from 1993. I also felt it was clear that Afshin knew Prince's second wife well as there were several photos with her with Prince, and yet none of Prince's first wife Mayte, whom he must have taken shots if he worked with Prince from 1993.
But it was a personal collection of Afshin Shahidi, so it was his choice what he put it. And I am grateful for an insight into a man I very much loved and admired.
It was an insight into the life of Prince, but sadly I had hoped it would cover earlier years, from the 1990's as Afshin Shahidi said he did work with Prince from 1993. I also felt it was clear that Afshin knew Prince's second wife well as there were several photos with her with Prince, and yet none of Prince's first wife Mayte, whom he must have taken shots if he worked with Prince from 1993.
But it was a personal collection of Afshin Shahidi, so it was his choice what he put it. And I am grateful for an insight into a man I very much loved and admired.
March 26, 2018
Prince: A Private View by Afshin Shahidi gives us access any groupie would fight for. We see vivid backstage moments, conversations, and performances of Prince and his band. With a forward by Beyonce, we learn of Prince as a man who poured into new talent at every opportunity. In my opinion the most important insight here was the support and mentoring that grew between these two artists. The author was a passionate young man with no experience and a rented camera. Prince saw something in him and nurtured his talent into a partnership and fruitful career. Several times it's mentioned that Prince would gently challenge his work, and talk to him about God, and his family. In the book Shahidi recalls several dreams he's had of Prince, and if we can glean anything from these unconscious anecdotes, it's that Prince left such a profound impression on the lives of his friends that they are still grappling with their loss and love for him.
August 22, 2019
For the last 18 months it’s been hard for a rabid Prince fan like me to find joy, and when I ordered “Prince: A Private View” I knew I’d been in for a treat (Afshin Shahidi is a top-notch photographer who did amazing work with Prince, as we see in the book). There’s no question about it: this book has some of the most stellar photography I’ve seen. Absolutely stunning, and blows all those other post-Prince photography books away.
Reading “Prince: A Private View” sent me to Prince’s heaven, with each page bringing me back to memories of tours, concerts, and music. It was good to feel the giddy-obsession I once had of Prince without breaking down in tears, but there’s always “Man, wish he were here to see this.”
If you’re looking for that perfect book that embodies who Prince truly was, this is it.
Reading “Prince: A Private View” sent me to Prince’s heaven, with each page bringing me back to memories of tours, concerts, and music. It was good to feel the giddy-obsession I once had of Prince without breaking down in tears, but there’s always “Man, wish he were here to see this.”
If you’re looking for that perfect book that embodies who Prince truly was, this is it.
October 15, 2019
Tassello fondamentale di ogni appassionato di Prince, questo libro di Shahidi è un prezioso documentario che racconta Prince dal 2002 al 2011, anni fra i più significativi di questo straordinario Artista.
Gli scatti che Shahidi ha selezionato per ‘A Private View’ sono intimi e moderni, ritratto di uno dei soggetti sicuramente più belli e curiosi da fotografare.
Raccontando anche curiosi aneddoti che lo hanno visto protagonista, l’Autore ci ha regalato momenti di intensa passione.
A fondo libro ci sono anche le foto fatte nella villa di Los Angeles, nella quale Prince era solito tenere feste e concerti privati con alcune dei più grandi nomi del jaz set internazionale, come Stevie Wonder, Salma Hayek, Spyke Lee, Joni Mitchell, Mattew McConaughey, Dustin Offman, Renèe Zellweger, Samuel Jackson e tanti, tanti altri.
Bellissimo, da sfogliare con gusto.
Gli scatti che Shahidi ha selezionato per ‘A Private View’ sono intimi e moderni, ritratto di uno dei soggetti sicuramente più belli e curiosi da fotografare.
Raccontando anche curiosi aneddoti che lo hanno visto protagonista, l’Autore ci ha regalato momenti di intensa passione.
A fondo libro ci sono anche le foto fatte nella villa di Los Angeles, nella quale Prince era solito tenere feste e concerti privati con alcune dei più grandi nomi del jaz set internazionale, come Stevie Wonder, Salma Hayek, Spyke Lee, Joni Mitchell, Mattew McConaughey, Dustin Offman, Renèe Zellweger, Samuel Jackson e tanti, tanti altri.
Bellissimo, da sfogliare con gusto.
July 5, 2023
For the last 18 months it’s been hard for a rabid Prince fan like me to find joy, and when I ordered “Prince: A Private View” I knew I’d been in for a treat (Afshin Shahidi is a top-notch photographer who did amazing work with Prince, as we see in the book). There’s no question about it: this book has some of the most stellar photography I’ve seen. Absolutely stunning, and blows all those other post-Prince photography books away.
Reading “Prince: A Private View” sent me to Prince’s heaven, with each page bringing me back to memories of tours, concerts, and music. It was good to feel the giddy-obsession I once had of Prince without breaking down in tears, but there’s always “Man, wish he were here to see this.”
If you’re looking for that perfect book that embodies who Prince truly was, this is it.
Reading “Prince: A Private View” sent me to Prince’s heaven, with each page bringing me back to memories of tours, concerts, and music. It was good to feel the giddy-obsession I once had of Prince without breaking down in tears, but there’s always “Man, wish he were here to see this.”
If you’re looking for that perfect book that embodies who Prince truly was, this is it.
December 24, 2022
I was thrilled about this Louisville flea-market find. Fantastic portraits, concert shots, outtake exposures and after-hours takes from the photographer who began working with and for Prince (as a music-video camera assistant) and then overtly befriended him. Talk about a trek. These two traveled the country and world in service to a gorgeous, shared musical-visual art. There's a lovely little foreword by Beyoncé, who (lest we forget) delivered a most memorable Grammy Awards performance with Prince, one of her icons. The Iran-born Shahidi doesn't overshare. He's entirely respectful of his friend's personhood and legacy. He does have a knack for simple storytelling of memories and experiences, the serious and the silly. And isn't that Prince in a paisley-purple nutshell?
January 7, 2018
This book was a'iight. I can't decide if the target audience is for the lay fan or the hardcore one who needs to maintain her collection. To recap, these images are taken during the 3121/Musicology era, for the most part. He was also married to Manuela at this time and I am firmly Team Mayte, so I had trouble with the photos featuring her. (All biases on the table) Anyhow, the writing isn't that great and you only get a handful of nuggets about Prince, but we are here for the pictures, right? So newsflash: Prince was a beautiful human being, particularly at 4 o'clock in the morning. My favorite shots are those taken as he was prepping for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
May 31, 2020
I thought this would just be a book of photos but I enjoyed it more than I expected to. The author is a disarming family man and his 'dream sequences' and funny anecdotes liven up what could have been a mere pictorial. There's a real sense of what it was like to be at Prince's side.
Visually, there are some great memorable images and A Private View ends logically, culminating in the last photograph Afshin Shahidi took of His Purple Majesty. The text ends abruptly but I'm sure Shahidi would argue that the image is king in this book about Prince.
Visually, there are some great memorable images and A Private View ends logically, culminating in the last photograph Afshin Shahidi took of His Purple Majesty. The text ends abruptly but I'm sure Shahidi would argue that the image is king in this book about Prince.
February 7, 2021
This book is so beautiful! Every photo captures a mood and tells its own story about Prince. Prince was a multitalented artist, but he also seemed very genuine with people. The book unfolds the relationship between the music icon and the photographer. There was a high level of respect and creative license given to the photographer, which you can feel in every photo. The book design is simply gorgeous! The lighting and use of color at different locations, really captivates your eyes. The book in a worthy investment and it makes a great editions the coffee table.
December 28, 2017
Afshin Shahidi worked as Prince's private photographer for concert tours, parties, and album releases. This is a collection of his photographs and descriptions of the musings of Prince as he was invited to exotic locations on a whim, and Prince was inspired by the visuals around him. I only wish that there was more information about Prince since this is purely Shadidi's interactions with the performer.
November 18, 2018
Some good photos and a few insights into Prince, but it's a pretty shallow observation.
I guess I thought the words "A Private View" meant that the author/photographer was going to get personal about Prince, who I find fascinating. Actually the private view was the author's, and was coverage about his relationship and travels with Prince.
This is a book worth looking at, but not what I was expecting.
Guess my expectations got me again.
I guess I thought the words "A Private View" meant that the author/photographer was going to get personal about Prince, who I find fascinating. Actually the private view was the author's, and was coverage about his relationship and travels with Prince.
This is a book worth looking at, but not what I was expecting.
Guess my expectations got me again.
January 4, 2018
As an artist/photographer, this book was very interesting to me. I loved looking at the images Afshin Shahidi captured of Prince and reading about them. It really was interesting to read Prince encouraged and allows Shahidi to grow as a photographer while working as a photographer for him. It made for a very interesting read.
December 7, 2017
Although Prince was always a captivating subject for photography, I found the photos included in Shahidi's book to be to samey-samey. Plus (through no fault of his own, as Shahidi did not truly enter Prince's orbit until mid-late career), the pics do not capture Prince at the height of his artistic powers or cultural influence.
February 5, 2018
The longest photographer collaborator with Prince provides a photographic history of Prince, with background information on the man, his music and the circumstances existent in the history of each shot. Prince didn't like doing anything more than once. That, in itself, could provide challenges. There are some obvious big gaps, but overall, an interesting presentation.
February 9, 2018
LOVED the pics of Prince... some almost made me cry. ALL made me regret never having been to one of his concerts. Didn't realize until the acknowledgements at the end that he was Yara Shahidi's dad... was pleasantly surprised and I'm sure that she is proud of him before, during and after his time with Prince
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews