Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this visually stunning book on vintage cameras, photographer Ellwand, who is also well known as a children's book author, provides a highly personal history and celebration of camera design. Drawing on his own personal collection of over 100 vintage cameras, Ellwand organizes the book into four chapters based on film format. Each chapter includes striking images of actual equipment as well as the photographs made with each of the cameras, interspersed with factoids illuminating the exposure processes. The design and layout of the book is also remarkable for its attention to detail, with colorful inside covers revealing all shapes and sizes of film boxes to reinforce the nostalgia for the medium. Captions are concise and informative, easily accessible to those new to the field as well as seasoned professionals looking for manufacturing or design history. Ellwand provides an enthusiastic, idiosyncratic look at photography's vintage history, enhanced with gorgeous and charming images documenting both elegant camera design and a photographer's talented eye. Photos. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
In the age of digital photography in which so much effort is devoted to selfies and photosharing as chitchat, it is refreshing to find a book-not just a book but a work of art-dedicated to fine vintage cameras. These cameras were designed as art forms themselves and as such they appealed to serious photographers who made artistic photographs or viewed photography as a language akin to literature. A professional photographer of more than 30 years, the author/illustrator of more than 20 books, and clearly an avid collector of classic cameras and equipment, Ellwand writes knowledgeably about his subject and beautifully illustrates this exceptional work. This is not simply reminiscence about finest 35mm, medium-format, and large-format cameras; it is a superbly designed volume that includes stunning images of the cameras themselves along with lovely, atmospheric examples of the kinds of photographs taken with those particular models. Verdict Anyone who appreciates fine photography will love this book.-Raymond Bial, First Light Photography, Urbana, IL © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This hefty coffee-table book encourages the combination of traditional and digital technology. Divided into sections by film format, the glossy, image-heavy pages show vintage cameras and the images they captured side-by-side; captions include information about cameras (year, model, country of manufacture), lens, and film used. Jargon-filled text and call-out boxes with history, tips, and personal anecdotes will thrill photography buffs (especially adults). Ind. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
