Category: Non-Fiction

Photographs from the Edge

photographs-from-the-edgeAuthor: Art Wolfe; Rob Sheppard

Publisher: AmPhoto Books

Release Date: September 20, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

As breathtaking as the pictures are, the stories behind them will intrigue you even more!

Art Wolfe has been in the professional photography business through four different decades. He has had the opportunity to photograph for several different publications including National Geographic and Smithsonian.  Now, he has compiled some of his favorite photos from each decade to bring forth a new book that highlights not only the pictures, but also where he shot them, how he shot them, and what type of equipment he used to get them.  During this time he used both film and digital and it is very difficult to differentiate between the two as they are all just that good!

The photos are arranged by decade, beginning with the 1980s and moving into the present day 2010s. Each photo is supplied with three different narratives: a general narrative, the nature of the photo, and a photo tip.  The book is also not dedicated to a particular type of photography.  He provides several different photos on landscapes, culture, people, wildlife, night sky, and time lapse.  It is easy to see why he has had such a successful career.

I love all of the pictures in this book. I have already gone through it several times, just looking at my favorites.  But I also really enjoy learning how he got the shot.  When reading publications with pictures, I often think about how they must have just been in the right place at the right time.  Sometimes that is true, but throughout the book Wolfe discusses several occasions where the shots were actually staged.  Even so, it still takes a lot of work and local cooperation to make this happen.

Any art lovers or photographers will enjoy this book. Highly recommended!  Especially if you are a photographer aspiring to have pictures in magazines for the trade secrets.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest and thorough review. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Atlas Girl: Finding Home in the Last Place I thought to Look by Emily T. Wierenga

Atlas GirlEmily Wierenga’s raw emotion and honesty looking back on her young life will keep you pulled into her story.

Everyone has a story. This is the story of Emily Wierenga’s life to age thirty-two.  Everyone goes through the fire to get where they are, but not everyone pens those stories down.  Emily Wierenga shares her story of childhood, anorexia, teaching, writing, and the places that she has been, hence the name Atlas Girl.  Every time that she tried to get away to start fresh, there was always something that brought her back.  She was always trying to find that one place that felt like home, but she never found it until she realized she never had to leave.

Recently I’ve become more open to reading books that are recommended by author’s that I like, even if they are typically out of the main genre that I read. Atlas Girl is one of those books.  I’m an avid reader of Billy Coffey’s blog, where he frequently post suggested reading material.  This book happens to be one of his suggestions.  He has yet to disappointment me with a suggestion and Atlas Girl is no exception.

I do like to read memoirs and autobiographies, but they are typically based on celebrities that I have found interesting. However, this book was phenomenal.  The amount of emotion that played across the words of Emily’s story was so real that you could hear the honesty.  Especially the chapters on her eating disorder, both when it started and the relapses that she had later in life.  I’ve been fortunate enough not to have to deal with an eating disorder myself, but I have friends that had.  Reading those chapters brought back memories of how it feels to be so helpless for someone in need.  The interventions, pleading, and just being there without saying a word really struck home for me.

Several other aspects of this book will also play against your heartstrings. Emily’s wanting her father to show her love, taking care of her mother, not wanting children, and then wanting children but having miscarriages are just a few. I would highly recommended this book just for the opportunity to learn someone else’s story.  We are all God’s children and everyone matters!  I give this book 5 Stars.

Learn more about Emily Wierenga

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