National Geographic Simply Beautiful Photographs

NationalGeographicSimplyBeautifulPhotographstakesreadersonaspectacularvisualjourneythroughsomeofthemoststunningphotographstobefoundinNationalGeographic'sfamedImageCollection.Award-winningphotographerAnnieGriffithsculledtheimagestoreflectthemanyvariationsontheuniversalthemeofbeauty.Chaptersareorganizedaroundtheaestheticconceptsthatcreatebeautyinaphotograph:Light,Composition,Moment(GestureandEmotion),Motion,Palette,andWonder.Beyondtheintroductionandbriefessaysabouteachfeaturedconcept,thetextislight.Thephotographsspeakforthemselves,enhancedbylyricalquotesfromscholarsandpoets.InthechapteronLight,forexample,wereadthesewordsofwhimsicalwisdomfromsongwriterLeonardCohen:"Ringthebellsthatstillcanring.Forgetyourperfectoffering.Thereisacrackineverything.That'showthelightsgetin."Andthentheimagesflow,oflightenteringscenesviawindows,clouds,andspotlights,fromabove,alongside,andbehind,castingradianceuponyoungballerinasandweatheredmen,intogrovesofautumntreesandisland-dottedseas,revealingeverythingittouchestobebeautifulbeyondexpectation.ToilluminatethethemeofWonder,GriffithschoseawishfromAndreBazin:"IfIhadinfluencewiththegoodfairy...Ishouldaskthathergifttoeachchildintheworldbeasenseofwondersoindestructiblethatitwouldlastthroughoutlife."Thisthoughtisjuxtaposedwithanexquisitevisioninwhite,aframefilledwiththesnowy-puredotsandraysofabird'sfantail.Andonitgoes,pictureaftertantalizingpicture,alivewithwondrousbeauty.WhenshecreatedNationalGeographicSimplyBeautifulPhotographs,AnnieGriffithssettwogoals:tomaximizevisualdelight,andtocreateabookuniqueintheworldofpublishing—oneinwhichmanyofthephotographscouldbepurchasedasprints.Shehassucceededonbothcounts.Manyofthesestunningimagesareavailablefororder,andtherecanbenodoubtastothevisualdelight.Youmustopenthisbookforyourself,andtakeinitsradiantbeauty.