I'm a sucker for good photography, I love light and I am fascinated by reflections. Is it any wonder I grabbed a book from a stack offered by a passing bookseller that combines all three? This is a small format hard-cover book packed with fascinating images (around 180 pages with an image per page). With a theme like "Reflections" the subject matter is very broad, from "found art" (photographs that are impromptu of people and scenes that are not rehearsed) through to carefully structured close-ups.
There are a wide range of styles as well. I love the shot of a single pencil coil of pencil shaving shot against a shiny dark table, but equally an astonishing shot of a closed lily bud with three dew drops hanging from it... each reflecting perfectly an open flower from the background.
The pages are mostly offered as diptychs, with pictures on the left and right that have some resonance with each other. Sometimes it is a colour, sometimes a concept such as a page of pool reflections that have been inverted so we see the reflection as the reality. Some of the links are shapes, some are textures, some are technical, such as a set of three shots that are duo-tones with vignette... but all from different photographers.
There is little discussion of how this collection was put together. All artists are attributed, but the back cover suggests the sources are "emerging photographers" from image hosting sites.
This is a celebration of light and reflection in a thoughtfully selected presentation with dazzling variety. It is well printed and a surprisingly satisfactory format for a relatively small book. There is no material I could find that would give parents any cause for concern for younger viewers... and I'm going to suggest that younger students would enjoy glancing through this to find and enjoy eye catching photographs. As well as the book cover I have added one of my own "reflection" photographs from the Blue Mosque in Kuala Lumpur.
Andrew Lack
Head of the Odell Learning Resources Centre
