West from the Columbia: Views at the River Mouth

In a topographical style that eschews the sharply printed image or preconceived interpretive content, photographer and scholar Adams (Why People Photograph) here captivates with soft, moody, essentially repetitive views of an industrially endangered locale close to his heart--the Columbia River's confluence with the Pacific. One picture, of sand tracings and distant waders, tells a story, but for the most part we see sand, stones, sea grass, water and clouds in various stages of serenity and agitation. This is an excellent example of minimalist, non-art photography that will appeal to a considerable segment of the art-photography audience. Captions and notes on back pages identifying the picture subjects and their significance would have proved more useful to readers had they appeared in close proximity to the pertinent photos. (Nov.)