Eliot Porter: In the Realm of Nature

A contemporary of Ansel Adams, Porter (1901–1990) took many black and white photographs, but he embraced color when it was still considered too commercial to be artistic. In both formats, Porter’s work is notable for its focus on nature’s details. In one print, a bird clutches nest-building materials in its beak while clinging with long claws to a ravaged tree. Like Adams, Porter was also meticulous, producing fewer than 10 photos per day, while spending hours setting up the exposure, constructing towers next to trees to capture birds in their nests, or, in the color lab, bringing out the finer tones. As a result, his images are rich and saturated with movement and detail, qualities that this book by Getty curator Martineau (Herb Ritts: L.A. Style) honors by simply getting out of the way. In one plate, the red leaves of an autumn tree emerge from the dark of the forest as if they were an illusion. A brief introduction, white space, short captions, and an emphasis on quality reproduction let the artist’s work stand for itself. Arranged thematically, each photograph in this very fine book evolves to the next, so that the reader has a true sense of the artist’s preoccupations. 80 color and 30 b&w illus. (Nov.)