This collection of significant
photographers is a useful introductory guide for those interested in the cultural and social
impact of the medium. The invention of photographic technology provided new opportunities for personal expression and human interaction in still life. The art of
photography explores human action and emotion beyond the limitations of the written word and abstract conceptions of art, allowing the photographer to manipulate reality into new dimensions while preserving the notion of plausibility. The guide explores fashion, journalism, war, history, music, surrealism, music, the civil rights movement, the political world and other areas. The book shows how
photographers bend the rules in regards to the interpretation of reality. The personal and the objective come together in this medium. Five hundred major photographers are compared with outlines of major works, their lives, backgrounds, influences and historical impact. The book also provides a list on each featured page of photographers comparable in scope, style and influence for the reader. This is a wonderful coffee table book as well as a valuable edition to any collector''s set.