|
Four-Fifths: The Ocean Planet, edited by Peter Vine and Ibrahim Al-Abed
Four-Fifths: The Ocean Planet, edited by Peter Vine and Ibrahim Al-Abed
This coffee-table volume sets out to woo a reader who is probably not a diver. Published in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund, its message is clear yet subtle.
Using only photographs with minimal captions, it sets out to document much of the animal life in our oceans and let us know that the seas are not just a handy dumping ground.
Each spread includes a diagrammatic view of Earth with an indication of the likely location of the species seen in the colour plates.
Edited by Peter Vine and Ibrahim Al-Abed in Dubai, this lush production is let down only by the quality of many of the pictures.
The list of contributing photographers is impressive, with international notables such as Jeff Rotman, Howard Hall, Georgette Douwma, Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch and Herwart Voigtman alongside illustrious homegrown names such as Linda Pitkin and Lawson Wood.
But I have the feeling that either some of these photographers were reluctant to release their best material, or else Peter Vine hoped to make the book look less like a temple to good photography and more a collection of snaps that readers might be able to imagine they had taken.
It's content that counts, and this book gives a clear picture of the wealth of the underwater world. It contains a few spectacular examples of the underwater photographer's craft; you have to look for them, that's all.
John Bantin
|
Four-Fifths: The Ocean Planet, edited by Peter Vine and Ibrahim Al-Abed, Trident Press (0171 491 8770). Hardback 192pp, £19.95
|
|
|
Archive | 
