Photo Live Issue 3

Mihaela Noroc:
The Atlas of Beauty
Jay Maisel :
Light, Gesture & Color
Another book that started out as an
online project, The Atlas of Beauty is
a collection of portraits from aroud
the globe by photographer, Mihaela
Noroc, who has been travelling since
2013. She’s visited over 50 countries,
photographing women in a way that
celebrates the diversity of beauty
in different cultures. I discovered
Mihaela a few years back when she
was raising funds for the next stage
of her journey. Seeing her amazing
photography, I bought the book
as soon as it was available. Like the
other books featured, it’s not a guide
on technical specs, it’s the emotion
and the story that is captured inside
the pages that keeps you turning
each page, absorbing each image
and wondering about the lives of the
subjects. It’s a wonderful book and
an example of how a photography
project can lead you to places many
of us dream of.
Jay Maisel is an American
photographer who has won
many awards for his outstanding
photography. I first discovered
Jay watching Kelby Training where
Scott Kelby took a walk with Jay and
asked questions on shooting as they
walked the streets of New York and
later on Paris. His ability to see the
key elements he talks about in his
book – Light, Gesture and Color,
are what makes his photography so
mesmerising. In this book he teaches
about three aspects of his street
photography as the title says.
This is not a technical book, this is
purely inspirational. No F-Stops or
Shutter Speeds, it’s about the story,
the moment. Seeing those moments
that are there for just a second or
two. Light, Gesture & Color is over
260 pages of inspiration and highly
recommended.
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