John MaloofVivian Maier: Self-Portraits

The captured moments in time.

This book is filled with discovered photos taken by a gifted photographer who actually was a Nanny. It is interesting, that she was a nanny, but her gift for photography was more recently revealed since she died and is gaining much attention for being so creative. Her self portraits are fascinating. Catching images in mirrors has always been done by People from past eras that didn't have easy methods for self image photography. It is meaningful, but interactive. Now, selfies are easily done, but I remember how difficult it used to be. Catching a self portrait in water is easy for someone who lives near the beach, lakes, fountains and rain. It is a unique experience to catch your face in a rain drop and creates unique photo shots. I liked the way she found water in the city, used windows, gazing balls and mirrors in an antique shops even through store windows. It reminded me of Alice Through the Looking Glass somehow! The cat one that she did actually reminded of when i was in Apalachicola, Florida. I took a picture of a cat in the window of a bookshop and the window added all backdrop reflections in the picture because of the sun shining at a certain angles. All the cares and people overlapped the cat. It looked like an Art collage of people, cars and cats. I love that picture. by mistake and I adored that! Shadow pictures intrigue me, but We take them at the beach. She lived an big cities as a nanny and really went caught many culturally interesting pictures. As a nanny, it intrigues me that she could take so many. Catching reflections in tide pools on the beach or funny shadows on the beach has always been fascinating and fun to me. I was impressed with the impromptu photos she caught with shadows mostly and some reflections . They aare interesting. People interest me. Her pictures of children sometimes were haunting and sad in many pictures that I have collected on line? She is also great at catching people in funny situations. Im interested in did she like being a Nanny. I am ready to really read the newest book and find out more about her. Her shadow pictures are so humorous . The "eye opener" on June 26 made me laugh. Her self photos were very good. Her shadow pictures are more playful than most of her self portraits. I adored her self picture through a shoe store. Some of the car rim pictures were classic. I adored her multiple self images. Also, I had to really think when I looked at the window, with her standing taking her reflaction on page 31. She's appears a giant due to shadow play and the people look like they are on a flag. She has a playful and a serios side on self images, an uncanny gift for catching people in natural poses. She has an amazingly fun method of shadow play photography. She does intriguing self portraits in mirrors, windows and water. I truely loved the humorous smile on February 1955, NY pg. 71 as she gets the man with the glass mirror to assist her. She must have been an interesting person. I love this big pbig book with her selfies for my cofee ottemon table. Most self portrait are serious and some are a bit playful. Others are well thought out and planned. Some are even spontaneous. Some seem very reverent. She is never with anyone in her planned self reflections. Next, I am tackling 'A Photographer Found" I can't wait to find out about her history, letters, journals, life, career, affections, and photography history. She must have had an interesting life. I find all her work facinating and adore that it was found and is being shared. Her thoughts, gifts and life lives on through these photos.

I have most of the books published about Maier. She was a major talent who went undiscovered in her lifetime. Did she mind her obscurity? We'll probably never know. Along the way she captured her own image in many creative ways. In her own way, she has assured that she and her elusive personality will not be forgotten. Buy this book now. You won't be disappointed.

Being a photographer myself I am always looking for ideas to do common things in a different way.

If you like Vivian Maier, you will want to have this book. I think her self-portraits are some of her most intriguing photos. Plenty of these photos meet that standard, but there are a few too many where the self-referentiality of Vivian is achieved by the image of a mere shadow, a not very interesting testimony to her gift. I am left wondering in all those photos if there aren't more interesting ones than these photos of shadows. I hope so.

This is my favorite book of Vivian Maier photos. Given Vivian's story seeing her use herself in so many self portraits has so much more meaning. And when you see the many different ways she incorporates herself into the environment to come up with all the different varieties of self portraits it's pretty amazing. I also like that there are a mixture of color and black and white photographs. The book itself is a quality hardcover with sharp, clear reproductions. If there's one complaint it's that the book designer used way too much white space around all of the photos. They should have been much bigger on the page since there is so much detail in some of the photos. Recommended.

If you are interested in self portraits, this is a book to consider. Vivian Maier used unusual situations and locations to photograph herself. I bought the book and I would buy it again. But . . . I bought my book in Kindle and I think a hardbound book would have been a better choice. Kindle is great for novels but photography books and cookbooks do not really work in Kindle because you cannot move back and forth easily between photographs or recipes.

Vivian Maier: Self-Portraits This sublime book is a tour de force. The color and black-and-white photographs, most of which haven't been seen before, are wonderful. No surprise there. It is an even greater pleasure to view them because the book is so beautifully printed and designed!! Elizabeth Avedon's essay is superb; I was thinking of quoting some of it for this review but decided it deserves to be read in its entirety.Look out for the color photograph she took while having her hair cut (styled?) in a beauty salon.

A lovely book. Perfect present for anyone that has seen the documentary 'Finding Vivian Maier'.

Great images of Vivian and the way she took the shots , this is one of the best books I have read and seen of self portrait s Is well worth the read to any photographer who wants to learn the art of self portraits.

An interesting insight into the life and process of photographer, Vivian Maier.

An absolutely brilliant book. The copies I buy have not lasted more than 2 weeks in my shelf because friends who visit live it so much I end up giving it to them and then ordering myself a replacem by copy. This I think would also make an excellent present.

This is like an extended essay on the nature of portraiture. Fascinating variety of often intense images.