Seeing Gardens

by Sam Abell

In his 1990 book Stay This Moment, National Geographic photographer Sam Abell wrote, "There are few fresh photographs of gardens because photographing beautiful things is difficult." Now, almost as if in answer to himself, Abell has produced Seeing Gardens, with 150 quiet, intensely gorgeous full-frame images from around the globe that stand as a testament to his ability to do exactly that: photograph beautiful things in a fresh and inventive way. In his simple, elegant text, Abell provides insights into how he came to take many of his better known images, such as National Hotel, Moscow, Russia, which features a handful of pears resting on a windowsill with the Kremlin in the background. Perhaps never before have Abell's sumptuous photographs been placed in a more apt context--that of the garden, both in a literal sense, like his stunning images of temple gardens in Japan, and in a figurative sense, including his shot of a blue neon sign that simply says "FLOWERS." --Walt Opie

Genres: Photography, Gardening

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jereme · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, the title is a bit deceiving. Early in the book, Abell does indeed present some wonderful photos of gardens, interpreting them uniquely with his always-wonderful eye. Midway through the book, though, the tie-in between the photos and the theme of "gardens" becomes a stretch, and late in the book the only connection between gardens and the photos is in the few small sections of text accompanying the photos.

That's a minor complaint, though, as the images themselves are wonderful, regardless of subject. Abell is a master of composition, color and light. His photographs are presented large and with great print quality. Many, though, can be found in his other books. If you buy only one book of Abell's, I'd recommend something like "Stay this Moment," but if you own other books of his already, this "Seeing Gardens" would be a wonderful addition to your collection. Just don't expect a book full of garden shots.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember placing this book on hold at the library, but nevertheless, it arrived there for me. It is a beautiful book - a garden book, a travel log, a geography and history lesson. Visit the Civil War, Alice and Wonderland, the Shakers along with wild, untamed places all over the world. Nice for reading on a cold, snowy day with a good cup of tea.