John Hedgecoe (1932–2010)

The subject of Hedgecoe's superb book, 'Possessions', is not simply images of beautiful young women in their natural state, it records their beauty in unimaginable locations whose opulence and magnificence match their human subjects. The photographer was allowed privileged access to the British residences of the rich, and he used these locations, usually places of wonder and delight, as settings for his images. His intention was to capture the attitudes of rich, privileged women in show more situations in which they exercised their perceived right to be comprehensively idle in fantastically furnished homes. He achieves this aim superbly, and demonstrates the eroticism that is implicit in their indolent lives. The women are complemented artistically by their fabulous environment, and the result is a visual feast. show less

Hedgecoe has written a classic photography book, and has been around as long as I can remember. It starts with how to use a camera, and then some simple projects for the beginning photographer. He devotes a couple of pages to just about every subject and technique imaginable. . Although he doesn't go into depth, the images are stunning and the information is dead on. There are even two pages on my favorite subject, nudes. The author covers numerous topics including black and white, lighting, show more still life, action, and architecture.

I can't help but notice that some people hated this book, and others loved it. Many of those who gave low ratings either didn't like how it doesn't go into depth on any one topic. If you're looking for an encyclopedia of photography, this is not. I picked up an earlier edition of this book before I knew anything about photography and it was one of my early inspirations.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this author and this book to anyone who was serious about photography, or just had a passing interest. show less

Hedgecoe has written a classic photography book, and has been around as long as I can remember. It starts with how to use a camera, and then some simple projects for the beginning photographer. He devotes a couple of pages to just about every subject and technique imaginable. . Although he doesn't go into depth, the images are stunning and the information is dead on. There are even two pages on my favorite subject, nudes. The author covers numerous topics including black and white, lighting, show more still life, action, and architecture.

I can't help but notice that some people hated this book, and others loved it. Many of those who gave low ratings either didn't like how it doesn't go into depth on any one topic. If you're looking for an encyclopedia of photography, this is not. I picked up an earlier edition of this book before I knew anything about photography and it was one of my early inspirations.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this author and this book to anyone who was serious about photography, or just had a passing interest. show less

This book is a basic introduction to photography, with some stunning photography to illustrate the points. Admittedly, being over ten years old, parts of the content has fallen out of date; for example he devotes a significant portion of the book to film based developing, and much less to digital technique. Nevertheless, it is well worth the read, even just for the pictures. A pleasant brush-up for the seasoned photographer and a good introduction for the novice.