{"product_id":"color-photography-by-eliot-elisofon-first-edition","title":"Color Photography by Eliot Elisofon. First edition.","description":"\u003cp\u003eViking, 1961. Hardcover, near fine with very good dust jacket that has some wear at extremities.  156 pages. Most photographs by Eliot Elisofon, with a few by Edward Weston, Gordon Parks, William Klein, et al.  Summary:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003ePublished in 1961 by Viking Press, \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"35\"\u003eColor Photography\u003c\/b\u003e by Eliot Elisofon is a seminal work that bridges the gap between technical manual and artistic manifesto. Elisofon, a legendary \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"0\" data-index-in-node=\"181\"\u003eLIFE\u003c\/i\u003e magazine staff photographer and Hollywood color consultant, argues that color should be used as a psychological tool rather than just a descriptive one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eThe Philosophy of \"Controlled Color\"\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eThe book’s core premise is that the photographer must be a \"master of the palette\" rather than a slave to reality. Elisofon famously rejected the idea that color film should merely replicate what the eye sees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"3,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eSubjective Color:\u003c\/b\u003e He advocates for using color to evoke specific moods—using \"warm\" tones for intimacy or \"cool\" blues for detachment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"3,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eFilters as Brushes:\u003c\/b\u003e Elisofon was a pioneer in using heavy filtration (often custom-made) to \"paint\" light, a technique he famously applied to the film \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"3,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"151\"\u003eMoulin Rouge\u003c\/i\u003e (1952) to give it a post-impressionist feel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"5\"\u003eKey Sections and Content\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"6\"\u003eThe book is structured to guide the photographer through both the mechanics and the aesthetics of the medium:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"7\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eTechnical Mastery:\u003c\/b\u003e While dated by modern digital standards, his deep dives into Kelvin temperatures, film speeds, and the chemical behavior of Kodachrome and Ektachrome provide a fascinating look at the \"Golden Age\" of analog color.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eLight as a Variable:\u003c\/b\u003e He categorizes light not just by intensity, but by its emotional quality, analyzing how light changes from dawn to dusk and how artificial light can be manipulated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"7,2,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Photo-Essay:\u003c\/b\u003e Drawing on his \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"7,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"32\"\u003eLIFE\u003c\/i\u003e experience, he explains how to maintain color continuity across a series of images to tell a cohesive story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003eVisual Impact and Legacy\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003eThe book is celebrated for its high-production value, featuring 80 pages of color reproductions of Elisofon’s own global assignments—ranging from African landscapes to celebrity portraits and still lifes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"11\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"11,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"11,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eInfluence on Cinema:\u003c\/b\u003e His theories on color control heavily influenced both still photography and cinematography, pushing the industry away from \"postcard-perfect\" colors toward a more expressive, cinematic style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"11,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"11,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eArtistic Independence:\u003c\/b\u003e Elisofon’s ultimate message was one of creative bravery; he encouraged photographers to \"break the rules\" of the film manufacturers to achieve a personal vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cblockquote data-path-to-node=\"12\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,0\"\u003e\"The camera is a tool, but color is the language. One must learn to speak it with intent, not by accident.\" — \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"12,0\" data-index-in-node=\"110\"\u003eEliot Elisofon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Gary Saretzky Photo Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47644062974146,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0593\/3115\/0018\/files\/IMG_1608.jpg?v=1778351037","url":"https:\/\/store.saretzky.com\/products\/color-photography-by-eliot-elisofon-first-edition","provider":"Gary Saretzky Photo Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}