H2O

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Absolutely Stunning, 2008-07-03
This book is amazing. The pictures are absolutely breathtaking. Schatz's pictures are unique and varied - switching from elegant and erotic to surreal and abstract and back again. The book is really large, so the pictures get a chance to really stand out and allow the viewer to examine them in detail. I think a smaller format would have taken away from the impact of the photos, so I'm glad the publisher chose this size. Each page could be its own print. The price of the book is absolutely worth it.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Flowing, 2008-02-08
This book is great for artistic reference, and has a very classical quality to it. The unique approach of using water in each photograph is a nice touch, but not the strength of the work. Great photography and subject matter.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Wet and wild, 2008-01-12
For all its variety, this collection has one underlying theme: water. The most dramatic photos in the collection are like the cover shot, dancers floating underwater. The amazing results shown here come from an equally amazing adventure in developing the techniques for taking these pictures. br / br /In most of the photos, the artist and model both release their breath underwater until the air in their lungs no longer floats them to the surface. Then, the model is free to pose in ways that would be impossible in air. The model need not worry about balance or support against gravity, true. The water has subtler effects on the figure, too - for example, breasts float, giving them higher, rounder forms than gravity normally allows. Schatz's one zoftig model, Alexandra Beller, has the curves to show that effect in the most striking way. And, as the cover shows, hair and gauzy drapes can reach a flowing lightness that just isn't possible elsewhere. br / br /Schatz found that dancers, and very few others, could work as his models. For one thing, they had the muscle knowledge and physical skill to use weightlessness effectively - after all, hadn't so many dancers been trying for that all along? For another, most women naturally bob to the top of pool. Dancers and other athletes typically have more lean mass, so can reach netural buoyancy much more easily. br / br /Although the free-floating forms caught my attention most firmly, Schatz uses water on other ways, too. Its reflective surface, whether seen from above or below, creates baffling mirror-pairs of arms or legs that pierce that surface. Underwater bubbles or above-water droplets adorn the models, and bubble-trails create unearthly auras. Then to push his imagery even farther from the world of gravity, Schatz somtimes rotates or inverts his photos. In a few, the model faces her rippled reflection in the water's surface - but the image is turned so the surface of the pool appears to be a vertical plane. br / br /It's a stunning collection, and not just because of the gorgeous figure studies. Schatz has done something truly new: he has freed the figure from gravity, and in doing so he has changed the shape of the figure itself. br / br /-- wiredweird

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Outstanding underwater photography, 2007-12-30
Howard Schatz has created another beautiful underwater photography compilation of female models. The subject matter is similar to his two prior underwater books, Pool Light and Water Dance. Some photographs were taken from Cirque du Soleil performers in the show "O". The picture composition is excellent as the models appear weightless in the water and the lighting is perfect. This book is great for the coffee table and for serious collectors of color photography.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

A DreamWorld!, 2007-11-29
H2O exemplifies a master artisan working at the height of his powers. Howard Schatz showcases once again his unparalleled genius in capturing the elegance of the human form. And short of attending Cirque du Soleil tripping on peyote, this work is unlike anything you'll ever experience again. It's one of those rare publications that literally transport the viewer into another realm; a dreamworld where beautiful, swanlike models float like angels in a surreal water ballet. Where reality is twisted into some sort of magical, impressionistic state of being. Refracted light, color, even the airy magnificence of water bubbles all go into engineering each impossibly delicate image. br / br /It's no secret nor a coincidence that Schatz uses professional dancers, ballerinas, and athletes to populate his underwater stage - few others could so gracefully perform the unimaginably beautiful feats that construct this work.