Book Review: Bear Portraits by Jill Greenberg

Celebrity photographer Jill Greenberg has turned her camera lens from Hollywood's most famous to one of nature's best known. Her newest book Bear Portraits is filled with stunning portraits that capture bears in a unique way, close-up and personal, illuminated by studio lights that invite you to examine the details of their faces and the individual hairs of their fur.

Shot against stark backdrops, instead of the nature setting we're used to, I was drawn to the bear's surprising range of expressions as they appear at time pensive, comical, terrifying, and almost human. There are cute and playful looking cubs, a majestic full grown bear that appears contemplative, and lest we forget they are dangerous wild beast, there are snarling ones that look poised to attack. For me the real draw to Bear Portraits is the almost painting like quality the lighting gives some of the pictures, making the subjects look like they aren't real. My daughter was immediately drawn to the book, exclaiming over the gorgeous photos, the one below is her favorite. She thinks he's smiling at her.

It's a beautiful book, with some of the most striking animal photographs I've ever seen. The dimensions are similar to a children's hardcover storybook. I wish Bear Portraits was a little bigger so that it would be more in line with the size of coffee table art books, which is what it surely deserves to considered. Disclaimer: Thank you to the Hachette Book Group for the reviewer's copy, images from Barnes & Noble's book listing for this title.