Powwow

Rating:
Summary: Pow Wow: Images Along the Red Road
Review: I highly recommend this visually stunning book for anyone with any interest at all in Native American pow wow culture. The color photographic portraits are riveting and the commentary from the dancers themselves is compelling.

Rating:
Summary: Great photography
Review: The photos in this book are absolutely marvelous. If you are interested in making your own regalia, this will help you get ideas for the finer details. Most of the colorful "outfits" use contemporary as opposed to traditional materials, and with great ingenuity.

I believe that the photographers (a husband and wife team) had a terrific eye for what makes beautiful regalia. The photos are expert and visually enjoyable. Contrary to a previous reviewer, I think the plain backdrop works well. Yes, the book is limited in scope to static (non-dancing) poses, i.e. still portraits.

And nearly every photo is accompanied by an inspirational paragraph transcribed from the words of the Native American pictured. Good reading!

My only objection to this book is that since it was photographed at powwows in the northwestern U.S., it is mainly limited to representatives of tribes in that area. Otherwise, an excellent book!

Rating:
Summary: Very nice bit
Review: This book falls shy of a couple stars for me for one reason:
Although the photographs are all very well done, clear,
and pletiful, they are all inside studio settings only.
Compared to outdoors settings and natural light, these pics
loose something crucial in the translation.
There are NO outdoor shots and, most importantly, NO PICTURES
OF NATIVE DANCING!! Can't believe it!! I can't
believe that a book of ceremonial dress woulb have no
pictures including dancing ceremonies, for the costumes truely come alive when in motion. Tsk-tsk for not even giving us even a few - such pictures are the main reason I bought the book. Two or three would have helped immensely. Otherwise, I agree with the other reviewers, who don't seem to mind the omission I mention.