Scan barcode
lee_hillshire's review against another edition
Oh my gosh, those pictures are lovely.
rdyourbookcase's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing! I’m so impressed with the nonfiction read aloud books that will be released soon! “Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee” shows kids that no matter where you want to be some day, you have to work hard at start somewhere small.
mallen8509's review against another edition
5.0
Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee is one of my favorite books!
James Van Der Zee (1886-1983) was THE photographer of the Harlem Renaissance. If you’ve seen a photograph during this era, it probably was his work!
We learn that James’ interest in photography started when he was a kid. He bought his first camera as a young boy and became the second person in his hometown that owned a camera.
He learned how to make his subjects feel comfortable and always got the best shots. Van Der Zee went out of his way to make his photographs look great; he made sure he edited them to make sure his customers were always pleased.
Technology slowed down his business, but he got the recognition he deserved when the Metropolitan Museum of Art wanted to do an exhibit about Harlem (Harlem on My Mind) and used a lot of his work.
Some of the celebrities he’s taken pictures of are Marcus Garvey, Florence Mills, Joe Louis, and Jean Michel Basquiat!
I love the picture of the couple by the car in fur coats!
alinaborger's review against another edition
5.0
Wow—! What a book this is, and what a LIFE James Van Der Zee led!
PB biographies often have a thread or a theme that they pull on to help the narrative hold together. This book focuses on how JV works to “make everyone look their best” —from bringing out natural smiles and expressions to adjusting things in the darkroom.
This is an especially powerful thread because, as the back matter explains, photographs of black folks at the time were often of migrant laborers or urban poor.
I highly recommend looking up some of his art after reading this remarkable book.
PB biographies often have a thread or a theme that they pull on to help the narrative hold together. This book focuses on how JV works to “make everyone look their best” —from bringing out natural smiles and expressions to adjusting things in the darkroom.
This is an especially powerful thread because, as the back matter explains, photographs of black folks at the time were often of migrant laborers or urban poor.
I highly recommend looking up some of his art after reading this remarkable book.
lady_mair's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic picture book on a corner of history I previously knew nothing about! I will definitely be adding this one to my shelves.
snazel's review against another edition
4.0
Speaking as someone who really got into photography because I love people's faces, I absolutely love that James Van Der Zee got into photography because he loved people's faces, and while he was at it he invented photoshop and documented several generations of a vibrant subculture (New York's Harlem).
stenaros's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Librarian Book Group
Picture book story of James Van Der Zee, who took portraits of people in Harlem during the 20th Century. Likable illustrations, plus actual examples of Mr. Van Der Zee's work at the end of the book.
Picture book story of James Van Der Zee, who took portraits of people in Harlem during the 20th Century. Likable illustrations, plus actual examples of Mr. Van Der Zee's work at the end of the book.
ginaperry's review against another edition
5.0
This is an absolutely gorgeous, captivating book. I love the sweeping narrative, from James' days as a young boy, until his exhibit at the MET. The author handled the complexities of his life in a poetic, but honest way. The illustrations transport you to each different time and place in James' life. You will find much to discuss after reading this book, and thankfully there are several pages of back matter to expand his biography, history, and photographic techniques during his lifetime.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful realistic acrylic paintings depict the life of African American photographer James Van Der Zee, who got his first camera as a fifth grader; it was only the town's second camera! He shot family members and townspeople, before moving to Harlem. He worked as an assistant photographer but was not allowed to take photographs of clients because of the racial prejudice of his boss. But while his (white) boss was on vacation, James did take photographs, and was good at setting his subjects at ease. Eventually he opened his own studio, where he took photos of both famous and every day folks, as well as street shots. He was also known for his retouching of photos (old school "Photoshopping" before computers), to smooth away blemishes and make his portraits perfect.