PICK OF THE WEEK
“Spirit of Place: The Art of the Traveling Photographer”
(Watson-Guptill Publications, $24.95)
Inevitably, freelance photographer Bob Krist gets asked the million-dollar question, “What is your favorite place?” And inevitably his usual rejoinder remains the same — always the next place, “the place I haven’t seen yet.” “Spirit of Place” is Krist’s delightful attempt to share his secrets of capturing a place, of getting on film its individual beauty. He suggests four elements come into play: “interesting composition, great light, a sense of moment and good color or a range of gray tones.” Of course it also helps to have his wonderful eye and impeccable sense of framing a shot. This book is a very personal approach to photography (he offers caption-length comments on each photo as well as revealing the type of camera used and the recommended exposure). Whether shooting camel safaris in the middle of the desert or zooming in on the details of a dimly lighted street lamp in languid Savannah, Krist brings all his photographic tricks of the trade to bear, and yet he always maintains a respectful distance from his subject. “Travel photographers are like skillful character actors,” he writes. “A large part of their job is to make the star look good without calling undue attention to their own efforts.” Along the way, he provides a running commentary on the basics of photography, including Composition 101 (“keep your center of interest out of the center of the frame”) and the “grammar” of a photo story (establishing shot, medium shot, close-up shot and point of view) while offering tips on metering and bracketing, photographing people, and using telephoto and wide-angle lenses.
FOOD GUIDES
“2000/2001: New York City Marketplace”
(Zagat, $10.95)
This mouthwatering guide to the Big Apple’s top food resources covers nearly 1,300 establishments, ranging from bagels and breads to produce and wines. Not to mention cakes, candy, caviar, cheeses, coffee and tea, cookies, flowers, health foods, herbs and spices, ice cream, pastas and pastries. As with all Zagat guides, it’s always fun to sift through the pages to see if you recognize any of the places and, more importantly, whether you agree with the assessments. Each listing contains the basic essentials but not much more: address, telephone number, hours, and, if applicable, Web site and, of course, the all-important ratings and comments from Zagat readers. This new edition contains succinct comments on new developments and trends in the marketplace, including one-stop shopping on a grand scale, as well as one-stop shopping on a more intimate level; the growth of the multi-shop food hall (such as the new Grand Central Market), which combines the convenience of a supermarket with the attentive service of a small shop; and the increasing popularity of prepared food businesses from simple home-style meals to such gourmet items as duck confit and foie gras pate. Also includes a listing of party sites at museums, hotels, nightclubs and bars, private clubs and restaurants. Also available for Los Angeles.
WALKING GUIDES
“Walking Trails of Southern Wisconsin”
(University of Wisconsin Press, $16.95)
The second edition of this handy guide contains all updated material as well as new information on additional trails and a revision of 11 trail maps. Altogether, author Bob Crawford describes more than 150 trails at more than 60 locations from Columbia to Waukesha Counties. The guide features details about routes and terrain as well as geographical, biological or historical points of interest. Crawford also assesses the degree of difficulty of each trail with helpful ratings of “walkability” on a scale ranging from one to five — the amount of grade or slope, paving (or lack of it), width, possible muddiness or slickness when wet, and clarity of signs or markings. The trail descriptions are grouped by county. Each county section begins with a map containing key numbers indicating the location of trails described in each section. Among some of the more unusual trails — both urban and rural — are the Marquette Trail in Portage, the streets of Madison from Capitol Square to the best campus view of the city, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and even the Baraboo Historic Tour, which includes the site of the first circus tent show and Al Ringling’s home. Also features a listing of walking places near lakes, rivers, streams and marshes, and a listing of sites where the Native American presence has been felt.
GUIDEBOOKS
“Pacific Coast Highway Traveler’s Guide”
(St. Martin’s Griffin, $12.95)
Two-lane highways are Tom Snyder’s specialty. Here the author of “Route 66 Traveler’s Guide and Roadside Companion” journeys along the back roads of California, Oregon and Washington. He includes town-by-town narratives, with towns and special areas printed in boldface type, as well as directions, alternate routes and special sections on books, food and lodging. This slim volume packs a lot of information into its 184 pages: little-known but recognizable sites from pop culture (such as Port Townsend,
Wash., where “Snow Falling on Cedars” was filmed) to restaurants, cozy inns and romantic hideaways. Snyder clearly cares about the state of the nation’s secondary roads and much prefers their slower pace and strong character. Anyone who buys this book probably will too.
