America, America

The Lomeo's photo book follows the usual format for this kind of publication, thematic chapters titled From sea to shining sea, Rural life, The open road, Vanishing America etc, etc and I have recently reviewed a similarly predictable book, `USA' by Jordi Miralles, this had nine hundred plus photos, which turned out to be just too much, though it was a very reasonably priced paperback. Fortunately `America America' has fewer and much better images. This is not a photo book with a point of view about America like Robert Frank's `The Americans' or Joel Sternfield's `American Prospects' rather it captures the surface look of the Nation in stunning, technically correct, well composed images and this is the reason I like it. I wanted a well printed and designed book showing a visual America in dazzling color.

Bullaty and Lomeo began photographing as a team over 50 years ago when they first met in a dark room in New York City. Sonja Bullaty had come to America, a refugee from the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. Angelo Lomeo grew up as a first generation American in Hell's Kitchen. It was love at first sight and their mutual love of photography is chronicled in this book. America, America speaks to their love of the country while at the same time stands as a statement of over 50 years of working as a team in a very competitive business. Their selective collection of photographs welcome the eye of the observer to join in a journey across this beautiful country and captures the essence of the place as few photography books have ever done. It is more than pretty pictures. This book is a story of love: love of country, love of work, and the enduring love of two people who continue to capture images on film and turn them into works of art. In this new age of digitial imagery manipulation, it is nice to know that we can still step softly into the new millennium knowing that there are still purists out there who photograph for the simple joy of capturing a beautiful moment in perfect light. America,America makes a perfect gift for anyone you love!