The midwestern landscape is flat, so that the homes have a low, unassertive presence from outside. They sit back from the street and are hidden behind old trees. Schulman has photographed them in late summer and the thinning branches, watery light, and long shadows give the exterior shots a special gentleness.
     Shulman’s greatest gift, however, is for exalting modern interiors. In a preface to the book, his collaborators explains that he took great care before each shoot to select angles, set up lights, rearrange furniture, and, if necessary, style a space with his own props. The perspectives he chooses sharpen the proportions of a room, dramatizing the space without distorting it. And their intimate, natural scale invites viewers to step inside. As in all of Schulman’s pictures, that offer is an enticing one.