As I See It [Hardcover]

John Loengard (Author), Ann Beattie (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2005

"Magic is the word we [photographers] use to describe what we discovered...when we think we've captured in a photograph some missing feeling, or hidden beauty, or bit of mystery from the fabric of life." -John Loengard

John Loengard, one of the great LIFE magazine photographers, sums up his 50-year career in this handsome volume. His subjects include movie stars, writers, politicians, artists, and other photographers, as well as everyday people engaged in a host of extraordinary activities-or, rather, typical activities rendered unforgettable and compelling by the photographer's vision. From a shimmering Marilyn Monroe to a man dozing on the beach, from a guffawing Ronald Reagan to Henri Cartier-Bresson flying a kite, from a groundskeeper in Dublin to picnickers in Central Park, Loengard's vision moves us with its humanity and artistry.

John Loengard's own commentaries on his pictures enlarge our understanding and deepen our appreciation of them. These vivid texts-who knew that the term silhouette was the name of Louis XV's budget-conscious finance minister?-help us to see as if through Loengard's own eyes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...make(s) you truly long for...LIFE magazine. Loengard, captured celebrities and brilliant everyday moments for the renowned magazine." -- Photo District News, December 1, 2005

About the Author

John Loengard is a veteran LIFE photographer. He was also picture editor of LIFE magazine from 1973 to 1987, and with numerous books to his credit, including last year's The Great Life Photographers, he is the chronicler of LIFE's illustrious history. He lives in New York.

Ann Beattie, one of America's most important writers of fiction, has numerous short story collections and novels to her credit. She lives in Maine and Key West, Florida.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Vendome Press; First edition (October 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865651671
• ISBN-13: 978-0865651678
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #416,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Man's Encounter with Life, December 14, 2005

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: As I See It (Hardcover)

John Loengard is a master of his craft of journalistic photography. Having first served as a freelance photographer for Life Magazine while a student at Harvard in the fifties, Loengard moved to staff photographer and ultimately photo editor of that indispensable magazine. In this excellent book he not only shares examples of his camera's eye through the years, but also accompanies his discussion with the reader with a history of photography and some elements of his craft, both of which add to the importance of this book to students and professional photographers. His writing is enlightening on many levels.

But the core of this book is the ample array of Loengard's superb photography. By nature of his assignments with Life Magazine there are many 'portraits' of famous people such as Maya Angelou, Jesse Jackson, Jimmy Carter, Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan, and fellow photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson and Annie Leibowitz. In each he captures the spirit of the subject, not the usual public image, making these glimpses through his camera lens unusually fine works of art.

Though a majority of the works in this book are portraits, there are also images of people around the world. The duplicity of social classes in England, men at work in Ireland, places in America, people of 'ordinary' status who in Loengard's camera's eye become timeless icons of humanity.

The photographs are in black and white and very well reproduced (with the exception of a few unsuccessful attempts to span two pages with one image, losing a substantial amount of visual information in the process). These are more than just images form a famous artist: these are statements about history, culture, art, humor, pathos, and humanity. A rare treasure. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughts Behind the Photographs, January 4, 2006

By 

John Pope (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: As I See It (Hardcover)

Those familiar with John Loengard's work and career will be thrilled all over again, but not surprised, by the quality of the photographs collected in this book. But the added element of delight lies in Loengard's pithy and insightful comments on each of them. Although mostly anecdotal, these glimpses "behind the scenes" give a wonderful sense of how luck, skill, insight, technical expertise, charm, and patience are woven together in the photographer's quest for the unforgettable image. It's a dazzling education in how the "magic" is achieved.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have photography book, December 19, 2005

By 

D. Deutsch (Stony Brook, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: As I See It (Hardcover)

John Loengard's "As I See It" is one of the best photography books to be published in a long time. Loengard was a staff photographer and picture editor for Life, and he was the first picture editor of People magazine. This book will appeal to anyone, and it is a must-have book for anyone interested in photography. The subjects alone are fascinating: The Beatles, Georgia O'Keefe, Presidents Carter and Reagan, Marilyn Monroe, T.S. Eliot, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, John Updike, and many other famous and not-so-famous people.

Loengard has a rare ability to coax his subjects out of themselves and to encourage them to open up for the camera. The result for the viewer is a new window into the heart of the subject. And Loengard is a technical and artistic master of photography. Every photo is perfect. Loengard is a "photographer's photographer." This is truly a magisterial publication.

The production values of the book are superb: beautiful prints, strong binding, compelling layout, clear and unobtrusive captions. In addition to the photographs comes Loengard's witty and insightful commentary, which constitutes a crash course in photo-journalism.

More than a collection of photographs, this book is a walk through history. It makes me miss the world of photography we all experienced in the days when Life magazine used to arrive at our homes.