Customer Reviews

The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Don't know where to start:

great concept, total package optimized for peaceful enjoyment. Loved the feel, fonts, script, cover, size and color of the book.

Now to the important part (from a photographer's angle :)) Ms. Deveney's artful photographic view is extremely engaging and subtle.

The reader/observer is drawn into scenes where one is allowed a personal privilege to study an ordinary life nearing it's completion.

Her view point is not judgmental, enhanced or exaggerated. It's almost like a camera's view was snapped by accident, but I know better.

These are beautifully conceived and simple... the hardest type to achieve.

Enjoy the simple pleasures of a folded pair of clean "P-jays", shot of whiskey and a stately daffodil on the window sill.

The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings is a gift to share with the hurried world.

The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings

I truly enjoyed this book. It is a poignant, very heartwarming, and touching tribute to aging while living alone. I felt I got to know Albert just by viewing pictures of his life. It gave great insight into how loneliness effects are lives -- especially in our old age. The photography told a vivid story and having Albert write the captions added a personal touch. I would encourage anyone who loves books about aging as well as engaging photography to purchase this book. You won't be disappointed.

This was a beautifully photographed and rare insight into a simple and lonely man's day to day existance in the last phase of his life. His own words were an intergral part of this touching little book.

We were given a bit of insight into the day to day life of a person who may not have had much reason to keep on living, after his beloved wife had already departed 10 years ago; but was still able to find small pleasures and humor in his daily experiences and memories.

The photographer is indeed a special kind of person to be able to be accepted with her camera into his small and private world. Another person might not have ever seen the beauty or found his days interesting enough to document. But through her perceptive and sensative eye, we are exposed to the beauty of a life near it's end.

I'm not a photography expert by any means (actually, I aspire to be a photography novice). However, the pictures in this insightful and beautiful book, accompanied by Bert's handwriting, make me wish someone as talented as Ms. Deveney could elicit such meaningful subtext from my life if I live long enough to look back on it in my eighties. The photos hooked me into caring about Albert Hastings and prompted me to wonder about the things I might fret over during the closing credits of my own life. Again, I'm no photographer, but when pictures like these cause me to rethink what's important in my life, the art critic inside me smiles.

This is one of the most touching collections of photos. I have come across single images from the series before and this was the reason for buying the book, but it wasn't until I viewed them all together in this special little book that it really hit me. Having spent a lot of time photographing the elderly I can appreciate the daily rituals Albert goes through, and Kaylynn has captured them all in the most moving, respectful way. Definitely a book I will treasure.

this is one of those books you buy on a whim and will cherish forever. i gave out two copies to family members this recent christmas and they were both raving about it later. the whole concept of following an ordinary person around while they do their personal rituals was so fascninating, making the simple things meaningful. the photographs are stirring and the handwritten notes insightful. i have an aging grandfather, so i am biased i am sure, but i found myself smiling and feeling pangs of sadness like a rollar coaster ride while reading this book. my only advice, other than buying it, is to take a quiet moment to read it all in one sitting. after viewing this book, i immediately began documenting my own grandfathers day to day life a bit, i was so inspired.

An absolutely charming collaboration between photographer and subject. Although it tells the story of Albert in his daily life it also says something about the photographer, her respect for the subject and skill as a photographer.

The simple things in life are made exquisite, touching, and memorable. I am a photographer and I can really appreciate this book and the amount of thought and work that went into it. Makes a perfect gift for anyone who is into art books! Beautiful color photos of Albert's lift. Paired with deep, yet humorous writings by Albert Hastings.

I bought this book for less than 2 dollars. I wondered why a photo book, expensive to produce, would sell for so cheap? I bought the book and quickly found out why it was selling for cheap--it is an awful book. The book was created by an very experienced photographer- 20 years of daily assignment experience while working for a local paper but the book is filled with superficial photographs--pretty pics with no emotion and hardly any content that contributes to the body of work. I kid you not there are photos of the subject's clothing for example. These pics are no more interesting than a clothing catalog. Mr. Hastings seems to agree. He writes `size 71/2' and `cloths drying' in captions below the photos. The book is filled with uninteresting photos and Mr. Hastings plays along possibly quite bored. A photo of Hastings sitting and listening to the radio is captioned by Hastings: "Listening to the radio." The most interesting part of this book are the clock drawings done by Mr. Hastings. He wrote a little poetry as well; his writing and drawings are more interesting than any photo in the book. Deveny defends her photographic approach by giving herself permission to take pictures of almost anything regarding her subject and put it in the book. She writes ` I make photos of the banal moments of the day; ones that don't usually warrant even a snap shot.' It looks like it. The book fails to portray Hastings in any way other than a lonely guy. Do photos of someone's stuff make a portrait; if the light, the composition and the moments are there as well giving something more than the banal daily life. Deveny left us with pretty boring pics after 4 years of photographing her subject. Was the photographer bored as well? Is she incapable of seeing the depth of the her subject?. This book by Deveny portrays old age as isolated, boring and sad. Her subject Mr. Hastings isn't any better for it. But he made the book far more interesting than the photographer was able to do. Kaylynn Deveny lover of old age; hater of the elderly.