Exposed: Confessions of a Wedding Photographer: A Memoir [Hardcover]

Claire Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 2008

Once upon a time, Claire Lewis dreamed she would take her camera to war zones to document political upheavals and expose grave injustices. Fate led her elsewhere. And while she might not be on assignment for The New York Times, her current job carries its own dangers: Claire is a wedding photographer. Her world is populated by stressed-out brides and the mothers who reared them, grooms who seduce bridesmaids, brides who change their minds, pass out, or dance on tables in tiaras, and the occasional couple who are truly in love. If you told Claire that you thought being a wedding photographer was glamorous, chances are she’d laugh and give you a list of reasons why it is not glamorous. What it is is unpredictable, funny, demanding, moving, and full of spontaneous moments that cause one to question the nature of love and relationships. As Claire says, it’s all that and it’s never dull. What more could you ask for?

Told with great wit and exuberance, this memoir is a hilarious and touching account of one woman’s adventures in a career that she never saw herself in, and of how she braved those waters while also managing to fall in love and have a wedding of her own. A delightful, insightful read, Exposed: Confessions of a Wedding Photographer will make you see weddings in a whole new light.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wedding Checklist:

1.  Read and enjoy Exposed, a rollicking, insightful look at the inanities and affections that comprise the modern American wedding by affable photographer Claire Lewis.

2.  Heed her sage advice re: garter belts, windbag officiants, and dogs as ring bearers.

3.  Pop champagne.  Read and enjoy some more."

--Franz Wisner, bestselling author of Honeymoon with My Brother

 

"This is everything a book about shooting weddings should be. By turns hilarious, poignant, and outrageous, Exposed is for anyone who's ever been in, or to, a wedding."--Tracey Toomey and Leanne Shear, co-authors of The Perfect Manhattan and Cocktail Therapy

About the Author

Claire Lewis has been photographing weddings for more than twenty years. She lives with her husband and daughter in San Francisco, California.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312381891
• ISBN-13: 978-0312381899
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #839,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Exposed !" paints a beautiful picture with the written word, June 13, 2008

By 

Stewart L. Johnson "physical therapist" (Redding, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Exposed: Confessions of a Wedding Photographer: A Memoir (Hardcover)

After hearing Claire Lewis interviewed on NPR, I (a budding film photographer) couldn't wait to order "Exposed!", Confessions of a Wedding Photographer. My wife (the best photographer I know)got ahold of the book before I did, and, as I had hoped, absoulutely loved it. She would giggle, laugh and cry,and I would continuously ask "what?...what?", until finally, I got to read the book as well. I would be hard pressed to think that anyone in the world hasn't at least attended a wedding, and even if you haven't, this is a fabulous read. Being acquainted with film and the darkroom, and how much work (but great fun!) it is, made me enjoy it that much more. I love the book like I loved my favorite books ever...those by James Herriot (All Creatures Great and Small, etc.). Claire Lewis has the ability to tell a great story. I highly reccomend this book, as there is something for everyone. You won't regret it!!!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, Profound & Fun Read!, June 3, 2008

By 

Multimedia Dude (Sonoma County, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exposed: Confessions of a Wedding Photographer: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Despite my own internet-induced functional illiteracy (I was a voracious reader in another life), I read this book during 3 days after a friend put it in my hands. Weddings typically bore me, and I seem to be one of the few gay men for whom Domestic Partnership is enough. I can't say that the whole subject area appealed to me much, though with the perfect storm of gay marriage descending on California in the coming months, maybe there are a lot of us out there that need to read this book before we go too far with things.

Anyhow, enough about me but the book came to me at a strange and vulnerable time in my own life; I needed to laugh, and that's probably why I opened it up. I expected to laugh, and I did from the get-go...people were giving me funny looks at Starbucks. What I didn't expect was such a well-crafted sub-plot, complete with endearing sidekick as counterpoint to the boss, gluing all the silly & touching anecdotes & characters together. Especially, I didn't expect to cry, as I did later in the book during To Kiss or Not to Kiss, which was set up artfully. Choice bits of the author's own life inform and enrich the stories throughout the book, tying everything together with personality and perspective. Bravo!

Would make a GREAT GIFT for almost anyone, even for folks who don't have much time or inclination to read! Leave it out on the coffee table, or pick it up during coffee breaks, you only need a few minutes at a sitting to enjoy it thoroughly, albeit in bits & pieces, as I did.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars yes, there is a happily ever after!, June 3, 2008

By 

marie curie (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exposed: Confessions of a Wedding Photographer: A Memoir (Hardcover)

This book filled with accounts of the hopefulness, quirkiness and outright craziness of wedding celebrations is pure pleasure to read. It's often laugh out loud funny - Claire's observations are dead on, and along with her photographer's eye she has a wonderful ear for dialogue. What really made this memoir stand out for me, though, was the story of Claire's own path to true love, which underlies her slowly emerging identity as a wedding photographer. Usually the person behind the camera doesn't like to be *exposed* - it's easier to reveal the quirks, joys and fears of others, and hide one's own story. But along with revealing others in their moments of vulnerability, Claire reveals herself. That her path to "I Do" isn't easy makes the outcome that much more delightful - and yes, i am a sucker for a happy ending!