Customer Reviews

LIFE TIME

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This Sturges' book is incredibly stunning. I'd not seen any of his colour photography, save for a few that appear in Aperture's 'Notes'. That was a much smaller book (in terms of its physical dimensions) and was seemingly a reflexive piece, exposing the conditions and processes that develop his work.

This work, Life Time, is MASSIVE! It is a collection of colour images that include many familiar models. There is an intimate, longitudinal aspect which is characteristic of Sturges' oeuvre.

Fans of Sturges will be familiar with the powerful, luminous quality of his black and white images. His colour photography is just as remarkable in that regard, if not more, than his black and white work. The quality of these reproductions is incredible and the publishers should be commended for producing such a magnificent collection.

If you're reading this then I assume you're probably somewhat interested in Sturges. Make haste in getting yourself a copy but be prepared to have your breath taken.

Sturges has a unique talent for bringing his subjects to life on the printed page. Sometimes, he focuses on the single figure: a solemn child with skinned knee, coltish teen, or adult in the full bloom of her beauty. Other times, he sets his model against a glowing sky or evocative shore. Most of these photos present two or more subjects. That creates contrasts that I find an endless source of wonder. The figures of different ages stand out most obviously. Lingering over a group, however, reveals individual differences that I find more interesting, things I might never have noticed seeing each model in isolation. The most striking sets, however, might be those of a single model, taken ad different times. One series featuring Adèle shows this most clearly - photos from 2005, 2006, and 2007 show her starting the voyage to the adult beauty that surely lies ahead for her.

Like that cover photo, many of these pictures express familial love that I find deeply touching. They seem to reflect Sturges's own affection for his models, and their comfort and trust in front of his camera. Far beyond mere respect for his subjects, that friendship with them distinguishes his work from any other I know.

-- wiredweird

This book in my opinion is one of Jock Sturges' best collections, if not the best (or at least it might be my favorite). Yes, his black and whites are excellent but I think his work is even better in color like in this book. He should do more in color in the future. And like in his other works the models are nudes (young girls mostly; but also female teens, women and a couple of boys).

My only complaint about "Life Time" is the size of the book... it's huge, doesn't fit easy or properly on your bookshelf (might not even be able to put it on your bookshelf). But don't let that be a deterent from buying it.

Fans of Misty Dawn who has featured heavily in is other books/collections might be dissapointed here as she only appears in one picture. This is probably due to the fact that he released a book devoted souly to her just last month (so Misty Dawn fans might want to check out that one, "Misty Dawn: Portrait of a Muse"). I myself am not that big of a fan of hers, I think other models Mr. Sturges has used in the past and in this book ("Life Time") are better. Infact I think she's become less beautiful as she's entered her 20's.

My favorite model/subject found in "Life Time" is Adele, with the picture of hers I like best on page 146 (the one on page 145 is a close second). She's a very beautiful girl and appears quite comfortable in front of the camera. If Jock does another book devoted to a single model he should use her. I suggest "Adele: Portrait of a Muse II".

Another natural in front of the camera is Megan-Tara, my second favorite model in this book (she features heavily in this one like Adele, infact she's the younger girl on the cover). The picture of her I like best is on page 164, though all are good. Other models I enjoyed in this book are Ella, Cassandre, and Eva.

One more suggestion to Mr. Sturges is he should consider a book of photos devoted to male subjects as that would offer some variety (his subjects are female 95% of the time thus far). Maybe that could be his next book, followed closely by one devoted to Adele.

If you're a fan of Jock Sturges, then be sure to buy "Life Time". It's a must have and will be a very welcome addition to your collection.

The work of Jock Sturges is truly unique. If you were to buy only one of his books, this is the one I recommend. The format is large and the color magnificent. The poses set this work apart. They range from apparent snapshots (they are anything but snapshots) with a casual look to carefully composed figure studies. Many have Sturges's trademark subject: a young woman looking straight into the camera, face completely relaxed, appearing totally comfortable with herself and also seemingly confronting you with the force of her being. While most photos are of individuals, many contain more than one person. In some, the models seem separate. In others, they seem intimately connected, as in the front and back cover photos. In all of them, the human form appears truly beautiful and absolutely natural. These two qualities are what Sturges consistently captures. These are his message to an uptight, judgmental world. These are his gift to all who celebrate life.

I know Jock personally and I have been a huge fan of his work for
years. I have great appreciation for him and what he does with the
camera. This book is a huge inspiration to me as a photographer.

I opened "Life Time" and tried to choose my favorite
photograph, but I could not. Every image has something
fascinating yet different from each other. People look truly
graceful and the images look alive. I love how he composes the camera and how simple the images are.
I truly love the color photography and it is amazing to see Jocks prints on such a large
scale. This is the best collection of figurative work.

Jock Sturges has always been a fascinating photographer, seeking to do no less than capture the essence of a person, and pehaps move us closer to understanding our place in the universe. While no artist could ever hope to reach this lofty goal, a few artists every few generations are brave enough to try, and some - Vermeer, Renoir, the film maker Ingmar Bergman, for a few examples - have at least come within sight of it. You can add Jock Sturges to that short but illustrious list. As you might guess, I am a fan of his work, and own the four previous books that are still in print (Last Day of Summer, Radiant Identities, Notes, and Misty Dawn Portrait of a Muse), but this one far surpasses any of his previous work. I was skeptical that someone who worked in black and white and sepia tones for decades could make a clean transition to color, but any doubts I had have been put to rest. His mastery of color has taken his art to a new level, and his images practically jump off the page like never before. Like his previous work (and almost all great art), it looks simple at first glance - he doesn't mess with the focus, color pallette, or any other tricks many lesser photographers do to make their subjects look more interesting. Nor does he go to wild locations or position his models in strange poses or tableaus. Also, don't expect Paris Hilton, Courtney Love, or any other famous people to make a sudden appearance. Sturges goes the opposite direction - he takes away such distractions, and focuses our attention solely on the model. Most often, it is a single person or a group of people in front of a neutral background in a naturalistic pose. Most aren't professional models, and while they lack the flawless features and idealistic proportions, they are all the more interesting for it.
The book itself is printed on high quality paper, and the images are crystal clear. The tiniest details are visible, and no matter how long I gaze at these images, I always find something I never quite noticed before. He's found some great subjects as well. Other reviewers have mentioned Adele, and she is a great subject, every bit as interesting as Misty Dawn was and is, and some of his past models have made triumphant returns. I particularly love Eva and Vanessa, who in their own ways seem to possess something magical, and he has found many other great subjects in Miranda, Maeve, Floss (who apparently grow tall and developed in a short period of time, and endearingly seems as if she is trying to get used to the newfound attention this has thrust upon her), wide eyed Estelle, and surly but lovable little Megan-Tara. Then there's also Camilla, Nikki, Lotte, and countless others, which makes the absence of some of his best previous models, such as Marine, or the under-represented models like Misty Dawn and Maia (Sturges wife) easier to bear.
All is not prefect. Some of his photos have sections out of focus, such as people in the background, or even parts of the subject. This is done deliberately, but when I see the blurred image of what looks like a fascinating person in the background, I can't help but feel a little frustrated. I could also mention the fact that not every page has a picture, or that, despite the title, the oldest photograph dates back to 1998, with a majority falling between 2003 and 2007. Not a big deal, but hardly constitutes the lifetime of work the title promises. Then there's the fact that he seems to prefer the slim, long limbed young girls over older /or more full-figured ones, a preference Sturges himself admits, but I hope future volumes give us more of Camille, a beautiful little redhead we see way too little of, orthe mothers of some of the girls, who are every bit as beautiful and interesting as their daughters. Nevertheless, such complaints seem petty and insignificant in the face of the multitude of things the artist has got right. Some may also complain the book is too big to fit in most bookshelves, or that these are idealised images, and not really representative of reality. The occasional scabs or arm in a sling are the only signs of the harder realities of life Jock allows into his vision, and there are no drugs, alchohol, body mutilation, and the only tattoos you'll see are tiny ankle variety, and ears are the only body part that gets pierced in this world. This presents an idealistic world that is not representative of the harsh realities of daily life. I wouldn't have it any other way.
So, for fans of Sturges previous work, this is a must have. Those who are new to Sturges, this is the best place to begin.

Jock Sturges is a master photographer, an artist, and this new album is is masterpiece. One has to ask: what next? Is it possible to go further than these color photos of the people he loves and photographs? And is so, which direction? Black and white photos were his realm. These color photos are his rainbow. Let's hope the next album will be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow we all believe in as artists. Yes, without such beauty life would definitely be a mistake.

so far the best Jock Sturges book I have ever purchased, I was surprised at the size of it but that made for it having the best, most detailed photographs possible, would gladly purchase another of this type of book

The work of Jock Sturges is truly unique. The format is large. His work sets new standard, for example you see a young lady looking directly into the camera, they are all relaxed, happy about their body and in piece with themselves, You will find couple of pictures reflecting a young child with bruised knee presetting the harshness of the nature to a soft and beautiful skin in full extend, many of these pictures express familial love that I find deeply touching. They seem to reflect Sturges's complete connection with his subjects having their full trust, this is far beyond any other works you have ever seen, Paging through this book, I primarily fell in love with all the subjects, Megan, Tara, Adele, Ella, Cassandra, and Eva, you feel the breeze passing on your face, and even smell the sea-shells in a magical and hypnotic way. If you're a photograph/ figurative imagery lover buy this masterpiece, be prepared to have your breath taken, and taken to a magical journey with Sturges's family in France. For those interested in the family naturism in DVD format I would recommend the DVD 'Rituals of Summer' here on Amazon by RussianBare. In a style similar to Sturges, you see Naturist families in motion. Either way, you are in for a real treat with this book or the DVD versions.